What a gorgeous place! I went in the late winter/early early Spring and even though there were no…read moreleaves on the trees, it was still gorgeous. Monticello is the estate of Thomas Jefferson and there is so much history packed into the tour but the beauty is what captivates you. The woodwork, the flooring, the artwork...I could go on and on. The tour guides are excellent! Very knowledgeable, engaging, friendly and they keep history honest. I loved that they stuck to the facts and told the history as it should, the good, the bad and the ugly. The estate is still kept immaculate and holds so much history in every detail. The view alone overlooking the mountainside takes your breath away. It immediately sets your mind to wandering and fantasizing of a time long ago and how spectacular it must have been to live surrounded by such beauty. I highly recommend and would recommend going in late Spring or early Summer or Fall when the leaves have changed color.

Monticello is probably the most famous of all the President houses (Mt Vernon may have it beat)…read more As a self-proclaimed Presidential history nerd, I have been to several presidential homes, libraries, museums, gravesites, monuments, etc. Monticello's history is the most interesting because of many factors including Jefferson's architectural obsession, the atrocities with slavery that occurred with building and maintaining it, and the innovations and experimentation Jefferson used while living here. Monticello is a huge operation. You should definitely get a reservation. You park at the bottom of the hill (or maybe middle of it) then you go through metal detectors and are now in the cafe/gift shop/bathroom area. From there you can take the 1/2 mile walk up hill to the home or take the bus. Once you are up top, you will be put into different huddles depending on your tour time. Oh, there are several different style tours, we just did the general admission tour. Anyway, you can walk around the grounds while you wait. The whole thing is very well organized. Our tour guide took us through various rooms in the house, pointed out various artifacts from Jefferson's past, told stories and was very knowledgeable when asked questions. The group I was in was probably 20 people. The whole tour took 45 mins. Then we walked the grounds independent of the tour including looking at Jefferson's family cemetery plot. My only issue is that I went on July 1st, 2026, so the whole back (or front) had a huge tent set up for the America 250 celebration. Not a big deal just didn't get the complete feel or pics.

Located at the intersection of Ridge and Main Streets in Charlottesville, the statue commemorates…read morethe amazing journey of the Lewis and Clark expedition. It took a bit of research to understand why the statue is here in Charlottesville, but I've learned a few things and it now makes sense that these heroes of the exploration of the American West is located here in the mountains of Virginia. The actual expedition was conceived by Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. His famous estate Monticello was his primary residence and it's located right here in Charlottesville. The expedition itself was led by Meriwether Lewis who was born here in Albemarle County and William Clark, whose family lived for years in Albemarle County. The statue is placed on a block of pink granite and has the three figures - Lewis, Clark and Sacajewea - facing to the west.

This was such a fun trip. We did the Rock Bottom tour. If you are looking for more than just the…read morewalking tour, this was Great! We did this with our older teen boys and they loved it. You will get dirty so bring clothes you don't mind getting muddy. This was such a great memory!

First time visiting caverns, and it was an amazing experience. A must for anyone that likes caves…read moreand 54°.

Step back into time and visit a great revolutionary period tavern after touring Monticello. This…read morerestored building, a Virginia Historic Landmark, features tavern workers dressed in period dress. The period wood interior and the use of steel plates, cups, and plateware all add to the historic charm of this place. The tavern offers a buffet style experience where one can choose from coleslaw , black eye peas, mashed potatoes, turnips, Southern fried chicken, cornbread, buttermilk biscuits, hickory flavored pulled pork and soup. Soda and apple cider are available as well all for one fixed price ($28). The area waitress or waiter will come around and offer refills on both the food and drinks and deliver to your table. Service was friendly and quick. If one wants to indulge in traditional Southern cooking this is the place. The 1784 pub ( located in the oldest part of the tavern) offers wine, cider and local beers along with special events. There are several restored period buildings on the property one can visit including a gift shop housed in one of the old historic structures. Michael Tavern, relocated and restored by Josephine Henderson back in 1927 to the current location, is a wonderful period landmark to stop in and enjoy some delicious Southern fare while taking a step back in time.

The gift shop is so big. Lots to see. The store is nicely designed and clean…read more I was very happy to find a Fresh Cut Card. The lady was helpful in helping to pick the right one for a birthday card. The one I had was the smaller one but she went and got me a big one. For $5 more it was so much nicer. My friend loved it. If you are in the area, you should stop in. I am visiting from NC but plan to go back in Sept and try the restaurant.

Fascinating and fun! Great couple of hours to walk around and learn a bit of history.read more

Man, I wanted to like this as I am a self-proclaimed Presidential History nerd. However, it is…read morejust land that Monroe once owned because his buddy Tommy Jefferson told him to buy it, sold because he was broke, then the house burnt down years after he left, then someone else built a house here. That's the house you see. Now they do have an outline of the foundation of the house that was once here. So, there is that. Then the new(er) house is full of exhibits on Monroe. Honestly, I am glad I went but if you are pressed for time, it's one you can skip.

Really beautiful set of trails all very well maintained with a variety of distance/challenge loops…read more Easy and ample parking and Was able to manage with baby in carrier + dog and got some great views!

I had been to Monticello a few years ago but had no idea this trail even existed and better yet…read moreit's free and you don't have to pay Monticello admission to check it out. I believe it's about 4 miles there and back and much of it is on boardwalks but parts could get muddy if it rained. Luckily, it was sunny when we checked it out. It's not too strenuous and very well marked as long as you stay on the main trail. Parking was tough but we found a spot at the overflow lot just down the road from the trail lot and this way you get a little bit of bonus hiking to get your step count up. The trail itself wasn't too crowded and I assume 99% of Monticello tourists don't even know about it. It's worth checking out though if you're in the area.

Tucked away off the main road sits an informational jewel. As a museum and history fanatic I found…read morevenue to just as attention holding as it's much bigger cousins. You can learn a lot about the local area and it makes you want to know more as you realize that there is more to the city than just being a college town. As you sit in the former school house you can close your eyes and feel yourself walk through time. Take an afternoon to understand today by seeing what you can learn from the past. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana

Excellent. There is no where else in the region you can understand both African American history…read moreof the area (C'ville was 50% African American in the late 1800's!) and the compelling history of education, the shining light to freedom, and the struggle to assure a great education was offered. This is a museum which understands the struggle yet lets us admire the heroism of men and women who insisted that their children were educated, not trained for a job. Best of all, this museum is a cultural center with events and programs that lets all of us enjoy current contributions to our society by African American artists.

WorldStrides provided EXCELLENT service for our school trip to Greece. Our tour guide Danai was…read moreamazing and our excursions were unforgettable and WELL planned. We couldn't have seen Greece more completely. We spent time in Athens and then boarded a cruise ship to tour several Greek islands. Every day was filled with tours and amazing educational experiences for our students. During our down time we were showered with Greek culture and opportunities to independently explore our surroundings. Breakfast and dinner were included in our travel package and were well planned and executed with opportunities to sample the foods and experience local customs. This included Greek dancing lessons. Our students LOVED it!!! Please do not hesitate to use WorldStrides when booking your next trip. By far the best travel experience I've ever had! I would like to comment on the price for a 10 day trip including airfare and cruise ship was VERY reasonable. Not to mention all the excursions, meals, and extra activities. We will be using this company to book further school trips. I am also impressed by the college credit and professional development opportunity offered. Amazing for students and teachers to take advantage of!

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

The Albemarle County Historical Society is located in downtown Charlottesville…read more Parking is off street, or nearby garage. The area was mostly clear of debris. The society is a private, non-profit educational organization that seeks to study, preserve, and promote the history of Charlottesville and Albemarle County. The building had once been the home of the downtown library. It was closed the day I was there. However, it's a beautiful building.

I am a California native with 1700s ancestors in Albemarle. I recently visited Charlottesville…read morewith my son to learn more. Historical society volunteer John was kind enough to research and set aside several pages of information about my ancestors (Michael Woods and Robert McNeely, who lived near Crozet in the 1700s). Director Olivia Brown and several others were quite helpful and congenial. I was able to get an incredible map of original Albemarle settlers (including mine), generously done by Michael Crabill. The Historical Society is housed in an impressive historic building, a great visit for anyone. It of course is of interest with respect to Thomas Jefferson, but also to many with Scotch-Irish roots.

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.