Looking for something fun to do this summer? Planning a stay-cation? Tap into local history! Check out these 15 local historical sites:
1. Kenmore
1201 Washington Ave, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Built by George Washington’s sister and her husband. Visit the Colonial-era mansion via a 45-minute guided tour and then visit the 3-acre grounds and garden. Visit their website to check tour hours and ticket prices.
2. Ferry Farm
268 Kings Why, Fredericksburg, VA 22405
George Washington’s boyhood home. See the colonial and civil war artifacts, enjoy the gardens and explore the grounds. Take a guided tour through the Washington House, listen to taped interviews and more. Visit their website to check tour hours and ticket prices.
Artist's rendering by L. H. Barker © 2008
1200 Charles Street, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
George Washington purchased this home for his mother in 1772. Located within walking distance of Kenmore, visitors can see Mary Washington’s “Best dressing glass”, explore the gardens and see the original kitchen. There is also a museum store.
1020 Caroline St, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Museum of colonial medicine with 1st-person tours in a restored 18th-century building.
120 Chatham Ln, Fredericksburg, VA 22405
This Georgian mansion overlooking the Rappahannock River was the center of a thriving plantation, the site of a slave rebellion & a former Civil War headquarters. Wonder the grounds, gardens and outbuildings at your leisure. (Buildings are not open to the public and are only to be viewed from the outside)
1304 Caroline St, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
This house was built by George Washington’s brother Charles, later turned into a stopover for travelers. Enjoy museum tours with a costumed interpreter.
907 Princess Anne St., Fredericksburg, VA 22401
This 1816 town hall houses exhibits spanning more than ten thousand years of history plus offers a variety of events.
8. Gari Melchers Home and Studio
224 Washington St, Falmouth, VA 22405
Visit this eighteenth-century estate and learn about the love story between Gari and Corinne Melchers. Tour the studio and art galleries, see the gardens and explore the trails.
9. Old Stone Warehouse
923 Sophia St, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Built in 1813, this 4-story stone warehouse offers tours & an archeology exhibit.
Memorial site of an 1862 American Civil War battle in a national military park.
11.Rappahannock Railway Museum
11700 Main St, Fredericksburg, VA
Historic cars, train rides & artifacts. Open for visits Saturdays 9am to noon.
Take the virtual tour of the battlefields consisting of six stops starting at the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center ending at Prospect Hill. (You can also take the virtual tour here: https://www.nps.gov/frsp/learn/photosmultimedia/virtualtour.htm)
