Monticello Explorer

As visitors pass through each room of Monticello, Jefferson’s architectural vision gives structure to his ceaseless curiosities and diverse accomplishments, while the artifacts and stories encountered in each location make Jefferson, his ideas, and his world apparent. This place-based storytelling Web site provides multiple modes for diverse audiences to connect locations—outside and in—with database records. Either through self-discovery or mediated tours, records in the Monticello collection are revealed in context with rich visualizations of spaces. The house was accurately recorded with laser scans and recreated in 3-D. Visitors can navigate through the 3-D house, look in any direction and access images, objects, and information related to each room through which they pass. The tours provide “auto-play” opportunities, allowing visitors to experience the site with narrated movies that guide them from room to room. A scalable interactive map displays buildings, roads, paths, farms, fields, and other features according to the time period selected. Visitors can zoom in and out to change their view, select locations, and access related materials. The collection is fully searchable, and the site will continue to grow with the addition of more artifacts, stories, and archeological discoveries.