Looking for the ultimate Monticello experience for Thomas Jefferson?
You’ll think you can just go to Montella and roam the property for a moment before heading down your hilarious path.
But that’s not the case here at all.
If you’re also going to a pub, you’ll want to plan to spend at least half a day (4-6 hours) here.
There are museum exhibits, detailed displays of behind-the-scenes tours, several small/short tours around the property, and cemeteries.
I wish I had planned more time here, but we Outer Bank And we stopped by for a tour and a late lunch as we realized we had to drive right by Monticello.
Monticello’s itinerary one day
If you find yourself in the Charlottesville area for a wine tasting trip or visiting historic sites, dedicate one day of your trip to visit Montella.
It’s best to plan more time than you think you need because you don’t have to hurry.
There is also time for all the extra experiences that intrigue your interest.
Is the time short? These are the highlights:
– Arrived early to see the museum Exhibition At the entrance
– Please make a reservation Behind the scenes tour So you can see the area of the house, most guests will never see
– Admission includes such additional free tours Slavery Tour, Gardens Tour,and Archaeological experience
– See Thomas Jefferson Cemetery On the way out
– Stop by the gift shop for some real estate Wine and souvenirs
– meal Miche’s Izakaya
Museum exhibitions
When you park in Montella and walk through the security/ticketline, the first place you will see is the gift shop, toilets and museum displays.
Even if you are supposed to meet on a tour you book later, you can plan to arrive 30 minutes before that, walk through the museum exhibits and even take a toilet break.
There are no tons here, but I plan to take a leisurely stroll for about 5-15 minutes and take a look around some of the artifacts here.
Finally, save the gift shop.
Once done, the museum can leave at a shuttle stop and take a photo with this life-size statue of Thomas Jefferson!
This shuttle will take you to the real estate for a tour.
Behind the scenes tour
You can do a standard 45-minute apartment tour, but we highly recommend the extended 90 minutes Behind the scenes tour.
It will take you to a higher level that most guests will never see.
Here are some attractive rooms and spaces worth the extra cost to see.
If you book a regular tour and see the group climbing the stairs, you’re not going to go there either.
My favorite room at home was a golden yellow dining room designed to feel like a Parisian cafe.
It’s not the colour I thought I had chosen, but for some reason it works very well in this room.
My favorite part of the tour was learning about all sorts of random gadgets and quirks that were built into the house because they were so practical.
Thomas Jefferson essentially had a written instrument on a string that copies exactly what he was writing when he was writing, so there were all the letters he sent to those who had his own copy.
He also had a big cuckoo clock with a seven-day clock, but the ceiling wasn’t high enough on the last day, so why did he drill a hole in the floor.
Slavery Tour
After the tour, your guide will explain to you the tour ticket and everything else available for admission.
There are 3 additional tours and experiences that take place throughout the day, and we recommend making time.
The first is a 45-minute slavery tour.
It takes you to an area of real estate called Mulberry Row (slave district) and tells you about the lives of the slaves who worked here.
Gardens Tour
Another seasonal tour (mainly spring and summer) is a 45-minute garden tour.
There is a vast vegetable garden overlooking the valley below, and I wish there was something like that in my backyard.
This tour also takes you around the property to see the various flower beds.
Archaeological experience
The coolest free tour in my experience is “Archeology in Action.”
This occurs on weekdays throughout the day (unless winter, the weather permits).
This is a 20-minute experience where you can learn about the active excavations taking place throughout the property.
In another life, I would have been an archaeologist, but I don’t know if I could narrow down only one focus or region to explore!
Thomas Jefferson’s Cemetery
Once you’ve finished exploring the grounds, after doing all the tours of interest you’ve probably already been here for about 3 hours.
The last thing you need to do before returning the shuttle to the entrance is to visit Thomas Jefferson’s Cemetery.
Along the way, you will be passed through a “consideration site” where you can sit and relax.
The walk from the property to the cemetery is only 1/4 mile, and the contemplative site is somewhat in the middle.
Thomas Jefferson’s cemetery is closed as it is located in a small private family cemetery, but his gravestones can be clearly seen through the gate.
If you hang out for a few minutes, the shuttle will pull up and return to the main entrance.
Gift Shop
Once dropped off near the gift shop, it is now the perfect time to choose souvenirs.
JP and I always get Christmas ornaments wherever we go as souvenirs.
However, we also love wine and cider so we chose a few real estate bottles to try when we got home.
We usually only buy bottles from wineries we tasted, but we were unable to taste these in advance.
But we have high hopes!
Dining at Michie Tavern
After exploring Monticello, you will need to dine at the historic Micheitsborne.
It’s just walking down the street and I think it’s an important part of the Monticello experience.
It’s actually a buffet offering historic Southern cuisine at a reasonable price.
My favourites were pulled pork, mashed potatoes and biscuits.
Even better, after passing the first pass, your waitress brings you the most of what you need afterwards.
However, at the end you need to save space on the Peach Cobbler.
It’s hot and crumbly easy to do, just hit the spot.
Where to stay near Montella
I mentioned before that when we were visiting Montella we had been passing by on our way to the outer bank and therefore did not actually stay in the Montella area.
However, I have been thinking about going back for a weekend getaway and exploring the nearby winery and James Madison home.
If I come back, the first place I see is the various historic inns and vineyards.
Charlottesville is part of the experience as it is one of the destinations to stay in wineries and historic accommodations.
These can be more expensive due to their low ability, but if you can afford it, it may be worth splurge.
If you want to stay in a good location that’s reasonably priced, look at the Hilton hotel.
Almost every brand has a location in Charlottesville.
- Hampton Inn – Budget, Free Breakfast
- Hilton Garden Inn – Business Hotel
- Home2 Suite – Budget, Trendy, Complimentary Breakfast
- Homewood Suites – Large room with budget, separate bedroom and kitchen
- DoubleTree – Free cookies!
- Alumni – trendy, a little upscale, quite new
Click here to explore the accommodation Charlottesville is here to stay today!
Visit more presidential sites
There are several presidential housing complexes, birthplaces, cemeteries and presidential libraries that you can visit.
Here are some of the things we recommended:
Conclusion: Monticello’s itinerary one day
If Monticello isn’t on your bucket list yet, that should be.
It was fascinating to learn how Thomas Jefferson designed the house and how he was a person.
Very analytical, thoughtful, and there are reasons for all the little quirks in his home.
I hope one day I can design my home for all the habits I want in my dream home.
Pin this later!
