The historic home of our fourth President, James Madison and his dynamic wife, Dolley, is waiting for your visit. Currently undergoing restoration, touring this incredible building and property is a unique and unforgettable experience. Situated on 2,750 original acres, with Old Growth Forest, over 130 buildings, formal gardens and horses galore, the 22 Room Madison Mansion is the crown jewel that captivates visitors.

Nowhere else can you get an up front view of the on-going efforts to completely restore a Presidential home – and actually talk to the architectural archeologists and highly skilled men and women who are doing the work. New discoveries are made daily, adding to the excitement you will feel during your visit. You will learn the value of a mouse nest, understand how the last owners, the DuPont's, recycled much of the original material when they made changes, see the Jeffersonian influence on several features, and discover how investigation revealed where original internal doors and stairs were located.  Best of all, you get to see, first hand, the restoration.

Archaeological sites dot the property, from the original entryway to Montpelier, to Civil War encampments, to the Gilmore House, home to a former enslaved African-American – James Gilmore – who built a cabin on his newly purchased land in the late 1860’s.

Regularly, throughout the day, guides present PowerPoint briefings on the restoration and lead visitors on restoration tours of the mansion's first and second floors. The Montpelier web site www.montpelier.org gives detailed information, lists special events, and provides you with additional details concerning James Madison, his wife Dolley, the DuPont's, the mansion, the grounds and the restoration. Montpelier can be reached at 540-672-2728.

While visiting Montpelier, why not spend some time in Historic Orange and Madison Counties.   Stay a night or two in one of the extraordinary B&Bs and Inns that have made the Montpelier area a destination for those escaping from the stress of work, traffic, and the challenges of today’s life.