Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello
Last month we spent Memorial weekend in Virginia. We visited Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. The day we went it was packed with visitors and we got one of the very few remaining parking spots!
Sadly back when they built the parking lot they didn’t realize that the area was the burial grounds for slaves! So the parking area actually encircles the cemetery.
There are several different tour options you can choose from when you arrive. You can either take a shuttle to the main grounds or you can walk the trail.
We decided to walk and enjoy our surroundings! What a beautiful place! It’s surrounded by forests and mountains. The walk from the Visitor Center up to the main house is more difficult than coming back because it is going uphill. It’s not too bad though and there are benches along the way.
The family cemetery is the first location you arrive at. Thomas, Martha and several Jefferson family members are buried there.
Walking, you come to the gardens and amazing views! There are many smaller out buildings and sites to visit on the way to the main house.
If you do walk, don’t be confused like we were about where to meet for the main house tour! If you take the shuttle you arrive right where you need to be. If you walk you need to go to where the shuttles drop off.
The house tour was pretty neat! We learned a lot from our guide. We only had tickets for the main floor so we did not see upstairs.
The Great Clock was pretty cool! You can see it both inside and outside the house! It runs by big weights on either side of the Hall and even tells you the day of the week! Somehow I missed getting a picture of the days in the Hall.
Thomas Jefferson ran into a problem when they realized the Hall wasn’t tall enough though! So he decided to cut holes in the floor and let it descend into the cellar! We did find and photograph Saturday in the cellar. You can read more about it and see more pictures on the official web site.
This is Thomas Jefferson’s bed. He thought beds were a big waste of space so he built it into the wall! You’ll notice how short it looks. He also believed it was healthier to sleep sitting up!!!
His closet is built in up above the bed and also in the space you see at the foot of the bed. The way to the closet above is to the right of the bed. I thought it was a pretty cool design really!
A lot of things in the house now are reproductions but there are a few things that are original. Those boots for instance really are Thomas Jeffersons’!
The dining room contained another space saver. Thomas Jefferson didn’t want house slaves standing about, so either side of the fireplace opens into mini dumbwaiters to bring wine up from the cellar.
Check out that paint color! Apparently it was quite expensive!
We walked through the gardens on our way back down to the Visitor’s Center.
