Thomas Jefferson’s Little Mountain

 

Listed as one of the "Top Iconic American Homes" and one of "8 Places Every American Should See."  It is the home of Thomas Jefferson and you can see it in the US coin, nickel. He called it Monticello, which means "Little Mountain" in Italian.

 

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Visitor Center

Visitors register at the Visitor Center. Same-day tickets are available everyday at the Ticket Office, while reserved tickets may be purchased in advance online. From the Center, a shuttle bus picks up guests and bring them to the house itself. Souvenirs are for sale at the Museum Shop and refreshments are available at the Cafe.

 

 

 

The House

Jefferson started building Monticello when he was just twenty-six years old. He designed the house and the gardens himself. Monticello kept him busy after his presidency. Inside, you will see his inventions: the Great Clock, a pivoting serving door with shelves that enabled minimal interaction between slaves and guests, a wine dumbwaiter that brought wine up from the cellar below, a revolving bookstand that enabled him to open 5 books at the same time, and a copying machine.

 

 

 

The Basement & S. Dependency

At the basement, you can find the beer and wine cellars, the service area, and the ante-room. The cook's room and the kitchen are found at the S. dependency.

 

 

 

The Plantation

Monticello was a self-sufficient piece of property. The household grew most of their vegetables from the garden. Overlooking the plantation is the expanse of Virginia vineyards. Jefferson would be gratified to see that there are now over 100 wineries and 200 vineyards in the area, a task that he was not able to achieve during his time. Read here about our wine tasting tour. These existing wineries and vineyards, however, have no direct connection to him other than their close proximity to Monticello.

 

 

 

The Tombstone

Monticello became his final resting place on July 4th 1826. The original tombstone, which was initially erected at Monticello, now stand at the Francis Quadrangle in University of Missouri. This was decided by his descendants in 1883 after visitors chipped off pieces from the gravestone as souvenirs. A replica can be found at Monticello. The inscription on the  tombstone are words he personally authored.

 

 

 

It is a great coincidence and just as well that the original tombstone now stand in the first state university that was founded during his administration and his body laid to rest at Monticello because in his words: "... all my wishes end where I hope my days will end, at Monticello."

 

Monticello
931 Thomas Jefferson Parkway
Charlottesville, VA 22902