Guide to Visiting

Start at the Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center
Learn more about Jefferson through Monticello's 21^st-century gateway—the Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center and Smith Education Center—with opportunities for all ages.

Tour Jefferson's House
Experience the inside of Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's architectural masterpiece. Choose from a Monticello Day Pass, featuring Monticello's first floor, Behind-the-Scenes Day Pass which includes the house's upper floors; or in-depth Evening Signature Pass, selected evenings.

See our Film and Exhibitions
See Monticello's visually rich introductory film and explore Jefferson's contributions to architecture, politics, and the founding of American republic through four innovative exhibitions.

Explore the Grounds and Gardens
Take some time to enjoy the authentic ornamental landscaping, beautiful vistas, and Jefferson's revolutionary vegetable garden. Or take one of our seasonal guided Gardens and Grounds Tours.

Learn about slavery at Monticello 
Discover Monticello as a working plantation—home to the Jefferson family and a large community of workers, black and white, enslaved and free. Explore on your own or take one of our seasonal Slavery at Monticello Tours.

Stop by the Monticello Graveyard
Jefferson is buried at Monticello underneath the obelisk marker that bears his own epitaph. The cemetery is on the way to the visitor center via footpath or by return shuttle bus. Visitors often drop coins here and sometimes puzzle over the "O.S." next to his birthdate.

Visit our Shop
Browse our extraordinary collection of Jefferson-related books, exclusive reproductions, Monticello-inspired home décor, Virginia wines, historic seeds and plants, and many more quality retail items in the spacious store.

Eat at the Café at Monticello
Enjoy a beverage, snack or lunch in the comfortable, convenient Café, located in the Visitor Center, courtyard level. The menu includes sandwiches, salads, pastries, kid-friendly options, and hot and cold drinks. Groups can order box lunches in advance.

Bring your kids
Monticello offers an array of family-friendly experiences both on the mountaintop and at our visitors center.

Walk the Saunders-Monticello Trail
Wander more than two miles of hiking and biking trails, featuring an arboretum of native trees and shrubs, and a two-acre pond. This scenic recreational and educational park is maintained by Monticello for visitors and area residents.

The Charlottesville Area
Whether it's history, food, the arts and/or the great outdoors, Charlottesville has it all. Often cited as one of the best places in the country to live, it's also an unforgettable place to visit.

Recommended Reading
Delve into Jefferson's world and make your visit to Monticello come alive with the books highlighted in our Revolving Bookstand feaure.