ash lawn-highland

A well preserved and presented historical site.The admission included a tour thru the house. Out guide was very knowledgeable and interacted well with her guests.Go in good weather and enjoy the self guided tour of the gardens and out buildings.

Didn't realize that 3 presidents lived near each other. Learned a lot about the friendship between Madison & Monroe. Lovely simple home with nice views also. Worth the visit.

If you are interested in the history of presidents it is worth seeing. It showcases the farm home of Monroe. The house has been added to twice since Monroe lived there, but they do a good job of highlighting the history of the times and there are many pieces on display that belonged to the Monroes. If you have an hour to spare, it is a good choice.

Our visit was on a beautiful day and the guides were very knowledgeable. The home is not the same as when James Monroe lived here. There were substantial changes added later, unfortunately, which detract from the reason we were interested in the home, the fact that a president lived here. Admittedly nothing is the same, even at Monticello or Montpelier, but at Monticello the attempt is to showcase Jefferson's home as it was when he lived there. They do have artifacts and decor much as when the Monroe's lived here, but the facade of the house is completely different from his time.It is very close to Jefferson's Monticello and a beautiful place to visit nonetheless.

It's really unusal the way the house is situated.A 20th century owner built a large farmhouse beside Monroes home with a passage way the attached the two homes.Madison's home is a cottage but a lovely one that really looks like a home not a museum.The grounds are lovely and the outbuildings are still in use for farming.There is a great deal to learn about this interesting family and the docent we had was very knowledgeable and willing to answer many questions.You will be surpised about who did live there the majority of time! Oh, and the gift shop is one the nicest and most reasonable we visted.

Tucked away on a back road, Monroe's home is modest compare to his neighbor Thomas Jefferson's house. At one time they could see one another.'s homes but the trees are too tall now. Great place for a picnic after your tour.

I have toured several historic homes and while this was not my favorite tour I still consider it a good one. The house itself is very nice and the tour though short was interesting. My favorite part was walking the grounds at my own pace. If you are traveling to the area just to tour this home you might be a little disappointed, however paired with a tour of Monticello it would be a nice day trip.

Nice historic location. The house and grounds are pretty and well maintained. The tour guide, Beth, was friendly and knowledgeable. She has a pleasant demeanor and suggested other sights to visit. I did not know very much about President Monroe and the Monroe Doctrine before the tour. I want to also visit Jefferson and Madison's homes on my next visit. Such a facinating time in US history.I would like to bring my family to visit with me the next time I am in the Charlottesville area.

We enjoyed about a one hour visit with President Monroe's home. The tour was very informative but the docent could really brush up on her public/history presentation. She was very intelligent, but the likes", "ums", and over all conjecture was too much, specifiacally when she presents herself as a biology major and not a history buff. If you're going to work at a historic sight, best to know your history and your audience (e.g., know the five states President Monroe brought into the Union). Overall, a good trip. Be sure to request the mil discount.

I find Ash Lawn to be modest and unassuming, much like its owner, James Monroe. No glitz and glamour here, but a lovely, comfortable home nonetheless with lovely views and interesting history. To have Ash Lawn, Michie Tavern, and Monticello in such close proximity is truly an historical prize, with all three well worth visiting.

Stopped here before our scheduled tour at Monticello. It is literally just down the road 2.5 miles from Monticello. I doubt this place ever gets too busy but that is a shame because it is quite an amazing piece of history. It was $14 per person to enter through their large gift shop. You then walk through some tall hedges and pass a large statue of Monroe on the way. It is a strange situation where someone added an entirely different style home and color to the original home after Monroe sold his plantation. You walk up into the 2 story addition where your guide is waiting inside. There are 2 rooms downstairs that are filled with exhibits from the time period Monroe was President. My son and I were the only 2 people on the tour we were on. Our guide was very pleasant and very knowledgeable. We spent around 30 minutes on the tour and my 15 year old son learned as much in those 30 minutes as he would have an entire week in history class. Could not believe how much of the furnishings were original to the home. Pretty amazing one of the sofas had the original fabric and the condition of it was perfect. James Monroe deserves so much more credit than he gets. He was actually injured in battle of the Revolutionary War, he was Secretary of War and State at the same time during the War of 1812 and he did the actual negotiations with Napoleon for the Louisiana Purchase. Not to mention all of this before he became President. You would be doing yourself a great disservice if you do not include this in your Monticello visit. You can spend an hour here and learn so much without any crowds.

Not having been to any historic sites in Charlottsville, I went to Ash Lawn as part of my training I was in town for. The people were very nice and knowledgeable but felt like there just wasn't enough to warrant staying more than 45 minutes, at most.

Yes, do Monticello, but please make sure you get to Ash Lawn- Highland! In many ways, this quaint place is much more historically satisfying. The tour is enlightening, highlighting the close relationship between James Monroe and Thomas Jefferson; fewer tourists but unforgettable!

Since we had time to spare while we were in the area, we decided to visit Ash-Lawn. Part of the home previously burned to the ground & it was added on to by subsequent owners, so I wasn't hoping for much. I was pleasantly surprised by the tour & the knowledgeable guide. We learned a lot about James Monroe, his relationship with his neighbor, friend & mentor, Thomas Jefferson, and the history of his time period. Even though it is much smaller than Monticello, it is definitely worth the ticket price & visit!

This humble homestead really represents what the founding fathers thought public service should be (unlike the career politician we have today). After public service you should return to your civilian life. I noticed that some on the tour were disappointed, but Monticello was the exception, not the norm for the time.