Fredericksburg, Stafford, Spotsylvania, Virginia

Discovering Antiques and Art Tour T

his 7 hour tour visits nu-merous fine collections of art and antiques in Freder-icksburg, including the

furnishings of Kenmore, Belmont, Mary Washington House, James Monroe Museum, Fredericksburg Area Museum, and St. James Cottage. Combine this tour with an afternoon of browsing in dozens of antique shops in Old Town Freder-icksburg. It’s an antique lovers de-light.

For Additional Information contact: Victoria Matthews 540-372-1216 * 800-260-3646 vamatthews@fredericksburgva.gov VisitFred.com

Stop 1 Fredericksburg Visitor Center—See the Fredericksburg orientation film, meet your pre-arranged guide, and collect touring literature. Allow 30 minutes.

Stop 2 St. James Cottage.—The proportions of the fine 17th and 18th century furnishings are especially appropriate to this dimin-utive house. Chinese and Japanese ex-port porcelains, English chests and ta-bles, and a portrait of Frederick, Prince of Wales, after whom Fredericksburg was named are featured here. Allow 30 minutes.

Stop 3 Mary Washington House — This home was purchased and improved by George Washington for his mother in 1772 and contains many fine 17th and 18th century pieces. Particularly notable are the Virginia-made Ferneyhough chair with doghead arms, a tallcase clock made by Henry White of Freder-icksburg, the Washington family Wedge-wood wheat-patterned china, and Mrs. Washington’s “best dressing glass,” willed to George at her death. Allow 45 minutes.

Stop 4

James Monroe Museum —Remarkably, many of the personal possessions and papers of our nation’s fifth President have been passed through generations of his family and today they are on dis-play. Costumes worn by Monroe and his wife in some of the major events of his long public career, fine jewelry, paintings, miniatures, and the Louis XVI furniture purchased when Monroe was emissary to France are on exhibit. Allow 40 minutes.

Stop 5 Historic Kenmore — This home was built for Fielding Lewis and his wife Betty, the only sister of George Wash-ington. The elaborate plasterwork ceil-ings and overmantels are especially no-table. This tour concentrates upon ar-chitecture and preservation. Kenmore’s collection of fine Virginia-made furni-ture is on view in the museum gallery and within the home’s first floor. Allow 60 minutes.

James Monroe Museum Historic Kenmore

Discovering Antiques and Art Tour Stop 6 Fredericksburg Area Museum —This historic 1816 Town Hall/Market House which now is the home to the Fredericksburg Area Museum, houses collections and exhibits telling the story of the history of Fredericksburg and the surrounding area. The Museum exhibits focus on the 18th century, Civil War to the present. Special decorative arts and subject matter tours may be pre-arranged. Allow 60 minutes.

Stop 7 Belmont was the home of the American impressionist artist Gari Melchers. The 18th century house contains an outstanding collection of European and American antiques, English, Chinese, French and Bavarian china; Oriental and Savonerie rugs, and paintings by Frans Snyders, Berthe Morisot and many others. The stone studio displays the works from Melchers’ prolific ca-reer. The formal gardens contain a large collection of period rose collections and walking paths through native wildflower fields. Allow at least 90 minutes.

Stop 8 Liberty Town Arts Workshop is a colorful haven for local artists and craftspeople. Forty artists in twenty studios have joined the gallery and pottery school. You can visit with artists, watch them work, ask questions and shop for original one-of-a-kind works of art. Allow 60 minutes.

Option: Paint your own pottery at Pots and Palettes. You’ll be given a mini-lesson on the spot and provided with decorating tools to make your piece your very own special creation. After you paint your piece, it will be glazed and fired, making it not only beautiful but functional. Choose from dinosaurs to din-nerware.

Check out these additional resources for the arts and

antique shops available at the visitor center.

Belmont Fredericksburg Area Museum