Things To Do

Here at the Booker T. Washington Visitor Center, you can learn all about the Monument.

NPS/Linda Coldiron

Visitor Center
Begin your visit at the visitor center. Exhibits and an audio-visual presentation orient you to the life of Booker T. Washington. There is also a sales area with books and related items focusing on African American history. Park rangers and volunteers can answer your questions and assist you in making the most of your visit.

Watch Video "Measure of a Man"
https://vimeo.com/218679519

 

Each year, volunteers at the monument cultivate heritage plant varieties that were commonly grown during the mid-1800s.

Garden Area
The Booker T. Washington National Monument features a heritage garden created and maintained by the Franklin County Master Gardeners. A single volunteer serves as program coordinator, overseeing Master Gardener certification candidates who complete required gardening hours at the site. Some candidates become permanent volunteers and continue working after certification.

Permanent volunteers, as well as candidates, grow seasonal vegetables and fruits without pesticides, using heritage varieties and traditional cultivation methods. This modern stewardship reflects a longstanding tradition of gardening at the site.

 

Iceman, a traditional Morgan breed, looks out from his stall door.

Farm Area
The horse barn is home to our Morgan quarter horse. Modeled after historic examples from Franklin County, southwestern Virginia, it is believed to reflect the type of structure likely to have been present on the Burroughs farm, though its precise appearance remains unknown. The barn contains two separate areas: one for hay storage and the other for farm animal supplies. A horse barn would have played an essential role in the farm's operations.

A variety of animals were bred in the region during this period. Hogs were typically raised for salt meat for the enslaved, cattle for milk and beef for the owner's family, and sometimes sheep for mutton and wool for clothing. Because animals were mainly for subsistence, tobacco districts devoted little effort to improving stock quality before the Civil War.

 

The Plantation Trail passes by reconstructions of nineteenth century farm buildings.

Plantation Trail
The Plantation Trail is a ¼ mile loop through the historic area. It passes by reconstructions of the nineteenth century farm buildings similar to those that stood on the Burroughs Plantation when Booker T. Washington lived here as a child. You are invited to explore the open buildings and read from the park brochure about the kinds of activities that took place in each.

Continue through the reconstructed core to the tobacco barn, where, between 1800 and 1860, planters in the Piedmont region of Virginia produced large quantities of tobacco. After your visit there, return to the main grounds along a paved path bordered by rolling hills.

 

The Jack-O-Lantern Branch Heritage Trail takes you through a scenic, wooded area.

Jack-O-Lantern Branch Heritage Trail
Explore the Jack-O-Lantern Branch Trail, a 1½-mile path through fields and forests. Pick up a trail guide at the visitor center. Discover the native plants, trees, animals, and aquatic life that supported our ancestors as food, meat, and medicine.

To preserve fragile ecosystems, please do not remove or disturb any plants or animals. Be aware that ticks, snakes, stinging insects, and poisonous plants may be present in this area; remain alert for these hazards. Use caution while walking the trails and remember to leave the land as you found it.

 

Picnic tables are located in a wooded area near the visitor center.

Picnic Area
A picnic area in a wooded setting is available for your use. There you will find picnic tables, trash cans, and a water fountain. Restrooms are located next to the visitor center.

 

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