General Guidelines
and Tips
We hope the following guidelines and tips will help make your visit to Monticello safe, fun, and educational!
Guidelines
- We ask that you arrive at the Monticello parking area at least 30 minutes prior to the start of your scheduled tour time. If your scheduled tour time is late in the afternoon, we also recommend arriving even earlier to have time to enjoy the grounds and, if you wish, to take our Acoustigude Audio Tour, or one of the seasonal outdoor guided tours of the Gardens and Grounds or the Plantation Community.
- Reserved tickets cannot be refunded unless the scheduled tour is cancelled by Monticello.
- Bags and Backpacks. No bags or backpacks exceeding 11" by 15" by 6" are allowed beyond the Shuttle Station.
- In the House. Eating, drinking, chewing gum, and using tobacco products are prohibited in the house. Cell phones and other electronic devices must be turned off. Still photography, filming, and video recording are prohibited. Visitors are urged not to touch or lean on walls or furnishings.
- On the Grounds. The West Lawn is open to ticketed visitors. Otherwise, visitors are asked to keep to the designated paths and trails while on the grounds. Smoking is not permitted near the House or its dependencies and terraces.
- Photography. Still photography, filming, and video recording for personal use are permitted on the grounds of Monticello. No photography of any kind is allowed inside the house.
- Pets. Pets are allowed on the grounds if leashed. Pets (excluding certified service dogs) are not allowed in any buildings or on the shuttle buses. Visitors bringing pets are required to clean up after them.
- Smoking. Smoking is prohibited in all buildings, in the shuttle buses, and in the vicinity of the house. Smokers are asked to be careful with their matches, lighters, ashes, etc.
- Visiting with Kids. Parents with toddlers are encouraged to use small strollers when touring the house. Parents of active or restless young children may be asked to take turns touring the house, as a courtesy to other visitors.
Tips for Visiting
Visit in June - September (if possible)
Summers at Monticello are lovely. The gardens are in bloom, and there are fewer visitors than during school year (except for the first week of July during holiday travel). September is especially nice. The plantation community and garden walking tours are still offered, but many visitors are at home doing "back to school" activities.
Reserve your tickets
We are now taking reservations for House Tours, Montalto Tours, and our evening Signature Tours. School groups and adult groups of 25 or more should call our Group Reservations office at (434) 984 - 9880 to schedule a tour. Otherwise, you may make reservations for most days in advance by purchasing your tickets online.
Explore the Monticello Visitors Center in the earlier parts of 2008 and look for the new Thomas Jefferson Visitors Center and Smith Education Center to open late in the year.
The Visitors Center is located approximately
one and a half miles from Monticello and features an free exhibit on Jefferson's life.
Take an oudoor Monticello Acoustiguide Tour
Join actress Sissy Spacek and members of Monticello's staff for an in-depth look at various aspects of the historic property, including the evolution of plantation landscape, agriculture, the orchards and vineyards, the flower and vegetable gardens, Mulberry Row, the Kitchen and other dependencies, archaeology, and architecture. The Acoustiguide Audio Tour is available for purchase for $5 per unit at our ticket office and can be picked up at our Museum Shop on the mountaintop.
- Hear a sample of the Acoustiguide Tour
See our Visiting with Kids page
Restrooms
Restrooms are located at the Ticket Office/Shuttle Station, under the South Terrace, and below the mountaintop Museum Shop.
Read about Jefferson, Monticello, Virginia, or the colonial
era before your visit. A bibliography
of related books is included in the 
"Research
and Collections" section with titles on a variety of topics,
and designed for a range of age levels. The books are available
through the Monticello Museum Shops (434) -984-9840. For an overview
of Jefferson and Monticello, consider the official Monticello
Guidebook, available for purchase online.
Individuals Needing Special Assistance
Information about Monticello's accessibility for individuals with
special needs is posted at the following page:
http://www.monticello.org/visit/assistance.html
Dining at Monticello
Monticello does not have extensive dining facilities. However, from
April 1 through October 31, the Little
Mountain Luncheonette, next to the Monticello Ticket Office,
serves salads, sandwiches, hot dogs, chips, cookies, ice cream,
and beverages. For your convenience, picnic tables are situated
nearby. Snacks and beverages are available at the Monticello Museum
Shop. Please help us keep the historic area clean and attractive
by not picnicking near the house or in the gardens.
Pictured: Jefferson's tinted spectacles, photo by Edward Owen. Visitor taking an outdoor Acoustiguide tour. Garden pavilion, photo by Skip Johns.