Monticello – Thomas Jefferson Residence

Monticello was the home and plantation of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. Alongside his architecture and the views, a visit reveals the lives of enslaved people whose labour sustained the estate. Allow time for the exhibits and working spaces, not just the house rooms.

Jefferson is buried in a cemetery built inside the plantation. Reaching Monticello is by shuttles, driving from the visitor center that hosts several exhibitions on Jefferson's life. There are guided tours inside the house. The visitor can go by themselves to the other buildings in the plantation, like the kitchen, the slaves' quarters, the wine cellar, and more. It is optional to get back to the visitor center by foot through the Monticello Cemetery.

Choose tickets in advance for the experience you want: grounds admission excludes the house, and different tours cover different areas. Travellers departing from Washington can consider a GetYourGuide day trip with transport and a house tour. This is a Washington-based option, not local admission and not an experience we booked ourselves.

The Visitors Center