Riverfront Park

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Location: 701 Sophia St, Fredericksburg, VA 22401

Park Hours: Park open daily. Closed 10pm to 5am

Capacity: 1,500

Prohibited in Riverfront Park:

  • Trespassing after hours
  • Littering or destruction of property
  • Alcoholic beverages (except by permit)
  • Pets off leash
  • Leaving pet waste
  • Skateboarding, bike and scooter riding, or roller blading
  • Vehicles without specific authorization from Parks and Recreation
  • Engaging in commercial activity

Information and Rentals:

For park information, maintenance and rental inquiries please call (540) 372-1086 or email PRFrontDesk@fredericksburgva.gov. 

Park rental fees, general use rates and equipment rental information is available on our website here or click "Park Rentals" below:

Park Rentals web button Opens in new window

Riverfront Park is a nearly 4-acre property and the City’s first “smart” park.

Riverfront Park is located at 701 Sophia Street (encompassing the 500-700 blocks) in Historic Downtown. As its name suggests, it features fantastic Rappahannock River views and includes open space, event space, an interactive water feature, a meadow area, and a children’s play area. This park also features free Wi-Fi, solar powered lights, security cameras, a bike rack and a bike repair station. Located across the street from the City’s public parking garage, this park is a short walk to downtown businesses, art galleries and restaurants -  and just two blocks from the Visitor Center and their public restrooms.

Riverfront Park was awarded Best New Facility in 2023 by the Virginia Recreation and Park Society. 

The City’s planned improvements to Riverfront Park are continuing to move forward, with the public restrooms nearing the final planning stages.  The restrooms were originally planned to be open this summer, however, City staff and the design teams have been working diligently to ensure that the building’s plans will work within the known floodplain as outlined in FEMA’s April 2023 Flood Insurance Rate Maps. The restroom building has been fully funded, the design has received a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Architectural Review Board, and the project is currently in the permitting stage. The restrooms are expected to be in place for the upcoming holiday season.

The meadow, which is the hillside area between the Rappahannock River and the park’s promenade, has grown in significantly this summer with a wide variety of plant species to be viewed, including Mountain Mint, Virginia Wild Rye, Fox Sedge and Black Eyed Susan. The sandstone benches and the second platform bench area offer views of the river, and those walking along the park’s paved promenade can sit on the edge to take in both the meadow and river.

The City of Fredericksburg received a $1.2 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce to help construct a performance stage and the restrooms. Plans for the performance stage are underway. Design parameters for the covered stage are being written, and an Invitation for Bids will be released in the coming months. Pending adequate funding, construction on the stage is expected to start early in 2024. 

Read more about the history of building Riverfront Park here.

For more information on the park or to inquire about event rentals, please contact the Parks, Recreation and Events office at 540-372-1086 ext. 0 or email prfrontdesk@fredericksburgva.gov.

Features
  • Benches
  • Bike Rack
  • Bike Repair Station 
  • Event Space
  • Fishing
  • Interactive Water Feature
  • Play Area
  • Public Art
  • Wi-Fi

Fxbg Public WiFi

City of Fredericksburg’s Department of Information Technology has launched Fxbg Public WiFi. The service enables people visiting Riverfront Park to access the Internet through their own wireless-enabled devices, such as laptops and PDAs. There is no charge for this service, however, customers must have their own equipment, wireless card, software, and agree to the Terms and Disclaimer Agreement below.

Terms and Disclaimer Agreement - The City of Fredericksburg offers this Internet access as a service to guests and visitors of the City. The City of Fredericksburg is not responsible for any of these sites, their content or their privacy policies. The City and its staff do not endorse nor make any representations about these sites, or any information, software or other products or materials found there, or any results that may be obtained from using them. Do not use this network to transmit any information considered to be confidential. Furthermore, the City does not make any guarantee this network is free of, nor does it provide protection from, malware, virus or other malicious code. This Internet access is provided only as a courtesy and its availability is not guaranteed at any specific time. The City of Fredericksburg reserves the right to deny or restrict access to any persons who abuse this network connection to include but not limited to excessive bandwidth consumption, unlawful or criminal activity. This network may be monitored and any activity may be disclosed at the City of Fredericksburg's discretion.

WiFi FAQs

Is there a security code or password needed to connect to WiFi at Riverfront Park?

  • No, connecting to a wireless hot spot is easy. Just bring up the network connections list on your laptop or wireless device and you will see "Fxbg Public WiFi." 

Is there a time limit to the free wireless internet in Riverfront Park?

  • No, there is no time limit or limit to how often an individual can access the City’s free WiFi, however when the Park is closed, WiFi is not available.  Riverfront Park hours are 5am to 10pm.