Fredericksburg officials celebrated the opening of Riverfront Park and the launch of Fredericksburg Main Street’s Otter-ly Amazing Fredericksburg Project on Saturday, May 21, 2022.
The park at 713 Sophia Street (encompassing the 500-700 blocks), across from the city’s parking garage, is a nearly four-acre property and the city’s first “smart park.” As its name suggests, it features Rappahannock River views and includes open space, event space, an interactive water feature, a meadow area, and a children’s play area. Parking is available and is free for the first three hours.
Visitors may use a restroom at the city’s visitor center at 706 Caroline Street while a new restroom is being built.
Riverfront Park is also the “home base” for the mother Otter in Fredericksburg Main Street’s Otter-ly Amazing Trail, a partnership between the downtown business community and the local government seeking to promote the river ecosystem and the city’s arts community
As the city’s first “smart park,” Riverfront Park is the first park in the region to provide solar-powered lighting, free public Wi-Fi, flood sensors, and security cameras. The free public Wi-Fi service enables people visiting Riverfront Park to access the Internet through their own wireless-enabled devices, such as laptops and PDAs
Riverfront Park is open daily and is closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. For more information, visit fredericksburgva.gov or call 540-372-1086.