Mansion & Grounds

James and Dolley regularly welcomed guests to Montpelier, and the centerpiece of the Montpelier experience is the Mansion. The guided tour takes visitors through the Drawing Room, filled with art and conversation pieces, and the dining room, where they hosted dinner parties for distinguished guests, friends, and family. Also included is the Presidential Library, which is filled with books and maps that reveal the brilliant mind of James Madison.

With much more to see and do, you may continue your self-guided tour of the mansion's second floor exhibits, which includes "A Young Nation Stands: James Madison and the War of 1812" and then move on to the cellars to see Dolley’s kitchen and the enslaved community spaces..

Next, take a moment to reflect at Mr. Madison’s Temple, a neo-classical design that stands above what used to be the property’s ice-well. Then stroll the Annie duPont Formal Garden. Originally established in Madison’s time as a vegetable garden, it was redesigned in the early 1900s by Annie duPont with flowerbeds, walkways, marble statures, and urns.

Demonstration Forest Walk

Join other nature lovers on Montpelier’s Demonstration Forest Walk or Big Woods Walk

Check dates and times »