Antique-Laden Inn Close to Historic District
The Inn at the Olde Silk Mill is located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, the site of many pivotal moments in early US history. Not far from The Inn, you can see a house George Washington bought for his mother as well as more than 350 other 18th- and 19th-century buildings. In addition, four major Civil War battles took place in the area—possibly because the city is equidistant from Washington and Richmond, the capitals of the Union and Confederacy, respectively.
Because The Inn at the Olde Silk Mill is located on the edge of the National Historic District, it often draws in crowds of history buffs and people dressed up for Civil War reenactments. The Inn is also decorated with period antiques, such as marble-topped walnut dressers and an old-time upright player piano that can also be played manually.
The guest rooms are individually decorated with four-poster beds and Victorian-era reproductions. Most are single rooms, but a handful of family suites feature either a separate bedroom or parlor joined by a private bathroom. All stays include a continental breakfast of fresh fruit, bagels, croissants, english muffins, yogurt, hot and cold cereals, herbal teas, and fruit pastries in the morning.
See The Inn's host for complimentary admission to some of Fredericksburg's local wineries, breweries, and historic distilleries. You can tour the Prohibition-era A. Smith Bowman Distillery, see how beer is brewed at the Blue & Gray Brewing Co., or stroll the vineyards at Potomac Point Vineyard & Winery.
Fredericksburg, Virginia: Civil War Battle Sites and Museums Just Outside DC
Fredericksburg's downtown stretches for 40 blocks lined with hundreds of historical sites and several museums. Standouts include the home of 19th-century American artist Gari Melchers, where you can see a large collection of his paintings, and a Confederate cemetery where more than 2,000 soldiers and generals have been laid to rest.
Another one of the area's landmarks is the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park, which marks the grounds where the Civil War reached its violent climax. The second-largest military park in the world, it spans four battlefields. You can tour each of them by car or walking trail. Among five historic buildings in the park you'll find the Chatham Plantation. Formerly a wartime headquarters, the property hasn't changed much since the days when Abraham Lincoln camped here to meet with his generals.
Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions.
