James Monroe's Highland

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James Monroe's Highland The historic Home of President James Monroe. We welcome visitors of all kinds to learn about the people and events of Highland. Tickets available online.
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We accept reservations for school and tour groups. President James Monroe and his wife, Elizabeth Kortright Monroe of New York, owned Highland from 1793 to 1826 and lived here intermittently during his many years in public office. The property and the Monroes’ enterprise here was supported by the work of dozens of enslaved women and men whose knowledge and labor made it possible. On April 28, 2016 we announced the results of transformative research. We had discovered the 1799 Lost and Found Main House and correctly identified the 1818 Presidential Guest Cottage through archaeology and architectural history. James Monroe's Highland is open year-round to visitors. Visitors are invited to enjoy all seasons here, with changing views and events throughout the year. Come and see the bright colors of spring, the flower and vegetable gardens in the summer, the stunning fall foliage, and the serene winter landscape adorned in December with seasonal greenery. If this is your first visit to James Monroe's Highland, we welcome you and hope you will return often to note the progress of our research and to participate in our events and programs. If you have visited before, we are grateful for your continuing interest and invite you to become a regular visitor. We hope that each of you has an enjoyable and rewarding visit.

What happened when a Revolutionary War hero returned to a nation transformed by time?Join James Monroe’s Highland on Oct...
10/15/2026

What happened when a Revolutionary War hero returned to a nation transformed by time?

Join James Monroe’s Highland on October 28 from 4:30–5:30 p.m. for a special VA250 book talk with author Ryan L. Cole, exploring his book The Last Adieu and the Marquis de Lafayette’s remarkable return to America in 1824—40 years after the Revolution.

Discover how a growing, thriving, and divided nation reflected on its revolutionary past while facing an uncertain future. The event is free and open to the public! Books will be available for purchase and signing after the program. Register today: https://highland.org/VA250-lastadieu

10/12/2026

Its Virginia Archaeology Month! Last summer, archaeologists took excavations almost six feet below the ground level for a look at the cellar of James Monroe's 1799 Main House. Thanks to some foresight and ingenuity from our good friend Larry Bouterie, you can watch the whole dig unfold in just under three minutes 😊

Follow the link to see the entire video! https://highland.org/2025-main-house-excavation-time-lapse/

What did the American Revolution look like in the rear-view mirror—and what did its future hold?On October 28, author Ry...
10/08/2026

What did the American Revolution look like in the rear-view mirror—and what did its future hold?

On October 28, author Ryan L. Cole joins us at Highland to explore Lafayette’s remarkable 1824 return to America after 40 years away. His book, The Last Adieu, offers a fascinating look at a nation transformed—and still wrestling with the legacy of the Revolution.

Stay after the program to purchase The Last Adieu and have your copy signed by the author. Registration is requested at https://highland.org/VA250-lastadieu

Fall got you feeling nostalgic? Allow us to help.It's likely that the Monroes had a well as the same location as the lit...
10/07/2026

Fall got you feeling nostalgic? Allow us to help.

It's likely that the Monroes had a well as the same location as the little well house in the first picture, taken of a youthful visitor and her mother in 1989. Like many of the features of the Highland landscape, the well has gone through a series of cosmetic changes over the past 200 years, from functional alterations to paint jobs to the eventual capping of the well for safety.

But *also* like many of the features of the Highland landscape, the well has become a recognizable landmark, and a familiar sight to visitors who return after long intervals of time. Thirty-seven years after the first photo, that same fresh-faced baby can be spotted around the property as Highland's Education Programs Manager, Dr. Lara Musser!

How have your histories crossed with Highland's?

(Also: we know it looks super fun, but please don't sit on the well when you visit. It's for professional well-models only.)

10/01/2026

A couple of handsome fellas hanging out on the !

Wake up guys, it's spooky season Monroe! He's the same as regular Monroe except now it's October. Catch him at home this...
10/01/2026

Wake up guys, it's spooky season Monroe! He's the same as regular Monroe except now it's October. Catch him at home this month for conversation about the latest in his life and times, starting this Saturday, October 3rd 🎃🎃

You can try and ask him about his favorite scary movie, but it's not "Poltergeist 2" and also he won't know what you're talking about.

Did you know that James Monroe was on University of Virginia 's Board of Visitors? The man couldn't stop administrating....
09/30/2026

Did you know that James Monroe was on University of Virginia 's Board of Visitors? The man couldn't stop administrating.

Nominated for the vacant seat left by Jefferson's death in 1826, Monroe found himself for the first time in ten years working side by side with his old friend and now-rector James Madison. The two retired presidents worked behind the scenes during the University's early years, and their roles put Monroe in close contact with many inaugural faculty members-- all of whose names students will now recognize from the sides of UVA sites and buildings (shoutout to , , and for starters 💁🏻

We see Monroe communicating with one such faculty member in September 1829. An accomplished English obstetrician trained at the Royal College of Surgeons, Robley Dunglinson was UVA's first full time professor of medicine and anatomy. Monroe writes to introduce him to "a son of Dr. Cochrane, a friend of neighbor of mine in this county" who hopes to study medicine under Dunglinson's tutelage. He ends the short letter with a note of pride about the young university:

"It affords me great pleasure, to find, that our university gains credit, throughout our state, as I trust and believe it does, throughout the union."

Trust James Monroe to find a really wordy way to say "Wahoo-wah" 😎

09/25/2026

Check out this cutie! It's been some time since one of our neighborhood bears made a daytime appearance on our trail cam.

Tomorrow at Highland! Don’t miss this thought-provoking conversation about what 1776 means to us in 2026.Join us as we w...
09/22/2026

Tomorrow at Highland! Don’t miss this thought-provoking conversation about what 1776 means to us in 2026.

Join us as we welcome historians Frank Cogliano and Nick Guyatt on September 23 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. for Highland’s 250 Book Series discussion of The American Revolution at 250: Twenty-Four Ideas to Consider.

Space is limited—make your plans now and join us for an engaging conversation about the Revolution, its legacy, and its meaning today! Register at https://highland.org/BookVA250

Address

2050 James Monroe Pkwy
Charlottesville, VA
22902

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Saturday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Sunday 9:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+14342938000

Website

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