Historical Horizons
At Monticello, bringing history forward is central to our mission. People turn to Monticello to learn about our past, its connection to the present and its impact on the future.
Every day, onsite and online, we share the stories of Thomas Jefferson and all who lived and labored at Monticello.
Help us continue this critical work.
Scroll down to see a collection of stories and short videos about some of the ways we fulfill our dual mission of preservation and education at Monticello.
The ideas that defined a nation
Our education and research teams interpret and present the legacies of Thomas Jefferson and the enslaved community of Monticello through guided tours and special programs onsite and through a wide variety of digital programming online.
The Declaration Around the World – See how the words and ideas in the Declaration of Independence impacted human rights around the world.
Every Object Tells a Story
Our curatorial and archaeological teams work to locate and recover items original to Jefferson’s era, unearthing clues that teach us more about life on the mountaintop and help fill in historical gaps.
The Watch Key—a Memento of Jefferson's Wife
Monticello’s Associate Curator of Decorative Arts Diane Ehrenpreis narrates this video about Thomas Jefferson’s watch key.
Monticello's Lucky Penny — How a small archaeological find reveals a lot about life at Monticello for its enslaved workers.