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All 33 Charlottesville Attractions »

Ash Lawn-Highland

1000 James Monroe Parkway, Charlottesville, VA 22902
434-293-9539
4.0 of 5 stars 64 Reviews
Type: Historic Sites
Description: Operated by The College of William and Mary, this historic site is the home of James Monroe, fifth president of the United States.
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64 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
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Date Rating
Washington DC, District of Columbia
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 22, 2012 NEW

Ash Lawn-Highland is only a 2 minute drive from the more famously known Monticello. A friend and I stumbled on to it after discovering Monticello tours were sold out for the day. The property is gorgeous, with a magnificent tree lined driveway, and a breathtakingly beautiful white oak tree overlooking the boxwood gardens. The property is a working farm, so... More

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Bedford, Kentucky
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 16, 2012

It wasn't as fancy and pretentious as Monticello, but it had a homey feeling. These were real people leading real lives. I think I liked it even better than Monticello. I felt comfortable there. The tour guide really knew her history. She was friendly and answered all of our questions with a smile (even the stupid ones.) More

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See 2 more reviews by susiew1971 for Charlottesville
ontario
Top Contributor
132 reviews 132 reviews
Reviews in 21 cities Reviews in 21 cities
21 helpful votes 21 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 15, 2012

Of all of the stately houses I visited during my trip this is the one I most enjoyed. this was only partially because of the excellent guide who helped us tour the house and grounds. The estate itself is very understated and well kept. The scale is much smaller than Monticello or Montpelier. I would recommend it as an antidote... More

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See 5 more reviews by ericon991 for Charlottesville
Napa, California
Top Contributor
114 reviews 114 reviews
Reviews in 64 cities Reviews in 64 cities
89 helpful votes 89 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 14, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

I am a huge fan of all the Founding Fathers so I really enjoyed the tour of President James Monroe's Ash Lawn-Highland. The drive up to the house is beautifully lined with huge trees. The grounds are well maintained. Parking was easy and there were signs directing you where to go. Once checked in (we had President's Passes) we were... More

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See 3 more reviews by WorldWanderer99 for Charlottesville
Michigan
Top Contributor
59 reviews 59 reviews
Reviews in 37 cities Reviews in 37 cities
63 helpful votes 63 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 13, 2012

We are avid visitors to America's historical homes and wouldn't miss an opportunity to see that of one of our presidents. That said, the Ash Lawn-Highland tour was 'modest', to put it kindly - and we visited Jefferson's home several years ago, so it was not for attempting to compare the two that we left unimpressed. There's a $12 fee... More

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See 2 more reviews by MichiganCookies for Charlottesville
Amherst, NH
Top Contributor
54 reviews 54 reviews
Reviews in 30 cities Reviews in 30 cities
39 helpful votes 39 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 12, 2012

A good contrast between Monticello, this was a much more low key place, albeit in a great setting. More

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See 3 more reviews by NH_Joe for Charlottesville
Rochester, New York
Senior Contributor
37 reviews 37 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
20 helpful votes 20 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 7, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

Really a special tour that should not be missed. It is not on the same level as Monticello or Montpellier, which have much bigger houses and grounds with far more elaborate presentations. This is precisely why Ash Lawn is special however: it is smaller, more intimate, with many of the original furniture pieces, art work, and house detailing, all of... More

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See 3 more reviews by SpanishTroubadour for Charlottesville
Washington DC, District of Columbia
Senior Contributor
30 reviews 30 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 7, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

But since it is a few miles from Monticello, it is a great combination. More

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See 3 more reviews by Skipper090 for Charlottesville
Abbotsford, Canada
Contributor
19 reviews 19 reviews
Reviews in 17 cities Reviews in 17 cities
62 helpful votes 62 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 25, 2012
3
people found this review helpful

After visiting Monticello I noticed a sign for Ash Lawn-Highland and decided to check it out. I was so glad that I did. The highlight was the tour guide. He was amazing, and really made the tour special. The house itself is nothing like Monticello or Montpelier, but the history that I learned through the tour guide was top notch. More

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Alexandria, Virginia
Senior Contributor
21 reviews 21 reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed April 23, 2012
4
people found this review helpful

When we showed up a tour was just getting started so we did not have to wait. But beware, I have heard of many people having to wait for a long time if they arrive well in advance of a tour. This is a much more intimate tour than Monticello and it really gives you insight to Monroe. I really... More

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See 4 more reviews by PumpkinSpiceLatte for Charlottesville

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