Montpelier exhibits

To explore the exhibits of Montpelier is an opportunity to weigh past against present—the seeds of a government of the people that emerged amid an enslaved community of a working 18th-century plantation. The exhibits at James Madison’s Montpelier are a tribute to the Father of the Constitution and author of the Bill of Rights and the nation’s first acknowledged “First Lady.” 

It’s a campus for constitutional study and a historic equestrian facility. Montpelier’s exhibits and tours are a testament to the various iterations of this pastoral, 2,650-acre property in the heart of Central Virginia.

“The Mere Distinction of Colour”

Perhaps Montpelier’s most popular and challenging exhibit is “The Mere Distinction of Colour,” so named after Madison’s quote: “We have seen the mere distinction of colour made in the most enlightened period of time, a ground of the most oppressive dominion ever exercised by man over man.”

The groundbreaking exhibit offers an intimate and evolving portrait of the enslaved community of Montpelier. Backed by nearly two decades of research, the exhibit explores the complex legacy of slavery in both the origin of a new nation and its lasting impact in our modern experience. The exhibit features architecturally and archaeologically accurate period structures in the Montpelier South Yard, with narratives of the property’s enslaved individuals as told through their descendants. 

Interactive and engaging exhibits in the cellars of the main house highlight the contradiction of a government created to enshrine freedom and liberty while tacitly protecting the driving economic engine of slavery.

“Color Through a Child’s Eyes”  

“Color Through a Child’s Eyes” is a companion exhibit that encourages children and adults to explore slavery from a child’s perspective. Interactive elements within the South Yard share stories of children enslaved on the plantation with artifacts and accounts.

“Mysteries of Montpelier”

Ever wonder about the items you don’t see on display at a historic site, museum or gallery? 

Those very items comprise the ever-evolving “Mysteries of Montpelier,” which includes the diverse and sometimes disparate range of artifacts discovered and collected across the 2,650-acre property that was a working plantation, presidential home, private residence, equestrian empire and more. 

“Mysteries of Montpelier” highlights the transformation and adaptation of the property throughout nearly three centuries. The collection includes Native American artifacts, items unearthed from the enslaved community’s workshops and cabins, and items belonging to the Madisons and duPonts (who ultimately turned the property over to the National Trust for Historic Preservation). 

The rotating exhibit is located in the Joe and Marge Grills Gallery in the David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center.

Gilmore Cabin and 1910 Train Depot

Other exhibits at the Montpelier property include the Gilmore Cabin and Farm, the first freedman site in the United States. The cabin offers a frozen-in-time glimpse into the life of the emancipated George Gilmore who had been born into slavery at Montpelier in 1810. The restored cabin and farm illustrate the life of newly freed slaves and their families in the Reconstruction Era.

Nearby, the 1910 Train Depot at Montpelier Station is a permanent exhibit preserved as a segregated train station illustrating the struggle for civil rights in the Jim Crow South.

The Gilmore Cabin and Farm and the 1910 Train Depot are located near the Montpelier entrance on Route 20. Parking is available at both sites and on Montpelier Road.

Discover how to Hike the Trails of Montpelier highlights HERE.

See our Visitor’s Overview of James Madison’s Montpelier HERE.

See the official site of James Madison’s Montpelier HERE.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: For more than 25 years, Jeff Poole was the editor of his hometown newspaper—the Orange County Review. Most recently, he authored “Charles J. Stick and His Gardens.”