No other home in the United States more accurately reflects the personality of its owner than Monticello. Monticello is the autobiographical masterpiece of Thomas Jefferson—designed and redesigned and built and rebuilt for more than forty years—and its gardens were a botanic showpiece, a source of food, and an experimental laboratory of ornamental and useful plants from around the world.
One of the longest pedestrian malls in the country – eight blocks laid with brick and concrete and refurbished in 2009 – the Downtown Mall is home to an array of restaurants (many have outdoor seating, which is perfect for people watching), mostly locally-owned boutique shops, offices and art galleries