Jefferson's Grave

Each year, hundreds of thousands of people visit Thomas Jefferson's grave in the Monticello graveyard, which is marked by an obelisk based on his own design.

Location
Location: Historic Mountaintop Area
Cost
Included with Every Ticket
Jefferson's obelisk gravestone, which features the three things his wished most to be remembered for: the Declaration of Independence; the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, and the University of Virginia.

The graveyard is located on the Monticello mountain, just a short walk from the main house, and is one of the stops on the shuttle bus route back to the visitor center.

Before his death, Jefferson left explicit instructions regarding the monument to be erected over his grave.

In this undated document, Jefferson supplied a sketch of the shape of the marker, and the epitaph with which he wanted it to be inscribed:

"... on the faces of the Obelisk the following inscription, & not a word more:

Here was buried
Thomas Jefferson
Author of the Declaration of American Independence
of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom
& Father of the University of Virginia

"because by these," he explained, "as testimonials that I have lived, I wish most to be remembered."

Thomas Jefferson