James Madison's Montpelier Reviews

Cool house and you get to learn a lot about one of the first presidents of the US.

Beautiful historical landmark where you're able no not only be amazed by the beautiful scenery, building and surroundings but also learn a great deal of history at the same time.

The house tour gives a good hour's worth of information. There are stairs, but they all have railings for those that struggle with mobility. Chairs were in most rooms. The guide was knowledgeable about the tour and questions asked.

The building itself was interesting, though not as detailed as Monticello.

Not enough stars!! To be able to visit the home of one of the founders of this great Country we live in was VERY OUTSTANDING!!! WELL PRESERVED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF!!! WOULD LOVE TO REVISIT, BUT HAVE MORE TIME TO VISIT!!

Valuable and enjoyable history lessons in a beautiful area. Our tour guide was friendly, approachable, and knowledgable.

Cate Nelson - SLAVERY WAS NOT GENOCIDE - GET REAL. It was nothing to be proud of, but as Muhammed Ali said when he went to Africa -"I'm glad my grandfather got on that boat!" So get off the genocide bit - slaves were not executed ad infinitum and yes, there were some benevolent slave masters whose help were like a part of ther family. Why not take care of your property??? Montpelier was a beautiful home of a former President that is being restored and holds a significant place in our history. Leave it at that and get off the liberal soapbox

Really loved the tour, a perfectly timed walk through the house with details that made it feel alive. The rebuilt slave quarters make it unique for the historic presidential homes in Virginia.

It was a wonderful place to visit history. The guide was very knowledgeable and interesting.i learned a lot about history!!

We were disappointed in the basement because they took away all the actual layouts of the kitchen and other rooms in favor or some slide shows. It was dark and dingy and the kids didn t want to go in there. We had a great tour guide and we always learn something new.

Loved hearing some truths about the Father of the Constitution!

A great historic stop.One of the best tour guides I have been with.I took the in depth tour and it was well worth it as i felt I was on a college lecture tour.Very informative,The grounds are beautiful and well laid out.The exhibits and house are presented in a thoughtful manner'

Came here for fathers birthday. Website say it loses at 5 but it closes at 3. We got here at 3:30 and you can only walk around after 3.

Our tour guide, Bob Jones, was great. He knew a lot of info and was able to answer any question the group had for him. This was our first time back at the house since the renovations were completed and it looked great. Also the food in the cafe was pretty great. Just a little pricey. The tour itself was free because we had free tickets ayyyy.

Beautiful, well-maintained, typical US historical site.

Very relaxed house tour. Saralee was informative and entertaining . Get on her tour
Spend time with the exhi it's under the house and walk the gardens. Take your time.

Great to visit and learn about this great president!

Very nice visit, we took the Constitution tour and the guide was very friendly and knowledgable. It was an interesting perspective to add to taking an already remarkable tour. The group size was nice and you could easily see the artifacts and subjects the tour guide was talking about. They have a small cafe on site and a lovely gift shop. I would highly reccomend taking the extra drive to visit Montpellier. The added bonus was that "Mr. Jefferson" himself was there and visiting with the guests and he was very knowledgeable and funny, a very nice treat.

The steeplechase races are great fun (1st Saturday in November). Great house and grounds full of history.

Montpelier is a great place to visit. It is compact, the trails are easy on your feet, and teaches the history of the Madison Family and their slaves.

Learned so much history while on our tour. Tour guide was very knowledgeable, the only downfall was his monotone voice. Glad we took the tour.

They should add more about slavery, as they acted as though Madison was a benevolent slave owner. And maybe he was better than some, but he was still part of a genocide. He even arranged to keep the slaves in the family until Dolley died.
I know the tours have to be diplomatic, but it's important to be honest about his poor choices.

Lovely place with a great tour! Fabulous gift shop!

Beautiful grounds and fascinating historical home. Tour guides here are first rate. It's quite pricey, but they have added some excellent exhibits and restorations. There are lovely gardens as well. My only caveat is that no one ever More

To experience history firsthand and walk were presidents walked is just truly amazing.

Excellent place to visit, wish we had planned for more time to explore the grounds also. I'd recommend at least 3.5 hours if you want to do the house tour and walk the grounds as well.

No where near as well funded as Monticello but definitely worth the time to get a better understanding of Madison and the framer of our Constitution.

It gets better with every visit. The interpreters are first rate. There are a variety of tours to cover the many aspects of the lives of the people who lived here from slaves to the Madisons. My husband and I arrived for the 9 am Meet the Madisons tour and we left at 6:30 pm and there was still lots that we didn't get to see. We're already planning our return visit.

Beautiful estate, passionate and very knowledgeable tour guides, the hike through the old growth forest is remarkable.

Interesting, the tour guide was very knowledgeable. Amazing part of history!

Wow. We learned so much here. The exhibits are amazing and to me much more moving and authentic than Monticello up the road. The slave quarters exhibit in the basement is artful and haunting. If you have kids in tow, sign up for the family tour. You will probably have a private tour as we did and the folks who are guides are extremely knowledgeable and dedicated. Stop in the walled garden as well. The cafe is wonderful and we got a free cupcake at closing from the chef.

Great tour. You can tour the house and the grounds.

Another example of the many great landmarks of Virginia. The home is very nice, but the grounds and garden are beyond impressive! Some of the oaks behind the estate were surely alive when Madison was.

Incredible historical site telling the whole story of those who lived and worked at the mountain plantation. Home to President Madison, his wife, and other kin, but also to over a hundred enslaved people who made life for the Madisons possible. "The Mere Distinction of Color" is the most impactful and technologically integrated museum exhibition I have ever seen. The grounds are open to walk in the gardens, view replicas of enslaved houses, and interactive brick making. Archeologists can also be seen uncovering more of history. The staff has created a welcoming and open environment and has included descendents of those that lived at Montpelier in many displays and videos.

Awesome tourist place with a ton of history. Definitely should see while in the area for Monticello which is only 26 miles away.

Great place to walk for free even if you don't take the tour

Great guides, historical integrity, exhibitions, and visitor center.

More people need to "meet" this president. His home is quite rural but my difficult to get to. It is a lovely home

It s nice beautiful location and learned about JM and Dolley private life (how they met, etc) . It deep step on the second floor and there is an appropriate a huge painting display on the hall (a man breastfeed by woman), which I think not suitable for kids under 18 to see. I brought elementary kids to learn about the 4th President and well .l didn t go as I expected it. Also, under wine cellar room which more touch screen technology about slavery and which history town around Virginia that had been visited by the family. The garden wasn t well taking care when visited, maybe just the fall season and rains. Picture not allowed taken as the policy, anyway I wouldn t go back.

Loved this museum. Learned so much about another of our presidents.

Loved it. Just wish I went when it was a normal tour day. They had school groups there so the house tour was different.

Terrific guide! My wife and I were very pleased with the experience.

very good tour and grounds. the guide Michelle was extremely knowledgeable about the Madison family and the property well worth it

Dr. J was an expert on all things James Madison and the history behind the forming of this great Union!!

This is a great historical and educational attraction

We have been to his home twice now and enjoy it very much. To stand in his library and realize that the Constitution was birthed in that room and how it influenced Constitutions all over the world. Wow! We were here a year ago the day before the election. The Constitution works!
I can feel his anguish concerning slavery!

Good for a sunny day. Tour guides are helpful. Not a long tour but it's an interesting one. Other than the house and huge garden there isn't much else to see.

Thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Madison's home. Our tour guide, Marcus was very knowledgeable and delivered a very informative history of the home, it's various owners, and all that visited there. The discussion included a great deal about Madison's life, what influenced him, and his work as the Father of the Constitution and his creation of our wonderfully unique form of government. The home is very well restored to Madison's ownership. We visited the gardens which I am sure must be spectacular in spring and summer (it is late December now). We had the BBQ lunch at the visitor's center which I recommend. It is a nice change from the usual poor offerings of pizza and dried burgers of similar venues.

Excellent please to visit and ever visit is different. Great place to stop on a holiday when they are not busy.

Gorgeous spot, amazing history. A must if you're in the area. 3.5 mile hike!

Beautiful Christmas open house filled with free home tours.

Montpelier seems to be dedicated to telling a more complete story of one of our founding fathers. Madison's home has been beautifully restored and the archaeological digs have produced artifacts and information about the enslaved population. It's definitely worth it to visit.

Excellent experience, take a tour they are worth it.

An absolute must visit when in the Charlottesville area.

Absolutely beautiful grounds! Tons to explore and see.

The estate is in a process of significant archeological research, digging is done in the slaves quarters and restoration of the house. It is hard to understand the significance of the place without taking the tour inside the house , which was an eye opener! The tour about slaves daily life was the most detailed I have heard so far while visitng Virgina . Unlike Monticello, the house doesn't exhibit architectural beauty but the garden is very unique !

I haven't been in over a decade! The visitor center is great as well as the tours and grounds. My daughter really enjoyed the garden and exhibits in the slave quarters.

Wonderful place to visit with the family. Great presentation of James Madison's home, and gorgeous grounds. We loved our time there!

I did an Archeological dig today there! It was a great program! I've dond things with them before and it was really awesome. Anybody can sign up to volunteer to help with dig expeditions and I highly recommend it. They aren't physically demanding" either.

Well done historical museum and property. Narrative was perfectly balanced between honoring Madison's Constitutional legacy, and also the issue of slavery intertwined with the property. Very well done!

Worth the trip. Not far from Monticello.. Allow two days so you can see both. Guides at both Montpelier and Monticello were excellent. Highly recommended.

I knew very little about James Madison before this trip. I was particularly impressed with how the Montpelier Foundation has incorporated the descendants of the Madison family's enslaved people into the exhibits. They do a great job of confronting the reality and difficulty of studying historical figures like Madison, who on the one hand was a brilliant and broad-minded intellectual, and on the other hand owned actual people. Like Washington, he never set any of his slaves free.

If you have kids, make sure you do the kid-friendly tour. They were not offering the kid-friendly tour on the day we went, and our tour was extremely dry for our group, considering 8 out of the 10 of us were under the age of 10. They do have the very ingenious addition of a room at the end of the tour filled with period toys and furniture that can be played with and touched. The visitor center also has some good interactive stuff and a couple short films.

The tour at Montpelier was professional, educational, and interesting. With fewer crowds than Monticello, I found this former Presidential home a joy to tour. I would have preferred a museum-style exhibit in the visitors center highlighting James Madison rather than the current Dupont Family exhibit.

A must do activity for visitors to the Orange area.

"We The People" James Madison Montpelier is definitely a place visit while in Virginia. The tour guide is very knowledgeable and entertaining. There are several tours through out the day. Plan on spending couple hours a Montpelier. The is a gift shop and restaurant.

There's a nice Visitor Center with an exhibit on Dolley Madison and an exhibit on the Dupont family who purchased Montpelier, and how did you policies it is there estate. The house itself and the grounds are restored well and the tour guide was extremely intelligent and able to answer many questions and offer good information on the Madisons and their contribution to the country. There are also several exhibits on slavery in the North and South Sellers as well as in the slave quarters on the grounds.

This is actually the Montpelier train station circa 1905 that visually shows the days of segregation.

We took a tour of the Madison house. The tour guide was very informative. She was not very well versed in the history of the enslaved people like Paul Jennings and Shawny extended family. We wanted to know where Paul Jennings wife lived, which plantation. The Mere Distinction of Color, the exhibit about the enslaved people and their descendants was a self- guided tour. The tour guide just told us to visit the cellars but she didn't tell us about the exhibit. We are an African American group of seniors.

Very knowledgeable guide gave us a great overview of the history of the house and the the lives of Dolley and James Madison. So interesting to hear the story of Lafayette's return years after the Revolutionary War to Montpelier and voiced his great dismay at the growth of slavery.

A piece of American history. The land and property of one of the founding fathers of this great nation. Semi self guided tour.

We had the best guide ever. I wish I could remember his name!

Very informative tour about James Madison, his family, and his home.