Fredericksburg is a charming riverside town featuring a 40 square block historic district with antique and specialty shops and fine dining. Attractions include many historic house museums, art galleries and four National Civil War Battlefield parks. Take the trolley from the Visitors Center on Caroline Street for an exciting overview of Fredericksburg's historic sites or walk the tree lined streets for a more intimate experience with 18th and 19th century architecture. Visit the Hugh Mercer Apothocary Shop for an introduction to 18th century medicine or stop in at President James Monroe's law Office and library. At the Rising Sun Tavern, learn how guests are expected to behave at typical lodgings in the 18th century. Stay at a bed and breakfast downtown or seek quieter bed and breakfast lodgings at old plantation houses in the surrounding countryside. Bed and breakfast owners are sure to let you in on the best experiences in local dining and attractions. If outdoor adventures are your preferences, enjoy rafting or canoeing the Rappahannock River. Or if you wish your river interaction to be a bit less intense, try a dinner or lunch cruise on a reproduction paddle wheel you will find at City Dock. Across the river in Falmouth be sure to visit Chatham, an 18th century house used by General Burnside as his headquarters during the Battle of Fredericksburg in 1862. Also visit Belmont, the home of American Impressionist artist Gari Melchers. Outside town be sure to visit the Civil War Battles of Chancellorsville, Spotsylvania and Wilderness.