Fredericksburg Visitor Center — Attraction in Fredericksburg

Since Google Maps does not give a good way to leave photos and reviews for towns or cities, I'll put this review about Fredericksburg here. We were very happy with our visit to this lovely town. I was surprised that the population was just under 30,000 as it seems a bit larger than that. There seem to be more conveniences than one normally might find for a town of this size, but our focus was the core downtown area. The colonial look of the old town area presents a great vibe for someone who is into history such as me. But the shops, restaurants and amenities offer something for everyone.

It's a very walkable downtown area though there are some hills involved. But those undulations are generally very manageable except for individuals with the greatest of mobility challenges. The limited parking time on the downtown streets is a little annoying if you want to spend the whole day, but that's being nitpicky. I say that only because it is definitely worth spending a day just exploring the downtown area (apart from any battlefield visit that you might be planning).

In addition to just taking in the pleasant, laid-back vibe, there are a few places to be sure to visit when in downtown. Start at the Visitors Center on Caroline St. to get oriented. The staff is friendly and helpful. The Apothecary is a fun visit if you're a history buff. The staff present some interesting facts about 18th-century medicine. You can even get a look at some live leaches! And the building is one of the few 18th century structures in town not destroyed by an early 19th century fire.

There are a few coffee shops downtown, with Hyperion being one of the best. If you're looking for gifts Kimman's has a lot of fun stuff while Made in Virginia will present some things with local appeal. Jus Pop'n offers some very interesting and very good popcorn flavors while Curio is a nice place to stop for wine tasting if you need a break. They feature international options as well as a handful of Virginia wines worth sampling. Cool Cat Cupcakes located in the basement of the building at the northwest corner of Charles and William has some fun treat options. If bubble tea is your thing, Bubblebee is good spot. Stroll by the 1910 train station building to admire the architecture. There are several intriguing restaurants downtown. We tried Sammy T's and were favorably impressed by their American fare with a local twist. Their location in an historic building adds to the ambiance.

If you are visiting Central Virginia, I'd recommend putting a day in Downtown Fredericksburg on your itinerary. There are several things that can fill out your agenda if you do so. I had not even mentioned places like FAM and the James Monroe Museum and Library. Of course, the battlefield is also worthwhile putting on your schedule. In short, put Fredericksburg...

The visitors center is always a great friendly helpful service for the Fredericksburg community, and it's visitors. Unfortunately, they cater to the Olde Town Carriage Tours of Fredericksburg. Which is a terrible company owned by a very rude, uncaring and unprofessional tyrant. I found out 15 minutes before our scheduled ride that our (reservation) was canceled, with no explanation. This was supposed to be a holiday ride for my family. The driver was curt, rude and completely unprofessional with us about the situation. When she was asked to apologize for her despicable actions she got more of an attitude and rode off. My small children were devastated! I contacted the company, and the owner (probably the same person as the driver) who was just as bitter and rude. She also made up false accusations and lies in an attempt to make this customer look bad, and cover her tracks. What a despicable individual. She has numerous complaints in social media. All of which mention how rude she is! Fredericksburg truly does not need a company like this besmirching the wonderful reputation they have!!! I would never recommend this carriage service. Unless you want to be treated very poorly, and your family left on a street corner in the cold. I recommend the trolley. It's run by reputable individuals that are very informative and have a good knowledge of the town. It's also safer, cleaner, warmer and much...

A trip to this Fredericksburg visitor center on Caroline street left me embarrassed to be from this beautiful small town. I had an excellent experience at the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center where friendly and helpful staff were eager and willing to offer help as soon as my boyfriend and I walked in. However, when we entered the visitor center on Caroline street, we received no greeting because the two women behind the counter were mid conversation. This visit occurred Monday, August 21st around 3:30pm. Not only did the two women choose not to greet us as we walked into the visitor center, they could not be bothered to pause their conversation the entire time we were in the building. My boyfriend and I looked over the vast selection of informational pamphlets on the wall opposite these two women for a few moments before exiting the visitor center. As we were leaving I told my boyfriend that we would just "help ourselves". With one foot out of your door, the women finally stopped their conversation to half-heartedly offer assistance, which I did not turn around to accept. I will never utilize this visitor center again and hope that no one else has had this experience at this location as this is not how Fredericksburg should ever be...