Big cities like Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia are popular tourist destinations, but visiting a smaller town for a day trip can offer something special off the beaten path—often just as fun to explore as the big city.
Fredericksburg, Virginia, offers plenty of unique activities and attractions for all ages, from historical landmarks to museums featuring the strange and unusual.
Fredericksburg’s population is a little less than 28,000 permanent residents, but the town attracts millions of tourists and visitors regularly. In a town with such a long history—founded in 1728—many of Fredericksburg’s biggest attractions call back to that history. Visitors can even tour the area in a Ford Model A through Fredericksburg Model-A Car Tours if they really want to feel like they’ve traveled back in time.
Fredericksburg’s historic district is fairly large, with more than 350 buildings that were first constructed in the 18th and 19th centuries and 100-plus shops and restaurants. The area is home to four different historic sites managed by Washington Heritage Museums: the Mary Washington House, the Rising Sun Tavern, the Hugh Mercer Apothecary and the St. James House. The latter is only open to the public for two weeks—one week in the spring and one in the fall—but the other three are common tourist spots for history buffs.
One of the most iconic historical spots in Fredericksburg, though, is Historic Kenmore. George Washington’s sister, Betty, and her husband lived on this large estate, which celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2025. Visitors can tour the house and explore the various exhibits on the property. There’s also George Washington’s Ferry Farm, which is not a preserved building, but instead, a replica of the house where the first president grew up.
History isn’t all that Fredericksburg has to offer, though. Visitors during baseball season can catch a Minor League Baseball game at Frederick Nationals and Virginia Credit Union Stadium, and the popular amusement park Kings Dominion is only a short drive away. If you’re traveling with family and want to stay in town, arcades and fun centers like Fun Land of Fredericksburg and Reclaim Arcade are popular destinations.
