Virginia by Rail Multi-Regional Tour
Experience breathtaking views, uncover America's rich history, savor Virginia's best wines, read graffiti left by Civil War soldiers, shop at premier outlet malls and boutique shops, and walk the streets of authentic American towns.
Begin your tour in PRINCE WILLIAM and MANASSAS, Outside of Washington, D.C., lies a small city that feels like home: Old Town Manassas – an authentic American town steeped in history and tradition. Begin your visit at the iconic Historic Manassas Train Depot, home to the visitor center and a railroad heritage gallery. Discover the Manassas Museum to uncover the area’s storied past through artifacts, photographs and special events. Visit the Ben Lomond Historic Site, which features a slave quarter and historic home used as a Civil War hospital and filled with graffiti left behind by soldiers. Stop at the Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre, a 25-acre historic park that includes an 1822 courthouse and jail, 1875 church, 1850 log house and farmstead and a one-room schoolhouse built in 1928.
Experience a classic American rail journey onboard Amtrak. With the beginning of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1828, rail travel flourished as America grew from coast to coast. Stroll through the quaint streets of Occoquan – a historic riverfront town settled in the middle of the 18th century. Be sure to take a leisurely cruise down the water aboard the Miss Rivershore where you will enjoy the scenery and a lively history lesson. Discover the history of America’s oldest fighting force, the U.S. Marines, in Quantico at the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Sip, swirl and savor Virginia wines in a circa 1790 manor house at the Winery at La Grange.
Travel South to FREDERICKSBURG and start at the Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center where exhibits tell the story of the area. Board the Trolley Tours of Fredericksburg for a riding tour of the 40-block National Historic District. A hidden gem, theJames Monroe Museum, holds the country’s largest collection of artifacts and documents related to the fifth president of the United States. Visit the family homes of George Washington's mother, sister and brother.
Take a step back in time with the wenches at the Rising Sun Tavern and the doctor’s apprentice at Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop to learn about Colonial medicine, surgery, lodging and food. Enjoy shopping in the boutiques and galleries and please your palate in chef-owned restaurants in Old Town.
Continue your journey to RICHMOND, walk to the State Capitol, designed by Thomas Jefferson, the White House of the Confederacy and theValentine Museum that relates all things Richmond. Follow the canal walk to Historic Tredegar Iron Works for the American Civil War Museum and the Richmond National Battlefield Park Visitors Center. Hear Patrick Henry’s famous “give me liberty, or give me death” speech at St. John’s Church. Take the Trolley, a Segway Tour or enjoy white water rafting on the river in downtown!
Visit Henricus Historical Park and explore the re-created site of the second successful English settlement in the New World. Visit Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Hanover Tavern, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts or take a narrated canal cruise on a charming bateau boat. Visit scenic Hollywood Cemetery, which serves as the final resting place of Jefferson Davis and his family, 25 Confederate generals and 18,000 Confederate soldiers.
Travel to Norfolk and set sail aboard the American Rover tall ship or the Spirit of Norfolk. Enjoy the breathtaking panoramic views of the Virginia Waterfront’s skyline with a narrated tour and great music as you cruise Norfolk’s historic waterways. Uncover the mystery behind the power of the sea at Nauticus, an interactive science and technology center, where you can explore the hands-on exhibits. While there, step aboard the Battleship Wisconsin, one of the last and largest battleships built by the U.S. Navy. Eat and shop at MacArthur Center, a downtown shopping experience.
Take a bus tour of Naval Station Norfolk, the world’s largest naval station, as an enlisted sailor takes you onto the base. Then step back in history with more than 5,000 years of art at the Chrysler Museum of Art. Explore nature with more than 20 theme gardens by tram, boat or foot at Norfolk Botanical Garden. End the trip by relaxing and sipping wine at Virginia’s first urban winery, the Mermaid Winery. Or pub crawl to O’Connors Brewing Company and Smartmouth Brewing Company.
Contacts
Fredericksburg Regional Tourism Partnership
Victoria Matthews
vamatthews@fredericksburgva.gov
Phone: 1-866-405-3046
www.VisitFred.com
Prince William County Office of Tourism
Mark Kowalewski
MKowalewski@PWCGov.org
Phone: 571-482-7059
www.DiscoverPWM.com
Richmond Region Tourism
Toni Bastian
tbastian@visitrichmondva.com
Phone: 1-800-370-9044
www.VisitRichmondVA.com
VisitNorfolk
Melissa Hopper
mhopper@visitnorfolktoday.com
Phone: 1-800-368-3097
www.VisitNorfolktoday.com