Great Historical Site! We went back in 2017,…read moreSo it's been a minute. We loved it. Ask questions to the guides as they are very knowledgeable!

Wow! Monticello is amazing, and worth a visit for literally anyone and everyone. My husband and I…read morewere in the area for a wedding, and had a few hours to kill before the ceremony. We decided to explore Monticello, and booked the 45 minute Highlights Tour. If you read through the website, they'll let you know that you could spend all day here. They are correct! There are several guided tours of different lengths and prices, and the grounds, gift shop, and self-guided exhibits are expensive too. They mean it when they say you need to be on-site 30 minutes before your tour begins, because it takes time to get up to the house from the visitors center! Lauren was our guide for the Highlights Tour, and she was great. A solid mix of informative and engaging. This quick tour was just enough to get a taste of history, and definitely leaves you wanting more. I especially appreciate the steps they've taken in recent years to educate and address slavery at Monticello, including the addition of the Burial Ground for Enslaved People. Instead of taking the shuttle back to the visitors center, we walked through the garden and it was just lovely. We also passed the gravesite of Thomas Jefferson himself, which is a great spot for reflection. The gift shop had a wide variety of books, home decor, and collectible trinkets, and we found everything to be pretty reasonably priced. Monticello is operated by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which is a 501c3 non-profit.

Located at the intersection of Ridge and Main Streets in Charlottesville, the statue commemorates…read morethe amazing journey of the Lewis and Clark expedition. It took a bit of research to understand why the statue is here in Charlottesville, but I've learned a few things and it now makes sense that these heroes of the exploration of the American West is located here in the mountains of Virginia. The actual expedition was conceived by Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. His famous estate Monticello was his primary residence and it's located right here in Charlottesville. The expedition itself was led by Meriwether Lewis who was born here in Albemarle County and William Clark, whose family lived for years in Albemarle County. The statue is placed on a block of pink granite and has the three figures - Lewis, Clark and Sacajewea - facing to the west.

Really enjoyed it. Had a great guide, Luke. Nice history of a 200-year-old oldest in the country…read more They hold events there still, we can concerts. Large rooms, easy to see all the formations in the walkways are easy to pass through. Quite a few steps for those who are challenged to do physical walking but otherwise it's pretty cool. Been to quite a few caverns and this was one of the better ones and a lot to see.

Don't usually leave reviews, but park ranger Kai gave such a wonderful & detailed tour! Wonderful…read morepersonality, super engaging. I am so happy I got to experience the tour, especially during this heatwave. Huge step up compared to Luray, you can tell how much love & respect everyone here has for these caverns. The "wishing well" moment of silence really touched my heart. Thank you!! Will definitely be coming back :)

It's a cool stop in just for the experience. This is a buffet only eating experience so if you…read moredon't like fried or baked chicken, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, sweet mashed potatoes, beets or canned green beans then you are out of luck. The service of our "2nds runner" was amazing she made sure we had more food if we wanted it and was super kind and lovely. The ambiance well- it's a period place with a homestyle feel from the 1784. Yet it had a nice modern restroom. This is a tough walk if you have mobility issues. There is handicapped parking but it's still strenuous if you have poor balance. Otherwise cool for a one time!

Our family visited Michie Tavern after touring Jefferson's Monticello during Spring Break after…read morereading all the great reviews of the restaurant. We were not disappointed! The experience was like stepping back in time with the architecture of the tavern, historic decor, cheerful ambiance, and staff dressed in period costumes. Our party of 10 was greeted warmly, seated promptly, and enjoyed the buffet meal (and dessert!) thoroughly. We enjoyed visiting the gift shop after lunch as well, finding history-themed souvenirs for all ages. This family-friendly stop is definitely worth adding to your tour itinerary! Note: it is important to plan your arrival to align with the Tavern's operating hours, as they only serve lunch.

Really enjoyed my time on the grounds of a another founding father…read more Plenty of history here. Though not as elevated as Monticello, Monroe's Highland is beautiful in its own right. If you like hiking, there are a few trails around the estate to enjoy. The history of the grounds was fascinating as it tells of a very diverse life of one of American history's statesman. This guy did everything, and his uncle set him up in a good position to succeed in life The guest house, not the original home on the property, shows off items that belonged to the Monroes. Hats off to Roy White who gave a marvelous introduction to the grounds, its history and use. The staff were super friendly. One of the curators gave me a great rundown of the future excavation and the re-unveiling of the foundation of the original Monroe residence. A few folks were checking out the grounds for a wedding location, their host was also nice. During the summer they honor the Blue Star Program so access to the grounds is free. Recommended summer stop.

The tour guides were friendly, well informed, and spent time answering questions. The setting is…read morebeautiful, and although the main building is not the original Monroe house, it is filled with furniture appropriate to his time, as well as containing original family items. They are doing interesting archeological work which they discussed as well. The site has a cute gift shop, bathrooms and a picnic area. Overall we enjoyed the visit

I had been to Monticello a few years ago but had no idea this trail even existed and better yet…read moreit's free and you don't have to pay Monticello admission to check it out. I believe it's about 4 miles there and back and much of it is on boardwalks but parts could get muddy if it rained. Luckily, it was sunny when we checked it out. It's not too strenuous and very well marked as long as you stay on the main trail. Parking was tough but we found a spot at the overflow lot just down the road from the trail lot and this way you get a little bit of bonus hiking to get your step count up. The trail itself wasn't too crowded and I assume 99% of Monticello tourists don't even know about it. It's worth checking out though if you're in the area.

Really beautiful set of trails all very well maintained with a variety of distance/challenge loops…read more Easy and ample parking and Was able to manage with baby in carrier + dog and got some great views!

Tucked away off the main road sits an informational jewel. As a museum and history fanatic I found…read morevenue to just as attention holding as it's much bigger cousins. You can learn a lot about the local area and it makes you want to know more as you realize that there is more to the city than just being a college town. As you sit in the former school house you can close your eyes and feel yourself walk through time. Take an afternoon to understand today by seeing what you can learn from the past. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana

Excellent. There is no where else in the region you can understand both African American history…read moreof the area (C'ville was 50% African American in the late 1800's!) and the compelling history of education, the shining light to freedom, and the struggle to assure a great education was offered. This is a museum which understands the struggle yet lets us admire the heroism of men and women who insisted that their children were educated, not trained for a job. Best of all, this museum is a cultural center with events and programs that lets all of us enjoy current contributions to our society by African American artists.

WorldStrides provided EXCELLENT service for our school trip to Greece. Our tour guide Danai was…read moreamazing and our excursions were unforgettable and WELL planned. We couldn't have seen Greece more completely. We spent time in Athens and then boarded a cruise ship to tour several Greek islands. Every day was filled with tours and amazing educational experiences for our students. During our down time we were showered with Greek culture and opportunities to independently explore our surroundings. Breakfast and dinner were included in our travel package and were well planned and executed with opportunities to sample the foods and experience local customs. This included Greek dancing lessons. Our students LOVED it!!! Please do not hesitate to use WorldStrides when booking your next trip. By far the best travel experience I've ever had! I would like to comment on the price for a 10 day trip including airfare and cruise ship was VERY reasonable. Not to mention all the excursions, meals, and extra activities. We will be using this company to book further school trips. I am also impressed by the college credit and professional development opportunity offered. Amazing for students and teachers to take advantage of!

If I could give 0 stars, I would. When Lufthansa went on strike, instead of being proactive and…read moresecuring alternate arrangements, WorldStrides waited until the day of departure to inform us that the flights were canceled. After several hours, we were told the kids had been rebooked--but split into three separate groups with only one chaperone per group. When they arrived at the airport around noon, two of the three groups were told they weren't actually on any flights. Apparently, the rebooking was never properly completed in the system. The students have now been stuck at the airport for nine hours, waiting for either a flight or a hotel, with no clear communication or plan from WorldStrides. This level of disorganization and lack of accountability is completely unacceptable

The Albemarle County Historical Society is located in downtown Charlottesville…read more Parking is off street, or nearby garage. The area was mostly clear of debris. The society is a private, non-profit educational organization that seeks to study, preserve, and promote the history of Charlottesville and Albemarle County. The building had once been the home of the downtown library. It was closed the day I was there. However, it's a beautiful building.

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.