Itineraries

3-4 hours Itinerary

Estimated Time
3-4 hours
Recommended Age
7+

Explore these suggested activities for a half day at Monticello

  • 1
    15 minutes

    Start your visit at the Exhibits at the David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center

    Parking is free, and the visitor center has exhibits to check out before you head up the mountain, including Thomas Jefferson's World film, the Griffin Discovery Room, Many Threads—One Story Orientation Timeline and more. Next, take a 5-minute shuttle ride up the mountain (the shuttle runs continuously). 

    Visitor Center
    Aerial of Monticello's David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center, which feature several smaller buildings connected around a central courtyard.

  • Take the shuttle to the Historic Mountaintop and go on a Behind the Scenes Tour

    Journey through the first floor of Monticello, then head upstairs to explore the world of Jefferson's family, his visitors, and the enslaved people who served them.

    Behind the Scenes Tour
    Monticello's West Front with the sun reflecting off the semicircular window just below the house's dome.
  • 3
    30 minutes

    Walk through exhibits under and around the house

    Don't miss the wine cellar and its dumbwaiter as you walk through the basement of the main house and be sure to stop by the Farm Shop for a coffee, pastry, snack, or light lunch, located under the North Wing.   

    Exhibits under the Main House
    Shelves with copper pans and cooking utensils like the walls of Monticello's restored kitchen, which features a brick floor, a large hearth, a large preparation table, and a row of stew stoves along the left wall.
  • 4
    45 minutes

    Our outdoors Gardens and Grounds Tour

    Explore Monticello's restored flower gardens, vegetable garden, and surrounding grounds at your own pace or join a seasonal guided Gardens and Grounds Tour. 

    Gardens and Grounds Tour
    Aerial of the Monticello mountaintop in the fall looking from the southeast and showing the main house and its wings, the winding flower walk, buildings along Mulberry Row, the Vegetable Garden Terrace, the South Orchard and Vineyards, and the deeper forested area to the north and west.
  • 5
    15 minutes

    Catch the shuttle or walk to Jefferson's Gravesite

    Walk down the hill from Mulberry Row or take the shuttle down the mountain to see Thomas Jefferson's gravesite. Jefferson designed his own obelisk and epitaph before passing away on July 4, 1826.

    Jefferson's Grave
    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.
  • 6
    15 minutes

    Visit the Burial Ground for Enslaved People near the visitor's center

    The site of several graves of enslaved African Americans at Monticello is a place to honor and reflect on the over 400 enslaved people who lived and labored at Monticello during Jefferson's lifetime.

    Burial Ground for Enslaved People
    A wide image of the wooded area surrounding the Burial Ground for Enslaved People at Monticello, showing the sites updated fencing and plantings from 2022.
  • 7
    15 minutes

    Stop by The Shop

    Round out your visit with a stop in our gift shop to pick up a memento of your visit or relax in the book section with more than 250 titles -- and comfortable reading chairs.

    The Shop at Monticello
    Cups, books, t-shirts, and quill pens decorated with elements of the Declaration of Independence and on a display in the Shop at Monticello.

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