Toured Monticello in March, 2007. Monticello was the home of Thomas Jefferson. Pronounced "mon tih chello," it means "little mountain" in Italian. It was built on the top of a hill on the rolling hills/small mountains of south central Virginia. Was a working 5,000 acre plantation in Jefferson's time and his place of retirement in 1809 which is also about the same time of completion of the home. He spent his retirement years working at the home and creating the University of Virginia. He lived at Monticello with his extended family in virtual peace from the rest of the world to study his plants, read his books and write letters. Apparently, he enjoyed escaping the politics of DC and liked nothing more than being at Monticello.

Jefferson designed the home and supervised contruction. He also re-built the house after his initial design. Overall, the final 3 story, 21 room house took some 40 years to complete. We had a wonderful tour guide. The tour consists of the main level of the home and takes about an hour or so. You are also able to tour the outside of the home on your own and some of the basement area. No pictures are allowed inside the main level of the home but there's a tour book available for $10 if interested. You can also walk down to the grave site of Jefferson as well as several of his family members. The area is still property of the Jefferson family and is still a family plot.

One amazing item is that there is no kitchen in the main house! The kitchen is actually located in the lower level some distance away from the dining room. This called for dishes to be brought underground through a tunnel and up the stairs when time for meals. Some of Jefferson's original books are there but many were bought by the foundation after his death to replenish his original collection. This was because many of his books were sold by him to the US government to create the Library of Congress (1815) while others were sold to pay off his massive debt at the time of his death. Many, many paintings inside the home as well. The tour guide told of frequent guests such as fellow Presidents and well known scientists. The home is open during all the seasons.

Is on the United Nation's List of World Heritage Sites. History at times is torn about Jefferson. Regardless, the man was an amazing architect as seen in the design of the home as well as the University of Virginia.

If you time your tours right you can take the 'House' tour the Garden tour and the Plantation tour and eat in four hours. This is what we did and did not feel overly rushed and then proceeded towards Williamsburg.

I recently spent the afternoon at Monticello. We arrived on a Saturday around 12:45 and could not get a ticket for a tour until 2:20. This was no probelm at all! We took the plantation tour, which was a very interesting tour about the life of slaves on Jefferson's plantation. Then we walked around the garderns and veiwed Jefferson's grave. When we were finished, it was time for the tour--so we had something interesting to see or do for our entire wait.
The tour of the house was also very interesting. You really do get an insight into who Jefferson was, and what was important to him.
The tour guides for both tours were very knowledgeable and I learned a great deal. Overall it was an afternoon well spent, and well worth the visit!!

You can not leave this place without having a sense of Thomas Jefferson, the man. The incredibly preserved facility and excellent tour information make for a wonderful experience. You can see his passion for invention, books, education, architecture, agriculture, and life. You can also why he adored Monticello.

You also learn about the lifestyle of the time and see the conflict between his professed beliefs on slavery and the dependency on slavery in his personal life.

You can spend time walking around the property after the house tour. Also, I would recommend the $10 Monticello guidebook at the gift shop. It gives a nice overview and has wonderful photography.