One of the first things my roommates and I did when we moved to DC was to make a list of things to see. Two lists, actually, one of things in the DC Metro zone and one of things within a 2 hour drive. We also aimed for things that are “off the Mall,” i.e. not the monuments or super-Smithsonians.
This weekend I had the opportunity to visit two of the sites on our list – Monticello and the George Washington Masonic Memorial.
My Monticello visit was a bit unusual because it was part of the President’s visit on the Fourth of July, so I did not get the standard tourist experience. That said, I can offer a few brief words. First off, Monticello is a ways out – about 2.5 hours from D.C. It’s relatively convenient to US 29 or Interstate 64, pretty much right off the freeway. The new visitors center, when it is finished in November, should be very impressive, but for now, it’s all under construction. The site is $15 / person to visit (it is an outrage that you must pay to visit certain historic places that remain in private hands, but that is a post for another day).
The home is on the top of a mountain and the views are impressive. The home itself is rather small – I had expected a large antebellum sized plantation home, and instead it was, well, smaller than I expected. There were also some nearby gardens, the support buildings, and the Jefferson family cemetery. Overall it was neat, I’m glad we visited, but I would not drive 2.5 hours from D.C. to spend $15 for a two-hour tour anytime soon.
While Monticello gets a C for average, I’m giving a D to the George Washington Masonic Memorial. Basically, the Masons slapped George Washington’s name on it to draw in the tourists, and then give them an hour long PR speech about how good Masonry is. You walk up an impressive set of stairs into a large main hall with a huge statue of George Washington at the end, wearing his Mason’s regalia. The tour takes you up through several floors to the top of the building. The first floor they take you to on the tour is the Washington Room, and there are several cool items from Washington’s life. Some are labeled “Family tradition holds that Mason Y wore this coat as a pallbearer at Washington’s Mason funeral,” but one or two items are worthwhile, particularly the trowel with which Washington laid the cornerstone of the US Capitol Building.
Each of the next several floors is dedicated to a particular rite within Masonry. While there are some pretty murals, if you’re not a Mason none of it is particularly interesting. Nothing is really worthwhile until you reach the top floor and the outdoor observation deck. Unfortunately, we had an overcast day, so there really wasn’t much of a view. On the whole, unless you are a Mason, you can take a pass on this one.
Last 5 posts by Daniel- Tom Barrett's Savings Plan - June 8th, 2010
- C.J. Abrahamson on J. Stevens - April 11th, 2010
- Why always Bill Bablitch? - March 24th, 2010
- Suhr on Nixon on Health Care - February 23rd, 2010
- Did the USCCB Foresee Dead People? - February 8th, 2010
Was there any parks to walk through any art work to look at? Usually that is part of the experience with those type of places. Sounds a lot like going to see Jefferson’s homestead or Mount Vernon.