A New Look At Our American Story
The Mere Distinction of Colour is a new multimedia exhibition that offers visitors the opportunity to hear the stories of those enslaved at Montpelier told by their living descendants, and explore how the legacy of slavery impacts today’s conversations about race, identity, and human rights. The exhibition includes both an interior interactive house tour and newly constructed exterior dwellings constructed from historical findings.
More to see on grounds:
Annie duPont Formal Garden
This stunning enclosed 2-acre garden incorporates many of the perennials in the early duPont garden – many varieties of bearded and Japanese iris, Day Lilies, and Peonies – along with other plant materials common to the period.
Queen of Hearts: Dolley Madison in Popular Culture
During her lifetime Dolley Madison was called a “queen of hearts” for her engaging manners and animated conversation. Only a quarter-century after her death, Dolley’s name and image began to appear on cigar boxes, milk bottles, and packaging for cakes, ice cream, and household products. See the exhibition on how and why America’s first First Lady became an advertising icon.
Gilmore Cabin
A Freedman’s Farm
George Gilmore was born a slave at Montpelier around 1810. Following his emancipation after the Civil War, he purchased land across the street from what are now the gates of Montpelier, and built his family’s cabin in 1873.
Train Depot
The picturesque 1910 train depot is located adjacent to the Montpelier gates and houses the permanent exhibition “In the Time of Segregation”.
