We are visiting relatives in Charlottesville over Thanksgiving. We would like to take our high school junior on a walking tour of the grounds (I think that’s right - you don’t call it a campus?) on the Friday after Thanksgiving. We would have liked to be there for the full tour, but this is the only time we can visit and the admissions office and tours will be closed.
Where should we park, what route should we walk, what should we be sure not to miss?
You might be able to park near The Corner (shops, restaurants), walk over to the Jefferson statue, Rotunda , walk the Lawn, see the Pavilions. It should still be an enjoyable visit, especially if the weather cooperates! The Downtown Mall is also interesting. If you have not been to Monticello before, that would be well worth visiting if you have the time over the holiday weekend. Monticello and the University are World Heritage Sites. Happy Thanksgiving and have fun in Charlottesville.
@ninakatarina - make sure you stop by Bodo’s bagels while in Charlottesville. Also, go to the White Spot on the Corner and grab a Gus Burger and a Grillsworth (ice cream on a grilled donut). Trust me, you won’t be sorry!
Sorry - misspelled - Grillswith - mmmm!
Is Bodos the bagel place by the English Inn? We stayed there last time we visited Charlottesville (long ago) and my husband still remembers the place. He was quite peeved that my parents booked us a different hotel this time.
OP, the UVA vs. Virginia Tech football game is Friday, November 24th. Be prepared for A LOT of traffic. I can’t stress that enough. The start time hasn’t been announced yet, but the Corner and the Grounds will be very busy no matter when you visit that day.
There is a walking tour brochure that is available in the “after hours” box at Peabody Hall. It will take you to the usual stops. Having lunch on the Corner and also seeing the Downtown Mall (our pedestrian-only downtown) is a must! I recently saw a visitor complain that Charlottesville was just strip malls and it was clear that they only saw the highway that brings you into the town.
There are three Bodo’s in Charlottesville. One is on the UVA Corner, one is on Preston Avenue, and one is on the highway by the English Inn.
FWIW, there are many amazing spots on the Corner that are great for lunch. UVA students are pretty health conscious - you’ll see a line out the door for the place that makes kale bowls. The White Spot is more of a late-night greasy spoon. It’s not very popular during the day. 
Huh, I had not heard about that. Thank you so much for the warning. Friday was the day we had been planning to visit.
Unfortunately, this means my husband will probably not want to visit the campus. If I can get past that hurdle, my son would probably love to see the campus teeming with people, since he loves crowds where my husband hates crowds.
This does complicate my plans.
An 8 PM kickoff was just announced. You should be fine visiting in the morning.
The most convenient place to park is usually the parking garage next to the bookstore, off of Emmett St. If your student has an intended major, it would be useful to note on a map where those facilities are concentrated, so you can at least see them from the outside. I’d also walk through the areas of some first year dorms.
There is a detailed website for football parking that lists the times and prices of various locations. Some are free, because they involve a mile long walk to the football stadium.
To see Monticello, it is a good idea to make online reservations. If you see the U in the morning, you could plan on going to see Monticello circa 2 pm, and avoid the football traffic. From Monticello, you can get on I64 easily and avoid other traffic.
We’re packing up this evening for an excruciatingly early start tomorrow. Thank you, everybody, for all your help and suggestions!
@ninakatarina , Have fun and Happy Thanksgiving!
I cannot offer specific suggestions for UVa but I would recommend that you try to print out a campus map (which you can usually find online) in advance and bring it with you.
Thank you everyone for your suggestions.
We found the admissions building easily and got the handouts. The rotunda was open and staffed and we had a lovely conversation with a couple students there. We walked down to the auditorium and then back to the drama buildings.
I am sorry to tell you that Kiddo has decided the school probably is not for him, however. He wants a bit smaller campus and fewer people. He did very much enjoy reading posters all over campus, and the posters up on the doorways, and said that if he was looking for a big college this would probably top his list.
Still we are glad we came because we’ve been able to narrow down the criteria so it’s been quite valuable that way.