James Madison’s Montpelier strives to provide the best possible accessibility to the House, grounds, and facilities to meet our visitors’ diverse abilities and needs. Spending time at Montpelier, however, involves a fair amount of standing and walking, including a 2/3 mile round-trip walk with an incline from the David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center to the House.

Parking

There are eight handicapped parking spaces available at the Visitor Center.

Restrooms

Handicap accessible restrooms, each with a water fountain nearby, are located both in the Visitor Center and a short walk from the north end of the House. There are no restrooms in the House.

Limited Mobility

Visitors with limited mobility are advised to build extra time into their schedules.

All paths in visitor core areas are wheelchair accessible. With the cellars, the House is three stories. Only the first floor and cellars of the House are wheelchair accessible. All second floor exhibits are available in the form of booklets and individual DVD players.

If you need assistance with mobility, we recommend that you bring your own wheelchair. Three standard wheelchairs and 3 electric scooters are available are available at the Visitor Center at no extra charge on a first-come, first-served basis.

Hearing Impaired

Films in the Visitor Center, House, and cellars are closed-captioned. Printed house tour scripts are also available for the deaf and hearing-impaired.
Free admission to an interpreter with the purchase of House tour.

Visually Impaired

Blind and partially sighted visitors can experience their tour with more in-depth visual descriptions. Certified service dogs are allowed in the House when utilized for assisted care.

Dogs

Only leashed dogs are allowed on the grounds of Montpelier. No other pets are allowed.
Service animals, in compliance with the U.S. Department of Justice’s ADA requirements, are welcome at Montpelier, including in buildings and exhibits. Emotional support animals are not permitted inside the house, buildings or exhibits.