Monticello

Top choice


The house at Monticello is an architectural masterpiece designed and inhabited by Thomas Jefferson, founding father and third US president, who spent 40 years building his dream home. It was finally completed in 1809. Today it is the only home in America designated a Unesco World Heritage Site. The centerpiece of a plantation that once covered 5000 acres, it can be visited on guided tours (ground floor only), while its grounds and outbuildings can be explored on themed and self-guided tours.

The 45-minute 'Slavery at Monticello' walking tour (included in ticket price) is the highlight of any trip. Guides don't gloss over the complicated past of the man who declared that 'all men are created equal' in the Declaration of Independence, while owning slaves and likely fathering children with slave Sally Hemings. Jefferson and his other family are buried in a small wooded plot near the home.

Two tours per day visit the upstairs rooms of the house ($49 to $65, child under five years free); these are popular so must be booked in advance.

A high-tech exhibition center delves deeper into Jefferson's world – including exhibits on architecture, enlightenment through education, and the complicated idea of liberty. Frequent shuttles run from the visitor center to the hilltop house, or you can walk along a wooded footpath.

Monticello is about 4.5 miles northwest of downtown Charlottesville.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Jefferson Vineyards

1.35 MILES

Located between Monticello and James Monroe's Highland, this winery harvests from its namesake's original 1774 vineyard site. It also hosts outdoor…

2. James Monroe's Highland

1.93 MILES

This historic site was the home of James Monroe (the fifth US president) and his wife Elizabeth from 1799 to 1823; recent excavations have identified the…

3. Rotunda

3.29 MILES

The centerpiece of UVA is the Jefferson-designed Rotunda, modelled after Rome's Pantheon and constructed between 1822 and 1832. It has always functioned…

4. University of Virginia

3.29 MILES

Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia, and designed what he called an 'Academical Village' embodying the spirit of communal living and…

5. Fralin Art Museum

3.37 MILES

Known for Jean Arp's huge Oriform sculpture (1977), which commands attention in front of the museum, the UVA's art gallery stages temporary exhibitions on…

6. Blenheim Vineyards

5.99 MILES

Blenheim is owned by musician Dave Matthews, who in some ways – what with his folkie-preppie vibe and eternal gap-year sunniness, and the fact that he…

7. Our Lady of the Angels

11.79 MILES

The cows living near this secluded, verdant and peaceful Trappist monastery must be happy – their milk is so sweet that the nuns at the monastery are…

8. Pippin Hill

11.85 MILES

Wonderful views over the rolling plateau of the Piedmont await you at this exemplar of sustainable viticulture. The restaurant has an unapologetically…