Monticello - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Monticello
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
About
Monticello and its many historical rooms, gadgets, furniture, buildings, and artifacts tell us a lot about Thomas Jefferson, the president who built it and lived there.
Duration: More than 3 hours
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  • Jerry W
    54 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Historical site
    Great opportunity to view the home of this American enigma. Although our tour was curtailed by a torrential rain, it had been a lifelong dream to visit the home of this American founder. I would recommend the house tour which also includes the “slave” tour and the garden tour.
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written April 26, 2023
  • Christian
    Sugar Hill, Georgia1,740 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing staff & beautiful area
    Mary was our tour guide. She was very knowledgeable and helpful. Everyone helped open doors for the scooter (very handicap accessible); AMAZING staff! Every single person we encountered was welcoming, pleasant & helpful! The blueberry ice cream at the shop was soft, flavorful & amazing. The shuttle bus came fast & everything ran efficiently. The property is beautiful & worth a visit.
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written April 29, 2023
  • Beachboy9
    28 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Monticello is an American gem
    My first visit to Monticello in at least 12 years. We took the Highlights tour of the house, followed by the outdoor Slavery at Monticello tour along Mulberry Row. All of the remarks by both of our guides were outstanding. Slavery is a topic that was not discussed when I worked at Monticello in the 1980s. Considering that enslaved people built the house, cared for it, tilled the land, grew the crops and took care of the family, it’s high time to learn about and appreciate their contributions over many years. I applaud the staff for doing their research and presenting Jefferson the man as he truly was - good and bad. If this is just not for you, you can elect to take tours on numerous other topics.
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written April 29, 2023
  • lee
    Fort Mill, South Carolina2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Behind The Scenes
    Our Behind The Scenes Tour was amazing, and our tour guide Alicia was very knowledgeable. We were able to visit all three levels! The stairs were very small and narrow. Our tour was about 90 mins long, after we went to the visitors center for some cold Root Beer and Ginger Ale. Everyone was really nice and welcoming.
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 1, 2023
  • Barbara
    9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great way to learn about Jefferson and this period in American history
    The home tour was very informative, as was the Slavery at Monticello tour. We learned much on Jefferson and his achievements, but also the way of life at Monticello. The conflicts and complexity of his views on slavery and of those who he enslaved was presented very thoughtfully. The Visitors Center has great exhibits and a film as well.
    Visited April 2023
    Written May 3, 2023
  • Teresa C
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Slavery to Freedom Tour — Andrew Miles
    We completed the tour of "Slavery to Freedom" and it was an absolutely amazing presentation. Our guide, Andrew Miles, was phenomenal in his knowledge and explanation of the era and times that Sally Hemmings lived in. He didn't sugar coat the flaws of Thomas Jefferson to appease the audience but was forthright in the positives and negatives of times. I was so impressed with the tour, I'm sending my children next month. Andrew was outstanding, and I told him so, but he demurred and mentioned there are better moderators on the staff—if that's the case, everyone who attends will be impressed!
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 4, 2023
  • suitcasehandy
    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania270 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Declaration of Beauty
    Try to see everything. Well worth it. The grounds are spectacular. The gardens. Easy, short walk to cemetery. Pay respects to President Jefferson and family and friends there. Tour of the house is wonderful. And check the times for outdoor experiences, especially seeing and hearing from Mr. Jefferson (impersonator who looks just like him!).
    Visited May 2023
    Written May 11, 2023
  • c_d_travels⚡️
    Walnut Cove, North Carolina7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    So much good history!
    Loved the history!! Connects rly well when going on a trip with Williamsburg as well because they are around the same time period. There was a tour called Slavery at Monticello which was very educational and the interpreter was very helpful and told us real stories of real enslaved people at Monticello. She helped us understand this topic so much better! The house itself looks very authentic and we heard countless stories and gimmicks of Thomas Jefferson. Also the Sally Hemings presentation was very beautifully done and seemed very honoring to her life. Overall really good visit.
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written May 14, 2023
  • Debe K
    Ohio26 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful tours
    Debated the $42 vs $92 tour. 3 floors, harden tour n slave tour!! Spent the money for 2/$92 each. Extremely worth the price! Shuttle service every 5 minutes. Savanna was so informative on the house tour!! First floor was his inventions plus his bedroom. Before his time in this home! Second floor was bedrooms and how TJ made the house warmer and not look like a multi level home. Then the kids floor was level 3. We ended the tour of the house in basement! Wear good shoes and watch how much you carry! Lots of stairs ( no restrooms or elevator in home). Hat n sunglasses for garden tour. Slave tour comfortable shoes! Grave site is a walk. Cemetery is still used today! Shuttle can pick u up and take one to visitor center. Allow a minimum of 4-5 hours for here to see everything! Historical and fascinating!
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 31, 2023
  • debbiek928
    Louisville, Kentucky15 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Handicap accessible issues.
    Beautiful house and property. The Thomas Jefferson reenactment was excellent and the highlight of the visit. Unfortunately the grounds are not very handicap accessible. My friend in a wheelchair missed most of his presentation due to not being able to maneuver over the gravel walkways. She tried to cut across the grass and got stuck there too.
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written June 6, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles7,234 reviews
Excellent
5,544
Very good
1,255
Average
280
Poor
88
Terrible
67

Todd H
Fairfax Station, VA356 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020
We did a private tour of Monticello. These tours are limited to five and start before the estate opens to the public.

It was an amazing tour. Our tour guide, Sam, was fantastic and filled us in on all sorts of history and information about the home. Being inside before anyone else means it is quiet. We also had the added treat of curators being there and working. We got to see up close the library collection that was being worked on. Books that are hundreds of years old right there. An original "Don Quixote," and more being organized as an original inventory they discovered had them. It was pretty awesome to see history that close.

You also get to go upstairs to the private quarters and see just how big the home is and how many it could accommodate, plus some other behind the scenes stuff not available at other times - will leave that as a little temptation to encourage this tour.
You get to go into the Dome Room among others upstairs. You get to see the various inventions and writing desks among other innovations that are housed in the home. Many of them original and brought back from years in other places.

Your guide will share lots of information, including the lives of the enslaved and their contributions and living conditions. As our guide said, "the story here is complicated, and we continue to struggle with the ideals today."

The grounds are beautiful. Given COVID-19, the estate is limiting tickets to about 600 per day (normally 1,800-2,500 would be sold). So there aren't crowds and you can get some amazing photos, enjoy the lawn and its garden and attending some of the educational programming.

Definitely suggest you find the "sensitive plant" or mimosa podia on the grounds. There are two clusters of them on the path outside the "nickel shot" view of the home. If you touch their leaves, they will close for a few minutes. This was one way Native Americans and others tracked game and military movements.

The private tour is worth the cost and it is a perfect time to visit Monticello.
Written July 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Michele H
Canon City, CO39 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020 • Family
As a bit of a history nerd Monticello was my favorite thing about visiting the Charlottesville area. And going now during covid-19 is a great time to visit as they are taking extra precautions and are only at 25% capacity so it's never crowded. We especially appreciated the free use of a wheelchair for my sister and the handicap shuttle to get us to the top of the mountain. There was no need to request it ahead of time, we just asked for it upon entry at the visitor center. To be aware that only clear bags are allowed that Monticello, I purchased a cheap $10 clear backpack that worked perfectly for the day. There is an informative little museum at The visitor Center along with an interesting display about Sally Hemmings. Be sure to check it out! The gift shop at The visitor Center is also fabulous. Wear comfortable walking shoes as you'll want to walk around the lovely grounds, flower gardens, Mulberry Row, and cemeteries after you tour the house.
Written October 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

trueblue80
Virginia Beach, VA49 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020 • Couples
We visited here during Covid phase 3 reopening and we felt they did a great job to still give visitors an informative and fun experience.

There were lots of staff on site and they were friendly and welcoming. As there were only self guided tours through the house (which you could do through a very good site on your phone) they gave us an overview briefing outside and some tips of what to look out for. There were also different stations set up for socially distanced talks on different things and I saw them wiping all the seats down after each session. Everyone was wearing masks throughout and I felt it was very sanitary.

After going through the house I asked a guide a question and she wasn’t sure of the answer. Later she found me to let me know she’d checked it out and had the answer - really impressive.

A little more signage down in the visitor centre would be nice to help people know where to go if they’ve already bought tickets online (the verbal instructions weren’t clear - maybe it’s the masks?!) and also where to get the plastic bags from.

The staff at the house though were excellent - you felt like they were telling you everything for the first time and we’re so informative and enthusiastic.
Written July 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stephen H
Severna Park, MD38 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020
This is our third visit to Monticello, the first under Covid19 regulations. They have reduce the number of visitors and for most part eliminated guided tours. You can get a guided tour, however, it is limited to 5 and a flat cost of $350. We went through the self guided tour. Which involved walking through most of the downstairs rooms and if you wanted some information you could read about items in each room on your smart phone. This was probably one of the worst implementation of a self guided tour I have seen. Since they kept the same pricing as when they gave guided tours I would at least expected some type of audio tour or more signage in each room. The only saving grace is they had several of the staff placed around the house and were more then willing to answer all your questions. Outside in a tent they had a actor who was playing Thomas Jefferson. He was excellent and really made the visit worthwhile. My understanding is they will have actors playing other historical figures in Jefferson's life throughout the summer. While I was disappointed with the tour Monticello is so important to our country it was still well worth seeing.
Written July 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jandkbach
Fallston, MD66 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020
When I came onto this site to write my review, I almost thought that my husband had already done so when I saw the review by hodgek. We were hugely disappointed by the way that the breadth and depth of Thomas Jefferson's contributions to America and the world were minimized and even overlooked, totally overshadowed by the fact that he had been a slave owner,... We were hoping to get here before revisionist history took hold. With respect to history, we have to have an understanding of the culture of the time no matter how sinful it may be seen in today's culture. Enslavement played a role in development of many nations and acknowledgement is appropriate, but the emphasis begins in the film which was updated in 2020.

The property is beautifully kept but we felt the tour of a few small rooms was lacking for the price paid. The COVID adjustments keeps people generally spaced apart but wearing masks while walking on trails outside not around people is a bit much. Also, I recommended that they make the "no bag/pocketbook" rule more evident on their website. At the time we visited (7/13/2020) this information was buried in the FAQ.
Written July 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

abc43
Portsmouth, VA38 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020
We drove 2.5 hours to visit Monticello. We were not pleased after that time to be turned away at the gate because we had not purchased tickets online in advance. They said they were sold out for the day, and they were turning away many other people also. I had read their website in detail before our trip, and nowhere did it say that tickets must be purchased in advance. While I applaud their safety measures for visitors and staff during the time of COVID, they should provide explicit information on their website about tickets and the number of people allowed in per day. For tickets that cost $29 per person, they can take the time to provide better information.
Written July 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gracie R
Mystic, CT153 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020 • Solo
Beautiful sunny day! Paid $30 or $27, i can’t remember online for a ticket. I get there and an employee sees lightening. They shuttle all of us off mountain, i was only there for 35 minutes. Employees say severe weather coming. We have to shuttle everyone down and you need to wait under cover until severe weather passes. I’ve been waiting 2 hours. It’s rained, thundered, high winds, and we have to wait a half hour after they get notice it’s ok to go back up. BUYER beware- no refunds. I feel bad for the families that probably spent well over $150-$200 for entry and now they can’t finish the tour. I would rate this 5 stars but unfortunately i didn’t get to more than 35 minutes of anything and I’ve been waiting for several hours.
Written July 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MarshaC624
Fredericksburg, TX20 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022
Beautiful property and packed full of history. The docents really know their stuff. I recommend visiting when Thomas Jefferson is at home. The gentleman portraying him is amazing and did not break character at all, no matter what questions he was asked. It is clear he has a passion and his portrayal really pulls you in. I would also recommend doing the "behind the scenes" tour if you can afford the time (1-1/2 hours) and cost ($85). The groups are small (15 people max) and tickets sell out fast but it is so worth it to be able to see all 3 floors and learn much more of the personal histories of those who lived at Monticello.
Written September 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

NotALostWanderer
Washington DC937 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2019
Our tour guide for the kids' tour did a really nice job of entertaining & engaging the young ones in our group. It was definitely worth waiting for. We've been to Monticello a few times, and this was the best tour we've had. Liked the addition of a cafe with ice cream on the hot summer day we visited. We spent some extra time exploring the grounds which are worth seeing on their own, with unique specimens that are clearly tended to with love & care.
Written January 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

414luvtravels
Milwaukee, WI30 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022
Tickets to Monticello are a little expensive, but our visit was a highlight of our trip to the Charlottesville area. I definitely recommend this as a stop if you are visiting Charlottesville and are interested in American history. There are numerous tours to pick from with varying price tags. We did not buy our ticket in advance and instead went to the ticket desk. Granted it was a "slow" day in November, but we had no problem getting a ticket for a tour that started within an hour of our arrival. The extra time allowed us to see the museum (an engraved copy of the Declaration of Independence is currently on display), visit the gift shop, and take the shuttle to the top of the hill for our tour. Our tour was given by an extremely knowledgeable docent. We learned so much about Jefferson and his life at Monticello. We were able to wander the grounds, see the slave area, and even have an outdoor lunch. You can tailor your trip and tour to spend as little or as much time as you want. It's a stunning property and if the weather had been warmer, we would have lingered even longer.
Written December 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Monticello - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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