Booker T. Washington National Monument in Virginia, USA - map and visitor information

Research checked: 2026-10-30. Check linked official notices before travel.

Booker T. Washington National Monument in Hardy, Virginia, preserves the place where the educator was born into slavery. Plan a visit to the reconstructed farm setting and a walk through the surrounding landscape. The grounds and visitor center have different opening schedules.

Connect the historic farm with a landscape walk

The reconstructed kitchen cabin and smokehouse help explain the Burroughs farm setting. The Jack-O’-Lantern Branch Heritage Trail adds a 1.5-mile walk through fields, forest and stream habitats. Choose the historic core first if your group does not want the longer outing.

Know before you go

Fees, hours, and seasonal access

Prepare for trail surfaces and ticks

Wear sturdy shoes and carry water. Turn back from wet, slippery or icy trail conditions. Check yourself and your pets for ticks after walking. Use the monument safety guidance for the park’s precautions.

Protect the historic site

Stay on maintained trails and leave plants, animals and artifacts undisturbed. Camping, digging, metal detectors, hunting, trapping and drone flights are prohibited. Pets need a leash of six feet or less. Only service dogs can enter buildings, and pets must not be left unattended.

Check the program rather than assuming a tour

The dated ranger program listing covers a season that ended in September 2026. Contact the monument about the program and arrangements needed for your group. Free admission does not establish availability of a guided activity.

Find the Virginia birthplace

Use 12130 Booker T. Washington Highway, Hardy, VA 24101. From Rocky Mount, the NPS approach follows VA 40 east and VA 122 north. Public transportation does not serve the monument.

Two options for a separate drive

Smith Mountain Lake State Park is at 1235 State Park Road in Huddleston. Explore Park near Roanoke has an alternate entrance at 3900 Rutrough Road. Check its Parkway closure notice before choosing an approach, rather than assuming the whole Parkway is open.

Choose a historic visit or a longer trail

• Explore the reconstructed farm setting to understand Washington’s enslaved childhood.
• Ask for the Jack-O’-Lantern trail guide during visitor center hours.
• Follow that trail through the forest and fields, watching for evidence of changing land use.

Separate indoor services from outdoor access

Restrooms follow the grounds schedule. The water fountain outside the rear visitor center doors is wheelchair accessible. That feature does not describe access across the whole historic landscape. Contact staff about your route and mobility needs.

About the birthplace monument

The National Park Service interprets a tobacco farm associated with Washington’s early life. Reconstructed structures represent that setting, rather than every building surviving unchanged from his childhood.

From the Burroughs farm to Tuskegee

Washington was born in 1856 to Jane, the Burroughs family’s enslaved cook. He lived here through the Civil War. After the war, he became the first principal of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial School.

Fields, forests and streams

The heritage trail crosses habitats for birds, wildflowers and small animals. Observe them without removing plants or disturbing animals.

Contact

Call 540-682-0173 for weather closures, programs and access questions. The official visitor information distinguishes grounds hours from visitor center hours.