Historical Tours
Thomas Jefferson's Monticello
Thomas Jefferson's magnificent mountaintop home in Charlottesville, Virginia, has attracted public attention ever since Jefferson's day, when
sightseers regularly visited the grounds in hopes of catching a glimpse of the former president. Today, each year more than half a million
people from around the world visit Monticello, the only home in America on the United Nations' list of World Heritage Sites that must be protected
at all costs.
 Thomas
Jefferson's Monticello is a superb collection of essays, adorned with beautiful color photography, that showcases this American treasure.
Designed by Jefferson himself, Monticello is a model of elegance and symmetry. It is also home to Jefferson's world-class collection of art
and porcelain from France, scientific instruments from England, the finest American furniture from Philadelphia and New York, and enduring
furnishings made in Monticello's own joinery by enslaved craftsmen.
The celebrated gardens and grounds form an experimental yet breathtakingly lovely landscape featuring flowers, fruits, and vegetables of
the Old and New Worlds. Featuring essays by Monticello's scholarly staff, this stunning book explores all aspects of Jefferson's home. A section
on the plantation and the enslaved community at Monticello provides a larger context in which to place and understand the house, its activities,
and its owner.
About the Author William L. Beiswanger is Director of Restoration for Monticello.
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Literary Tours
The Ideals Guide to Literary Places in the U.S
is a travel book with a difference! For the armchair traveler, there are fascinating descriptions, sketches, and quotes from the authors.
For the more adventurous, there are maps, directions, and information on how to ger there and the features of each place.
And there are over 50 places included, each associated with one of America's greatest writers. Clearly and logically presented, this is
a beautiful book that is fun to read as well as a practical guide to America.
...highlights the birthplaces and residences of key 19th-century and early 20th-century American authors. The volume is arranged by geographic
region, beginning in New England. The entry for each site includes photos and notes on architectural style, interior design, how long the
author stayed there, who visited him/her, and what works were written there. True to the _Ideals_ layout style, the photos chosen are indeed
lovely. This title could be a useful tool when supplemented with a road atlas and a set of AAA guides.
About the Author Michelle Prater Burke, an editor with IDEALS resides with her family in Nashville, TN.
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European Museum Tours
Rick Steves' Mona Winks 5 Ed: Self Guided Tours of Europe's Top Museums Rick Steves doesn't just list where to travel in Europe, he leads
travelers through the "Back Door," and reveals how to give every journey an extra, more authentic dimension.
Mona Winks is no exception. It's a fun, easy-to-read collection of self-guided tours covering the highlights of Europe's top 20-plus museums
and cultural sights, including the Louvre, the Tate Gallery, the Uffizi, the Prado, and many more.
Afraid a visit to a museum will ruin the vacation? This irreverent, easy-to-follow guide helps visitors find the best that European museums
offer, by providing all the maps, diagrams, and no-apologies opinions needed. 400 B&W photos. 65 museum diagrams.
Museum Directories 
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American Art Museum Tours
Art Across America: A Comprehensive Guide to American Art Museums and Exhibition Galleries This guide is designed
to be a portable, readable, and useful source for planning excursions to the nearly 1,700 venues covered. The intent is to be as inclusive
as possible. There are listings for noncommercial galleries as well as traditional art museums. Also listed are some specialized facilities,
such as ethnic museums, historic houses, marine museums, and so on, if they have significant fine arts collections.
Visitors to Chicago will find information on more than 20 museums and galleries, not only the Art Institute of Chicago but also the Du Sable
Museum of African-American History, the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, and the State Street Bridge Gallery, located within
one of the city's bridge houses.
Arrangement is alphabetical by state, community, then institution. Entries give address, phone and fax numbers, Internet address, director,
admission fee, attendance, year established, membership availability, ADA compliance, parking, hours of operation, facilities (library, food
service, shop, etc.), activities, publications, and a descriptive paragraph about the museum's collection.
There is no attempt to list temporary exhibits. A map of each state (and some cities) gives a rough idea of each museum's location. An index
provides access by facility name. The editors have also compiled a state-by-state list of their picks among "less-visited (that is, with fewer
than 50,000 reported visitors each year) but intriguing institutions."
Although much smaller than the Official Museum Directory, this well-done guide would be a welcome addition to most reference and circulating
collections as a source for locating art museums, especially those that are less well known and underappreciated but deserve greater attendance.
The Official Museum Directory, which includes aquariums, zoos, science museums, children's museums, and the like, this work focuses on art
museums only, listing 1680 institutions nationwide by state and city.
Reviewer Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved.
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