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    Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest

    4.2 (30 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    John G.

    Hi everyone, today I visited the Poplar Forest for the first time. I drove from Florida to visit family and they recommended this historical site. I really enjoyed visiting the popular forest today. The property is very well maintained and peaceful. This place was one of my favorite historical sites. The docent who did the guided tour was very knowledgeable and good.

    Child completing child scavenger hunt .
    Heather B.

    Lovely place to soak in the spring sunshine. Informal setting allowed us to let our toddler run on the grass while adults took turns listening and viewing the building. Audio tour was perfect for our group that had two small children to oversee.

    Jonathan V.

    After going to Monticello the previous day, Poplar Forest is definitely not on the same level. House caught on fire and burnt all the wood, except for a couple of doors. They mentioned a table that was original, but it was not displayed in the house. So most of the rooms are fairly empty. I'm glad I went, but it's a shame not much is original.

    Mary A.

    We really enjoyed our tour today with Karen. I was worried about construction but that is completed now and they are working on landscaping. So thankful that his historic home has been restored.

    The long driveway into Poplar Forest
    Bailey N.

    So, I'm a huge presidential history buff. That's how I ended up here (with my girlfriend, who puts up with me). Overall, happy we went. Some people may be disappointed to learn this is not the original home, but a reconstruction based on historical records. I'm one of those focusing on the fact we're lucky Poplar Forest exists at all. Wait until you learn how close the land was to being sold and developed.... This is a very simple "retreat" house, especially if you've experienced Monticello. But, the grounds are just beautiful, with massive trees probably 300 years old. Love the European influence in architecture and the fact Jefferson was a life long "learner"! God bless those who saw to it this place was reconstructed & preserved! Thank you! Just FYI, the tour (which is with your time) depending on tour guide, might be longer than you expect considering how little there is to see. We got there a little later in the afternoon and our tour went too long, in my opinion, minimizing the amount of time we were able to spend downstairs with the exhibits...which frustrated me. Definitely worth a visit, history buff or not! The surroundings alone are gorgeous. If you come in the "back way" (hopefully you didn't), drive out the "front". The long drive through the woods is how we started our Poplar Forest experience, and it's the ONLY way to go! I posted a picture!

    Alexa S.

    Poplar Hall was Jefferson's retreat from the busy Monticello. He stayed here after he retired with his granddaughters. It completely reflects Jefferson's personality and the architecture he loved. It was rich in history with many places to see and exhibits to look through. There are 4 main tours a day, but there is also an app you can download if you want to do a self-guided tour (which is what we did). Before you start, there is a short video that plays every 30 min that introduces Poplar Hall. The main tour is in the house - which isn't very large. You can do the entire property in an hour. We took longer because we had people over 75 Make sure you stop at the gift shop on the way out! They have tons of cute trinkets!

    View of stage
    Troy B.

    My review is regarding my attendance to the musical production 1776 that was performed there the last weekend in June, 2019. I love history and Thomas Jefferson so I will probably come back for the tour and walk around the place. We arrived for the show and were guided into a parking area which was a field... however, the grass had not been cut at all as it was up to our knees when we walked through it to get to the road. We got I quickly with our eticket and took a seat around the area where the production was going to be performed. They started on time which I appreciated. Most of the actors did a good job. My second big complaint about the performance was one or two of the people were not set up properly with their mics. The dissenting delegate from PA you could hardly hear at all, which is a shame as it takes away from the overall performance. Lastly, there was no control over young kids running around at the rear of the seating area yelling and playing which is especially distracting when the audio is hard to hear. My biggest piece of advice fix the mics and cut the grass. I will recommend it to others though as I thought the overall performance was good.

    South Facade of Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest

    This is a spectacular site to visit, while Monticello was Thomas Jefferson's main residence, Poplar Forest was his retreat. It is superb, what is so special about it is because of its restoration, you can feel what this house would have actually felt like. While I love being able to preserve historical homes...this one has been rebuilt inside...it has one coat of paint...It feels fresh...just as Jefferson would have felt it. The staff was personable, and attentive, and were able to deal with my "dad jokes" and sarcasm.

    The back of the house as Jefferson would have seen it!
    Maisie K.

    I stopped in on the last day of Winter Weekends, so there was a very relaxed atmosphere. Guests were allowed to explore the house at their leisure instead of the seasonal one hour. The docent was very knowledgeable, and I left knowing more about Jefferson than I did entering! Mr. Jefferson's vacation home is vastly different from Monticello, and isn't as decorated. Instead, Poplar Forest is more of a architectural experience, which is just as interesting! If you love early American History (like me), you will enjoy Poplar Forest!

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    5 months ago

    Interesting and enjoyed the self-tour. Not much more to say only we didn't purchase items because of the high cost.

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    8 years ago

    The outside was nice, but there was almost nothing inside. I say just go to Monticello.

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    7 years ago

    Amazing tour guided by a knowledgeable historian. Very much worth the time and the money.

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    Review Highlights - Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest

    This is a spectacular site to visit, while Monticello was Thomas Jefferson's main residence, Poplar Forest was his retreat.

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    We caught the Rhythm of Yesterday and Today exhibit. Clean and well kept - in fact quite pretty,…read morethe house that makes Legacy Museum was a great pit stop on the way to our family reunion. Anyone interested in learning more about local black history, especially in the larger African American historical framework, would find this place enjoyable. Although it was quite small, we took away quite a bit of info not just on central Virginia black history but Lynchburg history in general. The pictures were great and the artifacts even better. We were lucky to get a tour by one of the board members. Thankful that this place exists so the history is preserved with it. Wish more new of it. They ask for a donation of $5 I believe but we left $20 for the two of us since it's a nonprofit.

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    Legacy Museum of African American History - Fumiko, one of the many board members who support the museum and did a tour for us!

    Fumiko, one of the many board members who support the museum and did a tour for us!

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    The rhythm of yesterday and today exhibit

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