Thomas Jefferson.
The 3rd President.
Founding Father.
Author of the Constitution.
Slave Owner.
Founder of UVA.
There are many ways to describe the man who was Thomas Jefferson. But you don’t really understand him or appreciate all that he did, both right and wrong, until you visit his home at Monticello. You could go back several times and still not see or read all that’s on offer. I spent around 4 hours on the site and I feel like I only scratched the surface.
When you arrive, you get your ticket and information about your tours for the day. You receive a scheduled time to tour the house, but there are two other tours that are walk up, although you will want to plan ahead. I was especially interested in the Enslaved Persons Tour so I booked a later house tour to ensure I could go on that tour as well. I also joined the Gardens of Monticello Tour – which was surprisingly interesting since I’m not much of a gardener.
There is a gift shop, museum and theater in the same visitor area of Monticello. You take a shuttle bus up to the house (or you can walk – more on that later) and receive a map with your times and locations from the ticket agent. While the area isn’t huge near the house, it can be a little overwhelming, especially if it’s busy, so keep your map handy. And don’t lose your house ticket as you have to show it before the tour to ensure you’re on the correct tour.
I arrived and went straight on the garden tour. The guide was interesting although I missed her name. She knew her stuff and I learned a lot about the plants, trees and gardens at Monticello. One of the most interesting facts was that the gardens were the size of 3 football fields (around 1,000 yards). They’re labeled with sticks that show if it was something known to be grown by Thomas Jefferson, brought back by the Lewis and Clarke Expedition or if they’re still researching the historic nature of the plant.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I’m teaching online and I have a Facebook page called The Traveling Teach. I created a few videos that day for it. Here is a bit more that I learned about the garden from the tour.
I left the tour a few minutes early to make sure I didn’t miss the beginning of the Enslaved Persons Tour. I cannot say enough good things about this tour. Benny was our guide that day and she was incredible. She is so passionate, educated and enthusiastic about educating others on the subject of the enslaved people that lived out their lives at Monticello.
One of the most interesting facts (although it’s nearly impossible to choose) was that Thomas Jefferson built slave cottages for families. At first glance, many might see this as him doing something kind for the people on his land, but that is not the case. By this time the Transatlantic Slave Trade ended, the only way to get more slaves was to purchase them from others, or to get your own slaves to have children so they were born into slavery and therefore became your property.
Here is a bit more about what I learned about the enslaved persons at Monticello. Apologies for the jumps, it was recorded live and I didn’t have great connection in the building.
It was finally time to tour the house. Unfortunately, pictures and video are not allowed at all in the house. My guide, Mr. Nash, was interesting but he didn’t speak loudly enough for my liking so guests who were a bit older missed a lot of details. Especially a couple that was on the outskirts at the start of the tour because of needing to go up the accessible ramp to access the house.
It’s a beautifully restored home and it was really fun to see Thomas Jefferson’s actual riding boots and his design for the dumbwaiter in the fireplace, an idea he gained from his time in France.
Outside the house there are more exhibits of outlying spaces, including kitchens, privies, cellars and more. The Sally Hemmings exhibit is in this area as well and is not be missed.
There’s still more that I didn’t get to, such as the stables and getting to “talk” with Thomas Jefferson who walks the grounds and offers talks throughout the day. After the tours I had a little while longer before it was time go, but I decided to walk the .45 mile trail back to the visitor center so I could see Thomas Jefferson’s grave and stretch my legs. It was an easy walk, mostly downhill and let you out of the woods right at the visitor center.
I HIGHLY recommend a visit to Monticello. For our budget it was expensive at $30 per person, but it’s definitely worth the price for all that you see and learn.
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