Local tourism officials and destinations are banding together to cash in on Smithsonian Institute exhibition on Thomas Jefferson and slavery with a cooperative marketing program designed to encourage tourism to the area.
The Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau, Monticello and Montpelier are sponsoring the Presidents Passport program, starting in January. The two historic sites would serve as key destinations for tourists and Smithsonian visitors to learn more about American history and slavery after attending the Washington D.C. exhibit.
“We have more than 50 different partners and we’ve put together a great program that’s literally a passport that can be stamped,” said visitor’s bureau Executive Director Kurt Burkhart. “We’re hoping to bring visitors down from Washington and to send local visitors back the other way, as well.”
“Slavery at Jefferson’s Monticello: Paradox of Liberty” exhibition is the joint effort of Monticello and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. It opens at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History on the National Mall on Jan. 27.
Monticello will debut an exhibit on slavery at the site’s Mulberry Row on Feb. 17 to bring stories of the slaves and freemen who lived and worked on Jefferson’s 5,000-acre plantation.
Montpelier will offer an exhibit depicting living and working quarters for domestic and skilled slaves during James Madison’s time. The South Yard of the Orange County historic site includes newly constructed frames of outbuildings, including smokehouses, an outdoor kitchen and slave quarters.
The buildings are located where the original buildings stood.
Visitors participating in the passport program can register online for regional travel tips and special offers.
“The passport is designed to capture the attention of visitors to the exhibition in D.C., and offer them a deeper exploration of the topic by coming to our area, where they can immerse themselves in history, and enjoy all that we have to offer,” said Leslie Greene Bowman, president and CEO of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which operates Monticello.
Passports, which are free, will be available on-site at the Smithsonian Exhibition in D.C. as well as at Monticello, Montpelier and the visitor’s bureau in downtown Charlottesville. Passports will also be downloadable online at www.monticello.org on Jan. 27
The program is supported by more than $180,000 from the visitor’s bureau, Monticello, Montpelier and the Virginia Tourism Corporation, which supplied a $50,000 grant.
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