This national treasure commemorates the birthplace of Booker T. Washington – America’s most prominent African American educator, orator and influential statesman of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The park comprises 239 acres, including most of the tobacco plantation’s original 207 acres, as well as a recreated 1850’s tobacco farm with farm buildings. Demonstrations of farm life in Civil War Virginia help bring to life the setting of Washington’s childhood.

The monument features a visitor center with exhibits on Washington’s life and legacy, and an audio-visual presentation interpreting his career and accomplishments.The park also features a picnic area in a wooded setting, farm area with sheep, pigs, horses and chickens, and a garden area where you can learn about gardening techniques used in the 1850s.

A self-guiding tour along the Plantation Trail, a 1/4 mile loop, leads you through the historic section of the park where you are invited to explore the open buildings. Native plants and trees grow along Jack-O-Lantern Branch Heritage Trail – a 1.5 mile trail which winds through fields, forests and many acres of the property. Trail guides are available at the visitor center.

Open daily, year-round, 9 am to 5 pm. Closed Thanksgiving Day, December 25, and January 1.

For group tours and special events information, contact the park staff at (540) 721-2094.