Hill Country Shopping- Fredericksburg Texas

In 1846, German immigrants led by Baron Otfried Hans von Meusebach, established the settlement of Fredericksburg, Texas.  The settlers were sponsored by a group of 21 German noblemen, the Adelsverein, who formed the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, to establish a “new Germany” in Texas.  These immigrants were the second wave of settlers from what was originally Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels’ New Braunfels, Texas settlement group. 

Fredericksburg is home to the National Museum of the Pacific War, or “Nimitz Museum”, which is also in the historic downtown area. A small part of the museum is in the old Nimitz family hotel on Main Street. This location is the start of the shopping district for me. I often park near the old Nimitz Hotel, and start heading down that side of the street. At the end of the shops, I make a U-turn and head back up the other side, along about Dooley’s.

Of all of the quaint Hill Country downtown shopping districts that I frequent, Fredericksburg is far and away the largest.  There are many shops carrying an array of goods, particularly antiques, and rustic furniture and accessories.  My brother and I made a trip to Fredericksburg this weekend, so I could bring lots of personal photos of our favorite shops to this hub just for you! 

Fredericksburg is a great place to stay in a Bed and Breakfast, or in one of the “Sunday Houses”. There are numerous German restaurants in Fredericksburg, many of which have outdoor biergartens.

Visit Fredericksburg, and make a day or a weekend of it!

Der Küchen Laden is a store full of great cooking tools, equipment, gadgets, accessories, and all things of the kitchen.  I never skip this store when I’m in Fredericksburg.  The selection is fantastic, and organized nicely into the different rooms of the building.  

I’ve bought a few gadgets at der Küchen Laden.  I also bought glass beverage pitchers here.  They’re harder to find than you might think, but worth it to replace plasticware with glass. 

The building dates back to 1879, and was the Keidal Memorial Hospital.  Owners are Jerry Hughes and Penny Perry-Hughes.  Jerry was very welcoming, and supportive to us in our picture-taking mission. 

258 East Main St, Fredericksburg, TX 78624

830-997-4937

Visit der Küchen Laden’s website

This is one of the more spacious antique stores in Fredericksburg, and definitely one of my favorites.  You walk in on the main level, and there is a large antique staircase to the left leading to the lower floor.  There is also an upper level.  Homestead is full of impressive massive wall units and such.  I call this ranch furniture, because you’d have to have a large house with high ceilings and sturdy floors to accommodate it!  I also like the bed linens they dress out the beds with.  The comforters and pillows definitely create a dramatic eye-catching effect- at a price.  As I recall, many of these treatments are $2000 and more. 

230 East Main St, Fredericksburg, TX 78624

830-997-5551

Visit Homestead’s website

This shop has the expected variety of interesting wallets, handbags and professional bags.  What keeps me coming back is the array of styles and colors for sunglasses cases, money pouches and credit card pouches.  They have a great selection of styles and colors.  I’m talking maybe a dozen colors!  My favorite find is my double sided glasses case.  I often carry two pairs of sunglasses, my “brights” and my “overcasts”.  This case is perfect!

123 East Main St, Fredericksburg, TX 78624

830-997-6001 or 888-839-4267

Visit Leathers with Style’s website

Like the name implies, this store seeks to provide things just a little different. The hula dress in the picture is a “do not touch” item that looks like a Project Runway challenge winner!

It doesn’t really translate in the pictures, but those lamps are huge! The lampshade is probably 20” to 24” diameter.

221 East Main St, Fredericksburg, TX 78624

830-997-2734

Sorry, no website, but you can see lots of photos on this blog.

This is an old fashioned Five and Dime, with real hardwood floors complete with the occasional creak.  It’s a stop I seldom miss, especially when my mom is visiting.  She loves to browse here.  The variety of goods and the prices are great. 

Dooley’s has clothing including ladies’ slips, household items like furniture doilies, toys, calendars and datebooks, Fredericksburg souvenir items, and much, much more! 

East Main St, Fredericksburg, TX 78624

Sorry, no website, but check these shoppers’ reviews. 

ITZ’s is a large open air booth.  They have specialty pickles, like pickled okra, pickled garlic, and of course cucumber pickles.  They also have a sizeable selection of fruit preserves, fruit and nut butters, and local honey. 

They usually have open jars inside and you can try pretty much anything. 

235 ½ East Main Street, Fredericksburg, TX 78624

Sorry, no phone number or website for this one. 

Check out the huge polished granite table tops!  You’d be the only kid on your block with one of these! 

Loads of home furnishings and specialty items.

206 East Main St, Fredericksburg, TX 78624

866-353-0152

Visit Phil Jackson’s Granite & Iron Store’s website

There are plenty of shops on Main Street for wine tasting of local Texas wines.  Here are two. 

Texas Vineyards & Beyond, LLC

329 ½ East Main St, Fredericksburg, TX 78624

830-990-9199

Visit Texas Vineyards' website

Grape Creek Vineyards Tasting Room

No info on this one, but I think I recall it is on the same side of the street as the old Nimitz hotel on the corner (not the new Pacific War building a couple blocks away, on the back of the block).  The winery is a few miles out of town.  You can visit the website for the Grape Creek Winery. 

This is a really fun store of Texas-flavored home décor.  I like the Texas license plate wall hangings, like the shape of Texas.  They also have some dips and some old fashioned classic candies.  Being a relatively new doxie owner, I appreciate the “dachshunds on a stick” in the pail outside the door.  They often have kids out front in period garb selling water and sodas. 

222 East Main St, Fredericksburg, TX 78624

830-990-0337

Sorry, no website. 

Johnson Newman is one of a couple stores in downtown Fredericksburg with what I call a “submarine entry”.  The entry has a nice high ceiling, with the decorative metal work suggesting an arch, but the width is only about 6 feet.  Midway down on the right is a locked room with special antique and vintage pieces.  You have to request entry.  In the back is another room on the right with additional items. 

233 East Main St, Fredericksburg, TX 78624

830-990-9394

Sorry, no website. 

Another really fun shop I seldom miss.  They have a huge array of preserves, fruit butters, barbecue sauces, salsas, and dip mixes, arranged in different rooms or booths in the store. 

Everything is set out for sampling, a process that takes 8 workers about 45 minutes.  I asked!  I always keep some of these unique dip mixes on hand at my house.  Make note this business closes on Sundays. 

121 East Main St, Fredericksburg, TX 78624

830-990-4750

Visit Rustlin Rob’s website

Definitely a high end furniture store with heavy “ranch style” furniture.  My last visit, they had interesting wood pieces with natural cracks in the wood filled with turquoise. 

Sometimes on the weekend, a miniature poodle works the service desk! 

201 East Main St, Fredericksburg, TX 78624

830-990-9308

Visit The Rustic Star’s website

Market Days is a special shopping experience in Texas. They are like a cross between a flea market and a craft fair. Many have very strict policies about vendors to ensure a nice balance of goods that are high quality.

Fredericksburg’s version is called Trade Days. It is held Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the weekend of the third Saturday of each month.

Fredericksburg Trade Days promises over 350 vendors in 6 barns, and “acres of antiques, collectibles, tools, crafts, shabby chic, primitives, ranch furniture, hunting accessories, candles, unique clothing, jewelry, food and so much more.

355 Sunday Farms Lane
Fredericksburg, Tx 78624

Visit the website

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