With just 1,064 residents, Frederiksted is smaller and quieter than Christiansted. As a result, it has been overlooked in the past by visitors. The tourist office is trying to remedy the situation by hosting minicarnivals, when streets are blocked off for island bands and stilt walkers while cruise ships are in port. The best way to see the town is on a walking tour -- be sure to pick up a guide at the visitors center. Many of Frederiksted's wonderful colonial and Empire-style buildings, which are adorned with gingerbread moldings, have recently been renovated. Be sure to stroll past the Victoria House on Strand Street, which is one of the most ornate homes in the Virgin Islands. The town's most imposing structure is Fort Frederik, built in the 1750s and painted a menacing deep red. The fort, which claims to have been the first to sound a foreign salute to the U.S. flag way back in 1776, has a museum and an art gallery with rotating exhibits of local art. Just south of the fort is the Customs House, an 18th-century building with a two-story gallery added on in the 19th century. Also of interest is the Old Danish School that was designed by a well-known Danish architect, Hingelberg. Today it's the police station. St. Patrick's Catholic Church on Prince Street dates from the mid 1800s and is made of coral. The city's harbor is spectacular for picture taking. Strand Street, near the waterfront, is the main commercial thoroughfare and is lined with shops and cafes. The lively Market Place, on Market Street, is also worth a look. It's busy every morning, especially on weekends. Near the airport is the Cruzan Rum Distillery at Estate Diamond, where you can see how rum is made. Take a tour and stop at the tasting room to try the results. (The blended four-year-old Estate Diamond is especially good.) Open weekdays. Admission charged. The Santa Cruz Brewery, housed in a former rum distillery, is just outside Frederiksted. In addition to a restaurant and bar, it contains a museum devoted to rum production. Just east of Frederiksted is the Estate Whim Plantation Museum, a beautifully restored sugar plantation from the 1800s. The great house, windmill, cook house, slave quarters and other buildings evoke memories of the days when sugar was king in the Caribbean islands. Open Monday-Saturday. Admission charged. The St. George Village Botanical Gardens are set in the ruins of a 19th-century sugarcane plantation. Located 3 mi/5 km east of Frederiksted (north of Centerline Road), you'll find 17 acres/7 hectares of tropical trees and extensive gardens. The poinsettias, hibiscus, bougainvillea and succulents make this a great place for a quiet stroll as you imagine the Arawak village that was there 1,000 years ago. Open daily. Admission charged.