Tour Thomas Jefferson's home Monticello & Thomas Jefferson Country - Departs from Washington DC

Monticello & Thomas Jefferson Country Tour

Thomas Jefferson 1743-1826) 

©2006 Thomas Jefferson Foundation

Thomas Jefferson -- author of the Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, third president of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia -- voiced the aspirations of a new America as no other individual of his era. As public official, historian, philosopher, and plantation owner, he served his country for over five decades.

His father Peter Jefferson was a successful planter and surveyor and his mother Jane Randolph a member of one of Virginia's most distinguished families. Having inherited a considerable landed estate from his father, Jefferson began building Monticello when he was twenty-six years old. Three years later, he married Martha Wayles Skelton, with whom he lived happily for ten years until her death. Their marriage produced six children, but only two survived to adulthood. Jefferson, who never remarried, maintained Monticello as his home throughout his life, always expanding and changing the house.

Information provided by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation.

©2006 Thomas Jefferson Foundation

Travel to Charlottesville, Virginia and view the panoramic scenery en route to the University of Virginia, one of Thomas Jefferson's architectural design masterpieces.

Tour and lunch will be at the historic Michie Tavern and is included in the fare. We will continue up the mountainside to Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson, President, inventor, surveyor, musician and artist.

At Monticello get an intimate look at the extraordinary house Thomas Jefferson built and furnished for himself and his family. See the books, gadgets, art, furnishings, and objects that reveal Jefferson's unique mind. The guided House Tour covers the rooms on Monticello's first floor and lasts about 30 minutes. (Because of fire codes, the upper floors are not a part of this tour.) Your admission ticket also includes access to the grounds

House Tours are scheduled to begin every five minutes throughout each day and last about 30 minutes. Information provided by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation

Day Trip tp Monticello & Thomas Jefferson Country
March - November: 8:00am on Thursdays ONLY

Departure point and directions:

• The Tour departs from Gray Line Terminal at Union Station - Columbus Circle at 50 Massachusetts Ave and First St Washington, DC 20002 - Bus Level. Please arrive 15-30 minutes prior.

• Gray Line provides hotel pick-up service from a limited amount of hotel locations around the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area as a courtesy to our customers. Guest requesting hotel pick up must call the local number provided on their confirmation voucher and arrange pick up with agent. Please click here to view Washington DC Hotel Pick up List.

• Return Details: Tour concludes at the original departure point.

Parking:

• Parking is available at Union Station. Parking entrance is located on the far end of the section of Massachusetts Ave that runs directly in front of Union Station. Turn right into Parking Entrance. Parking is available at the Union station for approximately $15.00-$18.00 - subject to change. 

• Construction began in 1769 according to Jefferson's first design, which was completed (except for porticoes and decorative interior woodwork) when he left for Europe in 1784. Work on a new design for remodeling and enlarging the house began in 1796 and was complete by 1809.

Some Statistics

• There are a total of forty-three rooms in the entire structure: thirty-three in the house itself (cellar, twelve; first floor, eleven; second floor, six; third floor, four); four in the pavilions; and six under the South Terrace. The stable and carriage bays under the North Terrace are not included in these totals. The first design of Monticello had fourteen rooms total (cellar, six; first floor, five; second floor, three).

• Dimensions: 110' long, 87'9" wide (to outer faces of porticoes), 44'7" high (to oculus of dome).

• Height of rooms: These vary, but as examples, the Entrance Hall is 18'6" high; the North Octagonal Room, 9'10"; and second floor bedrooms, 8'0". See individual rooms featured in "The House."

• Number of skylights: thirteen (oculus plus twelve). 

• Thickness of exterior walls: Also variable, from 13.5" at the northeast front to 27" in the parlor side walls.

• Square footage of living area: About 11,000 square feet, including the cellars below the house, but not including the pavilions or rooms under the terraces.    

©2006 Thomas Jefferson Foundation

• Percentage of original window glass shown in the house today: About one-third of the window glass is original.

• Number of fireplaces: There are eight fireplaces and two openings for stoves on the main floor of the house.

©2006 Thomas Jefferson Foundation

Payment:

Your credit card will be charged the total amount of products and services selected at time of booking. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover Card.

Confirmation & Travel Voucher
For every confirmed booking you will receive an e-mail with a link to your E-Ticket Voucher. Print vouchers on your home/ office printer. Please present this E-Ticket voucher at the Box Office. Only one voucher will be created per tour or activity for all travelers. Your confirmation for this product will be received at time of booking.

Cancellation and No Show Policy

Cancellations within 24 hours of the tour are charged in full. Cancellations prior to 24 hours are charged a minimum $10.00 per person administration fee. We charge for NO SHOWS. No Shows on tour dates are charged 100%. Some specific tours and activities have a higher cancellation fee due to the limited space available.

Recommended for all tours in Washington DC: Comfortable shoes, extra layer of warm clothing, hats, visors and sunglasses. Weather: Tour route or activity may be changed depending on local weather conditions. Meals, Gratuities and Souvenirs are not included.

The Martz Group and TourCorp Inc. assume no responsibility for delays caused by accidents, breakdown, bad conditions of roads, trails, bays, ocean, harbors, and any other conditions beyond control, in addition to insufficient numbers of passengers. Not responsible for loss or damage to property.

On some tours and activities the size of the vehicle depends on the number of passengers booked for that particular day. Tour companies reserve the right to change the size of the vehicle.

All company policies can be found at www.tourcorp.com, and a part of this tour purchase.