About the Organization
Preserves Thomas Jefferson's mountaintop plantation home and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explores Jefferson's life, architecture, slavery at Monticello, and his legacy as founding father, inventor, and third U.S. president.
Mulberry Row and the Landscape of Slavery
Mulberry Row served as the industrial and residential heart of Jefferson's 5,000-acre plantation, housing more than twenty buildings including slave quarters, a nailery, furniture workshop, weaving house, smokehouses, and stables. Following more than sixty years of documentary and archaeological research, the Foundation has reconstructed two buildings—a slave dwelling and storehouse—while renovating two Jefferson-era structures. The 2012 outdoor exhibit "Landscape of Slavery: Mulberry Row at Monticello" illuminates the lives of the hundreds of enslaved individuals who lived and worked at the plantation, revealing how the lives of the free and enslaved were intricately interwoven.
The Getting Word Project and Educational Initiatives
Beginning in 1993, the Foundation's Getting Word Project collected oral histories from descendants of enslaved families at Monticello, providing unprecedented insight into their lives and legacies. This groundbreaking research informed the traveling exhibition "Slavery at Jefferson's Monticello: Paradox of Liberty," which became the first exhibit on the National Mall to directly address a founding father's role as an enslaver. The Foundation's innovative "Slavery at Monticello" mobile app was recognized by Apple as "the best new app" at launch, making these complex histories accessible to modern audiences. Approximately 435,000 annual visitors now engage with slavery interpretation through tours, exhibits, and the Mountaintop Project—a five-year restoration initiative that created nearly 30 new restored or recreated spaces.
Architectural Legacy and Scholarly Resources
As the pinnacle of Jefferson's architectural expression and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Monticello stands as both a masterwork of neoclassical design and a complex testament to the contradictions of the founding era. The Foundation maintains extensive research facilities and archives that support ongoing scholarship about Jefferson's innovations in architecture, agriculture, and democracy, while simultaneously examining the enslaved labor that made his vision possible. This balanced approach to interpretation has positioned Monticello as a leader in presenting the full, unvarnished narrative of America's early history.
Plan Your Visit
Monticello is located at 931 Thomas Jefferson Parkway, Charlottesville, VA 22902. The Visitor Center offers four galleries, an introductory film, a café, and Museum Shop. Daily tours include the house, gardens, and seasonal slavery interpretation tours. The scenic Saunders-Monticello Trail along Route 53 features Kemper Park with an 89-acre arboretum, pond, woodland theater, and overlook. For tour reservations and visitor information, call (434) 984-9800 or visit monticello.org.
Getting Involved
As a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation receives no ongoing federal, state, or local funding. Support preservation and education at this UNESCO World Heritage Site by becoming a member, making a donation, or participating in one of the Foundation's many programs that explore Jefferson's complex legacy and the lives of all who lived and worked at Monticello.
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