Monticello Launches New Website to Enhance User Experience

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello is proud to unveil a new design for its award-winning website, Monticello.org. Visited by more than 2.4 million users annually, the redesigned site features a refreshed look, intuitive navigation, and streamlined access to Monticello’s rich historical resources.  

“Our website is one of the largest sources of information on Thomas Jefferson, Monticello, and America's founding, cited by people around the world every day,” said Laura Nichols, Vice President for External Relations. “We are excited to share this improved website, especially as we begin our yearlong celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.” 

Originally launched on President’s Day in 1996, Monticello.org continues to provide users with scholarly content and essential visitor information. The redesigned site makes it easier than ever for guests to plan meaningful experiences. New features, like an improved calendar of events and itineraries curated to specific interests, help visitors of all ages make the most of their time on the mountaintop.  

The refreshed website was also built with on-site visitors in mind, serving as a helpful companion during a day at Monticello. Interactive pop-up maps make navigating the mountaintop easier, and guests can quickly find up-to-date information about daily activities, tours, exhibitions, gardens, trails, dining options, and family-friendly activities. 

Researchers and lifelong learners will benefit from improvements to the Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia, one of the most trusted resources on Jefferson and his world. With more than 1,100 entries, the updated encyclopedia is now more seamlessly integrated across the website through tagging and connections to related content, such as blog posts and Monticello’s In Bloom plant database. Features like pop-up footnotes within pages reduce scrolling and quickly guide researchers to primary sources. 

The redesign brings a fresh and contemporary look while remaining rooted in Monticello’s history. Users will find a wealth of new, high-resolution imagery, and an updated color palette that draws directly from hues found in the house itself, including the iconic “Monticello yellow” of the Dining Room and the “true grass green” floor of the Entrance Hall. These design elements help connect the digital experience to the physical place. 

“There’s no better place to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration than Monticello,” Nichols said. “This redesigned website is an open invitation to plan a trip to the mountaintop, explore the stories and spaces that shaped our nation’s founding, and experience Monticello during this extraordinary milestone year.” 

Learn more about Monticello’s 2026 programming at Monticello.org/250. 

About The Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello 

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation was incorporated in 1923 to preserve Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, in Charlottesville, Virginia. As a civic institution, Monticello seeks to increase knowledge and share the ideals Jefferson articulated in the Declaration of Independence through programming and scholarship built upon a foundation of rigorous research.  

Monticello is recognized as a National Historic Landmark, a United Nations World Heritage Site, and a Site of Conscience. As a private, nonprofit organization, Monticello receives no ongoing local, state, or federal funding. Visitors and the generosity of donors make Monticello’s twofold mission of preservation and education possible. For information, visit monticello.org.