Charlottesville Attractions
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Monticello -- Home of
Thomas Jefferson
931 Thomas Jefferson
Parkway
March 1 - October 31, 8am-5pm; November 1 - February 28, 9am-4:30pm. Closed
Christmas.
434-984-9800
Admission Charged. Children
under 6 free.
Monticello is the home of Thomas Jefferson, third U.S. President, author of the
Declaration of Independence and Statute for Religious Freedom as well as founder
of the University of Virginia. In 1769 at the age of 26, Thomas Jefferson began
the design and construction of Monticello. Perched on a mountaintop overlooking
the city of Charlottesville, Monticello is a majestic reminder of Jefferson's
creativity and talent. No other home in the United States more accurately
reflects the personality of its owner than Monticello, Jefferson's architectural
masterpiece and beloved mountaintop home. Daily tours.
Ash Lawn- Highland
1000 James Monroe Parkway,
2 1/2 miles from Monticello on Route 795, off Route 53.
Open daily November - March
11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; April - October 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
434-293-9539
Admission Charged.
Restored home of the 5th
president of the United States and close friend of Thomas Jefferson. James
Monroe's 550- acre estate recreates the atmosphere of a working farm, with
strutting peacocks, spinning and weaving demonstrations, open hearth cooking
demonstrations and tours of the house and gardens
Of particular interest are
the newly refurbished interiors, lovely herb and vegetable gardens, and a statue
of James Monroe at one end of the boxwood gardens.
Michie Tavern
683 Thomas Jefferson
Parkway
Michie Tavern is located
less than one mile from Thomas Jefferson's Monticello on State Route 53,
Monticello Mountain.
Museum is open year-round
Admission Charged (tours).
Tours are 9-5 daily. Last tour: 4:20pm.
434-977-1234
Michie Tavern is a Virginia
Historic Landmark which has welcomed travelers for more than 200 years.
Established in 1784 by Scotsman William Michie, the Tavern served as the social
center of its community and provided travelers with food, drink and lodging. In
1927, the Tavern was moved 17 miles to its present location close to Monticello,
serving as a prime example of the Colonial Revival period. Today, crossing the
threshold of old Michie's Tavern, is to enter another era. This is where our
18th-century counterparts came to dine and socialize. Visitors experience the
Tavern's past through an historical journey which recreates life when Mr. Michie
operated his Inn. During the afternoons, April through October, visitors may be
invited to dance the Virginia Reel in the Assembly Room, drink an 18th-century
tavern punch or write with a quill pen. After visiting the original Inn, the
tour continues through the Tavern's outbuildings and the Virginia Wine Museum.
The Printer's Market (at
Michie Tavern)
Seasonal Operation, hours:
11:00 am - 4:00 pm.
Located in an historic 1822
structure, the shop features original and reproduction Early American printed
items for sale including one of the most extensive offerings of period
newspapers, paper currency and vintage stamps on the East Coast. A gallery
setting encourages guests to browse through the books, historic prints, posters,
and exhibits.
Albemarle County
Courthouse
501 East Jefferson Street
Monday-Friday from 8:30
a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Closed for state and federal holidays.
434-972-4083
Admission Free.
The courthouse was
established in 1762. The grounds once held a whipping post, pillory
and stocks, as was typical of the time. In addition to serving as the courthouse
and sole place to vote in Albemarle County, religious services for Episcopal,
Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptists were held in this space, which Jefferson
called "The Common Temple.” Jefferson, Madison and Monroe were frequent visitors
here, especially after Jefferson retired in 1809.
Court Square of
Charlottesville
411 East High Street
877-386-1102
Admission Free.
The following sites can be
explored in more detail on Saturday morning walking tours offered by the
Albemarle Historical Society (April-October)
200 Second Street, NE.
Tours begin at 10:00 am,
last for approximately one hour with donations accepted.
434-296-1492 for more
information.
1. 300 Court
Square, is the site of the Eagle Tavern, a simple wooden frame building
which stood there in 1791 and provided food and lodging on court days, as well
as public dances and victory celebrations within its spacious parlor. (the
brick replacement, can be seen by visitors today). The building also was
used as the headquarters of the Federal occupying forces after the Civil War.
Operating as a hotel until the 1960’s, it is now office space.
2. Adjacent to
“0” Court Square and 6th Street buildings visitors can see the slave block,
where auctions of slaves took place. The slave block should serve as a reminder
of the shameful and racist attitudes of many communities during much of our
early history.
3. The
influence of Jefferson’s design for the University of Virginia buildings nearby
may have influenced the design of Building #0, when it was built in the
1820’s. Storehouses for merchants, as well as a small town library, a whiskey
dealer and a Swiss watchmaker recruited by Jefferson were all located along 6th
St.
4. The Swan Tavern
was located at 300 Park Street, where a brick townhouse now stands. The tavern
was made famous by Jack Jouett, whose father owned The Swan. In 1781, Jefferson
and Virginia’s government quit Richmond under threat of capture by the British,
and reconvened in Charlottesville. Jouett rode through the night on back roads
from Louisa County to warn Governor Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Richard
Henry Lee and other members of the General Assembly of the approach of British
forces under the command of Colonel Banastre Tarleton. Eluding capture, most
legislators fled to safety in Staunton. Tarleton’s men destroyed some court
records and military stores, but spared the town from destruction.
The Miller School of
Albemarle
1000 Samuel Miller Loop
434-823-4805
Visitors are welcome during
the day, but should check in at the Main Office in Old Main.
Admission Free.
The Miller School is one of
several legacies of Samuel Miller, a native of Albemarle County who grew up in
poverty but became a wealthy investor in Lynchburg. He established The Miller
School in Albemarle County to provide a first-rate education for children from
Albemarle County and the surrounding area, regardless of financial condition.
Listed in the Virginia Landmarks Register, the Miller School complex of
buildings reflect the Victorian Gothic architecture popular at the time.
Situated on almost 1600 acres of land, the beautiful grounds provide ample space
for the 160 students now attending the school. The Miller School, originally
known as The Miller Manual Labor School, was chartered by an Act of the General
Assembly approved on February 24, 1874. The architectural focal point of the
campus, Old Main, was begun in 1876. It was designed by architects Albert
Lybrock and D. Wiley Anderson of Richmond, and built by Thomas Woodroffe,
originally from England. The school opened in 1878 with 33 students, and has
been a successful boarding and day school ever since.
University of Virginia
Rotunda and Central Grounds
University Ave
434-924-3239, 434-924-7969
Conducted tours of the
Rotunda are offered daily at 10am, 11am, 2pm, 3pm, and 4pm. Closes for 3 weeks
at Christmas time and during graduation in May.
Admission Free.
The original Grounds of the
University, including the Rotunda and the Lawn, were designed by Jefferson to be
what he called an "Academical Village." The Academical Village includes a
rectangular, terraced green space known as the Lawn; two parallel rows of
buildings, the Pavilions, connected by colonnaded walkways and student rooms;
and the Rotunda, which closes off the north end of the Lawn. The Rotunda, a
half-scale interpretation of the Pantheon in Rome, is the signature landmark of
the University and its Dome Room originally housed the University library. The
Pavilions are in the Federal style and no two are alike. The top floors of the
Pavilions originally served as living quarters for the professors, while the
ground-level floors served as classrooms and offices.
The Gardens are enclosed by
serpentine brick walls, whose curve helps to stabilize and strengthen the walls,
which are remarkable for being only one brick thick. Parallel to the Lawn and
behind the Gardens are the Ranges, rows of rooms in which graduate students now
live. West Range No. 13 is preserved as the Edgar Allan Poe Room. A plaque over
the door of No. 31 marks the room of Woodrow Wilson.
Edgar Allan Poe's Room
University of Virginia
grounds. West Range #13
434-977-1783, 877-386-1102
Admission Free.
Call for days and hours.
Author/poet's room has been
restored to 1826 time period when he was a student. Features a recording about
his life.
McGregor Room of
Alderman Library
Alderman Library,
University of Virginia
434-924-3025
9am-9pm, Monday through
Thursday; 9am-5pm, Friday and Saturday.
Call to confirm Saturday
hours.
Admission Free.
The Special Collections
Department's exhibition space is located in the Tracy W. McGregor Room on the
second floor of Alderman Library. Special Collections administers over 12
million manuscripts, 2.5 million items in the University archives, and 268,600
rare books, as well as approximately 4,000 maps, over 4,000 broadsides; more
than 125,000 photographs and small prints.
Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal
Art Collection of the University of Virginia
400 Peter Jefferson Place
434-244-0234
Tuesday - Saturday, 9 am to 3 pm.
Admission Free.
The Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal
Art Collection was a gift from An American businessman, John W. Kluge to the
University of Virginia in 1997. Mr. Kluge began collecting Aboriginal art in
1988 and compiled one of the foremost private collections of Australian
Aboriginal art in the world. In 1993, Kluge purchased the collection and
archives of the late Professor Edward L. Ruhe of Kansas University
Frontier Culture Museum
1290 Richmond Ave.,
Staunton, VA. Located near I-64 & I-81 in Staunton, VA. I-81, Exit 222, Route
250 West, the museum is ½ mile on the left.
540-332-7850
Open daily, 9am-5pm; Winter
hours: Dec.1- March 16, 10am – 4pm.
Museum closed New Year’s,
Thanksgiving, & Christmas. Museum may close or have program changes due to
weather conditions. To avoid being disappointed, call ahead.
Admission Charged
University of Virginia
Art Museum
Rugby Road, located one
block north of the Rotunda on the Grounds of the University of Virginia.
Tuesday-Sunday, 1-5pm
434-924-3592, 434-924-7458
Admission Free.
The University of Virginia
Art Museum exhibits art from around the world dating from ancient times to the
present day. In addition to its permanent collection, the Museum presents an
ongoing schedule of changing exhibitions, accompanied by related programs and
publications.
Leander J. McCormick
Observatory
McCormick Observatory on
the UVA grounds.
9-11pm, Apr. - Oct, first
and third Friday night.
8-10pm, Nov.-Mar., first
and third Friday night.
434-924-7494
Admission Free.
Call for schedule.
Monuments/Memorials
Robert E. Lee Monument
Lee Park, Historic Court
Square
434-296-1492.
This monument was
commissioned in 1917 and completed nearly seven years later. In 1924, the statue
was presented to the city during a Confederate reunion held at the park. More
information is available from the Albemarle County Historical Society at the
phone number listed above.
Stonewall Jackson
Monument
Jackson Park, Historic
Court Square
434-296-1492
At the time of the
artwork’s unveiling in 1921, the Jackson monument was considered to be among the
finest equestrian sculptures in the nation. More information is available from
the Albemarle County Historical Society at the phone number listed above.
Confederate Memorial on
Court Square
Albemarle County Court
House in Charlottesville. Court Square
877-386-1102 or
434-977-1783
Admission Free.
Charlottesville and Albemarle County were among the last communities in Virginia
to erect a monument honoring Confederate soldiers from their area. The bronze
statue, whose sculptor remains unknown, is most likely a mass- produced copy of
a Confederate soldier "at ready."
Lewis, Clark and
Sacagawea Statue
At the intersections of W.
Main Street and Ridge Street Charlottesville. Just northwest of the downtown
mall.
434-293-6789
This impressive and
historic statue commemorates the 1803-1806 journey of the Lewis and Clark
Expedition. The statue of Meriwether Lewis, William Clark and Sacagawea was
sculpted by Charles Keck, who was a prominent sculptor of his day. The statue
was commissioned by Paul Goodloe McIntire and given to the citizens of
Charlottesville in 1919.
Confederate Monument,
University Of Virginia Cemetery
At the intersections of
Alderman and McCormick Roads in Charlottesville.
877-386-1102 or
434-977-1783
Admission Free.
Unveiled on June 7, 1893,
the monument is in memory of approximately eleven hundred Confederate Soldiers
buried at the University of Virginia. The piece consists of a gray granite
pedestal twelve feet high on which stands an eight foot bronze statue of a young
Confederate solider, hat in hand and rifle at the rest position. Four encircling
bronze tablets carry the names of the soldiers buried at the cemetery. Seventeen
blank spaces represent unknown soldiers.
Cemeteries
Maplewood Cemetery
400 Block Lexington Avenue
7am-8pm.
877-386-1102, 434-977-1783
Admission Free.
Like many cemeteries in
cities across the nation, Maplewood Cemetery offers a glimpse of the lives of
past citizens. As the oldest public cemetery in Charlottesville, with interments
beginning in 1777, Maplewood Cemetery is a priceless reminder of
Charlottesville's rich and varied history. At least three Confederate Generals,
as well as other local citizens who distinguished themselves in the Civil War,
are buried in Charlottesville’s Maplewood Cemetery.
Oakwood Cemetery
Elliot Avenue & First
Street SE
434-293-6789, 434-970-3589
7am-8pm
Admission Free.
As the second-oldest public
cemetery in Charlottesville, with interments beginning in 1883, Oakwood Cemetery
is a peaceful and welcoming space for visitors. The graves of many prominent and
historic citizens are here.
Vineyards & Wineries
Jefferson Vineyards
1353 Thomas Jefferson
Parkway,
located on Hwy 53 between
Monticello and Ash Lawn-Highland.
800-272-3042, 434-977-3042
Daily, 11 am to 5 pm; tours
on the hour between noon and 4 pm.
Admission Free. Fee charged for tastings.
When Thomas Jefferson and
Italian Filippo Mazzei decided to establish a vineyard, they chose the land
between Monticello and Ash-Lawn – the site of present day Jefferson Vineyards.
First Colony Winery
1650 Harris Creek Road
434-979-7105
11am-5pm.
Open daily, closed
Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Admission Free.
Complimentary tours and
tastings are offered at the winery. Five Wines are produced: Chardonnay, Vidal
Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Oakencroft Vineyard &
Winery
1486 Oakencroft Lane
434-296-4188
Open daily, April to
December, 11-5, January and February by appointment, March weekends only
11-5.
Admission Charged. (Tasting
fees)
Spectacular views of the
Blue Ridge Mountains are seen from the vineyards. A lake, home to five species
of waterfowl, fronts the Winery Courtyard. Wines: Countryside White, Blush,
Chardonnay, Cabernet, and Merlot.
McGuffey Art Center
210 Second Street, NW
Tues-Sat, 10am-5pm.; Sun.,
1-5pm. Closed Mondays.
Holiday closing schedule:
New Years Eve/Day, July 4th, Last two weeks in August, Thanksgiving, Christmas
Eve/Day.
434-295-7973
Admission Free.
The McGuffey Art Center is
a co- operative, non-profit organization that has been in existence since 1975
and is housed in the former McGuffey Elementary School building. The schoolrooms
were transformed into forty studios, three galleries, and a gift shop All
studios are open 17.5 hours per week in order for the public to observe work in
progress.
Old Hardware Store
Building
316 E. Main Street,
Historic Downtown Mall
434-977-1518
Call for hours of
operation.
Admission Free.
This Charlottesville
landmark since 1895 is now an exciting complex of boutiques, restaurants, and
art and exhibition galleries.
Fortune's Cove Preserve
490 Westfield Road
434-295-6106
Open daily, dawn to dusk,
year-round.
Admission Free
Fortune's Cove Preserve
(The Nature Conservancy) provides a challenging hike that rewards visitors with
stunning mountain vistas. Fortune's Cove straddles Virginia's Piedmont and Blue
Ridge. Here, these two ecological regions meet to form a unique collection of
flora from both areas. The 5.5-mile loop trail climbs steeply from the parking
area, gaining some 1,500 feet in elevation before reaching its highest point.
Hikers should be in good physical condition and should allow six hours to
complete the entire loop. A gravel parking area and kiosk with trail map are at
the preserve entrance; there are no restrooms.
Thomas Jefferson Parkway
and Kemper Park
Located on Route 53 (100
yards from Route 20S).
434-984-9822
Daily, sunrise to sunset.
Admission Free.
Visitors are invited to
stroll along the Thomas Jefferson Parkway located on Route 53. The trail is 3.2
miles round-trip on a gentle grade. Limited parking is available at the base of
Route 53.
Rivanna River
Winds through Albemarle
County, the City of Charlottesville and Fluvanna County. Access points include
U.S. 29 Bridge at South Fork, Darden Towe Park, Riverview Park (fishing),
Palmyra and Columbia (at James River).
434-293-6789
Admission Free.
The beautiful and gentle
Rivanna River flows through Albemarle and Fluvanna counties as well as the City
of Charlottesville. Named for Queen Anne of England, the Rivanna is home to
countless birds, fish, turtles and other creatures, as well as providing a
wonderful place for human residents to fish, canoe, swim and boat. The river
begins about six miles northeast of Charlottesville where the North and South
Forks of the river are joined, and flows about 42 miles to Columbia where it
joins the mighty James River. The Rivanna is considered safe for canoes in
winter, spring and early summer, with few hazards, and no whitewater.
Hardware River
Carter's Bridge on Route 20
south
434-293-6789
Admission Free.
The Hardware River begins
about 15 miles south of Charlottesville, just above the Route 20 Bridge. The
Hardware flows south for 26 ½ miles to join the James River just above Bremo
Bluff. Typically, canoeists divide the trip into two sections, the first being
from Route 20 at Carter Bridge to the Temperance Wayside at Route 6, and the
second being from the Temperance Wayside at Route 6 to the James River at the
take-out bridge.
The Hardware River is rich
in wildlife, including deer, turkey, fish and a variety of other birds and
mammals. The banks are mostly tree-lined and shady, with the high clay banks so
typical of Piedmont streams. Though often crossed by roads, the traveler is
certain to enjoy the peace and quiet afforded by the river.
