When COVID hit, we were a family that decided to be exceptionally cautious and to do what we thought was our duty (to listen to scientists and control the spread). It was our personal family choice. That said, for our kids’ mental health, we also needed ways to engage with the world outside our home. AND we wanted to support our local economy as we could. Enter: Monticello with the kids.
Monticello, a UNESCO world heritage site, is always a remarkable experience, but given the safety standards and lack of tourist crowds due to the pandemic, this actually felt like it was a better experience for us than it has been in the past.
We purchased tickets in advance (which is required due to limited entry – and remember there is a locals discount). So there was no waiting in line for tickets at the guest information center, and the shuttle up to the house for our tour time had only a handful of people on board, all masked and distanced. Once we arrived, we waited outside under a tent while a docent shared history and answered our questions – which my boys’ questions all centered on the relationship between Hamilton and Jefferson.
Once inside, we had every room to ourselves. No more jostling of others’ elbows. Under new COVD protocols, Monticello allowed each room to have only those within their own party inside. There were QR codes in each room for us to scan and learn more about the rooms. It felt luxurious and as though we had nothing but time to really take in what had happened there.
Once outside the house, under the shade of a giant tree, a kind teacher spent 15 minutes talking to just my kids, no others present, about the Declaration of Independence and Jefferson’s life and legacy (all the good and the bad).
Visiting Monticello is always a study of the incredible, yet also incredibly fraught, history of Charlottesville. One afternoon at this huge house puts where we live into much context and historical perspective. Founded by a former president who was both brilliant and yet also wildly flawed, we can look at the brilliance of humans right alongside the cruelty of them. None of this has changed about humans – we are still complex and full of conflicting resolves. Yet the opportunity to really look at this while on a tour at a place like Monticello is so important.
One of the things I appreciate about Monticello through my parenting-lens is they don’t shy away from the slavery necessary to make Monticello massive, and the relationship with Sally Hemings Jefferson had, even with kids and younger audiences. I think they have done a wonderful job of highlighting these things in an age-appropriate way.
And yet, they also celebrate the inventions and the rigorous intellect of Jefferson for the kids, as well.
Some of the top tips for visiting Monticello, at all times:
- Make sure the kids have a general understanding of Jefferson and his significance before heading to Monticello.
- CLEAR BAGS ONLY allowed in the house.
- You can take the shuttle from the visitors’ center to the house, or walk. Taking a carrier for the baby is probably best. Small strollers are allowed, but the rooms and the pathways can be tight inside the house.
- Take time to walk to Jefferson’s grave on the property.
- Walk to the replicated slave quarters and garden, and spend time in the exhibit detailing the life of the slaves.
- Really ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ over the clock in the grand foyer, and seek out references to Lewis & Clark.
- Participate in the family scavenger hunt.
- Walk the grounds. The gardens and the lawn are so well-maintained and beautiful, it is a lot of what makes Monticello so special.
- Have discussions with your kids about what they see, what they learn, and how they feel. (Everything from the size of the land Jefferson owned to the handmade bricks to the dining layout.)
- See if you can spot UVA from the terrace!
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Jefferson’s dream mansion on the hill casts a big shadow on Charlottesville below. Living here, it feels important to understand what Charlottesville has meant and been.
Learn more about Monticello:
Raising Charlottesville is a website dedicated to highlighting fun & local activities for families living in the Charlottesville, VA area.