Field Trips

Poplar Forest will customize a field trip to suit the needs of your class. We offer these components:

Hands-on History Center: Students  experience life in Jefferson’s time at Poplar Forest with many hands-on activities that help them use critical thinking skills to interpret, analyze, and evaluate history. Led by the Poplar Forest Hands-on History Leader.

House: See the restoration of the first octagonal house in America, designed by Jefferson as his retreat for his post-presidency.

Grounds: Tour Jefferson’s landscape, which includes octagonal privies, sunken lawn, mounds, and poplar trees from Jefferson’s time.

Archaeology: Watch and talk to the archaeologists as they excavate an active site and screen for artifacts. 

Slave quarter site: Learn how slaves lived and worked and visit a ghost building that represents a slave cabin.

The house and grounds tours total 1.5 hours, and include an introduction to Thomas Jefferson and Poplar Forest. The tent program runs one hour. Teachers may choose all components.