Monticello and the University of Virginia

The Rotunda and Lawn, University of Virginia, Charlottesville

Overview

Designation	UNESCO World Heritage (cultural, 1987)
Latitude, longitude	38.0, -78.5 Google Maps
Nearby sites	Shenandoah National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Independence Hall, Moravian Church Settlements
Nearby cities	Charlottesville, Richmond, Washington, DC
Themes	Building, Culture, Homes & tombs of notable people

About

Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville is in the United States. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987 as a cultural site.

Travel tips

Location: The site comprises Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's estate, and the 'Academical Village' of the University of Virginia, at Charlottesville. Monticello is just outside the city and the university is in it.

Getting there: Charlottesville has an airport (CHO); alternatively fly to Washington or Richmond and drive. Charlottesville is about 160 km from Washington and about 116 km from Richmond. Amtrak's Cardinal, Crescent and Northeast Regional trains stop there. Public transport is limited, so most visitors drive between the two parts.

University: The university was designed by Jefferson around the Rotunda and the pavilions and student rooms that flank the Lawn, and can be seen on foot.

Monticello: The hilltop house and gardens, the Mulberry Row plantation site with its working and living buildings, and exhibits on the lives of the enslaved. House visits follow timed routes, so booking ahead helps in busy season.

Nearby: Ash Lawn-Highland, James Monroe's home, is close to Monticello, and Montpelier, the Madison estate, lies about 40 km north-east of Charlottesville.

Nature: About 35 km to the west is the junction of Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park with the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Time: Allow half a day each for Monticello and the university, so a day in all; two to three days with other houses and the countryside.

Season: Spring blossoms and autumn colour are best. Summer is hot and humid and winter may bring snow.

Where to stay: Lodging is concentrated in Charlottesville and around the university, and fills on graduation and football weekends.

Photo credits: The Rotunda and Lawn, University of Virginia, Charlottesville: Phil Roeder (CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons)