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Monticello, Charlottesville, VA

Photo: Moofpocket, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingIconicHistory Buff

Monticello

1050 Monticello Loop · Charlottesville, VA

Why you should go…

Monticello is the neoclassical house Thomas Jefferson designed for himself on a mountaintop outside Charlottesville, and its west front is the building on the back of the nickel. Your visit starts at the David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center, where a shuttle or a half-mile trail takes you up to the house for a guided tour of the first floor. Outside you can walk the gardens and grounds. With the University of Virginia, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  • #thomas jefferson
  • #historic house
  • #presidential home
  • #world heritage site
  • #gardens

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Monticello, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Attractions
    Historic

    Hardesty-Higgins House Visitor Center

    Free

    Harrisonburg's 1848 house turned visitor center, with the Valley Turnpike Museum, a Civil War orientation center, gift shop and cafe on South Main Street.

    38 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Appomattox Court House National Historical Park

    Free

    Walk the restored village where Lee surrendered to Grant in the McLean House on April 9, 1865.

    48 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Date Night

    Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

    Under $25

    Stroll more than a dozen themed gardens, a glass Conservatory and a year-round butterfly exhibit just north of Richmond.

    60 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor