(Trip: Double-occupancy) History Alive: Mount Vernon, Monticello, and University of Virginia Academical Village

Mt. Vernon | Available

double-occupancy rate per person
10/21/2025-10/23/2025
6:30 AM-7:30 PM EST on Tue Wed Th
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$690.00
$645.00

(Trip: Double-occupancy) History Alive: Mount Vernon, Monticello, and University of Virginia Academical Village

Mt. Vernon | Available

History comes to life on this trip across Virgina. On this three-day trip, explore Virginia’s natural beauty and rich history. On Day 1 and 2, visit the homes of former early American presidents; George Washington’s Mount Vernon located on the banks of the Potomac and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, a mountaintop plantation outside Charlottesville, Virginia. Day 3 will start with a guided tour of the Academical Village on the University of Virginia’s campus, a UNESCO World Heritage site followed by time on your own to explore and have lunch at Charlottesville’s historic pedestrian Downtown Mall.

Day 1: George Washington’s Mount Vernon
George Washington frequently quoted the Bible phrase, “I will sit under the shadow of my own Vine and Fig tree (Micah 4:4),” in reference to his love and longing to be at Mount Vernon. Enjoy a guided tour of Mt. Vernon, the plantation home of George and Martha Washington. After the house tour, you will have free time to visit the Donald W. Reynolds Museum to learn about the people who lived and worked at Mt. Vernon, the Washington tombs and the Mt. Vernon gardens and farm buildings.

Day 2: Thomas Jefferson's Monticello
Thomas Jefferson, third president, philosopher, scientist, historian, and author of the Declaration of the Independence, helped establish the foundations of self-government and individual freedom we know today. In 1987, Monticello and the University of Virginia’s Academical Village were together named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Monticello is the only U.S. presiden­tial and private home on the UNESCO World Heritage List. You will learn about Jefferson and his vision for America, the realities of slavery on the Monticello plantation, and the mountaintop’s iconic architecture. The guided tour includes first floor spaces, the West Lawn and the South Wing. After the tour you will have time to explore the gardens and other exhibits.

Day 3: Academical Village, University of Virginia
The Academical Village on the University of Virginia’s campus, along with Monticello, is one of only four man-made structures in the United States to be named a World Heritage Site. Jefferson envisaged a campus where students and professors would live in a village type setting surrounded by a lawn and living quarters. In 1976 the American Institute of Architects pronounced the village as the nation’s greatest architectural achievement in its first 200 years. We will have a historian-led walking tour of The Lawn and buildings with an emphasis on Jefferson’s vision and architectural genius. Following the tour, enjoy time on your own to explore Charlottesville’s historic Downtown Mall, which is one of the longest of its kind in the country.

Cost per person
Member pricing:
$645/person, double-occupancy
$848/person, single-occupancy

Nonmember pricing
$690/person, double-occupancy
$893/person, single occumpancy

Included in cost: Bus transportation, lodging, three guided tours, and admission to two museums. Breakfast is included with hotel room costs. Not included in cost: three lunches, three dinners

View the full itinerary on our website: https://olli.psu.edu/travel-opportunities/

  • This trip will be depart from and return to the Fullington Bus Station, State College. On the trip to Virginia, the bus will stop at Penn State York campus to pick up travelers (overnight parking on York campus will be arranged). On the return trip, those that are traveling from York campus/area will take a shuttle van from Breezewood to York campus. 

    Physical activity of this trip:     Moderate amount of walking, museum/exhibit walking, outdoor walking, some accessible areas.

    Double-Occupancy Room Policy
    If you register for double-occupancy and request a roommate, OLLI will assist with finding a roommate. If a roommate is not recruited by the registration deadline, you will be required to pay the difference for a single-room occupancy.

    Trip Cancellation and Refund Policy
    Local Trips or Those Planned by OLLI: A $25 cancellation fee plus any non-refundable down payment charges OLLI has incurred on the participant’s behalf (admission fees, tickets, meals, transportation, etc.) will be retained by OLLI. The remaining balance of the trip fee will then be refunded. If OLLI is able to find a replacement from a waitlist (please note that not all trips have a waitlist), only the $25 drop fee will be retained. The remaining balance of the trip fee will then be refunded. Participants who cancel their reservation for a trip with a waitlist may not find their own replacement.

    Call the OLLI office to cancel your trip:
    University Park: 814-867-4278