Virginia

Three Friends: Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe

Program No. 9113RJ
Dive into history as you explore the legacies of three early American presidents, discovering historic architecture, period music, stunning artwork and a living-history presentation.

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DATES & starting prices
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May 12 - May 15, 2024
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899
Jun 9 - Jun 12, 2024
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899
Aug 25 - Aug 28, 2024
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Sep 22 - Sep 25, 2024
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899
Oct 11 - Oct 14, 2024
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899
Oct 20 - Oct 23, 2024
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899
Apr 13 - Apr 16, 2025
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949
Full Inventory
Apr 25 - Apr 28, 2025
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949
May 25 - May 28, 2025
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949
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Jun 13 - Jun 16, 2025
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949
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Aug 24 - Aug 27, 2025
Starting at
949
Full Inventory
Sep 12 - Sep 15, 2025
Starting at
949
Full Inventory
Oct 12 - Oct 15, 2025
Starting at
949
Oct 24 - Oct 27, 2025
Starting at
949
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Filling Fast!
May 12 - May 15, 2024
Starting at
1,099
Filling Fast!
Jun 9 - Jun 12, 2024
Starting at
1,099
Aug 25 - Aug 28, 2024
Starting at
1,099
Sep 22 - Sep 25, 2024
Starting at
1,099
Oct 11 - Oct 14, 2024
Starting at
1,099
Oct 20 - Oct 23, 2024
Starting at
1,099
Apr 13 - Apr 16, 2025
Starting at
1,159
Full Inventory
Apr 25 - Apr 28, 2025
Starting at
1,159
May 25 - May 28, 2025
Starting at
1,159
Full Inventory
Jun 13 - Jun 16, 2025
Starting at
1,159
Full Inventory
Aug 24 - Aug 27, 2025
Starting at
1,159
Full Inventory
Sep 12 - Sep 15, 2025
Starting at
1,159
Full Inventory
Oct 12 - Oct 15, 2025
Starting at
1,159
Oct 24 - Oct 27, 2025
Starting at
1,159

At a Glance

Explore the friendship among three U.S. presidents — Jefferson, Madison, Monroe — as you journey back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the time when these great men lived, worked, laughed and loved. Learn about their personal stories and the historic events that drew them together, explore their views on contemporary issues such as religion and slavery and delve into the lasting contributions each made to our nation.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to two miles per day; some uneven terrain and stairs.

What You'll Learn

  • Visit the historic homes of these American patriarchs — Jefferson's Monticello, Monroe's Highland and Madison's Montpelier.
  • Investigate the connection between Jefferson's educational vision and design of his university while strolling the grounds with an expert.
  • Enjoy an evening of music from the period in which these men lived, and meet one of them in an interactive living-history presentation.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Profile Image
Dennis Bigelow
For more than a decade, Dennis Bigelow has interpreted the character of President James Monroe for the College of William & Mary at Highland, Monroe's home in Albemarle County, Virginia. He has performed at the White House, Colonial Williamsburg, the Virginia State House, the National Archives, the Smithsonian, and other venues. He shares ancestral grandparents with Thomas Jefferson through the Randolph family as well as Chief Justice John Marshall, a great friend of Monroe and a maternal ancestral uncle.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Dennis Bigelow
Dennis Bigelow View biography
For more than a decade, Dennis Bigelow has interpreted the character of President James Monroe for the College of William & Mary at Highland, Monroe's home in Albemarle County, Virginia. He has performed at the White House, Colonial Williamsburg, the Virginia State House, the National Archives, the Smithsonian, and other venues. He shares ancestral grandparents with Thomas Jefferson through the Randolph family as well as Chief Justice John Marshall, a great friend of Monroe and a maternal ancestral uncle.
Profile Image of Miranda Burnett
Miranda Burnett View biography
Miranda Burnett, research librarian for the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society, received an MA in French from the University of South Carolina, and — after teaching high school French and Latin for a few years — earned an MS in library and information science at FSU. She moved to the Charlottesville area in 2008, becoming involved with the Scottsville Museum. She joined JMRL in 2016 as a substitute reference librarian, moving to Northside Library as a reference librarian in 2017 before accepting the position of historical collections librarian.
Profile Image of Gaye Wilson
Gaye S. Wilson View biography
Gaye Wilson is a senior fellow with the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies, the academic branch of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello. Over 25 years, she has researched, written, and published papers on Jefferson's America and the times and the people involved in the founding of the early American republic. Her latest book, 'Jefferson on Display: Attire, Etiquette, and the Art of Presentation,' was published by the University of Virginia Press in 2018.
Profile Image of Su Tarr
Su Tarr's musical talents have been obvious from childhood when she won a concerto competition at the age of 9 and played with the Cleveland Symphony. As an adult, she has played in the Charleston, Huntington (WVA), and Richmond Symphonies. Su has been a balladeer in Colonial Williamsburg since 1997. She is well known in Virginia as a singer and fiddler for Southern Horizon, a group which performs music of the American Civil War. Altogether, Su has been performing for over 42 years.
Profile Image of Bethany McGlyn
Bethany McGlyn View biography
Bethany McGlyn is a Ph.D. student and Jefferson Scholars Foundation Fellow at the University of Virginia studying slavery, craft labor, and material culture in the 18th-century American South and Atlantic World. She holds an M.A. from the University of Delaware's Winterthur Program in American Material Culture and has worked in curatorial departments at Historic Rock Ford, Historic Annapolis, the National Parks Service, and Winterthur.
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