We’ve already told you all about the awesome distilleries we toured in Frederick and the delicious food we enjoyed at The Wine Kitchen and The Tasting Room, but there’s still more to love about this historic town. Our trip was short, but we had just enough time to fully experience Frederick’s charm. Here are just a few more things you should do when you visit.
Get Acquainted with Frederick at the Visitor’s Center
Your first stop when visiting Frederick for the first time should be to the adorable and informative Visitor’s Center. You probably know that Frederick is the birthplace of Francis Scott Key, but there’s much more to discover. Catch a short film covering the history of the city, peruse art exhibits and ask the informative guides any questions you may have about your stay.
Get to Know Frederick with a Stroll Through Downtown
Definitely make time to walk through Frederick’s adorable downtown, starting with Carroll Creek Park. This lovely park is the result of making the best out of a terrible situation – a devastating flood in 1976 that wiped out much of downtown Frederick. Carroll Creek Park was designed to prevent future flood damage, with a beautiful design featuring tons of green space and gorgeous water features.
During your walk, be sure to seek out the stunning trompe l’oeil bridge mural which transformed a plain, concrete bridge into a true work of art. Trompe l’oeil is a technique that tricks the eye into perceiving a three-dimensional object on a flat surface.
The intricate detail on the mural is incredibly impressive and definitely something you shouldn’t miss while roaming along Carroll Creek Park.
Once you’re able to tear yourself away from Carroll Creek, walk a few blocks North for charming, tree-lined streets populated with cute boutiques and restaurants.
History buffs should make a visit to the award-winning National Museum of Civil War Medicine. We didn’t get to visit nearly as many restaurants and shops as we would have liked, but enjoyed having a drink at Brewer’s Alley and JoJo’s Tap House. I’ve also heard great things about Black Hog BBQ, and don’t forget The Tasting Room.
Grab a Beer at a Local Brewery
In addition to craft spirits, the craft beer scene is big in Frederick. We had the pleasure of stopping by one of the newest breweries, Attaboy Beer located right off of Carroll Creek Park.
We’d actually run into one of the owners the day before while on our distillery tour, and we just couldn’t pass up visiting this super popular brewery. Attaboy brews a lot of Belgian-style beers along with pale ales, IPAs and seasonals. We enjoyed doing a tasting and chatting with some Frederick restaurants. While I’m typically more of a sour beer fan, I really enjoyed a lot of their offerings. 
Tom liked the Fredhead Red IPA so much he got a crowler of it to go. For those unfamiliar, crowlers are large cans sealed by a machine for a less leaky alternative to a growler. Tom loved the novelty of the large can. We’ll be keeping an eye out for these in the future.
In addition to Attaboy, Frederick boasts several other craft breweries from the ever-popular Flying Dog to smaller operations like Monocacy Brewing and Olde Mother. If beer is your thing, a trip to Frederick is a no brainer.
Head Out to the Scenic Countryside
Far and away one of our favorite stops of the trip was our visit to Springfield Manor Winery & Distillery in nearby Thurmont.
We loved everything about the place, from the sweet and passionate owners to the fun wine tasting to the absolutely gorgeous scenery.
Springfield Manor is also known for its annual Lavender Festival, coming up next month on June 17th featuring picturesque lavender fields, live music, food, wine, and handcrafted distilled spirits.
One thing the Frederick area lacks is boutique hotels. We stayed at the Residence Inn off the highway, which was very clean and comfortable. But if you’re looking for a place to stay with a little more local flair, you should definitely consider the Inn at Springfield Manor.
The Inn is located in a gorgeous, updated estate dating back to the 1700s. We couldn’t stop swooning as we walked through for a tour.
I’ll definitely be looking into this property for my next visit to Frederick, hopefully sooner rather than later!
Thanks again to Visit Frederick for hosting us for a weekend as we explored one of our new favorite DC getaways.
I thought “crowler” was initially a typo on your part until explained what it was. First time I have ever heard of what a crowler was. Interesting concept and one I will start keeping my eyes open for at other American craft breweries!