If you are looking for a fun girlfriend getaway, Fredericksburg is perfect. Located in the Texas Hill Country, it started as a German settlement in the 1840s. Visitors will find German food, like sausages, German bakeries and a pie shop. As part of the Texas Wine Country, travelers will find locally produced beer and wine. In fact, Fredericksburg is the second largest wine destination in the U.S. While in town, save some time for exploring in its quaint downtown district with tasting rooms, dining, and museums. Here are the top things to do in Fredericksburg, Texas, on a weekend getaway with girlfriends or your special someone.
FUN Things to Do in Fredericksburg Texas
Old Tunnel State Park
Sample German Food
Snag German Breakfast Pastries
Visit the Vereins Kirche Museum
Walk Through the Pioneer Museum
Eat Some Pie
Sample Wine
Sip German Beer
Grab Brunch
Visit the National Museum of the Pacific War
Explore Fort Martin Scott
Buy Some Bluebonnet Seed
Is Fredericksburg a Day Trip or a Weekend Getaway?
I live in the Austin area, and I have done both. I got up earlier driven the two hours to get there. From Austin, the drive is beautiful after you get through Oak Hill in South Austin. But two hours then and two hours back is a lot of driving in one day.
It is much more relaxed to spend a few days in Fredericksburg. If you are visiting the wineries in the area, I especially recommend this.
Half a day can be spent at the WWII Museum, then add the other attractions. You can enjoy a leisurely breakfast in the morning, followed by shopping. Then you can visit a few wineries after that. If the bats are in town, their evening bat flight is an amazing site.
Things to Do on Friday Night
Sneak out of work after lunch on Friday. No one will miss you. Then you arrive on Friday and get your weekend started early.
There are a couple of options from the warm weather bat flight to see live music in town. You can always hang out at your hotel for the evening with a bottle of local wine.
Old Tunnel State Park
Three million Mexican free-tail bats call Fredericksburg home from May to October in an abandoned train tunnel from a hundred years ago. As one of the largest colonies in Texas, see waves upon waves of insect-eating mammals swirl out each night before dusk.
This state park location offers two viewing platforms. The lower viewing platform is accessed by a set of stairs and restricted to visitors over 4.
Located at 10619 Old San Antonio Rd., southeast of Fredericksburg. Call 866 978-2287 for the latest bat emergence time. Bat viewing requires advance tickets. General admission is $2 to $5 per person, depending on location.
Guide to Texas Caves and Bats
Dinner and a Show
If the weather is nice, then head to an outdoor beer garden for dinner and find lots of German beer. You can grab a sandwich, burger or a German plate heavy with sausage at Altdorf Biergarten. Best of all, there’s live music on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Located at 301 W. Main St. Open Wednesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Saturday Morning
With a German heritage dating back to the 1840s, you will find culinary influences from sweet pretzels to sausage plates to the beer selection.
Fredericksburg offers quaint places to start the day. I recommend a bakery, especially if you will be sampling wine in the afternoon.
Old German Bakery and Restaurant
With a breakfast menu packed with sausages and schnitzels, fill up your German food tank and have enough for a to-go box. Sample some tasty treats like German sweet pretzels or rye bread, both baked daily.
Located at 225 W. Main St. Open Friday to Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., closed Wednesday and Thursday.
Best Wildflower Drives through Texas
Vereins Kirche Museum
A rebuilt version of the first public building in Fredericksburg that served as a schoolhouse, town hall, a fort for protection and a church. Stroll through the exhibits to learn more about the history of Fredericksburg.
Located at 100 West Main St. in the center of Marktplatz. Open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free
Pioneer Museum
With over three acres, experience the pioneer life of the German settlers in early Texas. Ten buildings illustrate a life before automobiles and air conditioning. Walk through the log cabin and imagine a life there, redefining the word rustic. Visit the Weber Sunday House, a small house located in town for ranchers to use for shopping and attending services.
Forget about the convenience of indoor plumbing and imagine spending days in the dust and the heat when you walk through the Arhelger Bathhouse. Kids can sit in the antique school desks and read German off the blackboard at the White Oak School.
The homestead houses offer rooms furnished with antiques, like the Kammlah Homestead. It also includes a smokehouse used for curing meats and sausage.
Located at 325 West Main St. Open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adult admission is $12, students are (6 to 17) $5 and kids 5 and younger are free.
The Fredericksburg Pie Company for Lunch
Who needs a traditional lunch? Have pie instead. The Fredericksburg Pie Company offers mile-high meringues and fruit pies galore.
Located at 108 E. Austin St. Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. until sold out.
Top Things to Do in Bastrop Texas
Sipping Texas Style on a Saturday Afternoon
The Texas Wine County offers seventeen different vineyards and wineries along U.S. 290. It’s the second-largest wine destination in the U.S. This is one of the top things to do in Fredericksburg, Texas.
The Becker Vineyards
Head to The Becker Vineyards for expansive grounds along with an impressive wine list. Becker wines have been served at the White House on several occasions.
Located at 464 Becker Farms Rd. Open Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. General tastings start at $25.
Messina Hof Hill Country Winery
With a ten-acre property. Messina Hof offers a selection of its 50 Texas wines. It also offers a bed and breakfast site on its property.
Located at 9996 U.S. Highway 290 E. Open Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Reservations are recommended for Saturdays. Tastings start at $5 a glass.
Alstadt Brewery Tour
If you prefer beer, then you must visit the Alstadt Brewery. This facility is gorgeous, with indoor and outdoor areas for sampling its beer. You’ll find a Biergarten, a Tap Room, the Grand Hall and a restaurant.
The Alstadt Brewery Tour is a must. You’ll tour its copper-plated Rolec brewhouse guided a brewers. It is available on Thursdays and Fridays at 4 p.m.
Located at Open Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday from 11:30 to 8 p.m., Friday from 11:30 to 9 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Cabernet Grill for Dinner
With 75 locally produced wines, The Cabernet Grill is the place for a nice dinner out with your someone special. It features a chef-created menu with local produce and meat.
Located at 2805 S. State Highway 16. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Reservations are recommended.
Sunday
The best part of a weekend away is starting Sunday slow and smooth. That feeling of sleeping until the sun wakes you up is the best.
Then I recommend heading out for Sunday Brunch. In historic Fredericksburg, there is one place.
Vaudeville Bistro for Sunday Brunch
This is a retail shop and restaurant combo. With its menu of French bistro offerings, it’s a natural for brunch.
Start your meal with bubbles and caviar. Or sample the charcuterie and cheese board with a locally produced Altstadt beer. Find a selection of sandwiches, salads, and pastries as well at Vaudeville Bistro.
Located at 230 E. Main St. Open daily at 11 a.m.
Guide to the Texas Wine Country
National Museum of the Pacific War
The National Museum of the Pacific War walks visitors through WWII’s Pacific Theater in a complex that includes the majority of a city block. Find engaging exhibits utilizing authentic aircraft, and light shows to mimic battle, and walk from the beginning of the war to the surrender at Tokyo Bay.
Since the majority of the artifacts are indoors, most visitors spend hours reliving history in the George H.W. Bush Gallery. Strolling through a labyrinth of rooms, find a Japanese Midget Submarine in one exhibit to be followed by a PT Boat in another.
Then, turn the corner to see a B-25. A couple of rooms later, an F4F Wildcat Fighter. This museum offers more than aircraft and vessels. Sit for a moment and reflect in the Japanese Garden of Peace. The memorial court remembers those lost. This is one of the top things to do in Fredericksburg, Texas.
Located 311 E. Austin St. Open Wednesday to Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Tuesday). Adult admission is $24, seniors are $16, students (6 – 17) are $10 and kids 5 and younger are free. Closed Tuesday.
Top Things to Do in Lubbock Texas
Fort Martin Scott
Explore the first U.S. Army Post on the western frontier. Originally established as a camp in 1848, Camp Houston was later renamed after Lt. Col. Martin Scott, who was killed at the battle of Molina Del Rey in 1847.
Situated along the banks of Barons Creek, it originally housed 21 different buildings. As the frontier moved west, Fort Martin Scott assumed the role of a forage depot, supporting other forts.
Located at 1606 East Main St. Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free to enter.
Weekend Getaway to New Braunfels
Wildseed Farms
Explore the largest working wildflower farm in the U.S. With 200 acres, stroll the walking trails to see the production fields for its seed operation. Its gift shop sells its seed with a wall of options.
Outside, there is a nursery with live plants, many of them Texas native varieties. There is also a wine-tasting room.
Located at 100 Legacy Dr. Open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Clear River Ice Cream, Bakery and Deli
With its diner booth seating to the bakery case with goodies, this is the place for a quick dinner. Its menu is sandwich-based. There is also ice cream for a quick snack.
Located at 138 E. Main St. Open Sunday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Disclosure Consideration for brands mentioned.
Where to Stay in Fredericksburg Texas
Fredericksburg Inn and Suites offers renovated rooms with details like barn doors and wildflower art. Enjoy a complimentary full breakfast and resort-style pool along the banks of Barons Creek. Located at 201 S. Washington St.
Comments are closed.