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    James Monroe's Highland

    3.8 (55 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 4:00 pm

    James Monroe's Highland Photos

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    Mary A.

    We visited on a snowy January day and had a wonderful time. Our guide was knowledgeable and friendly. I can only imagine that when the leaves are on the trees and everything is in bloom it is breathtaking. Not a huge property so it's easy to get around. I learned a lot about Monroe!

    Garden and out buildings
    Lisa C.

    I'm a history buff - the nerdy kind who visits archives and loves to dive into footnotes - that said, Highland is my kind of place: the staff is knowledgeable in search of historical accuracy. If you are searching for history as entertainment goes to Monticello instead. I particularly appreciate the integration of the enslaved persons into the story of Highlands as opposed to being presented as an aside. The trails are a real treat offering easy hikes where you can observe saplings planted to protect the creek.

    Entry
    Laura G.

    Beautiful estate of President Monroe. Although the original house burned, the guest house and outer buildings survived and were built upon. Elegant and gives a beautiful taste of 19th century presidential home life. I loved the walnut writing desk and the gardens were stunning. The docents were quite knowledgeable and I enjoyed speaking with them. I learned a lot about the first lady Mrs. Monroe who probably had some illnesses. This was such a gentle sweet and restful place to visit. Such a contrast with Monticello; it was nice to do them both just days apart. It was wonderful to read the thoughts and reflections on the wall about what people said about Jefferson and Monroe and how thoughtful Monroe was I really don't know much about him as one of our presidents but visiting Ashlawn Highland made me want to learn so much more about President Monroe. Definitely a spot not to be missed.

    Lou C.

    A short visit, as there isn't much there. It is cheaper than Monticello and Montpelier, perhaps, because the house is not the original dwelling of President Monroe, rather it is a guesthouse that still stood after a fire demolished the original house. We did not know that, so felt a little gypped because it was never disclosed when buying the tickets.

    "Felix" - unofficial mascot of James Monroe's Highland. He's well taken care of...
    Bailey N.

    Just returned from Virginia, where I did a week of presidential history. Highland was one of our first stops. Overall, glad I went but I'm not overly impressed. The price point is little too high for what I experienced. Tour was a little long and drawn out considering what you see... Just FYI; some of the featured photos are NOT HIGHLAND. I've reported these photos and hope they are taken down. When you go to Highland, your really paying for entrance into the guest house (the original house is no more) which does have some impressive artifacts, including the desk where Monroe drafted the Monroe Doctrine. That alone game me goosebumps. So, yeah, that's worth it.... I do know there is some type of augmented reality tour...maybe that would have made it few worth the money. Or, maybe I should have taken a "specialty tour"... Anyway, it was interesting to learn about all the archeological excavations, which continue, helping uncover Highland's history. Happy there are such dedicated historians. We need them. (Recently learned George Washington's Ferry Farm was almost a WALMART). Overall, walked away somewhat disappointed; I felt meeting "Felix", the resident cat, very well may have been the best part of our visit. Impressive gift shop.

    Kathy K.

    Highland is the home of the fifth President of the United States located in Charlottesville Virginia. The 535 acres has several buildings but the original home burned and was rebuilt but the other buildings are original. The huge tree and beautiful gardens and statues are very nice to stroll through. There are walking trails and a gift shop but no restaurant. The estate is just so lovely.

    Guest house (white) newer house you aren't allowed into (yellow)
    Stephanie G.

    James Monroe is lucky he lived near Thomas Jefferson--as that's probably how he gets all his traffic to his house. Which is a shame, but the original house was torn down, a newer (19th century house) was build in the area, that was made a national architecture landmark so it can't be torn down, and you can visit the original guest house. Guest house? I don't know if they WANT to entirely rebuild his house, if they have permission to, and if they would possibly have the blue prints to even start to conceive of that, but as is, you aren't going to visit his actual house. That's kind of a bummer. The guest house does have a lot of his original furniture or recreations, and it was interesting to hear about what he did have. Then they have some recreation slave quarters and there and in the basement area there were some recreators doing tradework explaining their process. I think the house tries to be fulfilling, but for a dude who was so popular he ran with no opponent, the experience feels lackluster. Hey this isn't like we are going to William Henry Harrison's house! This feels like it should be more impressive like Jefferson's or Madison's estates. I got a Groupon for this, so check and they may still be available. It's worth coming to if you are into history, but maybe do this first then do Jefferson's or it may feel underwhelming.

    View of the garden
    David H.

    This place is NOT Monticello. I don't mean that as an insult but the size, scope, scale, everything is like comparing Yankee Stadium to a minor league ballpark. Monticello is huge and this place is pretty small. It's nice scenery ten minutes from Monticello but there isn't a whole lot here. The big yellow house isn't related to Monroe and was built after he sold the place. There is what they thought was Monroe's house connected to that house but turns out as of a month ago the found out the white portion of the house was actually Monroe's guesthouse and his actual house was a few hundred feet away before it burned down about 150 years ago. That being said, the staff here is GREAT and gives an amazing tour. The tour is more personal and less rushed/corporate than at Monticello. They do have a good number of Monroe items and you learn a lot about Monroe and his time in office. They also have sheep and peacocks (ask about them, it's a funny story) as well as reproductions of slave quarters. This place is worth seeing but don't plan to spend all day, you can see it all in a couple of hours.

    JC R.

    True Story --I'm'updating my review to include I was fortunate enough, being in the Northern VA wine region, to meet a direct descendant of late President Monroe, at a wine tastings. I shared with him that I had just recently visited the Ash Lawn and this gentleman ( he looked like the former Prez, even his stature and jaw line and bushy eyebrows) told he lives not far from Ashland Highland in Charlottesville. Huh? small world and thank God for social gatherings as wine tastings...you'll never know who's next to you at the tasting table... It was a dreadful stormy day when we took a drive in to check out James Monroe's former abode so fitting perhaps that the place looked as dreadful as the weather was this day. We checked in just about 12:25p, paid for 3 tickets and waited for 35 min for the tour to start. As we wait, the lady on the counter in this shabby store for memorabilias of the place, chatted me up asked where I was from. She was pleasant at the outset and friendly, I thought so cool. 1pm came and the lady I was talking to gathered the 3 of us and a couple who had just checked in then she ushered us just around the corner of the store into the side of the house. She was pleasant enough but seemed unsure of what she was telling us of the history of the place. She kept saying and I quote "I think..." and that's how mostly she started each sentence she uttered as if she was uncertain of what she was saying so uncertain that it was as if she had no conviction of the story she was there to tell to us. I vaguely remember the tour of the house and its details, which was concentrated mainly on the daughter who had befriended this French girl who was Napoleon's step daughter. Perhaps I was distracted at how unsure it seemed our curator was...BUT I remembered that James Monroe did a lot of international negotiations on behalf of the US and was Thomas Jefferson and James Madison's friend and all three had settled their properties in within a 50-mile radius of each other. The place is not as neatly kept James Madison's mansion in the neighboring town about 20 miles from this place. Now, that was a site and deserve a review next!

    Jen S.

    James Monroe, the 5th President of the U.S. serving from 1817 to 1825, has his home up the road from Jefferson. Though his home is not as impressive as Thomas Jefferson's, it is very quaint and simple. It's a light yellow home with 2 stories with slave quarters in the back. Admission is $10 for an adult, $9 if you're a student. We had a great tour guide who knew the ins and outs of the Monroe home. After our tour, we spent some time in the gift shop where the sales associate made some small talk, convincing us to buy this one particular postcard of man sitting down at his desk to write. It turned that the man in the postcard was actually the sales associate! He said that we could take this back to CA and show it to our friends to brag that we knew him. Sure, Mmmmhmmm.....

    Nicole N.

    I felt more at ease here than at Monticello, the tour was by far more personable. Very interesting history here and apparently more being uncovered all the time! There were a lot of interesting ties to other presidents and other European royalties here as well with pictures and jewelry. After the tour was over you were allowed to walk around the grounds for as long as you would like. The location was very convenient to other nearby attractions including Monticello.

    Sal L.

    This tour was the least impressive of the three Presidential homes for have visited in the Charlottesville area. In part, it is the least restored property of the three and relies on restoration and portrayal rather than original structures to tell the story. It also seems as though Monroe spent relatively little time at this plantation. Ironically, I found our guide to be the best of the three properties. It is worth a visit but I wouldn't dedicate a whole day to it. I suggest pairing it with a visit to Monticello.

    Kevin M.

    I had a great experience visiting Ash Lawn-Highland. I went on a Monday morning at 10am. I was the only one there for the tour. It was great! The docent was incredibly knowledgeable of the property and all its history. I was able to ask several questions and have a great discussion. It was well worth the trip!

    The visitor centre

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    Interesting place! We took the tour and learned some interesting facts about our fifth President. If you're in the area stop in.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - James Monroe's Highland

    How much are the tickets?

    Hi there! Tickets are $8 per person and kids under six are free. You may purchase tickets online at highland.org. We look forward to tour visit!

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    Review Highlights - James Monroe's Highland

    Highland is the home of the fifth President of the United States located in Charlottesville Virginia.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Thomas Jefferson's Monticello - Family and friends gathered in Monticello's Parlor for games, music, and conversation.

    Thomas Jefferson's Monticello

    4.3(560 reviews)
    1.6 mi

    This is not only a great place of American History but also a beautiful setting with gorgeous…read moreviews. It is pretty neat to be able to walk the same rooms that the third president walked and see where he spent his time. It is also very sobering to see the ugly side of American history that made this location what is was. The estate is very well preserved and has tons of artifacts and items that make the tour so valuable. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and accommodating as well.

    Having been wanting to visit Monticello for years and finally got the opportunity. You can purchase…read moretickets on line however we got them the morning of at the visitor center. First we watched an informative movie then took the shuttle up the hill to the house. Had a 10:40 tour time which was on time. Pretty large group. Many reviews stated that the visit through the home was fast and crowded. Totally agree. Maybe they could have the tour last one hour instead of 45 min giving guests a few minutes in each room to take pictures. Cut out a few tours which could help with timing. We also got in the slave tour, garden tour and the talk with Thomas Jefferson. All tours were very educational and well done. Took the shuttle to Jefferson's grave ands walked back to visitor center. Ended in the gift shop which had an array of items.

    Photos
    Thomas Jefferson's Monticello - In the Dining Room, Jefferson, his family, and his many notable and distinguished guests enjoyed meals prepared by talented enslaved chefs.

    In the Dining Room, Jefferson, his family, and his many notable and distinguished guests enjoyed meals prepared by talented enslaved chefs.

    Thomas Jefferson's Monticello - Monticello's West Lawn, which features the "Nickel View" of the house, is an icon of American landscapes.

    Monticello's West Lawn, which features the "Nickel View" of the house, is an icon of American landscapes.

    Thomas Jefferson's Monticello - Most Tuesdays through Saturdays, guests can "Meet Thomas Jefferson"

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    Most Tuesdays through Saturdays, guests can "Meet Thomas Jefferson"

    Michie Tavern - Peach cobbler

    Michie Tavern

    3.9(402 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$

    I thought this restaurant was so much fun and it felt like I actually took a step back in time. I…read morecould imagine travels and locals alike stopping into this old tavern for a bit to eat or even a pint of suds. Cleaners and better kept than I would have expected of the real era, gladfully so. The Michie Tavern is a come as you are restaurant and is a great stop after visiting Motencello. The wait staff all are dressed in period attire (given the wait staff were all clean and had newer clothing) and were buzzing around the seating area taking orders and refilling drinks. There's a buffet style line where you go for food and you can go back for seconds or even thirds if you choose. The food was good, not great, but it was a fantastic experience.

    Worth a stop if you're in the area! Plenty of parking, even for tour buses, and seems like there is…read moreplenty of seating in the nooks and crannies of this historic space. Take a step back into time as you get welcomed by the nicest tavern workers, even dressed the part. The wood interior and use of silver/steel plates, cups, and plateware all add to the historic charm of this place. You go through the buffet line ONCE and also order drinks as well. You can load up on green beans, beets, beans, stewed tomatoes, mashed potatoes, gravy fried chicken, oven baked chicken, pulled chicken, cornbread, biscuits, and a soup. Your waiter/waitress will come around and offer refills of whatever you'd like and also bring refills of drinks and/or jams/jellies/butters/hot sauce etc to your table. Service was quick and so so so friendly. The price is $28 for the buffet and I didn't think it was the absolute best meal I've had but I loved the history behind it. I wish we got seated in the main dining area but I guess we'll have to come back another time as well! Charlie, our server, was an absolute gentleman and so attentive to our group! We even got a bowl of ice cream with some scotch John sauce as it was insisted we had to try. Will be back again when in the area :)

    Photos
    Michie Tavern - Warm inviting fireplace

    Warm inviting fireplace

    Michie Tavern - My second plate

    My second plate

    Michie Tavern - One of the first floor dining rooms

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    One of the first floor dining rooms

    WorldStrides - Passing rivers as we walked to Exit Glacier

    WorldStrides

    1.9(495 reviews)
    3.4 mi

    Upon returning from my third trip organized by WorldStrides, I continue to have nothing but…read morepositive feedback! I was nervous planning this trip as a first-time lead chaperone, and the entire way, Kayla Dubiel and Andrea Hernandez were there to answer any and all questions. They were kind, patient, and even provided due date reminders for all necessary documentation. Our trip was seamless, from flights to dinners and museum visits. We were lucky enough to be matched with Claire Geslin, who was the most amazing tour guide we could have asked for. She was full of personality, and I couldn't believe how kind and patient she was with each of our students. She made a point of getting to know them, and truly valued the group's feedback at each destination. We all had a hard time saying goodbye at the end of our trip, and will cherish this opportunity forever!

    If I could give 0 stars, I would. When Lufthansa went on strike, instead of being proactive and…read moresecuring alternate arrangements, WorldStrides waited until the day of departure to inform us that the flights were canceled. After several hours, we were told the kids had been rebooked--but split into three separate groups with only one chaperone per group. When they arrived at the airport around noon, two of the three groups were told they weren't actually on any flights. Apparently, the rebooking was never properly completed in the system. The students have now been stuck at the airport for nine hours, waiting for either a flight or a hotel, with no clear communication or plan from WorldStrides. This level of disorganization and lack of accountability is completely unacceptable

    Photos
    WorldStrides - Inside Washington's house, slave quarters

    Inside Washington's house, slave quarters

    WorldStrides - Capitol

    Capitol

    WorldStrides - Oculus

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    Oculus

    Barboursville Plantation Ruins

    Barboursville Plantation Ruins

    4.7(3 reviews)
    15.7 mi

    The ruins are located on the grounds of the Barboursville Vineyard…read more They are all that remain of the grand brick mansion of James Barbour -- a Virginia governor, U.S. senator, Secretary of War under John Quincy Adams, and close friend of Thomas Jefferson. Built in 1822, the original house was designed by Thomas Jefferson in his neoclassical style, complete with a distinctive octagonal drawing room (note connection to the naming Barboursville Winnery award winning red!) On Christmas Day, 1884, the mansion burned in a devastating fire leaving only the brick walls, columns, and chimneys standing. Instead of rebuilding, the Barbour family moved to a nearby residence, and the ruins remain as a picturesque shell. A short walk from either the tasting room or cottages, this is a must stop for history buffs interested in civil war era and Thomas Jeffereson and photographers for the weathered remains with the vineyard and blue ridge foothills in the background Parking nearby if you choose to drive. Steep uneven climb from parking

    This site is part of a winery complex which has a restaurant and an inn. The site is free to enter,…read morethough it is confusing as my map tried to bring me in on a dirt road that wasn't open rather than the actual entrance which is east of the site. I eventually wormed my way around to find the one-lane bridge to the site blocked by someone who bizarrely just seemed to want to sit there, so I parked at the winery/restaurant and walked over. It's a nice walk. The ruins are interesting to look at. There's not a lot to the site and you can't go past it as it becomes private space for guests of the site. It also closes at 5:30 and signs angrily warn that being there after 5:31 is trespassing, so you can't plan on catching a sunset there or anything. But if you looked this up and your goal is to see some cool ruins, you can, within limits.

    Photos
    Barboursville Plantation Ruins
    Barboursville Plantation Ruins
    Barboursville Plantation Ruins

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    James Monroe's Highland - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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