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Modern Monticello
The Monticello Visitors Center
Four hundred items -- including the ivory notebooks on which Jefferson jotted his measurements -- that either belonged to the Jefferson family or were found through archaeological excavations on the mountaintop, are displayed at the Monticello Visitors Center, located about one mile away from Monticello on Route 20 South in Charlottesville.
"Thomas Jefferson at Monticello"
The Visitors Center contains an exhibition, "Thomas Jefferson at 
Monticello," which uses these artifacts to present biographical information about our third president. The exhibition was designed in 1985 by Ralph Appelbaum, who later designed the exhibits of the United States Holocaust Museum.
Many of the items shown at the Visitors Center, such as Jefferson's razor and pocketknife, are too small to be appreciated on the house tour, and are displayed prominently so that viewers may enjoy them at their leisure. Visitors may peruse the exhibit on their own, or for a small charge, they may wish to enjoy a pre-recorded tour of the facility produced by Acoustiguide in cooperation with the Thomas Jefferson Foundation.
Award-winning Film
Another way to learn about Jefferson at the Visitors Center is to watch the award-winning film, Thomas Jefferson: The Pursuit of Liberty, shown twice daily in the theatre. The film features commentary by former President Jimmy Carter, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, columnist George Will, and Jefferson scholar Merrill Peterson.
Admission to the Visitors Center is free. Also located in the building is a Monticello Museum Shop, and the Charlottesville/Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau, which provides information about area attractions and accommodations.
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Image Credits
- Jefferson's green-tinted spectacles. Photographed by Edward Owen
- Jefferson's razor and shaving paraphernalia. Photographed by Edward Owen.
- Monticello Visitors Center.