James Madison's Montpelier

James Madison’s Montpelier in partnership with the Montpelier Descendants Committee will re-envision the visitor experience by creating a new interpretive plan for the site. The project will address the need for museums and historic sites to engage effectively and ethically in truth-telling about slavery’s role in the shaping of the United States, the legacy it continues to have on race relations in America, and the lingering institutional disparities that prevent Americans from realizing the ideals expressed in our founding documents. A core committee will create a narrative interpretive plan with up to four interpretive themes, and work with consultants to co-create the content and implement the plan for a new visitor experience and to develop and implement formative and summative evaluations. The museum and the descendant community will benefit from co-creation of visitor services strategies, interpretive goals and methods, and site wayfinding that will welcome members of the public and provide a more complete American history where everyone sees their story represented.