Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest Review

Out of the way historic gem! Continuing restorations ensure that every visit holds something new. After hours tours and special programs are wonderful additions. We visit at least twice a year and are particularly fond of the Barrels, Bottles & Casks tour as well as the candlelight Christmas tour.

If you love American history, this is a must visit. The history is interesting with very knowledgable guides to walk you through the property.

Thomas Jefferson's home is always such a relaxing place to go. The summer theatre performances at night on the grounds are a great highlight of our summer.

Sorta interesting place to visit...not at the top of my list to visit. Admired by the building skills and craftmanship of black slaves...free labor...ashame we have to pay to see it now. There should be a free month sometime during the year, come on. Tour guides are nice people...they have a scripted version of this place. How many slaves were whipped...hung...how many hours were they forced to work, including young girls and boys without food or water...how many died from exhaustion...how many slaves did he have? How long do you think it took to build this getaway for him using men, women, and children 12 or more hours everyday using only your hands and the sweat off your back, no mechanical equipment? Let's share that piece of history with everyone visiting. There are generations of family members of those slaves still in that area. Many were fathered by him. It would be awesome for all people to see the good and bad that took place here and to hear from relatives from ALL of his decendants. Let the truth be told...that's history.

Best to follow their directions. If you take Bateman Bridge Rd off 221, you;ll have to cross a very narrow one lane bridge. By coming in off Bateman Bridge road you have a grand view of the house as you approach it. Definitely, worth coming in this way unless you have a RV, then pull into the parking lot at the rear of the house, off Foxhall Dr

The house is under restoration but still very much worth the time to visit. I learned a bunch of stuff both about Jefferson & Poplar Forest as well as building information of older homes.

Dreamy forest to stroll around, to hear birds songs and appreciate trees

Another look at the life of one of the founders of our country.

Jefferson was an amazing man. Find out what you didn't know about this brilliant individual. Beautiful property. Don t miss this.

This was my second time here and it has changed a lot since the last time I went. Our guide this time, Ann Jackson, was very friendly and knowledgable.

Been to Monticello dozens of times but my first visit to Poplar Forest. The staff is obviously passionate about retaining the history of the place, very knowledgeable and accomadating. We really enjoyed the place and hope to go back in a few years to see the progress they have made.

Great place to get an inside look at how Thomas Jefferson spent his downtime . The tour of the house gave lots of information on each room and how it might have looked originally.

Beautiful, quiet,and relaxing. In addition to the tours they have a beer tasting festival every April. One of my favorite places.

Beautiful park. Interesting tour led by docent. Looking forward to another visit.

Very interesting. Guide was very informative. Great gift shop. Very pleasant self walking tour. Jefferson was just an amazing individual. Not perfect , but amazing.

Beautiful and historic, was there for shakespeare under the stars!

Absolutely a must for Thomas Jefferson fans. Great history!!!

Actually i never got to see the house or any surrounding. I'm a handicap senator citizen and the only way in was to pay $16 at the front entrance of the whole Park. We were really looking forward to seeing this esp. my husband. I had no idea what happened adis they and no sign to tell me .

Great bit of American history only somewhat recently open to the public. Great tour guide, Rob Palmer. Still undergoing restoration, so you can still see some of the unique construction methods.

Great experience except for the rain
Half of the tour is outside. Our guide, Ron, was full of information. He took us through the house. Be warned that the house is not finished yet so you are viewing the unfinised house. Overall, a great tour.

A nice afternoon's visit -fascinating home construction and history to boot. The grounds are very pleasant to roam. One could imagine what the property was like 200 years ago.

One of the best learning experiences and tours are great

Great place to visit. Scenic. Good guides. The only reason it's not a 5 star is because they are still doing a lot of renovation and didn't have very many amenities for the guests. But I hope that will change soon!

Inspiring. Educational tour. Knowledgeable docents.

We watched an annual play on the lawn of Popular Forest. It was an idea setting for the play and an evening with family and friends.

Stopped by because my friend had never been and it just so happened to be a wine festival. Had alot of fun and met alot of really nice folks.

We have visited Poplar Forest several times. It is a wonderful place. The house always has a newly added restored feature. It is a work in progress. The tours are smaller and more personal than Monticello.

Christmas light tour was a wonderfully way to spend an evening during the holiday season

I enjoyed the tour and learned more about Jefferson's life.

Wonderful restoration of TJ's country house. Beautiful.

A beautiful way to spend a day. The house is amazing, with really pretty grounds. The tour was really informative.

My family and I enjoy coming to Poplar Forest. It's a more low-key experience than Monticello, but it's more intimate, and easier to see all that is available. The staff is always gracious and knowledgeable. Poplar Forest also serves as a neat venue for tastings and performances that are made more special by the setting.

My fourth grader is super into history. We made an impromptu trip to Poplar Forrest and she loved it!

The groups are small right now due to COVID-19. Beautiful and full of history!

We will likely visit again!

Awesome what an intelligent man Thomas Jefferson was especially when you compare him to modern-day presidents the man was just awesome but he did end up at a dead or when he died

Work continues at Poplar Forest to bring this home back to the way Thomas Jefferson planned it. There was a fire shortly after Jefferson's death that completely destroyed all but the brick shell. The octagon-shaped house made for rooms that are quite unusual! This was his place of retreat when Monticello's visitors overwhelmed him. Floors, doors, and plaster are done, and the process of adding all the wood trim inside is in operation. Worth the visit now, but eventually going to be a must see! The only man I know who built brick privvies!

Thomas Jefferson's retreat is a very interesting architectural project. It is a great experience to learn more about Jefferson and his ideas

Splendid property and knowledgeable, friendly staff. Stop by and your an interesting home.

Beautiful destination for a walk on a crisp winter morning.

My son and I had a beautiful learning experience at this museum... The tour guide was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Great day

Great gift shop. Wide Variety and high quality items.

Beautiful area with fantastic history. Guides here are very knowledgeable of the area. My wife and I enjoyed our time on the property

If you love American history this is a "go to" place.
The exhibits are well done. For instance, Lynchburg has a Batteau (shallow draught boat used for transport) festival. Every year around June. I had been to the festival and was able to make a firm connection between it and an exhibit displayed at Poplar Forest.
There is an exhibit there about this mode of transport which was used by Jefferson to transport his goods for sale.
The researchers here are always discovering and adding to what is known.
You won't regret going. Pick a day when the weather is suitable for walking around the grounds after touring.

While not as popular or grand as Monticello, this place has a lot to offer for history buffs, including the fact that TJ had a weird thing for octagons. It's possible to do Poplar Forest and Monticello in one day--it'll be sure to impress the tour guides!

Another wonderful evening/annual performance of 1776. Grateful to Poplar Forest for doing this every year.

Great tour, very interesting to see the work in progress to restore house and grounds.

Good price, easy walk, nice restoration taking place, knowledgeable staff.

What an Incredible an intricate detailed house Thomas Jefferson designed. The tour guides are great, friendly and give you an in depth tour of the house. Make sure you spend sometime in the bottom portion of the house. If you love history this is a must stop.

My son's 3rd grade class went here on a field trip last week and it was a lot of fun. Very interactive and hands on for the kids. The grounds are beautiful and well maintained. The gift shop was inexpensive which usually isn't the case for places like this. We'll definitely go back!

One of our favorite places to visit. Rich in history as well as peaceful and beautiful.

Great tour. Staff very helpful and knowledgeable. Don't miss this octagon house.

Beautiful property. Helpful staff. Lots of great history to explore. Many events.

Excellent tour. Very informative lecture on slavery.