DAY TRIP: Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest Tour + Bedford Lunch
Join us on March 28, 2026, as we drive the T+T van to Forest, Virginia.
Nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and designated as National Historic Landmark, we will be treated to a docent-led tour of Thomas Jefferson’s Retreat House and its landscaped grounds learning why Jefferson was hailed as a masterpiece of landscape and architecture. We will hear stories of Jefferson’s family, the craftsmen who built the historic masterpiece, and the enslaved people who lived and labored on the plantation. We will also observe on-going masterful archeological restoration efforts of some core elements of the farm. To commemorate America’s 250th Anniversary, an original copy of the Declaration of Independence will be on display. Prior to the tour, we will lunch at Town Kitchen and Provisions located in the John Wharton Cottage (c.1848), in historic downtown Bedford.
PRICE PER PERSON: $30.00. The full amount is due when the reservation is made. Your tour ticket admission is NOT included in the registration fee. Lunch is at your own expense.
PRICE INCLUDES: Roundtrip parks and recreation transit van transportation, and a tour host.
Tour ticket admission is NOT included as pricing varies per person. Pease visit www.poplarforest.org to purchase your ticket, -or- you may purchase your ticket when we arrive at the gift shop. Lunch is at your own expense.
DEPARTURE TIME AND LOCATIONS: The van will depart at 11:00AM City of Roanoke Public Works Bldg. 1802 Courtland Rd, NE. Return time to Roanoke is around 5:30PM
📩 Questions? Contact Kathreen Walton at kathreen.walton@roanokeva.gov
Cancellation Policy: This trip requires a minimum number of paid participants by the registration deadline. If the trip is canceled due to low enrollment, all participants will receive a full refund. If you cancel your reservation before the registration deadline, you will also receive a full refund. Cancellations made after the registration deadline will result in a 50% cancellation fee.
