James Madison lived at Montpelier his entire life. This is a really interesting historic home that…read morelater belonged to the DuPont family, who eventually donated funds to turn it back into a historic site as Madison's home. That renovation/restoration took a long time, and it's now a lovely place to visit and learn about our 4th President and his wife Dolley Madison. In addition to the house, which acknowledges its part in running a plantation through the work of enslaved people, it has exhibits about slavery at Montpelier and archeological finds. The property also has lovely grounds with a beautiful garden that's filled with many colorful flowers in the spring. The visitor center offers a movie, and the house docents offer hour-long tours on the half hour. They also have picnic tables under shady trees to enjoy lunch. The views from Montpelier are breathtaking. They charge a fee to visit the house and grounds. If you only want to visit the grounds, the fee is lower.

This is a great place to visit if you are interested in America's founding, American style of…read moredemocracy, or to celebrate the upcoming Sestercentennial of the United States. (Having experienced the bicentennial as a kid on a summer-long vacation, I am looking forward to it.) The guided tour of the house is well done. The out-buildings and grounds are self-guided. There are many and spread out, and the whole property is on a gentle slope. Could be an issue if it is a hot and humid day. Be sure to visit the garden! Think twice about buying the Looking Through the Landscape book for $10.00. I thought it would be something I could put on my bookshelf but no. Hardly a pamphlet, it contains QR code links to YouTube videos they created. It was snuck in during the checkout process and frankly left me feeling duped. I chalked it up as a donation.

Man, I wanted to like this as I am a self-proclaimed Presidential History nerd. However, it is…read morejust land that Monroe once owned because his buddy Tommy Jefferson told him to buy it, sold because he was broke, then the house burnt down years after he left, then someone else built a house here. That's the house you see. Now they do have an outline of the foundation of the house that was once here. So, there is that. Then the new(er) house is full of exhibits on Monroe. Honestly, I am glad I went but if you are pressed for time, it's one you can skip.

Our visit to James Monroe's home was wonderful. Tour Guide Allison and Docent Russell added to…read morethe experience. Both were easy to talk with. They encouraged questions and were happy to not only answer the questions but also added bits of information that they have gained over the years. We give them 10+ stars. Thank you so much. We were happy to add to your donations. June and Craig

Inspire of what happened here last year, this is one nice area. The streets adjacent to the City…read moreHall are great for evening strolls. There are many eateries and shops, including at least one theater, that will satisfy all visitors with varied tastes. I think the best part is they are price friendly to consumers. I hope I will have time to check out Tom Cruise's latest Mission Impossible movie that is showing now before I leave, so I can comment on my experience with the theater.

I am a small business owner. When I heard that I could get a vending spot on the amazing…read morescene-laden downtown mall for under a thousand dollars a year, I was floored. I met with Neighborhood Development Services, specifically Craig Fabio, and I was duly impressed with the exchange. I start in October, at the beginning of the 4th quarter. I was able to easily set up a meeting. I had a conversation about my business and what I'd be selling. All of my options and responsibilities were clearly laid out in paper and in voice. When I left, I had a start date, a vending license, and a home-occupation declaration, making me legitimate in my new home. Customer service is at the forefront of every desk I visited, each with a smile, an answer, and a story. I also talked with Craig about the politic of the vending on the mall, how it is under fire from a few high-rentpayers in brick and mortars, but was thrilled to hear that Charlottesville supports the rights of the less privileged and super-small business owners in town, and that vending is recognized as one of the cultural and common rights in town. This, in small part is what I love about Charlottesville.

Home of the University of Virginia and not to be confused with Charlotte, NC, it is a charming…read moreplace and everyone I met was really friendly. I stayed here for 4 days/3 nights and was in town for a conference. Plenty of good food and bad traffic. Additionally, the city is lovingly referred to as C'ville but if I lived here I would absolutely not say that. I really enjoyed the Historic Downtown Mall area too. There are some good food options here and throughout the metro area. Tourism website: https://www.visitcharlottesville.org Local Government Website: https://www.charlottesville.gov

If Chantelles and Charlizes won't make out with you, then Charlottesville. Tryst me I know. Trust*…read more Charlottesville is a beautiful and historic old city that now is the focal point of the University of Virginia, started by Thomas Jefferson. It has a lot of wonderful elements and aspects to it, and is in a gorgeous setting. There are mountains surrounding the region especially in the direction of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Harrisonburg. There are some pretty delicious food treats hidden away in this town as well such as Bodo's Bagels and the amazing Tortas at Al Carbon. Not to mention the delicious burger at Riverside Grill. There's also a KFT location (get the Lemon Black Tea, or try Honey Oolong, or Winter Melon/Very Berry, both with Black Tea if they'll do it). And there's plenty more if you explore. Much like in my bedroom.

The ruins are located on the grounds of the Barboursville Vineyard…read more They are all that remain of the grand brick mansion of James Barbour -- a Virginia governor, U.S. senator, Secretary of War under John Quincy Adams, and close friend of Thomas Jefferson. Built in 1822, the original house was designed by Thomas Jefferson in his neoclassical style, complete with a distinctive octagonal drawing room (note connection to the naming Barboursville Winnery award winning red!) On Christmas Day, 1884, the mansion burned in a devastating fire leaving only the brick walls, columns, and chimneys standing. Instead of rebuilding, the Barbour family moved to a nearby residence, and the ruins remain as a picturesque shell. A short walk from either the tasting room or cottages, this is a must stop for history buffs interested in civil war era and Thomas Jeffereson and photographers for the weathered remains with the vineyard and blue ridge foothills in the background Parking nearby if you choose to drive. Steep uneven climb from parking

This site is part of a winery complex which has a restaurant and an inn. The site is free to enter,…read morethough it is confusing as my map tried to bring me in on a dirt road that wasn't open rather than the actual entrance which is east of the site. I eventually wormed my way around to find the one-lane bridge to the site blocked by someone who bizarrely just seemed to want to sit there, so I parked at the winery/restaurant and walked over. It's a nice walk. The ruins are interesting to look at. There's not a lot to the site and you can't go past it as it becomes private space for guests of the site. It also closes at 5:30 and signs angrily warn that being there after 5:31 is trespassing, so you can't plan on catching a sunset there or anything. But if you looked this up and your goal is to see some cool ruins, you can, within limits.

This Visitors Center is actually the building of the Orange Train Station. It looks great on the…read moreoutside. The inside was nice and roomy. There are information pamphlets for just about everything you need in Va . Also a very nice and knowledgeable woman there to give you tips and a bit of a history lesson of the Orange Railroad. I hope the fill the room with more of Orange's history. What little they had was interesting.

This Jefferson-Madison Regional Library located on Market Street in downtown is the first known…read morelibrary in Charlottesville The library was created in 1823 by a group of citizens that included Thomas Jefferson. For many years, this library was located in a building around the corner, where the Albemarle County Historical Society sits now. Charlottesville and Albemarle County purchased the old Post Office building in 1977 and after renovations and moving more than 90,000 books, the building became the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library on Market Street. I found the library's unique history interesting and visited last year. Although I did not check anything out they have an amazing collection. I would encourage a visit.

This is a nice and well-kept library. Opened right on time because I was waiting outside the door…read moreto use the bathroom on Sunday afternoon. The staff were friendly and, as expected, tons of books! The building has some pretty cool history to it and is located in a great spot right near the outdoor square with tons of shops, vendors, and restaurants.

Good size library with a decent selection of books, DVDs, and magazines. Friendly staff! The…read moreparking lot is too small though and so it can be hard to find a spot.

It's nice and has a large selection the people are all very helpful. Yes I do recommend going…read morethere and I live in Clifton