Monticello Reviews

They have done a great job of setting up the historical center and shuttles. Walk the paths to see beautiful scenery and the gardens. I've seen many pictures of nearly everything here but to see it in person and hear the stories is still impressive. We did not do a tour group because they seemed too large and I prefer to go at my own pace. We stayed at a KOA in our RV nearby very nice place and just a few minutes away. Monroe and Wilson homes are within a few miles and could easily get 2 of them in one day. Highly recommend visiting if you are in the area.

Took the the two hour drive from D.C. to come visit Monticello during our trip. It was well worth it. We did the behind the scenes tour, and that was well worth it too. We got to see all three floors of the home, as well as have access to another tour after on Mulberry Road. With out tickets you could also go up and down from the visitor center if you’d like.
The behind the scenes tour took about 2 and 1/2 hours, and they do ask you to arrive 30 minutes prior before your tour start time which I do recommend. We arrived 20 minutes prior and still felt a little rushed. You arrive and can park down by the visitor center, then you take a shuttle up to the house. It was quick, just a 2 minute shuttle and the wait for them was not long at all.
Overall, it was a great experience with lots to see and learn, and such a beautiful home as well.

My friends & I decided to take the self guided tour. After visiting Mulberry Row ( located behind the main house), we visited the exterior of Monticello. There were wine & brewery rooms, along with other rooms used for storage on the lower levels. This place is massive!

I was fascinated with the Ice House, which was 16 feet wide & 16 feet deep! Snow & ice was collected in the winter months & stored in the area for use until it melted. As a matter of fact, contents from the Ice house were used to to help put out a fire!

Another are that was special to me was the area dedicated to graves of unknown enslaved people. It’s estimated to hold about 50 graves. When I think that Jefferson held at least 622 slaves during his lifetime, I know that there must be other burial grounds scattered throughout the 5,000 acres he owned. Even though, it wasn’t stated, I’m quite sure through my research that this was near slave row and it’s very far from the main house.

Of the 622 slaves, Jefferson only freed 7. Four were his children that he had with Sally Hemings, an slave that he started having sex with when she was around 13 or 14 & he was 44 years old! He promised her that if she returned to the US from overseas ( she accompanied his you v daughter there as her servant) that he would free their children when they reached 21. After his death, his white daughter did not free Sally, but give her ‘ free time’.

It’s history that should not be forgotten!

The tour was incredible! Jim was an excellent tour guide. Very knowledgeable and happily been there for 17 years! It was a wonderful experience being able to walk through Monticello and learn all of the ins and outs of the plantation. I would highly recommend this experience.

Unfortunately, I did not give it 5 stars because of the bus driver of bus 16. An older lady who was unkind from the get-go. I am 40+ and I don’t need to be told not to eat on the bus, especially in the manner by which she delivered the message. That would have not impacted the five stars alone, though. In the very short drive, not only was she insulting but she dropped us off at Jefferson’s burial spot, in the rain, knowing we could not enter. We captured a couple of quick photos and my son flagged her down before she left us there. In the rain. We had to walk .35 miles in the rain. We were literally less than a minute taking the photo.

I’m trying to NOT let that short experience damper the entire experience.

Did a self-guided tour - picked the last time slot. Official tours are in the morning. It is a lovely setting and interesting if you enjoy American history. You get an overview of Thomas Jefferson and the times. However they shouldn’t sell 4:30 tickets. The self guided tour is under 30 min but then you don’t get to appreciate the grounds, museum, or gift shop as it is a hard 530 close. Also the little snack shop by the house closed at 4. Finally, have a car. They locked the gate and it was hard to get an Uber in because they need buzz in “after hours”. And they wouldn’t let me walk out. Kind of a weird experience.

We came for the 45 tour and ended up staying for four hours. There is lots to see, and the cafe provided a very nice lunch. Monticello does a nice job of discussing both the greatness of Jefferson and his failings--especially as it related to slavery. You can learn all about Jefferson and how he turned the world's view of government on its head--government serves the people instead of the the other way around. So revolutionary at the time! But also--learn about all the slaves, and how Jefferson knew it was wrong but kept them anyway, and also only freed a handful of the hundreds he owned (most of the freed ones being his own children!). The house is well-preserved, with many original artifacts, and the tour guides are very well informed. Very impressive.

This was my 3rd tour in 30 years. As a child it was awe-inspiring and I learned so much! So many interesting stories and you could tour the entire house. I actually remembered many of the things the tour guide said. It sparked my interest in history. 20 years ago I took my husband, and it was a similarly good experience. This year I took my son. No stories, just facts, especially regarding slavery. It was incredibly disappointing and depressing. It was a downer. My son said, "I expected it to be more interesting." Me, too. The tour guide wasn't interested at all in Jefferson's life and accomplishments. I wish I had done the self-guided tour instead. It was just boring. Rushed. Too many people in the group. Too much negativity.

On a positive note the grounds are beautiful, especially the view. The chocolate bar and the mints in the small tin from the gift shop near the house were good. You can go through the outbuildings on your own and that was interesting. I liked that we could take the shuttle up, then visit the tomb and walk down to the Visitor's Center. The path is beautiful and so quiet!

At the Visitor's Center we enjoyed the museum. The gift shop was nice. The restrooms are clean. The entry fee is way too high for what you get though. I appreciated the kids price and that it went up to age 18.

Being able to walk where Thomas Jefferson once walked. Be part of history. See the amazing artifacts that were on display. The staff was very professional and knowledgeable. Had a great time. Strongly recommend.

A great heritage site for all and fabulous artifacts present on site. The guides are well
Mentored and the place is highly organized in the 5000 acre estate. I learned a lot more than I knew and sm grateful. There just were an enormous number of tours and people making it tough to study and one item at length

Parking was plentiful, and each worker we encountered was kind and helpful. The shuttle got us up the hill in plenty of time for our tour, so we walked around a bit. I liked how organized the tour prep was (you wait in certain areas, and then move as your tour time gets closer). Our tour guide, Bob, was knowledgeable, and he did a great job explaining each room of the house for us. Our daughter wasn’t feeling well, and he made sure to check on her throughout the duration of our tour. His kindness and understanding was very much appreciated. We had to leave right after our tour and I hope to go back someday and stay for much longer to explore all that Monticello has to offer.

The home, design and History was amazing. As a first time Visitor with no direction we arrived 2 hrs way too early for a house visit. Made the best of it and seen what we came to see. The design of the house was genius at that days standards.
Suiting into the History we were sadden about the treatment of the Slaves but enticed by wanting to know more of that life. The tour book helped after the visit to understand fully what we seen, but like all Tourists Traps, the prices where high. Although a tour would have been useful, price wise we gather enough useful information that we could. A word of caution, self guided tours only allow visits to the 1st and 2nd floor. The 3rd is sacred and a yellow room that you pay to see. Save $40 by just visiting online.

Beautiful place and views. Glad to have checked this off my bucket list.
Had a nice tour guide Louie. We had read how "wokeness" has now been incorporated into the tour and signs; sure enough. Maybe with the new incoming admin things will change back.

As a self-proclaimed aficionado of historical homes and occasional desserts, my visit to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's illustrious hilltop residence, was tinged with both awe and a smidgen of dessert-related disappointment. First off, the architecture—stunning! The guides—enlightening! The gardens—breathtaking! Jefferson’s genius clearly knows no bounds, except, perhaps, in the realm of 20th-century gelatin desserts.

Having traipsed through the verdant gardens and marveled at the innovative dumbwaiter (Jefferson was apparently too busy revolutionizing America to trek wine bottles up from the cellar), my thoughts turned to refreshment. Imagine my dismay when, upon inquiring where the Jell-O was, I was met not with directions to a delightful dessert buffet, but with perplexed stares. Yes, dear reader, there was no Jell-O at Monticello.

My historical appetite was sated with tales of yesteryears and horticultural splendor, yet my sweet tooth was left to fend for itself amidst a Jell-O-less wasteland. As I pondered the irony of Jefferson importing macaroni and cheese but neglecting to prophesy the advent of Jell-O, I couldn't help but feel that a lime gelatin mold might have been the perfect companion to a sunny afternoon strolling through Jefferson's estate.

In conclusion, if you venture to Monticello expecting a spoonful of history, your expectations will be met beyond measure. But if it's Jell-O you're jonesing for, pack a picnic—Thomas Jefferson's home is many things, but a purveyor of gelatin desserts it is not. Here’s to hoping the gift shop considers adding a Monticello-molded Jell-O kit for future visitors; until then, the search for historical sites with dessert options continues!

We had a great experience at Thomas Jefferson’s home (and plantation). Sam led a great tour of the gardens. He was very knowledgeable about Jefferson’s operation there when he was alive and how it has (and has not) evolved to this day. Leland led a great behind the scenes tour and gamely answered a number of challenging questions thrown at him by the various tourists in our group. He was also quite well informed about the minute details regarding the estate and all its inhabitants. Louie led an amazing tour about the enslaved community who lived at Monticello and on nearby plantations or were otherwise connected to the extended Jefferson family. He was able to make an extremely dark topic accessible for everyone while keeping it real, too, without sugarcoating anything. The other parts of the estate not covered by the tours are also worth exploring, including the short film and exhibit on Sally Hemings and her family. Overall, we noticed that the estate has taken a very realistic position on the serious complexities and contradictions of Jefferson and his family. The shops at both the top and bottom of the hill are worth visiting if you’re interested, and they do have some inventory overlap (though the one at the bottom is significantly larger). Highly recommended! (Theoretically, visiting all 3 presidential estates in C’ville in one day is logistically possible, but is not recommended, as you will be constantly rushed and will only have time to eat in your vehicle while on the move.)

We only did the grounds self guided tour but they offered some presentations that were free. Very interesting piece of history. I was impressed at how well they handled and highlighted the slavery situation .

We found the tours filled with modern social justice references and advocacy, and very little about Thomas Jefferson's achievements. They are indoctrinating regarding current issues rather than letting the history speak for itself. They need to do what made historical places successful -- just stick to what happened regarding the figure in question, do not try to guess what he would do today or rewrite history to fit an agenda.

From the parking lot, go up the stairs to the information center and buy the tickets. After that, depending on the given schedule, you can go watch the president's film. Minibuses take you to the manor itself. A short briefing at the starting point of the tour. Guided in the house with a detailed narration. For a self-guided visit, QR icons for the narrative in each room. The bus ride back to the information center stops at President Jefferson's grave, from where you can continue on another bus.

Monticello is beautiful! The grounds are beautiful! The house is beautiful! The Visitor's Center is beautiful! But what a CATTLE CALL the tour was. There were almost 25 people in our tour group crammed into the small rooms, we were rushed through the interior tour, and our docent (Leland) was so robotic and kept glancing at his watch like he had somewhere else to be. I had visited Monticello several years ago and it was not the rushed abbreviated cattle call tour that we experienced today. What a disappointment…

Must see if you live in Virginia or your a history buff. Beautiful architecture, grounds and amazing history preserved here. Summertime can be hot exploring the grounds but the home is magnificent

3 stars for the property and the spirit of Thomas Jefferson.
0 stars for the cynical, negative tilt the tour has taken in the the last few years.

I get it. Slavery was real, and it was bad. That doesn’t mean there should be tour guides who don’t like Thomas Jefferson (and also are not really well versed in history in general.) People come from all over the world to see Monticello and Jefferson, not to be shamed and brow beaten for crimes of the 18th century. Just rename it the “Charlottesville slavery tour” so US History buffs can plan a trip to Mt. Vernon instead.

This trip was planned as a "filler" before attending an evening wedding in Charlottesville. I thought I knew alot about Thomas Jefferson, but I was wrong! Our tour guide was very personable and the house and grounds are beautiful. The gift shop contained seeds from plants and flowers that are grown on the property, so I cannot wait to see these flowers bloom in my garden next year!

I would suggest buying your tickets ahead of time, since you are assigned a certain time to take your tour.

Well preserved home. It is worth a visit to this historic site. The house is interesting, but the grounds are equally as interesting, and I would recommend that you tour the grounds. If you like a nice hike, go down to see his gravesite and then continue the short trek to visitor center. Our docent was adequate but had gaps in basic knowledge. For example, we were surprised that he didn't know a basic question regarding the number of bedrooms or square footage of the house. The museum is worth the visit as well. The visit changed our views regarding Thomas Jefferson. I would not recommend for really small kids.

My son loves history. He is 13 years old and is well aware of many of Jefferson’s contributions to our nations history. We took a trip from Florida with another family who also has a 13 year old son. Upon leaving Monticello and having taken several of their tours, we asked the kids what they thought. Our friend’ son said “yeah okay I get they were trying to tell us that Jefferson was not a good guy!”

What a shame. We would not take the tour again.

Honest assessment here: we have an earnest interest in the history of Jefferson, the home/architecture and also the slavery perspective. We were absolutely going on the slavery specific tour. And we did. Important to know about this history. But despite the beauty of the property - the guides and those who have structured the tours are determined to make it almost entirely about slavery. It is overwhelmingly the focus. I can’t believe that in that short of a time period they managed to wipe away from our children’s minds any of the good done by this founder and replace it with only the tag “slave owner who died in debt and tore apart families by doing so”. Not exaggerating here folks.

I feel strongly that slavery is a terrible part of our nations history and like all things we must educate ourselves about our past in order to not repeat and be ignorant in the future, but should you want to know about any of the the good done by Jefferson, ironically you will need to find somewhere other than Monticello to do it. Not on the menu there. Very very weird and unexpected.

Shout out to the gift shop. Some nice items. Breakfast blend coffee a new favorite.

We took the Highlights Tour. We saw the first floor, the West Lawn, and the South Wing. Our guide was knowledgeable and did a phenomenal job! We learned much during the 45-minute tour. Most surprisingly was what happened to the home after Jefferson passed.

The home is iconic, the estate is beautifully maintained, and the views are stunning. Wish we had more time to take a longer tour and explore the property. Monticello is definitely worth a visit.

Monticello is a great experience with multiple tour options to see this iconic home of Thomas Jefferson. The house is the highlight but truthfully, the location is beautiful in its own right. A must-see when visiting the southwestern part of Virginia.

Our Monticello experience was nothing short of amazing. As an American History afficianado and currently working for an American History professor at my University, I am aware of the horrible atrocities People of Color, especially African Americans had to endure in the hands of white people. A question that is constantly asked in our American History class is, "Were there any "good" slave owners?" The short answer is, no. One commenter said that "slavery was socially accepted back then". I can assure you that only one group of people accepted slavery as normal.

Thomas Jefferson, indeed, contributed tremendously in building this nation. He was also a slave owner and was one of the few men in the entire country to own 600 people. He fathered 6 children to his enslaved child, SALLY HEMINGS. Her room was adjacent to Jefferson's and historians believe she even birthed several of her children there. In 1941, they turned her headquarters into a men's bathroom to erase that part of Jefferson's history.

I am disheartened to read some of these reviews, our country's history is shameful but we must learn, unlearn what we've been taught and make sure our children are taught the truth so that history may never repeat itself.

Other than that, it was a hot day but we enjoyed the ice cream near where the wine cellars were located.

Also, our tour guide was amazing. I believe her name was Robin. My History nerd heart fell in love.

This is great experience for the whole family to learn about the history of this country. The grounds are gorgeous and the house itself is a piece of history. We did the expedited 45 minute tour and that was enough. We walked the grounds after that but there are mini tours you can do through your visit. They have an amazing gift shop.

The experience was exceptioal! Our tour guides wẹre very knowledgeable, and willingness to spend extra time to answer Indivual questions. Imust do adventure.

This is an absolutely beautiful property. We toured the house and grounds and learned so much about Thomas Jefferson and his years at Monticello. We had box lunches from the cafe that were well made and tasty. The tour guides are very knowledgeable and willing to answer questions.

While the old home is nice, the visit to Monticello was very disappointing. I hoped to learn about Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers of our great country. Rather, what I learned from the Staff and various displays was how Mr Jefferson mistreated (and had sex with) the "enslaved people" that were held in bondage at Monticello. The organization or people in charge of this facility are propagating rumors, half-truths or lies about Thomas Jefferson and apparently feel good about their efforts. The vist was a total disappointment.

We thoroughly enjoyed our Behind the Scenes Tour - almost. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and took ample time for questions. Unfortunately, she chose to conclude the 90 minute tour with a political commentary that was extremely inappropriate, putting an ugly twist on an otherwise enjoyable and educational experience. We did not pay our $85 entry fee to find out her political views anymore than she obviously cared to find out ours. Stick to the history, please, and leave personal political views out.

Don’t eat the food. Way too expensive for a little of nothing. Sheeesh! Reception staff a little snotty.

Monticello was our second stop of a five stop tour of Virginia and West Virginia and it was by far the BEST! Tour guides take you back to the 1700's, sharing insight into the remarkable life of Thomas Jefferson. The building and grounds are immaculate and steeped in history. Put this one on your list of places not to miss!

As a history nerd, Monticello has always been on my list - and it didn't disappoint! We did the Behind the Scenes tour and even though the tickets are more expensive ($99 a piece), it was well worth it. Our tour guide, Missy, was excellent and very knowledgeable. We enjoyed her so much that we waited for her when we knew she'd been giving the Slavery at Monticello tour. We learned so much and wished we'd budgeted more time to stay as the 4 hours we were there didn't seem like enough to take in everything.

I loved my visit to Monticello, it was all so very interesting! This is our first time in Charlottesville, I’m being a tourist while my husband is working. I was not at all uncomfortable going to Monticello alone. I took the 45 highlights tour of the house so I got to see downstairs including the entryway, his daughters office, his study, bedchamber, parlor, dining room. Peggy was the guide and she was very knowledgeable and shared lots of interesting facts as she showed us the various rooms. Once I paid $42 for the highlights tour I was able to take the gardens tour & enslaved people tour (with Elliott) , both for no additional cost. Highly recommend visiting Monticello whether you like Thomas Jefferson or not, you can walk or ride the shuttle up to the house, the guides share lots of interesting information, there’s a theater with a short movie which I’m glad the ticket lady recommended before catching the shuttle for background info. I expected to be at Monticello for an hour or so but ended up spending almost 4 hours there so it was a great way to spend the day! They now allow pictures which I enjoyed taking!

My title alone may get me canceled by some, but my aim is an objective review of the estate of one of America’s pivotal designers. Thomas Jefferson is one of the most fascinating & influential people in American history. His story & estate are immaculate in nearly every aspect & I agree that the significant role of the enslaved must be told as part of it. My lone, but substantial, frustration with the Monticello experience is that the story of the enslaved now stands in front of the story of Thomas Jefferson. Please don’t take me wrong, it is beautifully and tastefully done & Monticello is still an absolute must see, I just found myself frustrated continually having to view everything through slavery’s dark lens obscuring the fact that America might still be subservient to England without Jefferson’s impactful actions. I hope that commenters on this post will strive to be objective.

Beautiful property and packed full of history. The docents really know their stuff. I recommend visiting when Thomas Jefferson is at home. The gentleman portraying him is amazing and did not break character at all, no matter what questions he was asked. It is clear he has a passion and his portrayal really pulls you in. I would also recommend doing the "behind the scenes" tour if you can afford the time (1-1/2 hours) and cost ($85). The groups are small (15 people max) and tickets sell out fast but it is so worth it to be able to see all 3 floors and learn much more of the personal histories of those who lived at Monticello.

We enjoyed Monticello very much. The house itself is kept in great condition and the guide gave an informative tour which even the teenagers seemed to be engaged by. Emphasis on slave labor is justifiably highlighted during the entire tour. Excellent views from the top of the mountain.

Staff was very friendly and knowledgeable.

This was our first visit to Monticello. I allowed for a full day to accommodate tours we booked online, in advance, and the Jefferson Vineyard down the road. We got here early and did the Behind the Scenes house tour first which also included the upper floors and the dome room. There was a little more emphasis on Jefferson, the architect, and the ongoing changes he made to the house when we got to the dome room, but it was interesting. Our tour guide was amazing. I learned so much about Jefferson. If I were to add anything, it might be more emphasis on his presidency. It was there, but lacking a bit in my opinion. I had heard the tours were a little heavy on slavery, but that was not my experience with the house tour. However, there was a separate tour of the slave quarters/slaves which we did not go on. I heard it going on as we were walking back from the garden tour, which I would also recommend. It is hard to get all the tours in on one day, so we ended up having to pick and choose. There is a path for Jefferson’s gravesite, which is down the hill from the mansion. You can walk it, but we opted to take the shuttle as it had rained that morning. The house up on the hill is a separate location from the museum, film, gift shop, and café which is down the hill. Since we started with an early morning tour, we checked out everything we wanted to see at the house/grounds first before taking the shuttle back down and visiting the museum and gift shop. We ended the day at the Jefferson Vineyard which is about 1½ miles down the road. Monticello is definitely worth the visit. The home and estate are beautiful with the most amazing views. I also learned so much about Jefferson from this trip. However, I would plan on a full day.

We only spent a few hours at Monticello. I wish we could have stayed longer. There is so much to learn there. Allow yourself to spend the whole day there and take it all in!

Amazing home steeped in history, I was very impressed with how the story of Thomas Jefferson was told- recognizing his contradictions, acknowledging his shortcomings, and still commemorating his accomplishments. I also love that TJ’s story wasn’t the main or only focus- the history of the land and the lives of the many others who lived, worked, and were enslaved at Monticello was shared in some excellent ways.

We did a self guided tour of the house- the QR codes gave a quick and easy way to get more information. I wish there was more we were able to see on this tour, but what we saw was beautiful.

The best part of the experience was the Slavery at Monticello tour. Our guide- Jason B, was INCREDIBLE. I do tours for a living and the way this man shared history was top notch. He was animated, captivating, and knowledgeable. I was riveted as he shared the stories of the enslaved people who lived at Monticello. We learned so much and will be thinking and talking about this experience for years to come.

90% about slavery, 10% about Thomas Jefferson but not depicted in a good light. Very little on his accomplishments or importance in US history. Would not recommend this tour.

We visited May 13, a cool rainy day. No lines, very helpful staff. We had bought tickets for a 2:30p 90 min Behind the Scenes tour, but arrived early and upon request they reimbursed our money and then booked us for a different tour at an earlier and very convenient time.
We did the highlights tour with Allison, who was smart and thorough and helped us learn more about T Jefferson, his ideals, work, home, limitations (esp in regards to slavery in Monticello).
We then went on a tour (free) about slavery at Monticello and as it was raining, chose not to go on the (free) garden tour.
The shuttle buses are comfy and punctual. The gift shop had great books and lots of beautiful and practical things to buy or gift.
The place is well organized, rest rooms and food both at the visitor center and at the mansion.
Can’t wait to go back when the weather is better!

We took the “highlights” tour at 9:45 am on a Tuesday. Our guide was Ms. Lou, and she was terrific. Tour price was $42/pp. No senior discounts. Tour lasted about 30 to 40 minutes including intro.

I actually expected more for $42 pp. While we really enjoyed our tour through the main floor of the building, so much was missing. Extra walking tours of the gardens/slave quarters etc.were available at no additional cost - but my hubby couldn’t walk those. Tough if you have ANY mobility issues.

Was very happy that details about Thomas Jefferson’s children with slave girl Sally Hemmings were revealed (after his wife died) are now public - but wish there had been more detail.

We really enjoyed our visit - the guided tour was informative & our guide was very knowledgeable. There are some fascinating artifacts which are certainly worthwhile to see. We spoke with several volunteers, all of whom were very friendly & enhanced our time. The gift shop had a large assortment of items, including things made locally.

One note, the brick path that leads to the house is uneven (it’s old!), so if you’re traveling with someone with iffy balance, a cane might be helpful.

Thanks to the recent reviews warning us about the "woke" propaganda, we smartly decided to do only the self-guided tour. We wandered the beautiful gardens and the magnificent house at our own pace, without having to be exposed to the drivel. Thomas Jefferson was a brilliant person and his contributions should still command great respect. There's nothing quite like insulting a man in his own house! Monticello is a gem of American History. PS - Make sure you check out the family cemetery. And Michie Tavern down the road is super cool.

Wow! This place is just magnificent with very competent guides. The grounds and the home are so intriguing. One needs a couple of hours to do this place justice. The views in the fall are wonderful.

The Monticello house and grounds are beautiful. We happened to be going through at the right time to see the Thomas Jefferson impersonator. He was really good, and he answered some tough questions posed by our 5th grade group. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the house and Thomas Jefferson. He made the tour interactive and asked the kids a lot of good questions. There is a little coffee shop on the grounds and restrooms nearby.

My husband and I stopped to visit Monticello on our way to Gordonsville for the weekend of 9/8 - 9/11/23. It was a beautiful clear day although a little warmer than I would have liked. Due to our time constraints, we chose to do the 45 minute guided tour. Everyone from ticket sales, outside guide, house guide, shuttle drivers, gift shop staff were all super friendly and very knowledgeable. I only wish I had a little more time to explore however we did not get there until after lunch as it was a last minute decision to go. I also noticed some younger ladies walking around in long skirts and high heel shoes. Dress comfortably and for walking!

Home didn't disappoint, the revisionists history tour guide did. Everything about being a slave owner, nothing about his other accomplishments, like writing the Declaration of Independence. Except it excluded slaves. Hello great clock, ohh ya he liked to tinker. Do your history homework before going, so you can appreciate this great American, the woke tour guide will leave you feeling like he started the Ku Klux Klan. The only reason I gave it one star, is because zero wasn't an option

I really wanted to love the tour. We decided to pay the extra and go on the guided tour rather than the self-guided tour. For nearly $50 a ticket, the tour was disappointing. The group was much too large and we couldn’t hear the guide for half of the tour. The memorabilia in the house is random and very little has any explanation. The tour was not about Jefferson at all, I couldn’t even tell you what # president he was or where he was from. I was hoping to learn more about his history but the tour was more about the structure of the house (paint, architecture,etc) and slavery. A huge portion of the tour was about Jefferson owning slaves. I understand this is an important topic however the tour revolves around it, and there was a separate slavery based tour. The guide had nothing of importance to say about Jefferson yet every item in the gift shop has his face or name on it. The grounds are beautiful and I would 100% recommend doing the self guided tour.

Incredible how much of the original house and furnishings are still intact. Our tour guide was quite informative. The tour is fairly dominated by the talk of slavery, which is of course important to the story here. Be sure to check out the view of the house from the West Lawn, which is the view you see on the back of the traditional American nickel. The view of Charlottesville down below from this mountaintop estate is also quite impressive.

We did the Highlights Tour and the Slavery Tour; both were well done and worthwhile. Monticello seems to be making real efforts to show the whole man, both Jefferson’s genious and deep faults as a slave owner. The objects in the house are facinating. The property is beautiful and would be a nice place for a picnic. Make reservations in advance for the best tours.

A very sad and disappointing experience…

Today (June 28, 2025), my family and I visited Monticello for the first time. We drove here from Pittsburgh, PA. I am the 2nd Cousin 9x Removed of Jefferson and have wanted to visit Monticello for 10 years. We purchased tickets early in the month (June) for our visit today. I bought the $99 “behind the scenes tour” at 10:30am. We got to Monticello early as directed at 9:30am. So, we took the shuttle up to the house at 10:00am.

After we got out of the shuttle, we showed our tickets to the staff members. A woman confidently told me “okay, you’re in the 10:30am tour, please go to section 3 by 10:20am. She saw that my ticket said “behind the scenes.” That’s what I did. Well, nobody clarified to me that I was supposed be in the “behind the scenes tour.” After being toured in the first floor of the house, the tour ended.

I had to find my family down in the visitor center cafe and tell them that my tour was messed up. Well, by that time, it was 11:45am and we had to meet my cousins in Charlottesville in the afternoon. We went to the ticketing desk and explained to them what happened. They gave me my money back. We couldn’t wait until 2:00pm for the next behind the scenes tour. We scheduled our whole day around this tour.

Well, we went back up to the house to politely ask the staff members why they didn’t correctly direct me to the right tour. Well, most of the staff didn’t seem interested or remorseful about my situation. The same woman arrogantly said “I guided you for the 10:30 tour.” She didn’t seem too concerned or remorseful about her error and the fact she didn’t guide me on the right tour. I paid extra money for my tour and it was messed up by your staff woman. So, me and my family had to leave Monticello disappointed and frustrated.

From now on, please tell your staff to specifically guide guests to what tours they should be taking. I bought the exclusive “behind the scenes” ticket to explore the whole house, but the staff put me in the general tour lines. Then, they didn’t seem to care that they messed up me and my family’s visit.

I have lots of respect for Jefferson and Monticello. I just wanted to explore his whole house. Now, we have to go back to Pittsburgh disappointed.

The tour of Monticello was excellent. The tour guide was knowledgable about the history of Monticello and we got to see all three floors. The history is fascinating, and we learned about his love of science, Lewis & Clark, other Presidents and dignitaries and more. The tour guide mentioned the slaves and Sally Hemings and did not gloss over them, but did not unduly detract from the focus on the architectural achievement and Jefferson's place in history. An excellent tour and a beautiful building.

I was sad to see that Thomas Jefferson and all his accomplishments were swept away by the fact that he owned slaves. If I hadn’t been a teacher and already knew his place in history, I would have learned nothing about this man and his many accomplishments.
As with other recent reviewers, we had a very indifferent young lady give our tour in a robotic, canned style that had no life to it. A lot of questions went unanswered and the modern painting in the living room, which is not original to the house, should be placed elsewhere. For our guide to ask us how it “made us feel” was inappropriate for an informative tour of one of our forefather’s homes.

Take the tours you can afford, we did the enslaved people of Monticello and the first floor Mansion tour. They are eye opening. Spend 3-4 hours looking around at all the history still there. Absolutely worth the time and effort to see the home of the author of the Declaration of Independence. If you’re lucky or there on the right day at the right time, you can visit and speak to a Jefferson Actor who is VERY good.

Outstanding experience to learn and gain insights about the good and the bad aspects of the founding of our American democracy. Several varieties of tours - we reserved for the "Highlights" tour, which includes an overview of the history of Monticello, a description of key aspects of the life of Thomas Jefferson, and some perspective on enslaved people.

We also did a special 45 minute tour - which happens about 3 times a day, with no reservations required - that focused in depth on the lives of the people enslaved by Jefferson at Monticello. In addition, "Jefferson" appears several times a day to meet with whoever assembles in a group out on the lawn. His talk is excellent for understanding the mood of the times and the key factors that entered into his contributions to the founding of the country.

Our group of four adults and two children (ages 8 and 10) spent about four and a half hours there. We could have stayed even longer if we had the time.

We did a "Behind the Scenes" tour; it was expensive, but worth it. Deborah was our guide, and she was excellent - both knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the history she was sharing. We were interested in how certain topics would be handled (the fact that Jefferson owned slaves, and in fact, fathered children with one of his slaves). Nothing was either glossed over or condemned, just presented as facts before moving on the to the next topic. We highly recommend this visit.

Our Behind The Scenes Tour was amazing, and our tour guide Alicia was very knowledgeable. We were able to visit all three levels! The stairs were very small and narrow. Our tour was about 90 mins long, after we went to the visitors center for some cold Root Beer and Ginger Ale. Everyone was really nice and welcoming.

The setting and home was marvelous!! Very well kept and worth visiting. It was wonderful walking the same grounds as Jefferson did and visiting his home.

Lovely setting as you drive up to the entrance. Mountains and green space. You park and then enter thru the visitors center which has a gift shop, restrooms, museum with a brief movie and cafe. You take a shuttle up to the house. We did the inclusive tour which visits both floors of the house. Very steep and narrow stairs up. Our guide was terrific and we learned a lot. We also did the slave tour and that too was enlightening. A perfect trip to take.

My family and I took the “Behind the Scenes Tour”, it’s totally worth it. Going through all the rooms and getting a lot more of the history of the house and Jefferson was great. Highly recommend doing the tour. Don’t forget to walk the property too for a lot more. Tour is good for little kids as well

This is a beautiful home and is beautifully preserved. Be sure to listen to all of the stories of Jefferson and the Hemmings families. The inventiveness of Jefferson is on full display here. It's one presidential home that everyone should visit.

This was third visit to Monticello, with my last being ten years ago, and my goodness, has it changed! First of all, it was very, very expensive. Secondly, as it is President Jefferson’s home, one would expect to learn about his life and his accomplishments, which are many. Rather, we learned more about the suppression of the women who lived in the home and the slaves. No one in 21st century doubts the evil of slavery, but please put it into perspective for the times. The house and its location are beautiful, but be prepared for a revisionist view of President Jefferson.

Originally we were going to do the $90 extended tour, but we opted for the regular tour since I feared the longer one would be nothing but Sally Hemings Sally Hemings Sally Hemings. It was a relief that our guide Wyatt was much more measured than that. Very knowledgeable and funny too. Yes, there are some Hemings/slavery exhibits that you can visit on your own, but they aren't part of the standard tour. Whew!

I took the behind-the-scenes tour of Monticello because I really wanted to see it all-including the seldom seen second and third floors all the way to the iconic dome room, and I am so glad I did!

From the start at the visitor center, the amount of artifacts on display was impressive, and from there we took an early morning house tour, which left promptly at 9am. By the time we left the estate it was nearly noon, with the two hour tour encompassing the grounds, visiting the grave of Thomas Jefferson, and the amazing information we learned from our guide! We saw it all, from the first floor rooms including the bed President Jefferson died in, to the inside of the iconic dome room. All the while being entertained with stories about his life!

Yes, the staircases are very narrow and can be hard to navigate, so I understand why they limit access to the upper floors, but Monticello is a museum, a piece of history and an architectural marvel which deserves to be seen in its entirety, and thanks to these behind-the-scenes tours, I was able to do just that!

A very interesting place. Took a tour of the home. Very informative. A good place to visit. Worth the time we spent there. Would go back.

The house and grounds were beautiful. We learned more than we knew about Thomas Jefferson. The man who played Thomas Jefferson was amazing!! He never dropped character once. He was johnny on the spot in answering every question!! I did feel a bit rushed through the house tour. I wish we could have also toured the upstairs. Mulberry Row and the gardens were neat. Since it was raining and cold the day we went, a shelter to wait our tour turn wouldve been nice. The films and museum areas were nice and informative. However, the restaurant, gift shop and ticket prices were way too much.

I was disappointed with the staff because we arrived right as the tour we booked was starting and needed to use the facilities. We asked if we could join the next tour, but they refused and forced us to join the group which had now progressed 15 minutes. It was a simple request that would have been easy for them to accommodate. Do not purchase tickets in advance, because they seem unable or unwilling to extend a common courtesy. I will not be visiting again because of our experience.

please do yourself a BIG favor go to Monticello. It is beautiful. our tour guid was very informative answered all our questions with out hesitation.

First time visit to Monticello. Not only did we have beautiful weather but the grounds were gorgeous with flowers in the garden. We arrived for the 9am tour “Behind the Scene “. Highly recommend the tour. Small group setting. All 3 floors of the home. Our guide was so knowledgeable!! We did book our tickets on line a few weeks before our visit. After the tour we did stay to meet Thomas Jefferson and his 20 minute talk.

An absolute must! Beautiful grounds and amazing views! It’s a great part of history that needs to be seen! Highly recommend!

April 2, 2023, was my 2nd trip to Monticello.
My first one was in September 2015...and it was awesome. I have talked about the place and recommended it to so many people.
Needless to say, I was super excited about returning.

My first surprise upon returning was being told it cost $42 to get a guided visit of Jefferson's house now. That was $14 higher than my previous visit. I himmed and hawed when the lady at the ticket window told me the price. She said that they have changed a lot since 2015 and I would really enjoy the house visit. IF I was thinking clearly at the time I would of thought...how do you change what Jefferson had up there and what he did??..... THat should of been my first red flag.

I agreed to buy the house tour ticket. I went up and in at my assigned time. Was it every disappointing. It was the "SLAVE TOUR" and not the Thomas Jefferson/Monticello tour,

We were in the house for at most 15 minutes. The tour guide would say what room we were going into.. IF people had any questions they could ask them. She would briefily answer them and then start talking about "Sally Cummings".

No matter what room we went into, instead of talking about the architecture, who visited the house, what happened in the house, what was on the walls, why there was no staircase that went down to the front door in the house, she just wanted to talk about Sally Cummings...or as she would call her..."The Great American...

The tour guide made mention that she believed Thomas Jefferson looked at Jesus Christ as a philosopher.

Once we made it outside she pulled out a photograph of a naturalization ceremony that occurred at Monticello on July 4th, 2022. She then asked the group if any of us knew what excited new citizens the most... She informed us it was the "Right to vote, because when you can vote, you can make changes".....

She then encouraged all of us to take the "Slave trail". She said along this path you'll see small signs with an explanation of the importance of slavery at Montiello.
I walked off at this point.

My advice is DO NOT NOT NOT waste your money on the house tour. You can buy a ticket the just tour the outside area of Monticello. IT's about $20. Bring a lunch and go up there and enjoy the view/scenery. IT's a stunningly beautiful place!!

This place has changed...and not for the better. I learned so much there the first time. All of that has just been brushed under the carpet into the dustbins of history apparently.

I was also at Mt. Vernon on this trip. If you really want to get more out of your trip and avoid the "slave tour", go to Mt. Vernon. It's awesome!!

Beautiful views and our tour guide was great. Very clean with workers everywhere to help. Worth waiting to meet Thomas Jefferson with Q&A.

The hour-long enslaved person tour at Monticello adds important perspective to life on Thomas Jefferson's magnificent plantation. Our tour guide was informed, thoughtful, insightful about the lives lived by slaves there, including Sally Hemings, who had four children with Jefferson. It wasn't all that many years ago when no such perspective was available to visitors, but it is now -- and well worth the time for current visitors.
The separate talk by an actor (Bill Barker) portraying Jefferson was an added plus since he seemed to bear an uncanny resemblance to the third president. And he was generous with his time after his talk in posing for photos with a long line of interested visitors -- and stayed in character as well!

Very Disappointing! We were on a road trip from Scotland when we arrived at 1.45. The next tour was 2.50 which was fine and we had a look at the grounds but were told to be at the shuttle bus at least 15 minutes before our time slot. We particularly asked if the book shop would be open and the shuttle bus organiser assured us there was a cafe and shop both on the mansion and on our return to the visitor centre. We did the self guided tour but didn’t realise we’d see so little of the house - 4 rooms. It was a hot day so we made for the cafe before we toured the servants quarters outside. Sadly they closed the doors of both the cafe and the shop at 4pm. We toured the grounds and the shuttle bus took us to Jefferson’s grave but unfortunately didn’t return for us so by the time we walked down in the heat it was 5.05 and everything was closed up. We’re both very interested in American history and love to buy books so we were a bit annoyed. The whole place was a huge disappointment from the staff’s lack of interest to the cost - $68 to see 4 rooms. Certainly wouldn’t recommend it. There are so many historical places in the USA that this place could take lessons from!

Monticello must be include as part of your visits to Virginia State. I was really impressed with the great care and maintenance of this historical ICON

Exceeded our expectations. Our docent was very knowledgeable and led a well paced behind the scenes tour. No crowds, great parking and overall friendly staff.

We took the behind the scenes tour which was great,but the highlight for me was the 2+ hour tour From Slavery to Freedom. There were only 4 of us on the tour which made for lots of personal interaction and discussion with our guide Andrew who was absolutely SUPERB. So knowledgeable and personable,the time just flew by. Also loved meeting Thomas Jefferson,he was outstanding…funny,friendly,quick witted and believable. This has been a place I always wanted to go and I am so glad we did. All the staff we met and talked with were polite and helpful.

Our guide was awesome! The grounds are spectacular and so beautiful. Much history is here to learn about and it is inspiring. It is very expensive but worth it. Make sure to visit the grave site

The tour was great from beginning to end. Everyone was friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable. Our tour guide was phenomenal! He could answer all of the questions and sincerity enjoyed his job. I would recommend this highly!

Loved the history!! Connects rly well when going on a trip with Williamsburg as well because they are around the same time period. There was a tour called Slavery at Monticello which was very educational and the interpreter was very helpful and told us real stories of real enslaved people at Monticello. She helped us understand this topic so much better! The house itself looks very authentic and we heard countless stories and gimmicks of Thomas Jefferson. Also the Sally Hemings presentation was very beautifully done and seemed very honoring to her life. Overall really good visit.

Be prepared to spend all day if a history buff. The admission ticket to Jefferson's home Monticello also includes the gardens and the enslaved persons tour. The tours run 45 minutes to an hour each. Then you have free time to wander about Mulberry row and the grounds. Monticello is on top of a high hill with a fantastic view on all sides. There is plenty of Sally Hemmings and the Hemmings family information. This is a tour that can not be missed if passing through Charlottesville Virginia.

Peter was an amazing and knowledgeable tour guide. Jefferson's home is absolutely beautiful, the area is put together nicely. Nice quick walk down to burial site of Jefferson after you get done with the house tour.

For the history alone, Monticello is a must visit. That the structure is so beautiful, the interior so well preserved, and the grounds so interesting are just bonuses. Do not go to central Virginia without a stop here.

We visited on a very cold and rainy Friday, with a timed "highlights" tour. It quickly became clear that Monticello was understaffed and overwhelmed with student groups - we even heard a few staff members openly state this. As soon as we arrived, we took the shuttle to the house so that we would be on time for our timed tour, not realizing that we would be waiting outside in the cold rain. (The day before it was nearly 90 degrees and sunny so the weather took a surprising turn being in the 40s.) The house tour was good and we learned several things, though we had to wait a few times for other groups or had to get out of the way for other groups. If you're planning to eat at the "restaurant", either eat before, pack a snack, or let yourself stave, because the cafeteria-style food was completely inedible at a high price - most of our $50 food (for two people) went in the overflowing trash.

With all of that said, we're glad that we visited Monticello as it is a beautiful location with a lot of history. The shuttle was very convenient and easy to use. The gift shop is lovely with a lot of items to browse. The tour guide was knowledgeable. They don't shy away from the fact that slaves worked on the property and that Jefferson impregnated a slave multiple times. If I was ever in the area again, it would be nice to return on a nicer, slower day and to explore the grounds more thoroughly.

We visited Monticello May 7 2025. It was a great time to visit before schools are out and the tourist season begins. We purchased the From Slavery to Freedom tour and Behind the Scenes tour prior to arriving. We arrived at 8:30 am for the Slavery Tour and Ashley was great! So much information and she encouraged questions and comments throughout the tour. We visited several sites and had discussion at the end about the tour and topics. Very interesting! We ate at the Cafe on sight which had good food- pricey but convenient. Our afternoon tour was given by Karen and she was very knowledgeable and though we had previously viewed the first floor of the house on the slavery tour, Karen had different stories. The stairs to the 2nd and 3rd floor are steep but manageable. One step at a time! The stories were interesting and again, she invited questions and comments throughout the tour.
Overall, it was a A+ in our book and we were there from 8:30-4:45. Take the time to stroll the grounds on your own- the gardens, vegetable gardens and Mulberry Row. This is an extremely well run Foundation and everyone that works/volunteers there are very friendly and helpful.

Booked 10.15 house tour and arriving early we had a wander around the grounds.
The tour was well organised and we didn't feel rushed with time for lots of questions. There was a good balance of family and American history.
A very interesting morning, glad we had time to visit.

A wonderful place to visit. Easy to get to. A little pricey. We enjoyed "meeting" Thomas Jefferson in the movie room and he was very interesting and answered questions from his time period and stayed in character. The shuttle was easy. They are prepared for crowds. We got a free gardens and grounds tour the next day because we were on the last tour of our day at 4:40pm. But, it was supposed to be free and at the desk, the person at the register was going to charge us until a supervisor stepped in. The history was great and it was interesting that we were all encouraged to participate in our government if we wanted to keep a democracy.

Loved seeing the house and grounds.
Disappointed they allow dogs that owners fail to pick up after.
Also the guides kept slamming slavery down your throat.
Jefferson had slaves.
Tell us about it and shut up.
The tour should be positive.
I nor my family ever owned a slave.

We've been trying to make this trip to Richmond, Va area for 3 years now and it's finally happening. Our first day was spent at Monticello. We took an early tour of the house and then did the slave tour. Our tour guide was very good and we learned a lot about the house and how it was designed. The museum was excellent.

Visited this important heritage site as part of birthday road trip. Before going to the house we enjoyed some conversation with the "Jefferson' himself which was fun. Walked from visitor center to the house which is about 15 mins uphill. There is also a shuttle bus service. Lovely walk during which you pass by the Jefferson family cemetery where the 3rd President is buried. Great views from the hilltop on which the house is built. Learned a lot about the enslaved people of Monticello. We also did a guided tour of the house with guide Missie. She was really good and pitched the tour at the appropriate level for the group. Overall a really nice visit and would recommend it.

This is a terrific historical spot and should be on everyone’s bucket list. The downside it is a bit pricey with a full tour at $42 and to just walk the grounds it costs $22. The docents are very knowledgeable and will spend plenty of time talking with you. The 45 minute slavery tour of Mulberry Row was interesting and informative. To really see everything you need about three to four hours.

Monticello is a beautiful and unique historical site that's very reflective of Thomas Jefferson's love for architecture, the outdoors, and agriculture. My favorite part of Monticello is the vineyard views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I visited without going on the tour, which turned out to be a good decision. The fee for the tour was too overpriced in my opinion. The tour didn't seem worth it for me, plus there were already too many crowds going on the tours.

It is a humbling experience from so many perspectives. Visiting Monticello should be on everyone’s trip list, especially with Jefferson as one of our founding fathers. On top of that Charlottesville has so many culinary offerings to enjoy.

Overall gave this place a 9.1 out of 10. The house itself is OK. You only get to see the first floor, which is disappointing. The guides do a good job. The highlight of the tour comes when you finish and you get to see the storage areas Underneath the house until the left and the right of the house. These areas are really awesome and shows the economical space that Jefferson had in mind when designing it.

Great place to visit for a few hours. Enormous amount of grounds to explore and take in the history.

OMG! Don't bother unless you want a twisted version of history. The tour seemed more about convincing everyone that Jefferson was a horrible person. They told us little about Jefferson's accomplishments and everything was about him being a slave owner. I'm glad I didn't bring my kids to this BS. Disgusting!!

We opted for the middle priced tour and scheduled it for early in the morning because we were advised in the reviews to avoid the school buses that come later in the day . well we arrived early and we were sandwiched in between two tours of 28 children each which was quite difficult the children were fine but the guides were talking so loudly we could not hear our tour guide ( who was also not wonderful anyway ) and the tours overall were just a disappointment
site , museum
, gardens are absolutely lovely .
Very weighted to slavery now . That was a bit Disappointing when it was the house of someone who is an absolute renaissance man
I would advise somebody to forgo a guided tour and just do a self guided tour with a map it is well worth it to see and there’s enough information printed out in each location to get a good sense .

The site seemed a bit wanting, especially considering the substantial a la carte pricing for every aspect of your visit. Nonetheless, I am pleased to cross it off of my bucket list. Love Jefferson’s architectural eye and cleverness.

After reading other reviews:

Read the website, know your destination.

Don't blame the venue, destination or their staff when bad weather prevents you from experiencing something during your visit. Weather is out of anyone's control.

If you seek to experience a full and complete history of any historical place, especially a plantation in the American south, be prepared to hear about the enslaved people's experiences. Their lives and stories are a huge part of American History, as are the stories of the Indiginous Nations. American History is not just about the happy, shining accomplishments of the founding fathers. They receive ample credit; and, they were regular people, flawed and imperfect as any of us today.

There are three tours, currently, of varying price points: Highlights (guided, 45 mins), Behind the Scenes (guided, 90 mins), Self-Guided (10-40 mins) - Guests walk through the home's first floor and can read or listen to informational material via QR codes, or they are able to speak with guides stationed throughout the house.

There is no hard-core "indoctrination" going on. It is a complex historical narrative about the communities and families, all of whom built the Nation.

The grounds are beautiful; the staff and guides are professional and gracious. Bring your camera.

There are additional guided tours on the mountaintop, on slavery, and the gardens/landscape.

After security, shuttle busses take guests from the Visitor Center to the house and gardens. The ride is about two minutes. If you walk the trail, it's six tenths of a mile, steady uphill. (Leave 30 mins if you plan to walk up to your house tour).

Well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcome (but not in the house or outdoor exhibit spaces).

Check the website for the latest updates and information.

There is a lot of history here and things to explore. With that being said, you are put into groups that I think are too large for the tour so you end up being herded through at a pace that was pretty quick. Some of the guides give extra information throughout the tour so it really depends on who you get.

A must see to better understand our history! We especially enjoyed the session with an actor playing Jefferson. He was an excellent speaker, and brought the estate to life.

They have demonized the founding fathers now. Same thing with Madison's home. I would stay away from places like this. They talk too much about slavery. History is not pretty & slavery has been legal in all of the world since Adam & Eve.
Less than 10% of the population had slaves. You can not judge history based on today's thinking.
Anyone judging people about how bad slavery was if they lived back then would have had a slave if living in the south.

This was our first time at Monticello. We purchased the basic house and grounds tour ticket, which we did well in advance of our visit. There is a shuttle to take you up to the house and grounds, which we appreciated since it was a very hot day. We enjoyed our house tour, and our guide was extremely knowledgeable and made certain to ask if we had any questions prior to leaving a room. We wandered the grounds on our own, visiting the grave site and gardens. We were slightly limited on time, or we would have taken the Garden and Grounds tour and the Slavery Tour. Both would have been very interesting.

Incredible visit to Thomas Jefferson's house. Guided tour of the property, with transportation and Wi-Fi. Safe, clean place, polite and kind staff. Shop, museum and cafe
Part of US history told through the life of the third president. $40.00 per ticket with guided tour. You can stroll through the garden at the bottom of the property free of charge.

Monticello has always been a favorite. While the price is high, you can take the ground and gardens tour and learn a lot about history. It's worth the money to go. My adult daughter wants to come back and take the $100 tour one day.

It has been 30 years since our last visit and there is a whole new visitor center. We had a tour at 10:15 with Linda, a very knowledgeable guide. I enjoyed looking at the vegetable gardens after the tour. We took the walk back to the parking lot that passed by the cemetery.

We recently visited VA and wanted to see Monticello. What a disappointment to see that you're unable to simply drive by and take pictures of the exterior. I understand that money is needed to keep historic sites running, but I can't believe that, if you were able to see it from the road, it would lessen the money taken in each year.

I'm sure there would still be folks that would like to go inside. You can't see the house, the slave burial ground or the family burial ground without paying to do so.

I didn't read any further than the $35 entrance fee for adults, so I don't know if there are lesser fees depending upon what you'd like to see, but, while I do understand that upkeep is not cheap or free, this is history and I feel it, in certain aspects, should be available to everyone, whether they want to pay $35 to walk up to the door or not.

Truly disappointed as we drove two hours out of our way to just glimpse it from the road only to find out we couldn't.

Highs and lows to our visit. Highs, the grounds are well maintained and sights clearly sign posted. Took the Slavery tour which was very well delivered and informative, and there were plenty of benches to be seated whilst listening, and all were in shade. Also good efficient shuttle bus system.
Lows. We found that drinks were very expensive, but there was a reasonable choice at the upper level of the estate. However having walked down, we found the cafe shut at 4.00, even though the site is open till 5.00. The shop had a vending machine but only a very limited drink choice. This was very disappointing.
Couldn’t bring myself to tour the house after hearing how slaves were regarded as nothing but property and sexually exploited by Jefferson.

You can easily spend a day here , there is plenty to see and it’s well organised and laid out. The house tour was good as are the exhibits but the 5 star highlight for us was the Slavery tour/talk .
Our guide Tom was so engaging , knowledgable and interesting on the subject we were drawn in to his stories.
We ate in the restaurant and the food was really lovely and fresh .
We walked up and back down from the visitor centre to the house ( around 20 mins ) through a trail but they run shuttle buses very frequently if you prefer to be transported.

A great tour, the 90-minute Behind the Scenes tour flew by, and our guide even went a little bit over time . Lots of fascinating information that you're very unlikely to get on your own, at least without spending a LOT more time trying to do so. We're very glad we took this tour. Insofar as several reviewer complaints about excessive "wokeness" in their guides' presentations, we found NONE of that. True, our guide did point out matter-of-factly that the vast majority of the work done at the estate was performed by enslaved people, and noted that their living arrangements were hardly equivalent to those of the Jeffersons and guests, but that's just a fact. If it bothers you to hear that, you should focus your energy on propaganda rather than history. Bottom line, I came away even more impressed by Thomas Jefferson than I was going in, which was a pretty strong feeling to begin with. He was an extraordinary 18th/19th Century man, not a saint.

Monticello was an amazing experience. I am so happy my husband & I decided to go there. I loved seeing the beautiful home that Thomas Jefferson designed and lived in. We also were fortunate to see a facsimile of the official Declaration of Independence that John Adams commissioned in 1820. It is 1 of less than 50 surviving today. We purchased the Highlights Tour~$42. It was worth the money and takes you into the home on the bottom floor. If money is an issue, They also have a cheaper ticket, but only lets you go on the outside of the home and around the grounds. We had a beautiful day with the tulips/daffodils in bloom. Overall~ it was an amazing time!

My wife and I had a wonderful day at Monticello this past Saturday. We were quite fortunate to have Debra K as our guide for a “Behind the Scenes” tour which visits all three floors of the house, including the iconic Dome Room. Debra’s presentation was well balanced regarding the paradoxical issue of Jefferson and slavery, extremely knowable about the house, Mr. Jefferson, the family members who lived in the house, and visitors in Jefferson’s day. She gave us all time for questions and was very engaging throughout the tour. We also visited Bill Barker as Mr. Jefferson, which is not to be missed on anyone’s day at Monticello. Finally, all staff we encountered very helpful and friendly as they moved a tremendous number of people very efficiently through the house and grounds. Great job everyone!!!

I’d recommend a stop at Monticello for anyone visiting Charlottesville. Only downside was it was a little pricey. For $32, you get to walk through the first floor of the home (but don’t get a guided tour) and you get to walk the grounds. To just walk the grounds, you have to buy a garden pass for $22. The basic level guided house tour is $42 (there are more expensive options). The most meaningful part of the visit was learning about the history of the enslaved people at Monticello which is so important to having a more complete picture of the place’s history. There was an excellent free guided walking tour on the grounds about slavery at Monticello that I highly recommend to anyone visiting. Overall, I recommend people plan approximately 4 hours for the visit.

If the Behind the Scenes Tour fits into your budget, don't miss it. The tour takes you all through the house and our guide was a wealth of information. A wonderful experience.
Also don't miss listening to "Thomas Jefferson" as he talks to and with visitors to his property. He is amazing, fascinating and completes the tour of Monticello in a unique and memorable way.

If you are looking for a thoughtful experience and a tour that is prepared for difficult but important conversations, this is not the tour for you. The guide’s demeanor felt inappropriate for the subject matter, negative stories were usually glossed over and followed up by not-as-negative stories which felt like an attempt to redeem TJ as being “not so bad for the time.” Glaringly absent was any conversation about consent between slave owners and the women they assaulted. We were given more information about the grounds and the Jefferson family than the people who were forced to live and work there.

The placards at the burial ground were the most forthcoming admittance of guilt, as it is literally surrounded by the parking lot. Monticello admits this was a mistake, though this was not mentioned by our guide, who only mentioned the burial ground was a “short walk from the visitor center.”

We rushed to make this tour and it was both incredibly disappointing and unsurprising. Do better, Monticello.

For anyone interested in the history of the U.S. and the founding fathers, this destination is a must. The home of Thomas Jefferson the architect of the Declaration of Independance. A genius in his own right, he was an inventor, politician and scientist. The site is also a contradiction to his own beliefs. He opposed slavery, yet owned slaves, because without them he could not run his plantation. There is a great tribute to the enslaved people that lived on the plantation and their descendants.

Nice tour of Jefferson's house & grounds. Not worth paying extra to see inside of the house . It was 5 min . But we loved the grounds.

Great opportunity to view the home of this American enigma. Although our tour was curtailed by a torrential rain, it had been a lifelong dream to visit the home of this American founder. I would recommend the house tour which also includes the “slave” tour and the garden tour.

The home tour was very informative, as was the Slavery at Monticello tour. We learned much on Jefferson and his achievements, but also the way of life at Monticello. The conflicts and complexity of his views on slavery and of those who he enslaved was presented very thoughtfully. The Visitors Center has great exhibits and a film as well.

good historic place.
guided tour was well informed and organized.

but felt the entry price was steep.
food options are ok.

Very informative and comfortable Easy access to parking and shuttle to building. My family loved the visit. Tour guide was very knowledgeable.

We signed up for the 345 self guided tour and arrived to park at 130. We took the shuttle and arrived in time for the 2pm Slavery at Monticello Tour which was just wonderful. Our guide was very engaging and knowledgeable - this was our favorite part of the day. Jefferson was not vilified as others have suggested. We toured the exhibits around the outside until it was time to go in and after the house tour we walked the path back to the parking lot past Jefferson’s grave. Plan for 3-3.5 hrs or longer if you will betaking a guided tour of the house.

We visited Monticello in June and it was wonderful. The weather was perfect and the amount of people visiting that day was perfect for taking your time going through the exhibits. We were there on a Friday. I thought the cost was a bit high for a self guided tour but everything is expensive these days. The exhibits were well presented. We walked back down to the parking lot instead of taking the shuttle. It was a relatively short walk on a beautiful day.

Just AWESOME!!! All of the different tour guides are very knowledgeable and organized. I enjoyed three tours in one day and feel that I learned the full story of Monticello. I don't want to spoil it for the next visitors, but Monticello is a very important part of American history.

Monticello is beautiful but it is full of history, the history of our nation. We had Mikey as our tour guide (behind the scenes tour). He was a wealth of knowledge and presented it in a manner that helped bring Jefferson to life. I learned more about Jefferson than I did in my history classes when I went to school! I encourage you to step back in time to when our nation was still in it's infancy and tour Monticello.

I visited Monticello as a teenager and was really impressed with the property and the information presented. I’m not a big history fan, but I enjoyed myself there. I had been excited to take my adolescent children to Monticello, especially since my daughter loves American history. I was really disappointed that the majority of the information presented during our time there focused almost entirely on Jefferson as a slave owner. While this is a contradiction not to be ignored, it dominated the entire visit, and we really didn’t learn much else about Jefferson’s life or Monticello. The property was nice, and the staff was pleasant and helpful, but I wouldn’t visit again.

I always wanted to go to Monticello--even though I've had an image of TJ as a bit of a self-absorbed whiner or a political manipulator. After the Behind the Scenes tour, I gained more insight and respect upon the man. And that is the real issue--the man, the strengths and weaknesses of an individual.

Great tour guide. The extra money allows you to see more of the house and the family story of TJ.

I highly recommend this beautiful and innovative place. It is historical and a marvel. I cannot begin to describe the scenery-a must see!

This was very interesting and gave me a wider breadth of knowledge of our 3rd President. It is very impressive to learn of his interests, intellect and occupations - all of which made up the man who penned the Declaration of Independence. Besides going through the house, I recommend joining the garden tour with the docent and "meet" Thomas Jefferson.

The inconvenient truth about slavery is also shown there. Not condoning it, but it felt like it was an attempt to give an accurate representation of what his life and relationship to it was.

We visited Monticello as a family but unfortunately we were in the last tour (3:40) for which the staff is ready to leave at 4:30 pm. Also, it was a rainy day so hardly we could see the outside of the house. The entrance fee is still $42 for adults & $13 for children 12-18 & $4 for 5-11. We were not able to see the museum neither visit the gift shop. Plan your visit, perhaps, better season, weather and early in the day. The tour guide (Brianna) was knowledgeable and kind. We recommend this place as it is historical landmark and it is educational for all ages.

It was a great experience. My wife, her friend, and I took the "Behind the Scenes" Tour and got to see the entire house. You'll learn a lot about Jefferson while on the tour, and the tour guides are very professional and good about not sugarcoating the fact that Jefferson was a slaveholder. My only complaint is that the "Behind the Scenes" tickets are a bit pricey ($99 per person), but I can't say that I regret my ticket purchases.

Decided to get up early in the morning for a Sunday 9am Behind the Scenes tour. Once I took the shuttle up the mountain, I was greeted by friendly and knowledgeable staff. The tour itself was great, with a guide that had answers for everything any of the group asked. The history of the Un artifacts here was all on display. For those with accessibility issues, know you may have trouble with the stairs if doing this tour. I could not imagine being family or servants climbing up those very narrow and steep steps every day. Otherwise, it was a nice walk around all 4 floors of the house. The exhibits outside the tour were also well maintained and displayed. There were some powerful exhibits about the hundreds of slaves who have gone through Monticello that I would recommend everyone check out as they stroll the grounds. The slavery tour was a nice free 45-minute tour with another knowledgeable guide. That tour only has a few stops along Mulberry Row and had plenty of benches and now issues. At the end of your visit, you can take the shuttle back down (it does stop on the way for those interested in seeing the Jefferson's private cemetery), or you can walk the less-than-a-mile trail down the mountainside (which also goes by thd cemetery).

Overall, I loved visiting here. It definitely gave my Indiana mind a fresh perspective on the colonies and early country that I didn't have before visiting this far east! I would definitely recommend this for anyone near Charlottesville!

The recent articles of criticism reflect exactly what i noticed on my visit. The bias was apparent and at very minimum the sudden radical change was noticeable versus my historic visits. After my visit i wrote emails to friends with similarities to the media articles.

The Jefferson impersonator happened to choose as a main topic Jefferson's belief in science and tendency to "follow the science" exactly when those phrases were part of the politically correct mantra for mandates. His choice damaged credibility and inserted politics into tourism

Then he happened to tell a story in which the Brits showed mercy on Monticello due to TJ's compassion in the past in vaccinating POWs for smallpox. What a coincidence he chooses a story where required vaccination was heroic! What r the odds?

Lastly out of TJ's entire career both at and apart from Monticello he chose to discuss a story where a wise and experienced slave fooled the invaders and saved the plantation. An interesting story but the obvious selectivity was cringe-worthy. He couldn't think of anything TJ did on the nat'l or Int'l stage that carried more lasting significance than that harder-to-prove tale?

The Grounds remain attractive, but the staff isn't as gracious as in the past. Some r more like flight attendants wary of customers rather than embracing customers. For instance the ticket seller seemed to enjoy telling us all the times we couldn't tour the house. It was less inviting than that which he had been accustomed to on prior visits. One can get a good whiff of it in their recent e-statement which hints at blaming the customer for dissatisfaction instead of self-examining reformation.

Monticello needs to forget the wokeness and start to refocus on customers. Gratitude, not attitude. I have taken many guests their over the years but was embarrassed at having done so this last time. No longer worth the risk and cost.

Flowers were just staring to bloom, they were planting the vegetable garden. Recommend the tours, they were wonderful and the guides were very interesting and knowledgeable.

Wonderful way to spend a day touring our country's history! We had some hesitation after reading a few reviews here about the full tour, but decided to go ahead with the house tour and we're so glad we did! Our tour guide was energetic, knowledge and made the whole tour a lot of fun! Yes, she pointed out aspects of slavery (how else would this large estate function?) and Jefferson's past that some may not like to hear, but we felt it was the appropriate amount and were glad to know this painful aspect of our country's past is being included. She suggested the separate slavery tour if you wanted to learn more and we completed and enjoyed that as well. There they dive more in-depth into the lives of slaves and their families on the property and how this important part of our history helped to keep this entire house operating. The house is full of wonderfully recreated rooms, but I suggest you get there early (our tix were for 12:45) since we learned that self-guided tours start around 3:00. By then the school groups and lots more people had arrived so we were glad to have seen several other areas earlier in the day. Lots of walking, some hills so plan accordingly. We saw a few wheelchairs and strollers but think that somewhat limits your visit as strollers are not allowed in the main house. All in all, it's a beautiful property with lots to see and learn. Simply strolling along the flower garden or vegetable garden is enjoyable and educational and we enjoyed our day!

We visited in October 2023. We only got tickets to walk the grounds because self-guided entry to the house was not open until 3:30 in the afternoon and we did this in the morning because we needed to be at the Richmond Airport by afternoon. We could've done the guided tour but it was 45 minutes long. This is the only reason why I knock off one star is that we couldn't actually go inside.

You have a choice of taking a shuttle bus or walking the one mile trail to the house. The walk is steep at times, but one mile is not that long and the scenery is beautiful along the way. You also get to see Thomas Jefferson's grave site.

Even with just the grounds ticket you get to go into many of the servants areas and quarters below the house like the kitchen, cellar, privy, as well as one of the small detached quarters. The grounds, garden, and view from the the top of the hill are gorgeous.

We ate lunch at the cafe at the beginning of the trail and they make really good sandwiches.

Visiting this Presidential home is a must when in this area. The tour guides are extremely knowledgeable about the life of President Jefferson, and they help make his story come alive as patrons see his home.

A great walk through history! We chose to take the short hike up the mountain to the house. Enjoy the Virginia mountain and walk past the cemetery. We did the regular tour. I would recommend doing the morning tour in hopes of less people. It was packed and you will need to buy tickets in advance.

We bought the Cadillac pass and were able to see the upstairs etc. The tour guide was excellent, she really made history come alive without being overly dramatic: more scholarly and less theatrical. It really makes you think about our country's origins.

Try to see everything. Well worth it. The grounds are spectacular. The gardens. Easy, short walk to cemetery. Pay respects to President Jefferson and family and friends there. Tour of the house is wonderful. And check the times for outdoor experiences, especially seeing and hearing from Mr. Jefferson (impersonator who looks just like him!).

My first visit to Monticello in at least 12 years. We took the Highlights tour of the house, followed by the outdoor Slavery at Monticello tour along Mulberry Row. All of the remarks by both of our guides were outstanding. Slavery is a topic that was not discussed when I worked at Monticello in the 1980s. Considering that enslaved people built the house, cared for it, tilled the land, grew the crops and took care of the family, it’s high time to learn about and appreciate their contributions over many years. I applaud the staff for doing their research and presenting Jefferson the man as he truly was - good and bad. If this is just not for you, you can elect to take tours on numerous other topics.

We completed the tour of "Slavery to Freedom" and it was an absolutely amazing presentation. Our guide, Andrew Miles, was phenomenal in his knowledge and explanation of the era and times that Sally Hemmings lived in. He didn't sugar coat the flaws of Thomas Jefferson to appease the audience but was forthright in the positives and negatives of times. I was so impressed with the tour, I'm sending my children next month. Andrew was outstanding, and I told him so, but he demurred and mentioned there are better moderators on the staff—if that's the case, everyone who attends will be impressed!

We did the standard tour. You'll start your day at the visitor's center. If you bought tickets online all you'll need to do is go through security (note they do not allow pocket knives so leave those in the car or they have lockboxes - my brother-in-law has a swiss army knife keychain so he had to to lock up his car keys). At the visitor's center there is a small cafe, a small museum, a theater and a gift shop. We had an early tour so we went immediately to the shuttlebus stop. You can walk but it's pretty steep path so I'd suggest the bus up. The bus ride is maybe 5-10 minutes to the top. Once up there the staff can help direct you to where your tour will meet. The tour guides were VERY informative and passionate about their jobs. The tour took about an hour to go through the main floor of the house. After the tour you are free to walk the grounds and the self guided exhibits. There are also free talks given at different points throughout the day. We caught a shorter (30ish minutes) walking tour that focused on the lives of the enslaved people that lived on the property. The staff did a great job of addressing the complexity of the man that wrote the declaration stating all men were free while owning other people. They did not shy away from that reality while keeping the discussion PG for the kids. There is a small store on the property were you can get snacks and bottled drinks and and nice shaded area to drink those as well as a water bottle refill station at the bathrooms. After touring the grounds we opted to walk back down the visitor's center. The hike is not hard about a half mile and is very well shaded. You walk past the family graveyard where Jefferson is buried. If you are unable to walk the shuttle bus does stop here on it's way back to the bottom.

This is a great stop even if you aren't big into historical stops.

I highly recommend reading “Monticello: The Official Guide to Thomas Jefferson’s World” before touring Monticello. It is a quick, good read with wonderful photographs. We took the pricy 1 ½ hour “Behind the Scenes” tour with guide Jane. She was excellent!!! That said she shares a lot of information in a fast-paced manner. Preparing by reading the Official Guide helps with absorbing the presented information. This tour explores floors 1-3 as well as parts of the basement (known as the passage), which includes the wine and beer cellars.
At different times and frequencies all tour ticket options include free Gardens and Grounds Tour, Meet Thomas Jefferson, and Slavery at Monticello Tour. They are each valuable and worthwhile. Walk or take the free shuttle to the Jefferson family gravesite. Not to be missed is the South Wing otherwise referred to as the Dependency areas that include the kitchens, other rooms, and specific information about Sally Hemings. So much more to see, including the Burial Ground for Enslaved People, Ice House, and much more.
At no charge is parking and very worthwhile 2-floors of exhibits in Robert and Clarice Smith Gallery and a short overview orientation movie in the Howard and Abby Milstein Theater. There are other options to see, including the Discovery Room good for young children.

Family of 5 with 3 teens who decided to combine this and the Saunders-Monticello hiking trail for what I called a fall presidential adventure in the spirit of leaf peeping and upcoming election. It was both fun and educational. I reviewed trail elsewhere, so will focus on tour here.

Since we already walked miles for the trail, we took the shuttle up the mountain for the tour to give our feet a break. We purchased online when we reached the trail head to best estimate timing for the two activities. We parked at the Rubenstein Vistor's Center to go to the tour part after we did the trail. Prior to visiting, I was pleased with the same day quick response when e-mailing with questions to customer service. I was however disappointed that it seemed you pay the same even if the Jefferson actor is not there and certain areas are closed like one of the hands on children's area. The price should reflect a decrease if all benefits are not available. You can purchase tickets online or at visitor's center. They advise you to be there a half hour early to catch shuttle or walk up the mountain. We arrived at shuttle about 15 minutes in advance and waited 10 mins for tour to begin once we rode the shuttle up.

I was a bit cautious about the tour after reading so many reviews of how biased it was, highlighting slavery over Jeffereson's accomplishments. However, Charlottesville is known to be very liberal. They might only see shades of reds in fall foliage or in the apples on Carter's Mountain, so it is somewhat reasonable to expect a bias one way or another depending on the mindsets of the area you are in whether "red or blue." Nonetheless, the best teacher is one who can share a balanced perspective and makes you think for yourself and reach your own conclusions. I credit my political science professor with this sometimes rare ability. He'd make us write papers arguing two sides of an issue and the only way to get an A is if your audience couldn't tell which side you favored. I believe tour guides should follow that approach. I didn't find it as biased as other reviewers, but our tour guide, Tricia certainly seemed to lean to one side, spending almost half of the tour talking about slavery and seemed to dislike Jefferson. I also found it odd that they emphasized asking questions at two different points, yet when I asked, I got rushed answers that didn't sound knowledgeable. Overall, she gave an informative tour and it extended a bit beyond the 45 mins, so kudos for that.

We did the Highlights tour where you see part of the first floor and then can explore the grounds after further commentary, which was mainly about slavery. As other reviewers have mentioned, slavery was and still is awful and thank goodness America has learned a lot. That said, to act like Jefferson or whomever else still owns slaves today or any year near today doesn't seem like an intelligent perspective. Historical context is important. To be fair however, reviews, as valuable as they are, can negatively influence and bias us with respect to looking for what one reads about and seeing it more than you might have otherwise.

I don't want to give away too much, but I learned more about him in my pre reading before the tour and while on the tour than I ever knew. He seemed very smart and I loved his passion for writing. I've seen much better, older homes. It seemed like we just saw a few rooms and were back outside. The kids loved running through the underground cellar that you can reach going through the outside buildings. We ate lunch on the benches outside of the little enclosures. We then explored the grounds, with the main aim of his grave. It was near closing time so we wanted to try to find the grave and take the shuttle back, but we ended up hiking again to the parking lot because the grave is near there. It was easy and enjoyable though because you see the cool vegetable gardens with the backdrop of great fall colors and the mountains (kids remarked it was their fav view on our day trip--agree even better than trail mountain views), then you keep going down, hit the graveyard and walk a short wooded trail back to the car.

It was overall informative and fun, especially incorporating the hike, followed by the tour. Pricing was mostly ok, but it would be more fair to reflect what is open. So, instead of $42, if you can't see more of the house, the actor isn't there and child sites are not open, $32 would be more reasonable. It was still worth it. I wouldn't do it again, unless it provided the full package though. I've seen more in smaller, historical homes. Overall, I'd recommend it and advise researching on your own first and coming with an open mind and expect some bias based on whatever area you are in, but be a good student and form your own opinions based off a variety of reliable resources. Jefferson loved education, so he'd likely be proud of you for studying more. Most of all, have fun and enjoy the beautiful estate, especially the grounds!

Beautiful building and grounds, hats off to those who restored/keep and maintain it. Truly wonderful.

However.. the tour wasn’t inspirational or patriotic in the least. It seemed more of a history of slavery and how terrible the Jefferson family was.
I don’t remember a single topic that didn’t reference slavery.
Jefferson was one of the greatest men of his time (or any time), how about honoring his service to our Nation and its formation. His sacrifice and brilliance. Yes, slavery was real and horrible.
I left quite angry that Jefferson was presented so poorly to everyone who was forced to listen to this one sided drivel. Such Bull***t.

I wouldn’t recommend this at all.

I enjoyed everything but it does get crowded in the house. Having said that, it is definitely worth the time and money. We did a "behind the scenes" tour and were very pleased with it. Plan several hours if you want to take advantage of all that is here.

The property is beautiful. We did the self guided tour but because it is so crowded you had to walk single file through the house. It made you feel rushed, you couldn't stand and examine all that Jefferson had in the house. What an amazing man, he did so much as a human being for discovering things along with his contributions to our country. However they seem to be really tarnishing his reputation because of the social acceptance of slavery during his day. Lets not throw the baby out with the bath water! Other than that the facility did a great job at moving people through the grounds which are very large. They have beer and wine with some snacks available and gift store. Gardens are not grand but they are nice.

The museum is free and is worth going through and experiencing the wonderful history, especially the Declaration of Independence exhibit and the exhibit’s remembering the many servants and slaves who built Monticello or worked for President Jefferson. The other places such as the gift shop and actually taking the tour of Monticello seemed like tourist traps. It would have cost our family $160 for our family of four to take the official Monticello tour so we skipped it.

Breathtaking mountaintop views surround you in the peace of Monticello! We enjoyed our tours learning more about the history of Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of our nation, the Father of the Declaration of Independence and founder of the University of VA! We also
enjoyed learning about his family and about the enslaved people and the significant impact and contributions they each made.
Free shuttle service is offered with your ticket, from the main gate area to Monticello. Delicious and healthy food options are available on site as well as at the 18th century pub/tavern with exceptional service. We enjoyed visiting the museum and shopping at the gift shop! They have the best homemade bottled root beer and ginger ale. We appreciate the hospitality and professional service we received from each staff members from start to finish. I highly recommend visiting this beautifully preserved historical site!

Great learning experience. Enjoyed seeing a nationally iconic building - the building pictured on the back of the US nickel. We took a tour of the property and our tour guide was Peter. Peter was exceptionally well-educated on the property, Thomas Jefferson and Jefferson's life and accomplishments, and was exceptionally tactful in discussing sensitive political and religious topics. We got there late and so we didn't have a chance to walk the grounds and the weather was a little on the cold side. Everyone at the property was very professional and helpful. The gift shop is nice and they offer some nicely made and high quality gifts, seeds of plants that are planted on the property, and actual plants (perennials) that are planted on the property. We had hoped to go on the Behind the Scenes Tour but we didn't plan far enough ahead and that tour was full when we arrived. Plan ahead and get your tickets early.

Timed tickets, masking indoors and on bus only currently, not crowded at all. Easy to get to, plentiful parking, lovely and helpful people to answer any questions or guide us, even for dinner recommendations. We rode up the hill to the house, but then easily walked down the well maintained trail after our tour. We had a a delightful, personable tour guide. We loved our visit and would return in the future. It’s a great way to spend half a day. Jefferson for all his faults had such a curious, creative mind. The tour does a good job of telling the whole story from the start.

Pros:
Good overall experience during the highlights tour of Monticello.
Shuttle took us up the mountain where there was a waiting area or you could wander the outside before your tour time. Very cool to see the inside. Tour guide was very knowledgeable and patient with questions, and our tickets allowed us to walk the grounds afterward until closing time.

Cons:
Tour group was too large and there were more kids than adults. Many times we had to wait in the previous room hallway and listen to guide from there because it was too crammed for all of us to fit inside. Kids were not well behaved and slowed the tour due to repeat questions (not Monticello team’s fault- they did a great job handling it). Didn’t get to go upstairs, but I imagine that would be too much for the integrity of the building with how much foot traffic they get.

Suggestions for the team:
Perhaps offer a “kid friendly” and “adult only” tour, or limit the number of kids allowed in each tour group. Additionally capping the tour groups at a lower number to make it more accessible for the tight spaces.

Well kept but didn’t love how altered parts of the house were — or under renovations. Impressed by our tour guide, his friendliness and knowledge. Also was appreciative of people able to talk about the bad parts of the property and Jefferson while still recognizing his accomplishments. Bathrooms could have been a little more well kept but not bad.

SO glad we went. I was a little hesitant after reading some reviews that said the tour guides were biased but I didn't find them to be biased in any respect. We toured the home and the also made the slave tour and both were informative and factual. I appreciate that Monticello has been preserved so well and that I was able to learn from these expert guides. It is worth the money!

The tour of the mansion was interesting and enlightening. Our tour guide was very good at giving us insights about Jefferson and his life. I never really had an opinion about this founding father, but after this visit I was really impressed with Jefferson’s genius, practicality and pragmatism. The mansion is (IMO) very practical with no wasted space and actually smaller than I would have supposed. But that in no way diminishes it’s beauty and importance. The grounds are immense and very impressive.

I give the operators of the tours five out of five stars for how the tour queue is organized and executed. It is efficient. Jefferson would probably approve.

Great experience! If you like history I very highly recommend. Shout out to my tour guide, Debbie King, who knew everything. I took the 1 1/2 hour tour which I loved.

Excellent. I applaud their explanation of the complex, challenging story of Monticello- not just furniture and Jefferson's dinner parties, but the enforced labor of the enslaved individuals who made Jefferson's lifestyle possible. History is reality and you need to hear the tough stories if you really want to understand. I want to understand.

We decided to go to Monticello reluctantly when our other plans for the day fell through. We were pleasantly surprised by how interesting and well run the tours were. We ended up spending the whole day on the grounds. We were impressed by the wealth of knowledge and how open and honest the staff were with telling complex history both good and bad.

Monticello is a great historic place to visit, but I have to admit that I was taken aback by the information we received on the Behind the Scenes tour. And as a lifelong history nut, and with a (worthless) college degree in history, one would have thought I would have come across some of this earlier. The home is beautiful and full of Jefferson's belongings, but only because they were gathered and brought back. My three biggest surprises were : 1. Jefferson died so deep in debt that his estate and property had to be sold off to cover it. This includes his slaves and to get the top dollar this meant separating families; husbands-wives, mothers-children. Jefferson inheirited 5000 acres of land at young age and kept his enslaved people working his entire life making him money. 2. Jefferson made a deal with Sally Hennings to free his children with her at age 21. How generous, I cannot imagine walking around my estate watching my flesh and blood children working as my property. 3. His beautiful dome on the house served very little practical purpose. It was hard to reach and was seldom used. Women used it as a sewing room at times. The area over the portico was just wasted storage area.

Very interesting place to visit. Booked a Highlights Tour which gave us lots to do.
Most memorable part was Slave Tour. The guide was absolutely brilliant, very informative and made it extremely interesting. Unfortunately didn’t get her name but she is an asset to the estate

So sad how WOKE Monticello is! Thomas Jefferson's place in history does not deserve this. Celebrate his accomplishments instead of undermining them.

A cool way to learn more about Thomas Jefferson. Being inside his home, you get to experience a little bit of how he operated and how his mind worked. You do have to go on guided/group tours through the main house, but after the tour is over you are free to wander the grounds and look at where the enslaved people lived and worked. Definitley recommend for any history buff!

We arrived early on a Saturday and toured the museum at the visitor center first. I think if the worker hadn’t suggested it, we may have missed it and got on the shuttle bus first. So, make sure you tour both floors. We did the family friendly tour of the house and it was great for our kids (8 and 5). We also enjoyed Thomas Jefferson’s chat in the front yard. We spent about three hours here and it was all great. It was extremely hot, but the tour was air conditioned and there were places of shade.

The gardens and buildings were very well maintained .
We walked from the house back to the parking area, very pleasant.
This was the second house tour I had taken . The previous one ten years ago focused on the achievements of Thomas Jefferson , a true genius .
This tour’s guide Liz was much more focused on the negatives of Jefferson’s slave ownership and not on his multitudinous achievements . It is sad when 21 st century values are applied to 18 th century personalities . Slavery is obviously bad, but are we to degrade every leader from a slave owning society. Greece, Rome, India,the Mongol empire, Persia,the Ottoman empire come to mind, all slave owners !!
How will our leaders of today be judged 200 years from now ???? By our values or theirs ??

We enjoyed our time, but on the highlights tour, they take too large a party. The rooms in the home are not huge, and with the large number in the tour, you are crammed together and can’t walk around each room looking at the displays. Our tour guide would talk a bit but then asked us if there were any items in the room we wanted to know more about. I wanted him to tell us. He never mentioned the machine that Jefferson invented that snuffed out fire. Some one in our group asked. He mentioned the dumb waiter in the dining room fireplace as he walked into that room, but only I heard him because I was right behind him. A guest asked about it later. Our group had to wait several times for another group to clear a room before we could enter. We walked up instead of taking the shuttle. It’s a nice walk, but it is quite steep. Be prepared for this if you choose to walk. The views are wonderful.

We took our family to Monticello for a day trip. It is located on a hill overlooking the land. Full of history and great place to spend the day.

We took the 45 minute Highlights Tour with our 4 children. We would have preferred the self guided tour but they only offer that in the afternoon. We ended up being extremely disappointed with the whole thing. It was definitely not worth the $42 per ticket. The tour was crowded, rushed, imparted very little information about the house or grounds, heavily emphasized the fact that he owned slaves and probably talked as much or more about the slaves than they did about Thomas Jefferson. My 9 year old son left the tour saying, "I don't like Thomas Jefferson so much anymore. He wasn't a good guy." I thought that was pretty horrible of them to ignore so much of what he did for the country, especially at a place that was supposedly set up as a memorial to him. Also, they were getting ready for a big event the next day so the grounds around the house were covered with tents, wires and podiums being set up so the views weren't as nice.

Love Monticello! Beautiful! If you have a chance to see and visit with Thomas JeffersonI highly recommend! He stayed in character and answered questions and really our favourite part of the visit!

Very beautiful in the fall. Great tour. We did the family friendly tour as that was all that was left for the time frame we wanted. Our kids weren't with us, but they would have enjoyed it. Leland the tour guide was funny, witty, knowledgeable and did a great job! It's a 45 min basic tour of the house. You cannot get in the house without a tour scheduled. Then we did the slavery tour after which was just available at different times you could join as you wanted. They're are many things to see and do around the grounds not on a tour. But the house is worth it. I'd love to do a longer more in depth one some day. We only booked about 24 hrs in advance and many things were gone. You have to take a shuttle up to start your tour, so you really do need the 30 mins ahead of time to get there as they say.

A must-visit destination if you care at all about our democracy. We would not have a country today if it weren’t for the foresight, great intellect, and perseverance of men like Thomas Jefferson. The main take away from my visit to Mount Vernon is that Thomas Jefferson was an even more remarkable man than I once thought. Most of us read about him in school, see his face on coins, have noted his name on schools and other buildings, and more recently, have seen him derided for perceived faults in his and other founding fathers’ characters in that colonial era. It is important and more honest not to judge people of the past based upon current societal norms, but rather to see them in the milieu that prevailed at the time. After all, at some point in the future, current behavioral and societal beliefs may be frowned upon or viewed as heretical. Everything changes with time. But even compared to today’s standards, Jefferson would be an extremely accomplished man who would have much to contribute to our society. In fact, he would put all current politicians in Washington DC to shame. The grounds of Mount Vernon are quite lovely and his home fortunately was saved for posterity by a series of magnanimous gestures over the centuries. Please book a tour in advance to visit Mount Vernon and pay your respects to a man, a person, who made an enormous difference in our world, a difference that has made our world a better place.

The visitor center is free and very nice. I decided against paying for a house tour for a few reasons: it is expensive, I had children with me, and the visitor center had very little to do with Jefferson the man. Everything was seemingly geared towards the house, slavery, and daily life on Monticello. I was personally more interested in learning more about Thomas Jefferson and his accomplishments and legacy. Would likely not return again for a few years.

Don't pay 45.00 for guided tours.
We did and were constantly berated about slavery. Jefferson had slaves. So did many other VA farmers. You hear very little about the greatness of Jefferson.

We did the behind the scenes tour and it did not disappoint. It was $85 well spent. Our tour guide was fantastic (Dan). He was knowledgeable and passionate about history. We spent half a day there and I wish we would have taken the entire day.

Just an absolute phenomenal place to visit high on top the mountain. So much great history behind this wonderful historic grounds. Everyone needs to understand you cannot change history. It is what it was! Life and times for different back then. Monticello is wonderful, quaint, relaxing and beautiful . So deal with it and quit trying to twist 2022 into what life was back then.

Visit Monticello for three reasons:
1. The Guest experience staff do a great job in makiang your vist pleasant and educating.
2. Jefferson created a unique house and property.
3. You education in American history will be enhanced.

While Jefferson created small rooms (and smaller staircases and hallways),
he created and built a home with many innovations we either use today and should use today.

Jefferson provided a historical home with science. As an example, the entrance hall contains historic American maps for Lewis and Clark, Indian relics, and items from the far west of America.

Jefferson designed terraces for food production on a hill. (We also hear the stories of the African American slaves who worked to create this house and plantation.)

I found some great wine from the property. I also enjoyed Jefferson's used of convering space.

We did a "behind the scenes tour" that included the upper floors of the house. This was my third visit to Monticello in 20 years, and I wanted something a little different. The tour was fabulous. The guide knew her stuff and tackled a wide range of subjects. She presented a balanced view of Jefferson and was forthright in talking about the inconsistencies in his life.

Afterward we did a 45-minute tour about slavery at Monticello. The guide who led that tour was also really good, and had the same balance in his presentation. Both tours encouraged people to ponder the issues raised by Jefferson's life. Both were excellent. I had reservations about coming back for yet another visit but am so glad I did. This was a fresh take on Jefferson, great fodder for contemplation and conversations.

My only quibble was with the management of visitors when you first arrive. We felt like cattle being herded about, waiting for our tour to be called. So many lines, both at the visitor center and then outside the house. We had assumed the tour left from the visitor center, but no -- it left from the house; it seemed all they were doing at the visitor center was processing people to get them on the shuttle to get up to the house. We wanted to be sure we were in the right place for the "behind the scenes" tour. As it turns out, this tour (all tours?) leave from the same place outside the house. Staff seemed irritated when we asked about it. But once our guide arrived and took us to the house, things were fine.

You could spend all day here walking about and taking the various tours that are included in admission (whether you do the regular tour or a special tour).

The house and visitor center were both very well done. History abounds in this place. Staff do a great job of taclking the complex story of a key figure in the founding of our country while being immersed in the shameful explotaion of slaves. A well run organization that serves the needs of the visitors. Even enjoyed the lunch cafeteria. Don't miss the extra story by visiting the Rotunda at UVA in Charlottesville.

The staff were all very friendly and knowledgeable. Start at the Visitor Center to plan out your day. There is so much to see! First, see the movie, get a map and find out when special talks are being held and where. The bus will then take you to the house and grounds. You can stay there as long as you like. Take the shuttle bus back or follow the path near the cemetery and walk back.

Well done Missy! The tour was very informational and her knowledge was deep. I recommend the behind the scenes tour- incredible!

Amazing grounds to spend lots of time walking and learning. We spent many hours there and thoroughly enjoyed. They only part we did not enjoy was the whole narrative about the poor black slaves. It was obviously their whole brainwash program. Not much on the actually white people that created the place so brilliantly and treated these slaves well, giving them opportunity to advance.You had to really dig to find that information on Jefferson but, the whole feel sorry for the slaves was in your face everywhere. I would pay 2 cents towards the very biased organization running this place.

Monticello is definitely worth it. Guides very informative. Explained complexities of Jefferson as well as his genius. Learned that the importance of science is right in the Constitution.

It is so worth buying the behind the scenes tour. You will be walking up & down some every steep steps, but it is breathtaking. Walking down the Mulberry Road was amazing. The guides are so knowledgeable.

Those responsible for planning the tour talking points and overall experience must really hate Thomas Jefferson. I think everyone can agree that slavery was a horrific thing, and a terrible blemish on the history of the United States of America. Let’s all agree on that - but can’t we hear about anything good the founder did? When we left after 4 hours at the property and asked our teenagers about what they thought they said “we get it - we get it - he was a horrible person”. Geeeez. We absolutely were interested in the slavery story there. Signed up for the slavery tour with genuine interest. But every single tour, regardless of how it is labeled, is a slavery tour. There were so many interesting things to learn about in the house that were just never ever touched on. Very very odd. What a shame and a missed opportunity what could be a great look in to our nation’s roots. Skip Monticello. Head to Mount Vernon. Excellent slavery tour with lots of perspective there. But also an abundance of history and an understanding of Washington,his way of life, his marriage, and his legacy. Shout out to the folks that take care of the grounds at Monticello. lovely.

We enjoyed the 90 minute full tour which included both the 2nd and 3rd floors. Jefferson's ingenuity and architectural skills were way ahead of his times.

Our guide and the other staff we interacted with were high quality, well spoken and positive.

The visit motivated me to read a biography of Jefferson, which is titled "Twilight at Monticello" and mainly covered his retirement years.

We enjoyed our time at Monticello. We didn’t do the inside tour, but we did take the shuttle up to the house and we were able to walk all over. There are guided tours but we did it on our own. If you purchase water, don’t let your child open the can. The edges are extremely sharp. I would never purchase that type of bottle again. The grounds are beautiful and people were working in the gardens. The shuttle comes often to take you back to the entrance.

Worth the 2 hour drive from Washington DC! I am sad by the 1 star reviews from people who are upset that the stories of the enslaved people/families are told. Including them in the history made the experience richer and more meaningful for me. I do not feel they tore down TJ's legacy. The story we took away was that he was a brilliant, complicated man of his times. His own writings called slavery a "moral depravity" and a "hideous blot", yet he owned over 500 enslaved people during his lifetime. It is important to include that in the story of Thomas Jefferson and Monticello.

We booked the 45 minute house tour (called the Highlights Tour) of the first floor which included other tours that happen throughout the day. I would have liked the longer house tour (The Behind the Scenes Tour) that takes you into the upper areas of the house, but they were booked. The other tours included in our ticket that we did were the guided Slavery Tour and guided Garden Tour. One of the best parts was "Meeting Thomas Jefferson" who is played by a veteran Thomas Jefferson actor/interpretor. He gave a 30 minute Oscar worthy talk that was amazing!

A tip I have is to arrive at the visitor center at least 30 minutes before your timed entrance into the house. We arrived 15 minutes before our entrance time which made it a real hustle to get checked in and on the the little bus that drives you up to the estate. I would have liked to look around the visitor center a bit and watched the movie before heading up. Our tour of the house was at 12:25 which we barely arrived for the start of. We closed the place down at 5:30 by walking down a wooded path past Jefferson's tomb and back to the visitor center. It was an incredible day!

Holly gave a very powerful interpretation of the history of Monticello that recognized Thomas Jefferson’s accomplishments in education, architectural design, freedom of religion, and his authorship of the Declaration of Independence while discussing the impacts of slavery on the enslaved persons he owned.
Excellent and informative.

visited this site and was not disappointed. the history is amazing, in addition to addressing the slave issues, and Jefferson's relation with Sally Hemmings. Those descendants need to be heard! A lasting tribute to one of the great founders of this country!

Everything from the parking to the bus shuttles to the staff to the exhibits to the grounds to the actual house and all of its items including the wonderful short tour are a can't miss experience. I don't know if it would be great for kids eight and under, but my teenagers actually soaked it in. If the Thomas Jefferson guy is talking in his theater he is also a can't miss grand slam home run experience. What a vocabulary what a passion what an amazing person to be able to quote historically relevant yet contemporary points regarding one of the greatest documents written in human history. If you read this far and you don't know, I'm talking about the declaration of Independence. Jefferson's life and times may be controversial, but his writing style isn't. If you love history you could spend an entire day here or more. But I would a lot for at least a half a day to enjoy all of the wonderful exhibits and items on display at the house and at the welcome center

Monticello is a beutiful historical residence on a beautiful property and well worth the visit. We took the guided overview tour. Even though the tour guide seemed knowledgeable the she spent almost as much time talking about slavery at Monticello than about Jefferson or the interesting history of the home. I think I heard Sally Hemings name as much as Jeffersons. Should the tour speak about slavery, yes. Does it need to be mentioned at almost every stop on the tour, no. If that is your interest they have a separate tour that focuses specifically on slavery at Monticello. On top of that the $42 fee is pricey for 45 minutes. We came as a couple so it was affordable but doubt I would have paid that if I had all my family with me. Anyway, definitely go but you might prefer taking the self-guided tour.

Definitely worth the extra expense for behind the scenes tour. Tour guide was great and very informative also took time to answer questions. Beautiful house and grounds. Amazing to see so much was still original at property. Nice to see history staying alive

A great time and broke up the day's drive from Harper's Ferry WV to Williamsburg triangle. A good "halfway' point to tour, stretch your legs and see a little more history. We took someone else's advice due to time and got the 45 minute house tour, and were able to also take the slavery quarters tour and self toured the cellars and museum. A great Declaration of Independence is on display right now.

Touring historical landmarks is usually a dry affair. But Monticello is as entertaining as it is educational.
I was surprised to learn of the teenage enslaved woman who managed to negotiate her freedom as well as that of her children. That's something history books don't teach.
The real hidden gem in this place not to be missed is attending the regular audiences with Jefferson interpretor, Bill Barker. The man seamlessly channels Jefferson as if you were having a conversation with him 200 years ago.

Easy to get around, great tour guides, beautiful surroundings. They make it easy for travelers. The house is full of original and period pieces. Well worth the visit.

Came here to see Jefferson’s home like everyone else and reserved tickets in advance and all was fine the tour was okay but the history is very obviously distorted, i understand why they’d do that as to keep it as non controversial as possible and not start arguments but it’s a little disappointing. Also the tour guide smelled kinda, I wish hygiene of the staff was mandatory especially because the tour guide will be in cramped rooms with you as well and I doubt anyone wants to smell body odor from someone in close proximity

Great tour! They guides do a fantastic job and it's a lot of fun to see Thomas Jefferson's home and gardens. We toured another historic home closer to DC and, while it was interesting, this tour was much more entertaining.

Such a wonderful piece of history. Little disappointed in how much they pushed the slavery issue instead more about Jefferson and his ingenuity and creativity. He is such an important figure in the making of America.

It was a great experience to visit the home of Thomas Jefferson, one of America's foremost "fathers", and to learn more about this fascinating man. Our guide, Louis, was outstanding and was a major reason the tour was worthwhile.

May be worth it if you are already in Charlottesville since the area has limited attractions, but I would not seek it out.

$42/person for a "guided tour" is absolutely ridiculous and it is $32 to have 20 minutes to walk by yourself. As for the quality of those guided tours, Monticello has eliminated narrative tours about Monticello and Thomas Jefferson (due to American politics) so it is entirely an audience Q&A session. Not to mention, they just entirely walk through and skip over a wing of the home. If you really want to go inside, just spend the $10 and do it yourself.

For the money, it is simply not worth it and there are better things for history lovers to do in Virginia. As an example, Mt. Vernon's main house may not look as nice but you get far more for your money.

Not only do you learn a great deal about Jefferson, and the many quirks of the house he designed as a self-taught architect. The staff and exhibits make you consider the historical context of politics, living conditions at the time, and the enslaved people's impact. Highly recommend the tour inside the house.

There are a few exhibits at the visitor center too. As well as a gift shop and a cafeteria. The pictures of the food make it look like a restaurant but you pick from pre-made options (salads and sandwiches) or warm foods like mac n cheese.

They also accommodate wheelchairs in the transport shuttles.

Snuck this place in on my wife as she is not a history buff. We did enjoy the visit. There is plenty of parking, The staff was pleasant and well organized. We toured the first floor of the home and visited the small museum. We walked some of the grounds before we headed out. Some of the displays were very interesting and I learned quite a bit about Thomas Jefferson. We did not view some of the additional films or go on some optional tours. The docents were very knowledgeable and good story tellers.

My husband and I took the Behind The Scenes tour which is about 90 minutes and encoumpasses all the floors of the mansion. Our tour guide was well versed in Jefferso's life which made the tour more interesting. Jefferson was a visionary and brought most of those visions into the structure/building of his mansion.

The grounds of Monticello are beautiful. The Allow a minimum of 5 hours if you are including the Behind the Scenes tour, museum, video(s), gift shops (there are 2), and walking the grounds.

Visiting Monticello is worth it, it is a much more informed history lesson that what we learned in school.

We had a wonderful day exploring Thomas Jefferson’s home. We reserved the Behind the Scenes tour several months before hand. It was a great 90 minute tour that included all three floors of the house and the cellar. The guide gave us lots of interesting insight. The stairs inside are very narrow and steep. They might be hard to use if you have limited mobility. Also included with our tour were two additional tours, a tour about slaves on the plantation and a garden tour. Both were excellent and added to our experience. The small snack bar at the mansion had lots of healthy choices but was expensive for what it was. There is a cafe at the bottom of the mountain at the visitors center but we did not check it out. The movie at the visitors center was a great way to start our day. The Thomas Jefferson impersonator was a fun way to learn about this important man. The path between the mansion and the visitor center was an easy walk downhill but it was easier to take the shuttle bus uphill. Halfway down the trail was Jefferson’s gravesite. All of the staff were so friendly and helpful.

Visiting Monticello was a bucket list item for me and is did not disappoint! We were concerned by some of the reviews saying the tour had gone all "woke." We felt our tour guide was very balanced and so informative. Our tour guide was great to not put a modern spin on 250 year old history. Jefferson was described as "complex" and indeed, he was. We took the "Behind the Scenes" tour and were glad we did, visiting the upstairs and the dome. The tour was about 2 hours. We toured all the buildings in Mulberry Row, getting a full understanding of Monticello and the people who lived and worked there. There is a Jefferson actor who was fun and interesting to listen to. The gift shop was filled with lovely and informative items. The grounds are beautifully kept. We completely enjoyed our time at Monticello!

My family and I visited Monticello, and the tour was fantastic! Our guide, Morgan, was very knowledgeable and had a lot of interesting facts to share with us. She explained many of the details about the house, art, and various items as well as the overall history of the house and grounds. I personally learned new information about the culinary history of not only Monticello, but the far reaching effects of Thomas Jefferson’s travel on U.S. culinary traditions via James Hemings (brother of Sally Hemings). Found out how Macaroni and cheese first came to America… well worth the price of admission!

The employees from start to finish are brusque and abrasive. The people who work there seem miserable. The tour was very transactional in nature. You get herded around in groups that are timed. Something about the employees made this very unenjoyable. We had Linda as our guide. I wouldn't suggest crossing her! She was not afraid to check people in the group. The tour was as prosaic as possible. Linda flipped through notecards and didn't tell us anything you couldn't find on Google. The grounds are interesting and I enjoyed the self-guided legs of the tour. Seems like it's just a money grab. $42 for a ticket and cycling large volumes of people through day after day is very apparent in the delivery. I love touring historic homes, so this was disappointing.

There is an apple orchard on the way in if you're looking to do something additional. James Monroe's Highland is only about 10 minutes away. We didn't visit, but it might be interesting to compare.

We wanted a behind the scenes tour but they sell out days before you visit. We did the highlight tour.

I didn't expect to use the word quirky but that really seems to sum up some of the areas. It was smaller and less grand than I expected but beautiful. His practical side, like James Madison's was interesting to hear and contrast to this larger-than-life guy. He loved to spend--and acquired debt, lots of it--not something you think of when you hear his name.

A walk to the graveyard was beautiful. The gardens are lovely and plants that Jefferson planted are marked as are plants that Lewis and Clark brought back.

The shuttle is easy to use and convenient. While there are lots of people, you don't feel like you're in a big crowd.

The vegetable garden is a MUST see if you love to grow herbs and vegetables. It's a 1,000 feet of beauty and inspiration.

Mulberry Row is a MUST SEE. The tour is absolutely worth it.

Most people spend 3.5 hours, I think that's very fast. Figure 5-6 hours.

I took the “Behind the Scenes” tour. It was well worth the price as we got to go up to the second and third floors. Our tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable about the history of everything Jefferson. You will also want to take time to walk the grounds and enjoy the flowers as well as tour the out buildings and other parts of the house not on the tour. Also see if they have other programs —like a garden talk or Thomas Jefferson himself!

They do have a shuttle up to the house, the cemetery, and back to the visitor’s center. The shuttle runs frequently and I didn’t have to wait more than 3-4 minutes each time.

Having toured Monticello more than a few times in the past, I was shocked and angered during a recent visit with friends. The warped history presented and the horribly biased presentation of Thomas Jefferson were almost beyond belief. Never again

We took the tour which included the 2nd and 3rd floor. Would highly recommend. The grounds are beautiful as well.

Monticello

Charlottesville

Good

848795427

We always went to US Presidents estates when we got a chance and have visited many (Washington, Rutherford, McKinley, Garfield etc.)

Monticello was always on the list, so we went there last Saturday... and were underwhelmed. (You can read the philosophical opinion on my wife's FB page, if interested). Thomas Jefferson was a very controversial figure and what bothered me the most that he never freed Sally Hemings - the mother of his four children, even on his death bed. What an ungrateful person.

My opinion is that the mansion was over restored and looks fit for 18th century inside and for the 21st century on the outside. The guided tours are too short and guides frequently check their watches like they are in a rush, given, the people are coming in droves

My wife and visited Monticello as tourists from the UK in May. We love visiting the US and my wife has long wanted to visit Monticello, being the home of Thomas Jefferson.
Some other reviewers have written that they had a great/ terrible experience at Monticello because the tour rammed a particular political opinion down their throat. We found the whole experience to be balanced, objective and very educational. Perhaps it depends on your guide. But we encountered neither whitewashing nor the opposite.
We came away impressed and illuminated about Jefferson's life while at the same time appalled at the capacity of manifestly great people to do manifestly terrible things. Jefferson authored one of the most consequential documents in human history. He is a great man by any definition. And every country needs its heroes and its founding myths, these should not be knocked down without very good reason. But like the rest of us, Jefferson had flaws and we would be wise to learn from them.
So go to Monticello with an open mind, to discover and think. If you want 'patriotism' or to be told that Jefferson was the devil, don't come. You won't find what you are looking for.
So what were the positives?
- The property is absolutely beautiful. And it's very well maintained.
- The overall site is well curated. There is a flow to the different parts of the estate. There is an appropriate amount of time and space allocated to the house, the slave quarters, the gardens etc. It's all linked up properly and integrated.
- The tour explained really well how Jefferson worked when he was living at Monticello, including who and how he entertained (constantly it seems).
The negatives?
- We didn't feel that the tour explained very well how the great man lived when he wasn't working. What did he spend the rest of his time doing? What was the nature and extent of his day to day relations with the enslaved population on the estate?
- The guides describe the slave population as the 'enslaved community'. Perhaps that is done to avoid the risk of dehumanising those who lived there in slavery. But you wouldn't describe prisoners at Aushwitz as the 'concentration camp community' would you? That is the only area where we felt the tour erred in soft pedalling on the slavery issue. Some of Jefferson's slaves risked death by escaping. Others are suspected of poisoning their peers for gaining favour with Jefferson. That is not a 'community', it's an abomination.
- Our guide didn't enunciate very well. He was a bit hard to follow, especially when there was noise from other tour groups.
- Options for food and drink on the estate are pretty limited. Inexplicably given the volume of visitors. Don't they want our money?!
What did we think at the end? The tour drove home that people with power, who face no checks on their use of that power, can be tempted to do bad things with it. Jefferson was a man of immense intellect and learning. He openly admitted during his lifetime that slavery was wrong. But he also liked entertaining huge numbers of guests, he liked enjoying the finer things in life and he was always in debt. The only way he could live the life he wanted was with the income from his estate. So he kept slaves, even though he knew it was wrong. That's a good reason for all of us to hold a mirror up to ourselves and ask whether we too might be justifying things to ourselves that we know in our heart are wrong. None of us is perfect.

There is so much history here, so I’m glad we made the visit. However, for the house tour without the glass dome, we saw very little of the house. The grounds are amazing and well maintained.

A must see for architecture fans and lovers of historic homes. Monticello is a one-of-a-kind in North America and Thomas Jefferson knew what he was doing w/ regard to design. My only gripe is that it is very crowded so if you're seeking a peaceful experience to soak up the beauty of the home and the grounds it would be difficult - although this is not the fault of the foundation that runs Monticello. There is a lot of demand to see the property and they do the best they can. There is a Jefferson impersonator who roams the property talking to visitors and imparting the history of the home and Mr. Jefferson and it's hilarious to watch visitors pick fights with him. The fake Jefferson schools them every time.

Truly a world heritage site, the house tour was well done and the people doing the garden tours and slave life tours were also very knowledgeable. So much to see and learn. Loved it.

Wow! An amazing experience! We went just for the Slavery to Freedom tour, but you could easily spend the whole day here. Our tour guide, Justin, was so knowledgeable and provided such great context. He posed questions for us to consider and elicit conversation and thought about the life of the slaves at Monticello and the Jeffersons. The tour focused largely on the domestic slaves, but I think that is largely because so much of the history of the other slaves has been lost. Super interested in the ongoing project to recover that history. Very well done.

I have wanted to visit Monticello for quite some time. I read several reviews that made me concerned that I would be subjected to the current trend of "wokeness". The tour guide did a fair job of answering questions and providing information. I had to laugh to myself when at the end of the tour, she magnanimously stated that she would leave it up to us to decide how we felt about Thomas Jefferson. The weather was beautiful and the grounds were lovely. How much time you need really depends on how interested you are in history. We took the basic tour of the first floor. Admission included other tours that were free of charge, such as a slavery tour and garden tour. We chose not to do those but wandered about the grounds. Rather than take the tram, we walked the trail to the home up and back. Pleasant walk.

We hesitantly took our family of four to Monticello as we were driving through the area on our summer road trip. The cost and the timing of entry caused us to hesitate, but I’m so glad we went, and we encourage you to do the same. We took the highlights tour, and it was awesome. Our children are ages 11 and 15 and we were all very impressed with Monticello, the grounds, and all of the educational opportunities included with the cost of admission. Take the tour with a guide - so worth it! The home and grounds are immaculately kept with many original artifacts (so awesome!) and overall great attention to historical accuracy. Shuttle busses are provided all over the property. You also can take two other tours with the cost of admission (garden & slavery). There’s even a talented actor that portrays Jefferson. We spent two hours on the property, but we could have easily spent 3 or 4. Very nice gift shop and surrounding facilities probably worth checking out. The foundation is doing a a phenomenal job! Thank you so much.
It was very evident why the tour costs what it does.

Sadly, not as impressive as I imagined. I spent too much of my life in anticipation. The setting is tremendous, the house is underwhelming, even for the age in which it was built. Part of the lack might have been feeling rushed through so that it was hard to focus on the details and appreciate structure. We did the extended back of house tour, which gets you upstairs, which I would say was worth it.

Monticello offers a rich visitor experience for those curious about President Jefferson’s life and lifestyle. The foundation that runs the property has done a good job of highlighting the ironies and complexities of the former president, especially when it comes to slavery. It is worth taking a tour of the house, appreciating the architecture, and exploring the exhibit on Sally Hemings, her family, and the other families of Monticello. Not to be missed when I’m Charlottesville.

I generally don't write reviews and then only if its a positive experience but actually created an account here since this was so disappointing.

Visited here on a school trip and it was a beautiful, hands on and educational experience.
Returned recently and the physical site is still beautiful but the narrative overlay is like a parody of progressives run amok except in a really sad and pathetic way.

The tour guides were terrified to say anything positive about Jefferson, one who had been there over 10 years said he couldn't answer any questions as he was being "re-educated" (he actually used those words in a non-ironic way, welcome to Mao's china) so we have to ask a new "narrator"any questions. She solely focused on everyone (maids, blacksmiths) but Jefferson and referenced slavery 10+ times. Instead of discussing the fact that Jefferson owned slaves, that slavery was horrible and use it to paint a picture of a complex, real person, it was he committed this sin and so his name cannot be spoken. But saying nothing on Jefferson who designed, created and ran the property and in his spare time wrote the Declaration of Independence, brought religious freedom and a few other minor things that most of the world is still fighting for 250 years later is absurd.
But yes, let's hear more about the blacksmiths that made a lot of nails...

The introductory video is this bizarre and jumbled mismash that references a number of remarkable and positive things Jefferson achieved and then cuts over for the last 2 minutes to say he owned slaves and is despicable. The new video was financed by David Rubenstein of Carlyle Group who made his initial fortune robbing Native Americans and US taxpayers via The Great Eskimo Tax Scam, the irony would be funny if it wasn't so depressing and disheartening.

Nothing else on the entire tour references any of Jefferson's achievements except a stone monument in the graveyard that they apparently hadn't gotten around to defacing yet or overlooked. A massive missed opportunity to talk about race and slavery in a healthy and positive way.
This place has turned into a disgrace.

This is holy grounds for American History buffs like myself. Granted, I spent 15 years as a tour guide in historic Philadelphia walking in Jefferson’s steps.

But Jefferson’s heart was in his home. And it is an 18th century architectural achievement. The gardens stretch for miles, but we remember who tended these gardens. There is no shying from the issue of America’s Original Sin.

I particularly found fascinating the busts of Alexander Hamilton, Jefferson’s biggest political revival, and the bust of his long time friend John Adams, in the writing room. I recommend getting a copy of the book of their letters as the 2 men who made America a “thing” watch in awe in their waning years, writing daily, until almost the day both Jefferson and his friend, sometimes foe, Adams, pass away. July 4th, 1826. It is the closest moment to holy they will ever be.

Jefferson is buried on site. His grave mentions all but his Presidency…his philosophy being anyone can be President, but only HE created UVA.

The gift shop is probably my favorite museum gift shop ever, and now I get their lovely monthly catalog. You can buy heirloom plants there from Jefferson’s own garden, and you’ll get information about why that plant was grown there.

They also sell Jefferson’s favorite drink, wine. I suggest the Monticello Gewurtztraminer.

Jefferson is America’s great enigma. In my pursuit to understand this quiet sphinx, even after visiting this great institution, I have more questions than ever to ask Mr. Jefferson.

Glad they have buses that take you up to the house. Saved a lot of walking. However, the 1st driver we had was very in polite. Almost as if he hated his job & we were putting him out. 2nd driver was much better. A woman who had been there for years & was almost retiring.
As far as the house tour I feel that it was good. Tour guide was knowledgeable, but it did feel somewhat rushed. Seemed like another tour was right on your heels waiting to go, but I guess when you have so many visitors it’s the only solution. As far as the grounds you can take as long as you like to walk around & see things. Make sure to see the graves. We were confused on the talk about the slaves. So we missed out on that. If you are interested in that make sure to ask someone exactly what time & where. Overall, it was a beautiful house & grounds.

I am at Monticello now as I write this review. This is an amazing place. Jefferson was an incredible man. The reviews that have been posted that say the tours are a "woke" propaganda could not be more incorrect. Obviously the reviewers are Fox News-watching Q-anon-believing racist right-wingers. You should disregard their biased and ridiculous reviews.

This visit was a real success, we knew a little about Thomas Jefferson before we arrived but we learned so much in an interesting way. The guides were excellent , honest about Jefferson’s life and views. We spent over 5 hours here.

Mary was our tour guide. She was very knowledgeable and helpful. Everyone helped open doors for the scooter (very handicap accessible); AMAZING staff! Every single person we encountered was welcoming, pleasant & helpful! The blueberry ice cream at the shop was soft, flavorful & amazing. The shuttle bus came fast & everything ran efficiently. The property is beautiful & worth a visit.

Born and Educated in Virginia, a visit to Thomas Jefferson’s home was very fascinating. Most Public High School educations provide the extremely important details of Thomas Jefferson’s many accomplishments that brought forth the independent of the colonies from England, as well as expanding our country all the way to the west coast. A tour to his home fills in the real genius of his mind and many talents that he possessed.

We were fortunate to take a behind the scenes tour, that allowed access to the entire home. Our tour guide, Mikey Amos was exceptional in his leading us to understand the amazing importance of Monticello as a reflection of Thomas Jefferson and the enslaved people who enabled Jefferson and his family to thrive. Mr. Amos answered all our questions with complete honesty and great detail.

House tour was wonderful with a great knowledgeable guide. It was impossible to cover everything, so he asked what you wanted to know about. Did you know Jefferson's bed was short because it was considered unhealthy to sleep lying flat? Grounds and gardens were beautiful. We visited while tulips were in bloom. We had a nice break for lunch at the cafe. I little pricey but very good.

You cannot leave Charlottesville without visiting Thomas Jefferson home. You are dropped in the visitor's center. There are lockers there to leave your bags (25 cents to reserve a locker for your visit). Then you can visit the museum and don't forget to watch a small (8 min) movie.

From the museum a shuttle will take you to Monticello. Only the ground floor and the basement is open to the public. The self-guided tour is awesome. You scan QR codes in each rom and you listen to the presentation (I did it using headphones connected to my phone). The basement hosts the kitchen, cellars, etc and is visited from the outside.

Then there are regular guided tours of Mulberry Row (included in the price), which are focused on the lives of the African American slaves of Thomas Jefferson.

The people working at Monticello are awesome!! Going out of their way to be helpful. And they are very knowledgeable.

During a recent trip to South Carolina we stopped at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and I’m glad that we did.

Monticello is staffed with volunteers who run it like well oiled machinery. There were numerous staff/volunteers to check tickets, run tours, answer questions, drive shuttle buses. They were very friendly and helpful.

We signed up for the self-guided tour. Mostly because all the other tours were only offered in the AM and the earliest we could get there was 1 PM. Even though I ordered the tickets 2 weeks in advance, the earliest available self-guided ticket time was 3:30 PM.

After arriving we were able to take the free slavery tour at 2 PM and wander around the grounds a bit before our self-guided tour of the house.

The self-guided tour had QR coffees that provided an explanation on each room.

Even though the posted closing hours are
5 PM, we happened to visit on an “orange” day which extended closing till 5:30 PM. Perhaps that was because it was Labor Day weekend.

I left Monticello feeling great admiration for an amazing man.

Tickets to Monticello are a little expensive, but our visit was a highlight of our trip to the Charlottesville area. I definitely recommend this as a stop if you are visiting Charlottesville and are interested in American history. There are numerous tours to pick from with varying price tags. We did not buy our ticket in advance and instead went to the ticket desk. Granted it was a "slow" day in November, but we had no problem getting a ticket for a tour that started within an hour of our arrival. The extra time allowed us to see the museum (an engraved copy of the Declaration of Independence is currently on display), visit the gift shop, and take the shuttle to the top of the hill for our tour. Our tour was given by an extremely knowledgeable docent. We learned so much about Jefferson and his life at Monticello. We were able to wander the grounds, see the slave area, and even have an outdoor lunch. You can tailor your trip and tour to spend as little or as much time as you want. It's a stunning property and if the weather had been warmer, we would have lingered even longer.

Definitely a place to visit as an adult or older children. Was. not a big history buff in school but loved this at 54! So much to see and learn about!

I had been here twice in the past before it went woke, and the difference was startling. I want to see this place restored to its rightful, factual place in history so I will give suggestions with my criticisms: First, our guide and most I saw were dressed like something that got off a bus in New York City -- short skirt, high heels, big purse. Very unimpressive way to start off. Suggestion: have the guides dress in time period clothing. Then, the guide gave the most superficial woke tour I have ever experienced, neglecting to mention most of the historical items in the rooms. Years ago, I was fascinated to hear about the history each item and Jefferson's research. None of that this time. Instead, the guide gave a Leftist speech on how the Constitution needs to be re-written for every generation because our values change and it must reflect DEI. My family comes from a communist country, and this did not sit well with us. Then she declares that Jefferson was an atheist and she literally said he wrote the religious freedom parts of the Constitution "to protect the rest of the population from Christians" -- this is factually untrue on many counts. The worst was at the end of the tour when we were forced to sit on these log seats and endure the most woke and inappropriate speech ever -- with her concluding that to carry on the legacy of Jefferson we had to be LGBTQ activists advocating the trans agenda. She did this in front of my kids and several other kids. I usually speak up when things like this happen, but I was so stunned no words would come out. I will never return until the foundation that runs this place is back in the hands of real historians. We just took the house tour, then walked around the grounds ourselves. Outside, the grounds are still the same and beautiful re the gardens, but there are no farm animals. Suggestion: have real animals instead of placards of animals to make it a real working farm. After the shocking social justice indoctrination tour, we saw the fellow dressed as Jefferson. He looked and sounded like him. When he quoted the words of Jefferson, he was great. Then he did a woke dive when he asked people to ask him any question. Suggestion: to not have a reenactor wander into the Leftism that seems pervasive here, have him just read or recite the actual words of Jefferson. Not room to elaborate, but it was pretty awful where he went in his meanderings into modern topics, and we got up and left Monticello, feeling like someone just threw poop all over us. I totally regretted coming back. I vow never to subject my kids to history re-writes by these activists again. I should have read the reviews first.

A nice property and thank goodness they have a shuttle. It was very hot and an uphill walk to the mansion. Tours are organized very well and our guide (I'm going to say Grace) was very knowledgeable. They take you through the first floor. Groups should probably be a little smaller to fit everyone comfortably. When the tour is over, you are free to walk the property. The grave site is a short downhill walk and there is a shuttle stop there to take you back to the visitor center. There is a museum there as well as a cafe and a gift shop. Parking was free and is slightly uphill to the visitor center.

We did the grounds tour. Tickets were reasonably priced. The tour included servants quarters and the basement level of the mansion, as well as the beautifully maintained gardens. For an additional $20 you could get a limited guided tour of the first floor of the mansion, but it didn’t seem worth the price for us. The many displays, which included servants quarters and kitchens, stables, winery, and textile mill, among others, had a lot of info about the Hemings family, and other families who lived there, how they lived, and their roles in maintaining the estate. We found it very interesting and informative.

Today I did the Slavery to Freedom tour at Monticello. Olivia was our tour guide. She was extraordinary. She knew the narratives of those enslaved people and she understood the sociological dynamics of how the power struggles that played out in the microcosm of Monticello reflect the political and social struggles we continue to experience today. I encourage everyone to do this tour and I hope you get the experience of having Olivia as your guide.

An amazing experience to walk through grounds and the home of the author of The Declaration of Independence. Disappointing that there isn't more emphasis on Jefferson's influence and the founding of this great nation. But still, a wonderful time spent.

Awe inspiring and highly informative without being pretentious! Well organized. Absolutely beautiful and presentations were focused on the realities of life on this plantation - warts and all! If one is anywhere near, it would be a mistake not to visit!

We visited Monticello and did the Behind the Scenes Tour. It was expensive, but we wanted to see all that was offered at the house. Be aware that you don't really see much of the upper floors, though. We also were able to go on the free Slavery Tour outside and on the free grounds tour outside. We learned a lot on all the tours. We planned our entry time for the house tour so it wouldn't interfere with the other tours. Also, be aware that there's a cafe as part of the visitor center and also another cafe at the back of the house. Although the main cafe at the visitor center probably offers more options, the cafe at the house was perfect for us with the pre-packaged sandwiches, so we didn't waste time having to go back down the hill on the shuttle to eat. It's expensive, though.

This was my 5th trip to Monticello. The previous one was probably 10 years ago It is so different now. If you loved the Old Monticello, don't go to it now. This is the first time I have been when there were few visitors there. The 'new Monticello' is not attracting anyone. Those who are in charge of 'running the show' need to realize this

Monticello, the famed estate of Thomas Jefferson, is nestled in the rolling hills of Charlottesville, Virginia. There is plenty of parking available in 3 lots next to the visitor’s center. Entering from the parking lot you will go through security. A room to the right offers people that can give you advice on the site and options to get the most out of your visit. The gift shop is on your left and there was a 2 story room directly ahead with more history about the side and founding father. The gift shop had an array of curated treasures, from books on American history to artisanal crafts inspired by Jefferson's era. You can either walk to the main house up the hill or take a bus. I took the bus and got the tickets for the house tour. The house tour is a journey through time, expertly guided by knowledgeable staff. Each room reveals a piece of Jefferson's eclectic personality, from the innovation of his inventions to the sophistication of his taste in decor. Mr Jefferson was a maker/inventor and his house shows it in all the neat items that you find throughout it. Outside, the meticulously maintained gardens and grounds provide a tranquil backdrop for reflection. Overall, Monticello is a must-visit destination for history enthusiasts and casual tourists alike. Its engaging exhibits, and profound historical significance make it a truly unforgettable experience.

Interesting site of birth place & home of Thomas Jefferson. Nice/clean grounds, friendly staff & easy parking. Disappointed in the self tour as house was smaller than expected & could not tour upstairs.

House and grounds are beautiful but you are RUSHED through. We never had enough time in any of the rooms. They schedule the tours every ten minutes-too fast!!!

My grandchildren did not learn how great a man, thinker, inventor, statesman Jefferson was. After a perfunctory walkthrough of the house, they learned that he sexually abused Sally Hemings and that his Louisiana Purchase caused the Native Americans to be driven onto reservations. Every good thing the man did was somehow made evil.

It’s as beautiful as ever especially the Vegetable garden and the flower garden . My second or third time here and we chose the behind the scenes tour, spending over $200 for tickets, a rootbeer , and small souvenir. The tour included the upstairs of the home . Very nice to see . Our tour guide was good but didn’t take many questions until much later into the 1 1/2 hours tour and did not speak to or about each room . This time I felt the emphasis of the guides information was squarely on the slaves and Sally Hemings instead of the genius of the man , his ingenuity and what he contributed to in order to ensure our freedoms. The docents repeated how complicated it all was and I agree, but for some reason, they felt as though bashing our 3rd president was more important , shining a bright light on his ownership of slaves and out of wedlock children he fathered with Sally . As history unfolds I hope they can talk more about Jefferson’s brilliance and contributions to a free society that now allows all citizens the same opportunities.

We took the Behind the scenes tour. It was great! Robin was our guide, and she was outstanding. Very knowledgeable, and full of information. We got to tour all 3 floors, plus the cellar. Love all the antiquest throughout. Just to hear of all the knowledge that Jefferson had was amazing. And all the things that he had done. I highly recommend Monticello.

We really enjoyed our visit. Lots to see and learn. ALL of the staff was friendly. helpful and knowledgeable. The tour guides were awsome. Worth every penny spent. A must do.

We had an excellent tour of the grounds & the house. The displays were well done and we learned a great deal about Thomas Jefferson.

We took the 11am "behind the scenes" tour today and I wish I could remember the name of the gentleman who led our tour, because he was absolutely wonderful. His stories were engaging and his words brought the family's history to life. My thirteen year old was a bit apprehensive going into the tour, but he ended up loving it. Thank you so much! Monticello was an amazing experience. We spent a few hours there and only wish we had allotted more time, so we could have taken the garden tour as well. We hiked down to the parking lot and were able to stop by the graves, as well as take in the mountain views on the way down. Lunch at the cafe was delicious. We would love to return!

We were trying to fit in a visit to Monticello on our way home from DC. We were traveling with a dog. I called ahead of time to make sure that this was doable. I purchased a house tour ticket for myself and a garden ticket for my husband who was going to stay with our dog while I did the house tour. I was told that we could walk a short trail with our dog since we couldn't ride on the trolley with a pet. We drove a long way out of our way home just to make this visit to Monticello. When we arrived, we were informed that we wouldn't be able to walk the trail to the house due to some snow (which was completely melted in even the shaded areas of the parking lot). We were told that our only options were to leave our dog in the car or get a refund. We got a refund because we were not willing to leave our dog unattended in our vehicle. We lost a lot of time and gas money to go here. The least they could have done was sent out a courtesy email about the trail being closed that day.

What makes Monticello stand out from other historic homes of this period is that the architecture is quite different. Jefferson modeled a lot of the house on his experiences in Paris and you get a different layout and style which adds to the charm.

The house is beautiful and the grounds are nice. There is also so much to do. In addition to the large visitor center, with a movie, cafe, gift shop, and exhibits, the grounds offer various exhibits and there are even 2 additional tours included (Sally Hemmings' journey and a garden tour).

Beautiful place. The views were gorgeous. I wish I could have spent all day there and done all the tours. We were limited on time so only did a few hours but it was worth it. We had an amazing guide for the highlights tour. I was very satisfied. It was so interesting to learn how complex of man Jefferson was. If you don't have time for much, do the highlights tour.

My wife and I had researched visiting Monticello before arriving. We knew, based on our arrival time that we would be doing a self-guided tour. The earliest time it showed was for 330pm. On a Thursday. In February. We even searched other dates. For the whole month. Nothing earlier.
When we arrived, at 3pm, the parking lot was nearly empty.
Upon buying our tickets, we were told that an employee-led talk, which was unrelated to the house tour, was about to start, and would take 45 minutes. But in order to see the house, we had to catch a shuttle that left at 315. Hmm...
We were told that we could see a brief movie while waiting for the bus, which turned out to be some guy dressed up like Jefferson answering questions from a couple of families in the room. We hung out for about ten minutes, still no movie. We left, and then went to find where the shuttle left. There were no obvious directions, so we asked one of the staff members.
Upon exiting the shuttle, we were told we had to be back by 420 to catch the last bus because the park closed at 430. So we rushed our visit, made the last shuttle, and by then everything else was locked up tight.
Honestly, it was not worth it. The QR codes in the house provided only modest information. Maybe the guided tours are insightful. Those, at least, start earlier in the day, and, I guess, allow you to do more things. But they're also much more expensive.
But $32 per person for a 90-minute stop with limited insights? No.

I was very concerned about paying to take the Behind The Scenes tour due to all the comments about it being so Woke. I’m definitely not a fan of Wokeness. Much to my pleasure, the tour was really good. We got lucky as the tour guide was a manager and doesn’t usually give tours (I think her name was Karen Q).

Yes slavery was mentioned and maybe a bit too much on Sally Hemings but it definitely was not given in an opinionated way. The tour guide you could tell really respected Thomas Jefferson. I was prepared for him to be judged by modern standards and none of that existed.

It was an extremely informative and very pleasant tour. I came away with such respect for Thomas Jefferson. It was supposed to be 90 minutes but actually was closer to 2 hours. So much information on Thomas Jefferson and his life and family was furnished.

After, we walked over to where “Thomas Jefferson” was . It was a gentleman dressed up as TJ and apparently has been doing this for many years. But to be honest we listened for just a few minutes and he was going on about how slaves were considered less than 100% compared to White people (which was obviously true in that time) and he seemed like he was going to stay on that subject longer than needed so we left.

We then did the 45 minute slave tour. Another informative tour, my teenage daughter liked this one a lot. Again, was expecting a lot of Jefferson bashing but it was just all given as facts. Actually at the end of the tour I spoke with the guide (Brianna) and asked her personal opinion of TJ and she definitely didn’t think well of him. But I asked and none of her biases came out in the tour.

Overall it was a great time there for me and my family. I would definitely recommend the Behind the scenes tour and felt it was worth the money!

Our recent US History Tour included a visit to Monticello, the home of Pres. Thomas Jefferson. I was surprised to find out that Monticello is up on a mountain, and further out in the country than I expected. I learned a lot there about Pres. Jefferson, for one thing, I share in his love of books and learning. His home contains many innovative gadgets. He made things, and he adopted new ideas of others. He designed the home and directed its construction. A place was pointed out to us where you could see in the distance across the valley a prominent building at the University of Virginia, which was founded by Mr. Jefferson. We also toured the beautiful grounds and the gardens in which he took an active part in. Walking around the property included some up and downhill paths. There is a shuttle to help tourists get around if needed. I totally enjoyed our visit to Monticello; it was one of my favorites of our tour locations.

The guided tour of Jefferson's residence is very interesting.
Also enjoy the beautiful flower gardens but also the common areas with a choice of themed or self-guided tours.

We got tickets in advance for a tour at 10:40 and were parked by 10am. Passed security without a line and stepped into the shuttle without a wait. At Monticello we were asked to return 10 mins before the tour; we started to visit the outside of the mansion and the gardens in the meantime. We returned to our tour meeting place and were placed into roped sections and moved as cattle. We were told what not to do in a not so nice manner by an older attendant as if we were children. Instructions should be provided in a clear, assertive AND polite manner. Enough said as those unpleasant moments were erased by a full day of experiencing the house, garden and tours. The tour guides were simply amazing, knowledgeable and just so articulate. Olivia, our mansion tour guide, and the slavery tour guide from Union NJ were just the best. They masterly navigated the complexities of slavery, uncertainties due to lack of primary evidence, and difficult questions. I really appreciate the guides saying what was known for sure, what was their opinion and what the evidence was. I also appreciate the balance in info provided to cover Jefferson’s life, the mansion and the life of enslaved peoples as a trip back in time. I learned a great deal. Knowledge is power! At the end of our visit, We went to the cemetery and walked back to the parking lot. The walk is really nice in the woods. We found Food choices to be very limited at Monticello itself but the ice cream was good.

Lovely tour and beautiful home and property. We took unguided tour, but you can scan a QR code to get an auditory tour on your phone, so bring ear buds and enjoy the history lesson! Dont miss the cellar

As a big history buff (and Hamilton lover) Monticello is somewhere I have wanted to visit for a long time (I was originally meant to go in 2020, but due to Covid and the fact I am from the UK this was postponed). The wait was well worth it. The grounds were beautiful, and obviously well looked after. The staff were all kind and very helpful, which was very much appreciated.

The cafe was great, alongside the store and the shuttles around were quick, never making you really wait. We chose to walk back from Jefferson’s grave to the entrance which was a 10 minute walk, which I would recommend.

Chris, our tour guide, was wonderful, providing an excellent balance between discussing Thomas Jefferson’s life, accomplishments, family, and the enslaved communities working on the grounds.

I’ve seen multiple reviews criticising the inclusion of slavery within the tour, but as a young adult I found this both interesting and necessary. Chris explained how these slaves built the main building Jefferson and his family resided in, explaining the decorative choices Jefferson made (I found the in depth description of the ‘Waiting Room’ particularly intriguing) but also how certain slaves were responsible for their production. For example the wooden archway in Jefferson’s library. These facts, alongside testimonies and stories of slaves did not feel out of places and myself and my family were glad they were included instead of just being glossed over by Jefferson’s importance and achievements.

Slavery is a crucial part of Monticello’s history and whilst the facts may be hard to face, it can be acknowledged whilst simultaneously understanding Thomas Jefferson’s importance to the country as a founding father. We went knowing this, prepared to be respectful to both its history and continued preservation and it is upsetting to see people failing to understand its history. An internal discussion was encouraged regarding our own thoughts of Monticello, and what we think Monticello was and is.

As a university student studying History, I also appreciated Chris’s explanation of oral history, which was prominent here and could be understood by everyone, even if they had no prior knowledge.

Thank you so much Chris for being so engaging, for explaining things in great depth and for referencing Hamilton, specifically in ‘The Room Where It Happened’!

We elected to buy grounds tickets only as we didn’t have a ton of time to invest. Being able to access the spaces below the main house, see the grandeur from the outside, as well as important signposts of slavery made for a moving and meaningful experience. Being from the North, it was my teen daughter’s s first on-site exposure to America’s history of slavery and it had the profound effect I desired. Coupled with the home of an American president, it amplified the experience.

So interesting and could have spent many hours here. We did the house tour and it was fascinating - the history, how the house was decorated, even down to the furniture that was selected was thoroughly thought through. There are a lot of exhibits and information on the house, storage and the residents. The grounds are beautiful too, make sure you take a stroll to the cemetery. Plan to be here for several hours, there's a lot to see! The gift shop is also amazing!

Monticello has been on our bucket list for years and it didn’t disappoint! Our tour was great, the grounds are well kept, and the farm to table restaurant serves great sandwiches. The history and architecture at the site help us understand Jefferson and what his philosophy on life was.

If you're a history person, Monticello is a must. One of our most important Presidents and founders made this home. We learned about Thomas Jefferson's life, interests and scandals all really interesting. The grounds are beautiful with tours of gardens and slave quarters. The home appears huge but is actually much smaller than it appears. The visitor's center is great with a beautiful gift shop. The burial grounds where Thomas and family are buried is interesting too. We enjoyed our visit.

I really enjoyed my tour of Monticello. Our tour guide, Jane Baer, was very knowledgeable and made the tour interesting with little antecedents of Thomas Jefferson's life intertwined within her presentation. It's amazing to me that Jefferson lived in that out-of-the-way location back in the late 1700s and early 1800s. I can't imagine how time consuming a trip to town (or Washington for that matter) would be. As an added bonus, you could see the Blue Ridge Mountains from the front of the house. Spectacular view.

The yards, trails and cemetery were very well maintained. We brought our pups so weren’t able to tour the inside, but enjoyed listening to the knowledgeable guides escorting guest around the grounds. Museum staff had large dogs bowls placed throughout the area and as it was a hot day, it was much appreciated.

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation helped the Reagan DEA to confiscate Thomas Jefferson's poppy plants in 1987. It was a belated coup against everything that Jefferson stood for. But my guide did not tell me about that at Monticello. They're apparently ashamed of it, as well they should be.

This was our second trip and just like the first it was a great tour with lots of information on Jefferson and his family. Since our last visit they have added much more on Sally Hemmings. Nice balance on all that Jefferson did for our country and slavery during his lifetime. It is interesting they mention very little about how deep in debt Jefferson was, how he got there and the fact it took his grandson 50 years after he died to pay off his debts. It is interesting the tour guides at Montpellier and Monticello talk about how wealthy their owners were but are you really "wealthy" if when you die everything you own is sold and it still won't clear your debts? This home is a must see if you enjoy old architecture or history.

I read many reviews on Trip Advisor and had a few concerns about the content of the tour. Some reviewers commented on the changes in the presentations and thought not enough was shared about Jefferson the scientist, architect, politician, statesman and his life in general and too much emphasis was on enslaved people he owned. I was impressed by our guide (Lisa) and she in my opinion gave a balanced presentation of the historically important, brilliant but flawed human. He was a man of contradictions. That is the truth as is the fact that he was a “founding father” and so much more to our country. He penned one of the most important documents in history! It was all a part of the presentation and I was very happy with the tour. Our 7yo grand enjoyed the tour and kids activities. If you don’t like facts you may want to skip this and ALL historical site tours.

Beautiful house and property. The Thomas Jefferson reenactment was excellent and the highlight of the visit. Unfortunately the grounds are not very handicap accessible. My friend in a wheelchair missed most of his presentation due to not being able to maneuver over the gravel walkways. She tried to cut across the grass and got stuck there too.

This was my 3rd visit in as many decades, this time with 3 young adults, only 1 of whom had been here as a child. This was an unplanned stop for us on our way home from Williamsburg, having left earlier than planned because of Hurricane Debby. We're so glad we did, because it finished off our vacation perfectly. No disappointment! We all loved it and learned so much. House tours are guided and narrated - Kudos to our guide Peter! He was wonderful! So knowledgeable and entertaining, and he obviously loves his job interacting with visitors! You can take any photos you'd like inside the home, moving around the rooms pretty freely, with artifacts roped off for preservation. (Be prepared: No sitting inside the home.) The home is beautiful, and Jefferson is all over it, in the artwork, the artifacts, the architecture. The house tour includes the 1st floor only. Once you're outside, you can visit the cellar and grounds at our leisure. There is plenty of signage throughout these exhibits and gardens, so you can learn about the backstairs life of the slaves. Make sure you walk through the gardens - the flowers are lovely, and butterflies abound! Parking is free - although you do have to walk uphill to get to the visitors center. (There is a passenger drop-off area near the building if needed.) Purchase tickets at the visitors center for various tour options - we did the Highlights Tour. Tickets are pricey, but the money goes directly into sustaining this wonderful home and its history and educating the public. A shuttle bus takes you to the top of the mountain and back down from the house (or from the cemetery, if you choose to walk the path down that far - it's a climb, so not suggested for everyone). There is a cafe on the mountaintop near the home. And there is a mini-museum with more artifacts and Thomas Jefferson details at the visitors center, along with a very nice gift shop, where you can purchase Jefferson, Monticello, or colonial souvenirs. (I got a great Jefferson biography as my souvenir!) Relaxing, educational, and the views throughout the home and from the mountaintop to the surrounding area are spectacular!

Second visit, the first 20+ years ago. Noticeable change in tour topics now including considerable mention of Jefferson’s ownership and use of slaves from a modern point of view. The tour guide was top notch with excellent diction and voice projection - he was impressively knowledgeable. Handicap parking excellent and easy in and out. Restaurant/cafe…okay. That they have one is terrific but not particularly good food, and the prices reflect a much higher quality than was available. Book store/gift nice with good selection of book. Great views of the surrounding area. All staff incredibly helpful. Overall a good second visit.

The building and grounds were very nice. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and answered several questions. Tour was not long and informative.

We took the Slavery to Freedom tour with Ashleigh as our guide and she was great. The tour took us all around the property and we learned about the slaves on the property and the lives they lived. Interesting and eye opening.
It was a great weather day for taking in all the outside displays.

We stayed a half day but there was more than enough to make this a full day visit.

The house and grounds are absolutely beautiful. The tour was very informative and our tour guide was great. I don't normally like history stops on vacation but this was good.

A great day of learning. Beautiful beautiful grounds. Informative. Tommy Jefferson impersonator who was so authentic. Lots of information. We did the behind the scenes tour. Highly recommend

Our weather was perfect! We spent the whole day at the Monticello. We did the full house tour, highly recommend. It also takes you away from the students that are visiting. The garden tour was not a favorite. Slave tour was interesting, but went over many of the same facts.
They have great ice cream and sodas on the property. I don’t recommend eating at the Monticello, limited and very pricey. There is a travel around the corner.

When my wife and I first visited Monticello many years ago, slavery was never mentioned, and signs pointed to "servants' quarters." It was appalling. Thankfully, this is no longer the case, and slavery, as well as Jefferson's role as an enslaver of some 600 human beings during his lifetime, are central to the history told now at Monticello.

Monticello is a must see -- for the physical beauty of the estate, the fascinating mansion that Jefferson designed, and for the history -- the good and the ugly.

I strongly recommend taking the "behind the scenes" tour. Yes, it's pricey, but it's 90 minutes long and worth it -- you will be taken on a guided tour of ALL of the floors of Jefferson's home, including entry into the dome room. (If you book the 9am tour, you will get into the mansion before anyone else.) Our guide was fabulous. She told us not only about significant artifacts in each room, but about Jefferson and his life, and of course answered questions. It was a terrific tour.

We also took the "slavery at Monticello" tour, and I recommend that as well. It is an important examination of America's original sin as it played out at Monticello, and Jefferson's role in it.

Both of our guides were excellent in discussing the disconnect between Jefferson the author of the Declaration, and Jefferson the enslaver of hundreds of people, and how it is not really possible to reconcile the two.

It was a very emotional day.

At the end of our visit, we skipped the shuttle bus back to the Visitor's Center and walked down from the mountaintop, visiting Jefferson's grave along the way. (You can also hop off the shuttle to do that, and then take another shuttle.) It was fascinating to learn that Jefferson not only had prescribed exactly what he wanted on his grave marker, but that there were only three things he wanted to be remembered for: "Author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia."

This was our first visit to Monticello, something we’ve been wanting to do for many years. There was ample parking and the parking lot was actually kind of cute because it was in a wooded area and it was quite easy to walk to the visitor center which is your first point of contact for Monticello.
Visitor center architecture was reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture Surrounded by woods. There are not metal detectors to get through the visitor center however they do have you take any sharp implements or weapons from your purse, pockets or backpacks and lock them up in a clear Lucite locker of what you get a key to carry with you and you can retrieve those at the end of your day.
In the visitor center area is where you buy timed tickets. Also there is a well appointed gift shop, a two-story museum which is small, and there is a 10 minute film in there about Monticello. There’s also a wonderful café with very tasty sandwiches and other food. You can tour Monticello and then come back to the visitor center to have lunch and then go back up to Monticello to continue your visit. Or you could do what we did which was take a boxed lunch sandwich and chips and drink to go (highly recommend the Italian vegetable sandwich with Buffalo mozzarella, basil pesto on chinstrap bun) and a to go bag and take it up to Monticello as it’s at the top of the mountain by free shuttle bus, and have a picnic lunch on the grounds of Monticello which was quite quaint and fun to do. You are able to take the Monticello café food in the brown handled bag through your tour with no trouble.
To catch the shuttle bus you have to ascend several flights of stairs or there’s an elevator to go to the top of the platform by which to take the shuttle bus. There are ample restrooms in the visitor center area.
The shuttle bus doesn’t take too long to get up to the mountain, there is a automatic narration inside of the shuttle bus to tell you about the stops ahead. When the shuttle bus lets you out at the Monticello estate you are greeted by tour guides or docents which corral you to sit in a staging area before your timed ticket starts or you can walk the grounds as you wait fir your time.
Your tour is not guided however they do assure you along in your timed ticket groups. At the foot of the stairs before you send to go into the Monticello estate A docent will tell you some historic information. Going inside of the first floor of the Monticello estate is all self guided there are QR codes on little stands or placard‘s that you can scan and listen to or read about the decor and important artifacts inside each room. It takes about 45 minutes to go through the first floor this is the basic tour. There are other tours that give you behind the scenes tours as well.
Interesting enough is that Thomas Jefferson had the first ice cream maker and he had a polygraph machine which was not for determining if you were lying but it was for copying pieces of paper.
After you tour the first floor you can go outside and tour all of the grounds, the gardens, and then also interestingly enough is the underground part of Monticello where all of the slaves and workers and employees work to support the Monticello estate. You will see the north and south privy, the wine cellar the beer cellar, the kitchen, and where all of the slaves worked including Sally Hemmings. I didn’t realize the history about Sally Hemmings and how she had I believe six children to Thomas Jefferson while he was married, but that was common place among slaveowners back in those days. And I also found it interesting that there was never a photograph of Sally Hemmings. As you go underneath the bowels of Monticello, you’ll continue to read more information on placard‘s and there is a video in the Sally Hemmings area about her life. Very fascinating but also extremely sad and thought-provoking.
Also the give tours included with your ticket of Monticello‘s Gardens. There is also a. Actor who is dressed like Thomas Jefferson and he gives various presentations throughout the day, he’s fun to listen to and interact with. Because you can ask him questions and he is totally in character.
You can also tour yourself up and down Mulberry Row which I had never known about until I was there. Plan to spend the better part of the day at Monticello as there is so much to see and experience. We would go back because usually on a first trip you probably miss things and a second trip would be great to catch up on things that you had in advertently skipped.

Fantastic "mountain top" location perfectly placed by Jefferson to view the Blue Ridge Mountains and Univ. of Virginia in the distance that he designed during his retirement. Parking is kept away from the historic sites and shuttle buses pick visitors up and bring them up the hills to the fairly new visitor's center. It has restrooms and a not to be missed gift shop. There's a new exterior "plants of Monticello" sale station outside the gift shop. Visitor's center has seating areas and covered waiting areas for shuttle up to the house. All visitors must go thought a security check point and must remove all pen knives, nail clippers, etc. Clear plastic small individual key lockable cubbies available next to security check station who verify all tickets. Bus shuttles take you "up the mountain" closer to the house and group you by you tour times where you are seated and brief on Jefferson before the next shuttle takes you up to the house. The house area exterior has been well designed to assist the handicap get around the multilevel site where new wood ramps and smooth wood walkways connect everythng needed to be seen on the tour.. Currently only the first floor is available for visitors but it's the most interesting part of the tour. Separate tours are available for the gardens and slave quarters.

My son and I took an epic road trip and went from Chicotigue to Charlottesville VA and visited Monticello.

My only issue is that my tickets were for a 12:15 house tour and we arrived right before that. What wasn’t really clear was that we could have arrived any time before that to enjoy the grounds, but that was confusing on the website.

We went on the archeology tour (extra $10 charge) and honestly, if I did it again, I’d skip it, that being said, archeology enthusiasts would love it. I would have rather gone in a tour of the gardens, but because of the time we arrived for our 12:15 tour, and the archeology tour at 2 there were no gardens tours that we could make. It was a rather expensive excursion, and because of the ticket confusion, felt we didn’t get our money’s worth. It was a bummer.

The grounds are beautiful but the slave history is a bit uncomfortable.

This is a must see for anyone who has not been. Drop dead gorgeous location, huge home, influential person, and important history. It is also accommodating for visitors, with a shuttle service that is important because it is so hilly, a large visitor center, and plenty of restrooms. The only disappointment in that department is that the cafe did not offer any real gluten free options so we couldn’t have lunch there. However, I don’t think I’d go again because it is too pricey for what you get. We’re rushed through a 20 minute tour that is far too preachy. Just lay out what happened and we can form our own opinion.

We went with a local person who has free entry but I bought all the tickets as required and then we arrived early to process the refund. My spouse is also retired military so we got a discount on his ticket also refunded. It made the overall cost more manageable. Because we are "older" we too the highlights tour on the ground floor and it was honestly enough for my husband. The grounds are extensive and we walked around, up and down from the parking lot, to the cemetery, etc. Parts remind me of the staging at Disneyland, not authentic but maybe cleaned up for school groups. I wouldn't go again but I'm glad I saw it once and most importantly, heard the back story. Excellent docent, thank you.

The design of the building is amazing, but the kitchen quarters below have been designed to discuss very important issues around the enslaved people who worked in Monticello and the surrounding farms

Debated the $42 vs $92 tour. 3 floors, harden tour n slave tour!! Spent the money for 2/$92 each. Extremely worth the price! Shuttle service every 5 minutes. Savanna was so informative on the house tour!! First floor was his inventions plus his bedroom. Before his time in this home! Second floor was bedrooms and how TJ made the house warmer and not look like a multi level home. Then the kids floor was level 3. We ended the tour of the house in basement! Wear good shoes and watch how much you carry! Lots of stairs ( no restrooms or elevator in home). Hat n sunglasses for garden tour. Slave tour comfortable shoes! Grave site is a walk. Cemetery is still used today! Shuttle can pick u up and take one to visitor center. Allow a minimum of 4-5 hours for here to see everything! Historical and fascinating!

We loved touring Monticello. Our tour guide inside the home did a great job. I loved seeing items that actually belonged to Thomas Jefferson such as his riding boots and old clock. The grounds are absolutely beautiful.

I loved visiting Monticello but why am I giving it a 1 star? This one star is solely attributed to the Highlights tour we took when we visited. Read this review if you are at all planning to take one of the available tours.

The tour itself and our docent (Danna) were a terrible disappointment. We purchased our tickets in advance and was extremely excited to see this national treasure. We were 500 miles from home and we were in awe of this building we heard so much about. We started with an explanation of the history of how Jefferson ended up at this site. This was about 5 minutes. Prior to our docent finishing, we were briskly rushed into the building. There was a women with a two-way radio motioned to our docent to enter the building. The only concern by the person with the radio was to get people moving.

Once in the building all the information provided could have been for any planation building in the South. The fact that Jefferson lived there was greatly deemphasized. What clearly was emphasized was that he was a slave owner. For every room we visited the information we were given focused on the fact that Jefferson owned slaves and all that entailed. Each room was filled with so many unique Jefferson items and the rooms were filled with potential stories but they were not mentioned. I completely understand that slave ownership happened at Monticello but this was so emphasized that very little information about the man and the building was provided.

My recommendation would be to do a self tour of the inside of the building if that is available. Do not rely on any docent with their own agenda to guide you through. Our docent insisted on injecting her beliefs and how our country still has so much work to do to overcome the past. And this was not the only commentary on this subject and other subjects that were given. This was not what we signed up for. Danna was not a person who should have been doing tours.

If I am ever able to visit again (550 miles from my home) I would absolutely not waste my time with the guided tours. I would research if there was any smart phone guided tour that focused on Jefferson and his amazing contributions with respect to Monticello. If not, there are plenty of books that I have read that speaks of his achievements regarding Monticello. I was fortunate to have read about Monticello prior to walking through it and would recommend that to others.

Lastly, keep in mind if you do take the tour that you are not provided headsets to hear the docent. For the very high priced cost, you would expect they would have provided headsets to hear the docent (assuming it was information worthwhile to hear).

Slavery is now (Aug '23) the main focus of the tour to the point where you no longer hear or learn much about Jefferson. After the 17th reference to slavery we stopped counting. We get it but it was simply over the top. Be mindful that you will not really learn much about Jefferson.

Monticello has been on my bucket list for about 20 years. It was FANSASTIC and I can not wait to go back. Our time there was 1 day, could have easily stayed for 2 to 3 days. Lots to see. Don't rush it, take you time and enjoy.

Though stunningly beautiful, the guides ruin it. Essentially looking at Jefferson through today’s lens and undercutting what he did for the country. Stop revising history. Let us walk through without shading the man.

This was our second visit to Monticello. We could definitely see the improvements and additions that have been made, which was good, BUT…., years ago, we learned a lot about Thomas Jefferson. We learned about his service to our country, his brilliant mind, and diverse talents. Today I learned he owned slaves (pretty sure I knew this already), he was a conflicted and horrible man, oh, and it was off -handedly mentioned that he was the third president. To be clear, I hate that we had slavery. I hate that it’s part of our history. I think the story needs to be told, but when we hear slavery mentioned 90% more than we hear about the third President, it leaves me disappointed. I think there could be a better balance.

Very awesome. Thus was my second visit. We did the house and garden ticket package which included a tour of the house, a tour of Mulberry Row and a talk/discussion with a Jefferson impersonator. We liked being able to ride the shuttle or walk the trail back and forth between the visitor center and house according to when presentations were given. We spent several hours and could have spent longer.

I gave my Mom a trip to Monticello for Christmas and we made a weekend of it. Monticello is amazing on its own, but Bill Barker makes the experience downright magical. We went to his talk on drafting the Declaration and I was transported. So glad he's at Monticello.

Family visit with teens was enhanced by the interpreters providing a very well done persona of Mr. Jefferson himself. Recommend teens have some historical preview, biography of the life and times of Thomas Jefferson and the Sally Hemings family. Also the connection to the Louis and Clark Corps of Discovery and their artifacts brought back to President Jefferson can help kids relate to the items featured in the home’s main room.

My wife and I took the behind-the-scenes tour. Sue was our tour guide and she did a great job of explaining the history of Monticello. Listening to Thomas Jefferson tell the old history stories was great. The walk around the gardens and down to the cemetery are very well kept. We highly recommend seeing Monticello.

We were a little disappointed that while the home was nice to visit it was expensive and instruction of what to do and when was lacking. While a shuttle takes you to the home the lack and marking of restrooms was disappointing. The group we were in was large and while the home looks large some of the rooms were small. Parking was very far away and quite uphille to the entry. The show we waited to see was late in starting and we could hav entered immediately as it is replayed after about a 10 minute break. THey do offer a $10 reduction in price for veterans

Amazing architecture, history, gardens, tour guides and visitor center. We'll worth the detour from Washington or Richmond.