James Monroe's Highland
VA - Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
2050 James Monroe Pkwy, Charlottesville, VA 22902, USA
MUSEUM
VISITOR INFORMATION
TICKET REQUIRED
Open daily, 9:30am-4:30pm, except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
FREE PUBLIC PARKING
The site is operated by William & Mary.
PUBLIC RESTROOMS
SITE FEATURES
Gardens
Surviving Structures
Peak visitation season unconfirmed. No reliable site-specific annual monthly attendance pattern was established.
April-May or October for house interpretation, grounds and generally milder countryside walks. Check the holiday calendar and current tour arrangements.
HISTORIC SITES NEARBY
Nearby Historic Sites
miles
Landmark
WHO WAS HERE
3
Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
James Monroe
About James Monroe's Highland
Encouraged by his close friend, Thomas Jefferson, Monroe purchased a deed for one thousand acres of land adjacent to Monticello in 1793 for an equal number of pounds from the Carter family. The land formerly had been a part of the Blenheim Plantation owned by Champe Carter.
James Monroe’s original presidential residence no longer survives, but archaeological foundations remain within his former estate. William & Mary protects a later historic house, reconstructed guesthouse, dependencies, gardens, farm landscape, archaeological resources, trails, exhibits, and visitor facilities at the public museum.
History happened here at James Monroe's Highland
Six years later, Monroe moved his family onto the plantation, where they resided for the next twenty-five years. In 1800, Monroe described his home as: "One wooden dwelling house, the walls filled with brick. One storey high, 40 by 30 ft. Wooden Wing one storey high, 34 by 18 ft." Over the next 16 years, Monroe continued to add onto his home, adding stone cellars and a second story to the building. He also expanded his land holdings, which at their greatest included over 3,500 acres (14 km2). However, by 1815, Monroe increasingly turned to selling his land to pay for debt. By 1825, he was forced to sell Highland completely.
PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE
James Monroe
Elizabeth Kortright Monroe
PEOPLE WHO DIED HERE
PEOPLE AT REST HERE
EXTERNAL LINKS
Highland history and exhibits: https://highland.org/discover-highland/
Highland visitor information: https://highland.org/plan-your-visit/
Highland master plan: https://highland.org/highland-master-plan/
William & Mary: Highland: https://www.wm.edu/sites/highland/
Virginia DHR register: https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/002-0099/
Accessed 2026-09-28