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. NPS Photo/ VIP Bill Tucker

Booker T Washington National Monument

National Monument · Virginia · National Park Service

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.

Plan your visit

Know before you go

Phone
5406820173
Official site
www.nps.gov
Managed by
National Park Service

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

What's here

Highlights: African American Heritage · Birthplace · Enslavement · Farming and Agriculture · Plantations · Monuments and Memorials · Reconstruction · Schools and Education · Social Movements · Civil Rights · Wars and Conflicts · Civil War

Activities & features: Arts and Culture · Craft Demonstrations · Cultural Demonstrations · Live Music · Food · Picnicking · Guided Tours · Self-Guided Tours - Walking · Hiking · Living History · Reenactments · Junior Ranger Program · Park Film · Museum Exhibits

Photos

  • Back side of kitchen cabin and smokehouse in snow with blue sky and trees
    NPS Photo
  • Four people dressed as enslaved people in front of the fireplace in cabin
    NPS Photo
  • Reconstructed kitchen cabin where Booker T. Washington was born
    NPS photo
  • Two re-enactors portraying enslaved people sitting in front of fire inside kitchen cabin
    NPS photo
  • Visitor Center
    NPS photo
  • Exhibits on outside of visitor center bathrooms
    NPS photo
  • Booker T. Washington Elementary School (Park Headquarters)
    NPS photo
  • Park trail and part of pasture
    NPS photo

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Sources: National Park Service, Google Places · updated 2026-08-12