Visit FXBG historic sites with the XPass

August 19, 2022 | by | Articles | History & Museums, Tourism

Are you interested in learning more about Fredericksburg’s history? With the new XPasses available for purchase at the Fredericksburg Visitor Center (706 Caroline Street), you can visit many of the area’s historic sites all for one price.

This includes the Fredericksburg Area Museum, Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop, Rising Sun Tavern, Mary Washington House, James Monroe Museum, Historic Kenmore, George Washington’s Boyhood Home at Ferry Farm, and Gari Melchers Home and Studio at Belmont.

Each level of the pass gives you a certain period of time to visit these sites. There is a 24-hour XPass ($24 adult/$10 child), 48-hour XPass ($36 adult/$12 child), and one-year XPass ($48 adult/$15 child). An expiration date will be written on the pass when purchased, and museum workers will punch a hole in your card wherever you visit. Make sure to check the links above for open times and more information.

I decided to visit a few of these places, the first of which was the Fredericksburg Area Museum. The exhibits fill three floors, telling so many interesting stories. They are filled with many artifacts from Fredericksburg’s history, including guns, paintings, furniture, FredNats memorabilia, a coffin, and way more.

Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop was the next place I toured. Here you can learn about Hugh Mercer’s accomplishments, and why he’s such an important person in American history as a soldier and physician. The site displayed a collection of natural remedies and tools, which were spoken about by staff.

The last of the places I went to was Rising Sun Tavern, where I learned about Charles Washington and tavern culture of the 1800’s. The building is filled with antique furnishings and other items from the time period when it was a tavern. The building is tied to tons of interesting history. George Washington even ate a meal in the building.

I visited these three places easily within a day, and had a snack from Hyperion Espresso during my trip. Most of the sites are within the Downtown area, and are easily walkable to and from. I plan to hit the other wonderful sites available on the XPass soon. Remember to visit FXBG.com for more fun activities to do in Fredericksburg.