Poplar Forrest
VA - Roanoke, Virginia, USA
1776 Poplar Frst Pkwy, Lynchburg, VA 24502, USA
MUSEUM
VISITOR INFORMATION
TICKET REQUIRED
Seasonal hours: mid-January through February, 10am-4pm; March through November, 10am-5pm; December 1-30, 10am-4pm.
Both docent-guided and self-guided tour options are available, booked online in advance.
SITE FEATURES
Surviving Structures
Peak visitation season unconfirmed. No reliable site-specific monthly attendance pattern was established.
April-May or October for a confirmed Poplar Forest house visit and grounds beyond summer heat. Check seasonal hours, docent availability and holiday exclusions.
HISTORIC SITES NEARBY
Nearby Historic Sites
miles
Landmark
WHO WAS HERE
1
Thomas Jefferson
About Poplar Forrest
Poplar Forest was Thomas Jefferson’s Bedford County plantation and later retreat. During the Revolution, its land and enslaved workforce formed part of Jefferson’s agricultural holdings while he served as Virginia’s wartime governor. No battle occurred here; its significance is association with a principal author of independence.
The Corporation for Jefferson's Poplar Forest rescued the property in 1983 after fire damage and conversion to a farmhouse. Architectural restoration used original fabric, archaeology and documentary research. The corporation records completion of the villa restoration in 2023; landscape work and interpretation preserve the larger retreat.
History happened here at Poplar Forrest
Poplar Forest was Thomas Jefferson’s Bedford County plantation and later retreat. During the Revolution, its land and enslaved workforce formed part of Jefferson’s agricultural holdings while he served as Virginia’s wartime governor.
No battle occurred here; its significance is association with a principal author of independence.
PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE
PEOPLE WHO DIED HERE
PEOPLE AT REST HERE
EXTERNAL LINKS
poplarforest.org: https://www.poplarforest.org/visit/the-retreat/history/
poplarforest.org: https://www.poplarforest.org/learn/thomas-jeffersons-life-and-times/thomas-jefferson/life-at-poplar-forest/
poplarforest.org: https://www.poplarforest.org/visit/
dhr.virginia.gov: https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/009-0027/
loc.gov: https://www.loc.gov/item/va0270/
Accessed 2026-09-29