Story Ideas


Historic Covered Bridges Tour // Candlelight Ghost Tours // Walking Tour

Civil War   Civil War

During the Civil War, Frederick was fiercely contested ground with numerous skirmishes and exhaustive troop movements accompanying the nearby battles of Antietam, Gettysburg, South Mountain and Monocacy. Today Frederick tells the story of a town divided and the healing provided by this hospital center. Two of Maryland's Civil War Trails (The Antietam Campaign and The Road to Gettysburg) pass through the county.

  • Tour Monocacy National Battlefield
  • Learn about Frederick’s healing role in the War at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine
  • See the home of Frederick’s Civil War heroine, Barbara Fritchie
Mansions and Gardens   Historic Houses and Gardens

The historic sites and museums of Frederick County provide visitors with a living reminder of our grand past.
  • Visit period gardens and taste herbs that would have been growing in the 1800’s at Schifferstadt Museum
    • and Rose Hill Manor
  • Tour the historic district via horse-drawn carriages
  • Enjoy a high tea at a gracious mansion
  • Savor a performance at the Weinberg Center, a 1926 restored movie palace
  • Relax in the shade of the period sitting garden at the Historical Society of Frederick County
  • Tour a local winery
Religious Pilgrimages and Mountain Retreats   Religious Pilgrimages & Mountain Retreats

The very roots of religious tolerance can be traced to Maryland, so it's no wonder Frederick County is home to a variety of religions and historic houses of worship. Frederick city's picturesque cluster of church steeples was distinguished in John Greeleaf Whittier's poem, The Ballad of Barbara Fritchie. He wrote, "The clustered spires of Frederick stand, Green-walled by the hills of Maryland."


  • Tour the National Shrine of Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first-American-born saint
  • Experience the serenity of the Grotto of Lourdes
Soft Adventure   Soft Adventure

From the C&O Canal, to the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the untamed beauty of the Potomac and Monocacy Rivers, Frederick County offers a wide range of recreational tours.
  • Raft down the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers
  • Enjoy a moonlight canoe trip
  • Bike the C&O Canal Towpath
  • Walk the Appalachian Trail
Art and Architecture   Art & Architecture

Frederick is recognized as an Arts and Entertainment District. Art galleries, local specialty shops, restaurants and some museums open their doors late the first Saturday of every month for First Saturday. Visit the nationally acclaimed Community Bridge Mural, where an artist has transformed a plain concrete bridge into a permanent illusion of an old stone and ivy covered bridge… a must see!


  • Take in a performance in a grand, restored 1926 movie palace
  • Search several independent art galleries for the piece you’ve been looking for
  • Cap off the evening in one of many restaurants serving up after hours jazz and blues entertainment
  • Relax in hospitality of a well-appointed bed & breakfast
Antiquing   Antiquing

Spend the weekend antiquing in the quaint shops that can be found in many Frederick County towns, Downtown Frederick boasts over 200 antique shops, many within easy walking distance of each other. Other towns featuring antique and specialty shops include New Market, Middletown, Emmitsburg, Thurmont, Brunswick, and Mount Airy.


Shopping and Dining Shopping & Dining

Frederick County is home to many unique shops and restaurants, including many wonderful privately owned establishments on our downtown main streets. Our specialty retailers have offerings to satisfy a variety of interests. Downtown Frederick alone is home to over 200 antique dealers, several clothiers, home furnishing stores and jewelers. Many restaurants in Frederick's downtown historic district, which is fast becoming a culinary destination, offer great weekend musical entertainment following the dinner hour.

Fall Foliage and Scenic Drives   Fall Foliage & Scenic Drives

The foothills of the Catoctin Mountains are truly spectacular as the leaves change color. Leaf peekers are rewarded for their efforts with healthy doses of vibrant colors in early to mid-October.
  • Sightsee in the foothills of the Catoctin Mountains and tour three scenic covered bridges Stop by a local orchard for fresh apples, pears and berries
  • Hike mountain paths to a dazzling 78-foot waterfall
  • Get off the interstate and travel at a slower pace along the National Road, the first federally funded highway
Frederick Wine Trail Frederick Wine Trail

Experience the beauty, magic, and flavor of the Frederick Wine Trail. With the Frederick Wine Trail, you are invited to discover some of Frederick County's best agricultural bounty: with its beautiful vineyards and outstanding wines. The Trail is made up of six wineries and their combined 120 acres of vineyards. Together these wineries are responsible for over half of Maryland's wine production. From the cluster of four wineries in the outskirts of Mt. Airy to the edge of Montgomery County and even in downtown Frederick, you will find a wide selection of fine wines, warm hospitality and a glimpse of the ancient art of wine making.