Monticello (Charlottesville)

What to Do

Monticello

I can’t emphasize enough - Monticello was spectacular. It is the only private U.S. home on the UNESCO World Heritage List as it displays an immense amount of creativity and genius, all by our third President. Through the Highlights Tour, we learned all about Thomas Jefferson’s life (currently $40/person). We also watched a reenactor of TJ in the theater at the Visitor’s Center. We felt through all of this as though we knew Thomas Jefferson - it was all very well-done.

Thomas Jefferson

He was very proud of his accomplishments, of which were incorporating freedom of religion into the state of Virginia, authoring the Declaration of Independence, and founding the University of Virginia. He called being President, “splendid misery.”

TJ’s Creative Talents

Thomas Jefferson was very curious and creative, and Monticello showcases his talents with his inventions: polygraph (when writing, a pen connects to another pen to copy his letter writings), door latch that locks from the other side, a clock that includes the days of the week, an ice box, and many more. Monticello also has large gardens that Thomas Jefferson used to learn about different plants, vegetables and fruits.

The Rotunda

This extraordinary building was designed by Thomas Jefferson at the University of Virginia - it was better than expected when seeing it in-person. The college was so beautiful to see from the outside of the Rotunda. You can normally see the inside, but it was closed the weekend we were there.

Barboursville Vineyards

We wish we had time to go to Barboursville Vineyards; Thomas Jefferson designed the mansion on the property and it looks amazing from pictures. There are also many other vineyards in this region.

Where To Eat

The Nook

The Nook was a cute breakfast place in the cute area of the Charlottesville Historic Downtown Mall; a pedestrian road with many stores and entertainment.