Visit Charlottesville

The historic Paramount Theater a Charlottesville landmark built in 1931 offers a wide variety of live art performances. Check their website for performance schedule. On November 25, 1931, The Paramount Theater of Charlottesville, Virginia opened its doors as one of the last grand "movie palaces" during the golden age of cinema. With its exceptional sight lines and astounding acoustics, The Paramount Theater became a landmark and an integral part of Central Virginia's community life over the next four decades. Designed by the Chicago architectural firm of Rapp & Rapp, and built by Percival Hunter Faulconer and Hollis Rinehart, The Paramount Theater was contextual to the community, an homage to Thomas Jefferson in his hometown. The art deco style, typical of 1930s movie theaters, was abandoned. The Paramount boasts a stately Georgian façade, elegant lobby, magnificent chandeliers, classical seat decoration, 18th-century style colonial scenes painted on silk panels and an ornate auditorium. The Paramount thrived through the depression era finally closing its doors on June 30, 1974. It is the last historical Paramount Theater still standing in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Located at the very heart of Charlottesville's Downtown Mall, The Paramount Theater was threatened with demolition in the late 80s and early 90s, by developers who planned to build a parking garage or retail/office building on its site. In 1992, a group of community leaders purchased The Paramount Theater and founded The Paramount Theater, Inc. Following eighteen months of renovation and expansion, the fully restored Paramount Theater now once again welcomes the public for host of national acclaimed performance through the year.

James Monroe’s Highland is a historic site with a new story to tell. America’s fifth president lived at Highland sporadically from 1799 to 1823. Monroe sold the house and the fields immediately surrounding it in 1826, and the Bank of the United States sold the remaining farmland in 1828. The history of Highland includes James Monroe, his wife Elizabeth Kortright Monroe, and their family, as well as many enslaved men, women, and children. Between the untold stories of enslaved people, a fire that destroyed the main residence, and property changes by later owners, mystery and misunderstanding surrounded the site for years. Only now are historians and archaeologists peeling back the layers of history to uncover Highland’s complete past. The Monroes’ original residence, built in 1799, burned down around the mid-1800s. Later owners contributed the name “Ash Lawn,” which was linked to the property’s name for more than a century. In 2016 it reverted to its name given by the Monroes.

The Monticello Wine Trail remains the wine world’s best kept secret, where boutique wineries produce small quantities of high-quality wines, shared with family, friends and visitors. One day our secret will be uncovered and the wine world will shine its brightest light on this region. Until then, it remains ours, yours, and Jefferson’s, The Sage of Monticello, and America’s First Wine Connoisseur. With this in mind, we invite you to Discover the Birthplace of American Wine.

For almost 90 years, Monticello has been maintained and kept open to the public by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc., which owns over 2,500 acres of Jefferson's 5,000-acre plantation. As a private, nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation, the Foundation receives no ongoing federal, state, or local funding in support of its dual mission of preservation and education.

A dynamic place where history is intertwined with a thriving city center. This vibrant historic district is replete with live theater, music and cinema. Enjoy the limitless dining choices and specialty shops for every taste, all located along seven blocks on brick- and tree-lined streets once walked on by Jefferson, Madison and Monroe. The classic and the contemporary dwell side by side, creating an energy and excitement that draws praise from the Washington Post, New York Times and numerous magazines that all rate Charlottesville as one of the “Top 10 Places” for you and your family to visit. Come see what they are talking about.

MICHIE TAVERN, located ½ mile below Jefferson’s Monticello, accommodated travelers with food, drink and lodging more than 200 years ago. Today, visitors experience the Tavern’s past through an historical journey which recreates 18th-century tavern life. Servers in period attire offer bountiful Colonial Midday Fare. The rustic restaurant setting renders a lunch dining experience rich in southern culture and hospitality for families to enjoy. Get a taste of the 18th-century as we feature a buffet of southern fried chicken, marinated baked chicken, hickory-smoked pork barbecue, stewed tomatoes, black-eyed peas, buttermilk biscuits and so much more. Guests may further savor the past through a lively interactive tour of the oldest section of the Tavern where their 18th century counterparts socialized. A tour of this Virginia Historic Landmark reveals lifestyles and customs of 18th century patrons. Visitors are invited to dance a colonial reel and play tavern games. After a leisurely lunch and tour, guests may enjoy relaxed shopping in four unique shops – all housed in distinct historic structures.The Tavern-Museum Shop, The Metal Smith Shop, The Clothier and The General Store each provide a one-of-a-kind experience above and beyond plentiful shopping opportunities.