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National Monument

Booker T Washington National Monument

Tobacco field being plowed by man with two draft horses

The main crop on the plantation where Booker T. Washington was born was tobacco. This photograph shows a man with draft horses preparing to plow a field.

Photo: NPS Photo/ VIP Bill Tucker

About

Booker T. Washington was born a slave in April 1856 on the 207-acre farm of James Burroughs. After the Civil War, Washington became the first principal of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial School. Later as an adviser, author and orator, his past would influence his philosophies as the most influential African American of his era. Come explore his birthplace.

Activities

Arts and CultureCraft DemonstrationsCultural DemonstrationsLive MusicFoodPicnickingGuided ToursSelf-Guided Tours - WalkingHikingLiving HistoryReenactmentsJunior Ranger ProgramPark Film
Museum Exhibits

Directions

The monument is located on VA 122 (Booker T. Washington Highway), 22 miles southeast of Roanoke, VA. From I-81 take I-581, then U.S. 220 south from Roanoke to VA 122. From the Blule Ridge Parkway take VA 43 south to VA 122. From Lynchburg take U.S. 460 west to VA 122.

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Weather

Please contact the park at 540/682-0173 during inclement weather conditions to find out about closures.

News

Jan 21, 2026

Fighting for Freedom: Courage and Emancipation in Central Virginia during the Civil War Era

A free seminar will take place on February 15 that explores the efforts of African Americans throughout the Civil War, the Freedmen’s Bureau in central Virginia and the lives and contributions of United States Colored Troops (USCTs) from Franklin County, Virginia.

Nov 21, 2025

An Old Virginia Christmas at Booker T. Washington NM

Step back in time into an 1860s holiday as Dr. Booker T. Washington described it in “Christmas Days in Old Virginia.”

Sep 26, 2025

Tourism to Booker T. Washington NM contributes $1.7 million to local economy

A new National Park Service report shows that 24,200 visitors to Booker T. Washington National Monument in 2024 spent $1.7 million in communities near the park. That spending supported the local area.