The Virginia 250 Passport will offer prizes and discounts to historic sites and museums, encouraging individuals and families to explore and experience history together.
Media Contact: Brad Tuggle, Virginia Museum of History & Culture
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 10, 2025
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello is featured as a destination in the newly launched Virginia 250 Passport. This collaborative, statewide initiative — organized by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture (VMHC), Colonial Williamsburg, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation (JYF) and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello —encourages Virginians and visitors to commemorate America’s 250th by engaging with the Commonwealth’s foremost historic sites and museums. The project is supported by the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission (VA250) and the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC).
Beginning Nov. 11, 2025, Passports will be available free of charge at signature sites — VMHC, Colonial Williamsburg, Mount Vernon, Monticello and the JYF’s Jamestown Settlement and American Revolution Museum at Yorktown — as well as at the VA250 Mobile Museum, select VA250 events and all 12 Virginia Welcome Centers, each located at gateways along interstate highways. A total of 250,000 copies will be distributed.
“This statewide partnership between some of the finest history institutions in the nation is an example of how, when we work together, we can create engaging, meaningful experiences for our fellow Virginians,” said Rita McClenny, president and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corporation. “We encourage you to pick up your passport while supplies last and spend a year with us traveling around our great Commonwealth.”
The Virginia 250 Passport serves as a travel guide, discount book and keepsake. The 64-page commemorative booklet features descriptions of the 70 participating museums and historic sites across five regions of the Commonwealth: Central Virginia, Northern Virginia, Shenandoah Valley, Southwestern Virginia and Tidewater.
Governor Glenn Youngkin published a video announcement for the program.
“America’s 250th anniversary is a once in a lifetime opportunity to come together, reflect on our shared past, and recommit ourselves to the continued progress of our nation. And there is no better place to do this than right here in the Commonwealth of Virginia,” said Jamie Bosket, president & CEO of the VMHC.
Travelers can collect unique stamps while visiting each passport site. Once they have secured a stamp in their passport, they can receive up to a 15% discount at future participating locations that charge admission. Collecting at least five stamps makes them eligible to enter the prize drawing. Prizes will be drawn in December 2026 and include yearlong museum memberships and cash awards up to $2,500.
“We at Monticello are honored to help lead this extraordinary statewide partnership,” said Dr. Jane Kamensky, president of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. “The Virginia 250 Passport encourages exploration, reflection, and connection—values at the very heart of Monticello’s mission. We hope every traveler finds inspiration in the places and histories that shaped our democracy and continue to inspire it.”
The Virginia Department of Education will be partnering with superintendents across the Commonwealth to ensure that schools and teachers are aware of the passport, and are sharing it with students and families statewide.
“The Virginia 250 Passport is a wonderful tool that can be used both inside and outside the classroom to inspire curiosity, learning and civic pride as it makes history come alive across the Commonwealth,” said Aimee Rogstad Guidera, Virginia secretary of education. “By exploring the people and places that shaped our nation, young Virginians and their families can connect more deeply with our shared story and gain a greater appreciation for the ideals that continue to define the Commonwealth and our country.”
The Virginia 250 Passport program runs from Nov. 11, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. More information, including sweepstakes rules, is available at VirginiaHistory.org/250Passport.
PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS
SIGNATURE SITES
- Virginia Museum of History & Culture
- Colonial Williamsburg
- George Washington’s Mount Vernon
- Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Museums
- Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello
- VA250 Mobile Museum Experience
- The Sovereign Nations and Indian Tribes of Virginia
CENTRAL VIRGINIA
- Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia
- Fredericksburg Area Museum
- George Washington’s Ferry Farm
- Hanover Museum of History & Culture
- Historic Kenmore
- Historic St. John’s Church
- Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop
- James Madison’s Montpelier
- James Monroe Museum
- James Monroe’s Highland
- John Marshall House
- Louisa County Historical Society
- Lynchburg Museum & Visitor Center
- Mary Washington House
- Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park
- Patrick Henry’s Red Hill
- Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown
- Rising Sun Tavern Museum
- Robert Russa Moton Museum
- Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest
- The Valentine
- Wilton House Museum
NORTHERN VIRGINIA
- Alexandria Black History Museum
- Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum
- Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center
- Fauquier History Museum at the Old Jail
- Gadsby’s Tavern Museum
- George Mason’s Gunston Hall
- Loudon Heritage Farm Museum
- Manassas Museum
- National Museum of the Marine Corps
- National Museum of the United States Army
- Spotsylvania County Museum
- Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House
SHENANDOAH VALLEY
- Belle Grove Plantation
- Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia
- Museum of the Shenandoah Valley
- Rockbridge Historical Society Museum
- Rocktown History
SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA
- Avoca Museum and Historical Society
- Birthplace of Country Music Museum
- Blue Ridge Institute & Museum
- Botetourt County Historical Society, Inc
- Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History
- Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Museum
- Historic Smithfield
- Historical Society of Western Virginia
- Montgomery Museum of Art and History
- Salem Museum
TIDEWATER
- Bacon’s Castle
- Colonial National Historical Park
- Deltaville Maritime Museum
- Eastern Shore Barrier Island Center
- Fort Monroe
- Gloucester Museum of History
- Great Bridge Battlefield & Waterways Museum
- Hampton History Museum
- Historic Christ Church & Museum
- Mariners’ Museum and Park
- Menokin
- Military Aviation Museum
- Shore History
- Stratford Hall