Monticello

Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's country house near Charlottesville, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with the University of Virginia since 1987. Jefferson began building in 1768 and remodeled the house from 1794; he was never finished. The plantation originally covered about 5,000 acres (2,000 ha). Mulberry Row, a roughly 300 m (1,000 ft) lane of workshops, was home and workplace to enslaved and free people, and reconstructed cabins show how. An exhibit in the South Wing tells the story of Sally Hemings, who was enslaved there. Jefferson is buried in a small family graveyard near the house, and the nickel has shown it on its reverse almost continuously since 1938.

The house tour covers the ground floor; walks through the private rooms and the Dome Room are separate, popular tours. There is also the “Slavery at Monticello” walking tour of about 45 minutes. Book your time slot ahead. The visitor center sits about 4.5 miles (7 km) from downtown Charlottesville, and the free parking lot has space for RVs, but no overnight stays. A shuttle takes you up; on foot it is a wooded path of just under 1 km (0.5 mile).