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The Rotunda at the University of Virginia was designed by Thomas Jefferson as the architectural and academic heart of the University’s community of scholars. He named the University’s original buildings the “Academical Village.” As the phrase suggests, the Academical Village is based on the Jeffersonian principle that learning is a lifelong process, and that interaction between faculty and students is vital to the pursuit of knowledge.

Jefferson modeled the Rotunda after the Pantheon, a second-century temple in Rome. Construction began in 1822 and was completed in 1828, two years after Jefferson’s death on July 4, 1826. Built at a cost of almost $60,000, it was the last structure to be finished on the Lawn. Together with Monticello, the Academical Village is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Hours of Operation

The Rotunda is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Historical Tours: Historical Tours of the University of Virginia are offered daily when courses are in session, with the exception of home football game days. These tours cover the original University and Lawn area, and they begin in the Lower East Oval Room of the Rotunda, Sunday - Friday at 11 a.m., and Saturday at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Additionally, a History of African Americans tour will be offered each Sunday at 3 p.m. Tours are free of charge. No reservation necessary.

Student Study Hours: During fall and spring semesters, the Rotunda is open to students for studying from 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday - Tuesday, and until midnight during exams.

For more information about visiting the Rotunda, please call 434-924-7969.

Request a Reservation

We are currently accepting reservation requests through July 31, 2024. Reservation requests for August through December 2024 will be considered beginning at 12 p.m. on March 1, 2024.

Events

In the News

The Rotunda with a Pumpkin image over it

The Bigger Picture: The Great Rotumpkin

"In the dark shadow of the grove, on the margin of the brook, he beheld something huge, misshapen, black and towering. It stirred not, but gathered up in the gloom like some gigantic monster ready to spring upon the traveler.”

UVA Architecture: Thomas Jefferson's Architectural Masterpiece – The Lawn at UVA

Each year, thousands of students and faculty members flock to the University of Virginia to learn and educate amongst this historic community.

Photos: Not Just Fiddling Around

What once was entertainment enjoyed at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello plantation again took center stage Sunday at the University of Virginia’s Rotunda.