Monticello

This outdoor naturalization ceremony for new citizens on Monticello's West Lawn is one of America's most inspiring July 4 events and typically features the remarks of a notable U.S. citizen.

Join Monticello staff for a special hands-on garden adventure designed for kids and their families. Discover the rare and exotic veggies in Jefferson's garden, dig in the dirt, plant seeds, and pick and eat a snack fresh from the earth.

These walking tours of Monticello's restored flower and vegetable gardens, grove, and orchards highlight Jefferson's deep and long-standing interest in horticulture.

These guided outdoor tours focus on the experiences of the enslaved people who lived and labored on the Monticello plantation.

See more of Monticello with fewer people. These leisurely evening tours limited to 20 people feature a guided exploration of Monticello, including the third-floor Dome Room and an introduction to the cellar dependencies and "Crossraods" exhibit. Not recommended for ages 6 and under.

This experiental tour of Thomas Jefferson's Revolutionary Garden includes a guided walk followed by a Meet the Gardener segment. Participants will take part in seasonal gardening activities, such as planting, harvesting, and sampling crops.

Savor the sights and scents of antique roses in peak bloom while tasting local wines in the garden. Rosarian Rev. Douglas Seidel will discuss various types of old roses and their myriad virtues. Bring clippings of your "mystery roses" for Doug's legendary antique rose identification workshop. From 1 to 3 PM, Gabriele Rausse hosts a tasting of his esteemed local wines. Enjoy a guided walk through the rose garden and a lesson on rose culture and propagation. A wide selection of hist... Visit Website

This evening trek, led by Saunders-Monticello Trail Manager Jason Stevens, begins at the Visitor Center and ends atop Montalto, Thomas Jefferson's first land acquisiton, which stands 410 feet above Monticello Mountain. Once there, you will enjoy the sunset and breathtaking views. This event is an exclusive thank-you for Monticello Trailblazers! To become a Trailblazer, e-mail trailblazers@monticello.org.

In colonial America, herbs were valued for their many uses as flavorings, medicines, dyestuffs, etc. Focusing on the herbs documented by Thomas Jefferson in his garden book and correspondence, Lily Fox-Bruguiere will give an illustrated lecture, followed by a tour of the useful herbs growing in the gardens at Monticello. Participants will also make and bring home a calendula salve for healing minor cuts, scrapes, and bug bites.

Make Monticello your summer vacation destination! Families will save in summer 2013 with our new summer family pricing. Save 33% on admission for teenagers 12-18, from Memorial Day to Labor Day!

Learn to create beautiful floral arrangements with horticulturalist and floral designer Kathryn Nokes. Using the display gardens of the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants as her palette, Kathryn will demonstrate techniques to create natural and easy arrangements with a diverse array of flowers and foliage, and will also discuss the best garden plants to grow for a bounty of year-round natrual decorations. Reservations required

Explore our latest archaeological field research in progress. This half-mile walk in the woods takes you to the early 19th century home of enslaved field laborers. Learn the basics of archaeological research design, soils, stratigraphy, and excavation strategies, and hear about our latest discoveries, and how they fit into our larger understanding of life at Monticello. Water, sturdy shoes, and long trousers are highly recommended. Walking groups assemble at the Bronze Plantation Model at th... Visit Website

Few horticultural practices are as misunderstood as pruning, particularly for shrubs and trees. Join CHP's Operations Manager Brian Hartsock in the Tufton Farm gardens for this two-hour workshop, and learn the proper pruning techniques for woody ornamentals that flower on old wood. Bring pruning shears and gloves.

During the three-day event, kids age 12 and under will be allowed to fish the Saunders-Monticello Trail Pond. This is the only time during the year that anyone is allowed to fish in the pond. So bring your own fishing poles and equipment for this catch-and-release only event. The cost goes to help maintain the Saunders-Monticello Trail.

Thomas Jefferson’s successes (and failures) as a passionate gardener will be highlighted in talks and tours during the Center’s June Open House, new for 2013. Learn about the themes that defined Jefferson’s interest in horticulture in a talk by Jefferson garden expert Peter Hatch. Peter will also be on-hand to sign copies of his exceptional book on the Monticello Vegetable Garden, “A Rich Spot of Earth” Thomas Jefferson’s Revolutionary Garden at Monticello. Ja... Visit Website

This one-week course will use the gardens and landscapes of Monticello and the University of Virginia as an outdoor classroom for the study of historic landscape preservation. Lectures, workshops, field trips, and practical working experiences will provide an introduction to the fields of landscape history, garden restoration, and historical horticulture. Fee charged; registration and application required.

Join naturalist Jerry Therrien on a tour of the summer happenings with plants at the Saunders-Monticello Trail Arboretum. The Arboretum contains around 200 different varieties of native plants of Albemarle County. Learn different aspects of the native flora, including the edible varieties that are fruiting as summer wanes. Reservations Required. Meet at the Trailhead of the Saunders-Monticello Trail.

Until the late 19th century, dyes that colored cloth came primarily from plants. Join Pat Brodowski for this two-hour workshop to learn how to create natural dyes. Bring a t-shirt or wool skein to dye in indigo, goldenrod, and onion or all three for this introduction to making dye colors from plants. Great for knitters, hand spinners, and children. Reservations Required.

There is no more inspirational place to celebrate the Fourth of July than Monticello, the home of the author of the Declaration of Independence. Since 1963, more than 3,000 people from every corner of the globe have taken the oath of citizenship at the annual Monticello Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony. It is the oldest continuous naturalization ceremony in the United States outside of a courtroom. Music will be performed by the Charlottesville Municipal Band and the Col... Visit Website

Trees perhaps occupied first place in Thomas Jefferson’s hierarchy of favorite garden plants. This two-hour walking tour explores the natural history of Monticello’s exotic and native trees. Learn to identify about fifty species through an understanding of their ornamental, cultural, and historical character. This will be a relaxed morning ramble through a typical central Virginia hardwood forest. Reservations Required.

This two hour, family-friendly adventure, led by Devin Floyd, will be a hunt to see how many different bug species can be found in the Monticello gardens. Explorers will discover the diversity of insects and spiders; and study, identify, and document species discovered using a variety of record-keeping tools including journaling, photography, and sketching. Species list, photographs, and drawings can be shared in hard copy and on-line format. Reservations Required.

As part our exciting new speaker series T.O.M. Talks℠, enjoy a private reception atop Jefferson's Montalto and a conversation with Bill Barker, who has “been” Thomas Jefferson for almost 20 years. Barker, a history major and professional actor and director, will share his experiences portraying our third president at numerous venues throughout the United States and in Europe, including the White House and the Palace of Versailles. Reservations Required. Montalto.

Explore the latest findings from the Monticello-University Archaeological Field School, where archaeologists and students have been investigating a site that was home to enslaved field workers in the early nineteenth century (Site 6). Participants will work with archaeologists in hands-on examination and interpretation of newly excavated artifacts and the computer-based analysis used to unlock their historical meaning. Reservations Required. Recommended prerequisite: An Archaeology Walk to Site... Visit Website

Join Gabriele Rausse, the “father of Virginia wine,” for this fun, two-hour session on wine production. “No nation is drunken when wine is cheap,” said Thomas Jefferson, who apparently failed to make a Monticello-grown vintage despite years of experimental vine plantings. Learn how to make your own—from harvest through fermentation to bottling—in this participatory workshop. Reservations Required.

The landscaping of the Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center, recipient of a LEED Gold Level certification, is designed to blend the buildings into the native Monticello woodlands with plantings of Virginia’s native plant species, including 40 species of trees, over 50 species of flowering shrubs, and 75 types of wildflowers and groundcovers. Join Peggy Cornett for a two-hour stroll through these rich habitats from the pavilions’ green roofs, through the rain-garden style greenway and to t... Visit Website