Visiting FAQs

Yes, we offer several guided tours of the house and grounds, including the Highlights Tour, the Behind-the-Scenes Tour, the From Slavery to Freedom Tour and more.

To ensure the best experience, house tours are guided. However, our Gardens and Grounds Ticket is offered daily so you can explore the historic mountaintop's outdoor spaces and rooms under the main house. Our free mobile guide provides information about the numerous exhibits. The Gardens and Grounds Ticket includes all outdoor offerings, and you are free to arrive any time during the day of your reservation.

Yes! You can use it to familiarize yourself with the grounds and plan your visit. Click here to view the map. 
Also visit our Parking and Getting Around page for additional information.

Visitors can find outdoor exhibits and informative signs with educational information throughout the historic mountaintop.

Two guided outdoor tours are included with every ticket purchase. 

• The Slavery at Monticello Tour focuses on the experiences of the enslaved people who lived and labored at Monticello. 
• The seasonal Gardens & Grounds Tour explores Monticello’s restored gardens and discusses Jefferson’s lifelong interest in botany and the enslaved gardeners who maintained the landscape.

Guests can also Meet Thomas Jefferson (as portrayed by veteran historical actor-interpreter Bill Barker) most Tuesdays through Saturdays, year-round. During colder months or bad weather, this program meets indoors at the visitor center.

Families can visit our seasonal Mountaintop Activity Center to explore mystery objects and learn about the daily lives of the free and enslaved people who lived at Monticello. 

You can walk along Mulberry Row and learn about the enslaved people who lived and labored on the plantation through interpretive signage and virtual resources.

You can also explore the flower and vegetable gardens and take a scenic hike on the Saunders-Monticello Trail, which extends from the bottom of Route 53 and all the way up to the historic mountaintop.

No, all guests must park at the David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center and take either take a complimentary shuttle bus or walking trail to the historic mountaintop. More information can be found on the Parking and Getting Around page.

In addition to the shuttle, guests are welcome to enjoy taking a trail roughly half a mile from the David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center parking area uphill to the house. Be sure to purchase your ticket(s) online first; a Monticello ticket is required to walk up this trail. 

Yes. Guests may leave the ticket area or the Monticello property and return the same day. Please keep your electronic or paper ticket with you to re-enter at the visitor center.  Also see our Guest Policies..

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation is committed to providing superior service to all our guests. Please click here to learn about Monticello’s accessibility services and resources. For questions, please call (434) 984-9800, email [email protected], or speak with a staff member upon arrival.

Dogs are allowed on the grounds of Monticello, if leashed, except for certain special events and programs (check our events calendar). Pets are not allowed inside any shuttle buses or buildings. You can purchase a Gardens and Grounds Ticket to explore the historic mountaintop with a leashed dog.

Service animals are welcome at Monticello, which follows the U.S. Department of Justice’s ADA requirements for service animals. Guests are not allowed to bring emotional support animals into the Monticello house, in buildings, or shuttle buses. 

You can also reference our Guest Policies.