Thomas Jefferson was a remarkable man, and that is of course evident in his home. This is a beautiful place to visit and learn a little about this particular Founder.
The new visitor's center is terrific, nicely designed (though not necessarily Jeffersonian) with restrooms, a theatre, a shop that includes a garden center, and a cafe/coffee shop. After buying tickets, you may either walk up to the home or take the shuttle bus (one arrives every five minutes).
To stand in Thomas Jefferson's home and look at the art, books, and other things he collected and used is wonderful, and our docent was not only informative but happy to answer questions. Our tour lasted almost an entire hour.
That said, there were just too many people on our tour, making it difficult for visitors to see everything. I do wish they'd cut the number of people in each group by five, though cutting by ten would be PERFECT. Again, Jefferson was a brilliant architect as well as a collector of art and other curiosities; it would have been far easier to truly look at these things if there were fewer people. In a few rooms, it was downright claustrophobic, and there was little opportunity for visitors to see something if they didn't while a large crowd of people was jammed into the room. Don't let this stop you from going, but be aware...perhaps someone from Monticello will read this! I also wish visitors were given at least a few moments to, yes, look around the rooms more thoroughly once the docent was done giving them information about the family, the room, and the things in it. Who doesn't want a closer look at the famous clock, the library, or Jefferson's desk?
The grounds are beautiful, as one would expect of something designed by Thomas Jefferson. Strolling through the vegetable gardens, orchard, and along the walking path (still in full flower in early autumn) was very pleasant.
We grabbed sandwiches from the cafe, and they were actually quite good. Overall, it was a wonderful visit, and I'm certainly not going to let a quibble over the number of people in the tour tarnish my memories of visiting the home of Thomas Jefferson. That aside, it was a perfect morning!
