Thomas Jefferson Foundation

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation operates monticello, the home of the nation's third president and author of the american declaration of independence. Over the past ten years, an average of 400,000 people have visited monticello annually. Admission includes an interpretive guided tour of his home, one of our country's foremost architectural masterpieces and the only home in america named to the united nations world heritage list. In addition to admission revenue, the above total also includes gifts and grants, and sales from the retail operations of the museum shops, catalog, and online store. The revenue contributes to the preservation of monticello for future generations, which is one of the missions of the Foundation. The Foundation's restoration department is dedicated to the architectural preservation of the united nations world heritage house while the curatorial collections are under the care of a full-time curatorial department.

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation operates the robert h. smith international center for Jefferson studies, which houses the Thomas Jefferson library. The center is also devoted to education of the general public as well as scholarly research and publication, through the Jefferson library, archaeological research and publication, and other adult education programs. The robert h. smith international center for Jefferson studies also is responsible for the research and publication of 24 volumes of research, the papers of Thomas Jefferson, embracing the period from Jefferson's retirement from the presidency in march 1809 until his death in 1826, known as the "retirement series".