Monticello
Home of Thomas Jefferson

Monticello is the Southern anchor of the Journey Through Hallowed Ground. This remarkable house is also one of America's most famous.  In one setting, it brings together many elements of the genius that was Thomas Jefferson. Designed and continually re-imagined by Jefferson, Monticello is a monument to a scholarly interest in architecture, landscaping, agriculture, and domestic comforts.

 Along with the Rotunda at the University of Virginia, Monticello is one of only 20 American places to be honored as a World Heritage Site.It is filled with ingenious devices and inventions meant to improve life for anyone who would adopt the ideas.

The author of the Declaration of Independence and third President of the United States, Jefferson studied the buildings of ancient Rome and began his dwelling atop the "Little Mountain" where he had played as a boy.  Jefferson worked on Monticello for more than 40 years, altering and enlarging it as his taste developed, reflecting the pleasure he found in “putting up and pulling down.” When an extensive revision was finished in 1809, it had become a 21-room amalgam of Roman, Palladian, and French architectural ideals, a unique statement by one of history's great individuals.

The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation has maintained Monticello and has welcomed millions of visitors since 1923. Jefferson's attention to garden design equaled his interest in architecture. His plans included ornamental and vegetable gardens, two orchards, a vineyard, and an 18-acre “grove,” or ornamental forest. His detailed records, complemented by archeological discoveries, have made it possible to recreate his gardening scheme accurately. For many visitors, touring the gardens and grounds are reason enough to visit time and again.

One of Jefferson’s greatest pleasures was to entertain guests and friends. Perhaps the greatest testament to his design—and to the work of the Memorial Foundation—is that Monticello remains one of the beloved and enjoyable places to visit in America.