Freed at the end of the Civil War, Booker T. Washington rose from his impoverished childhood to gain international recognition as an educator, advisor to President Theodore Roosevelt, author and orator. He graduated from Hampton Institute in 1875 and received honorary degrees from Harvard University and Dartmouth College. In 1881, the African American leader became the first principal of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute in Alabama; Washington headed the school until his death in 1915.
A visitor center offers both permanent and traveling exhibits and a 15-minute video presentation about Washington's life. Crops, farm animals and re-creations of 19th-century buildings can be seen from the quarter-mile Plantation Trail. The Jack-O-Lantern Heritage Trail passes through fields and forests. Tours, special events and educational programs are offered. Picnic facilities are available. Allow 1 hour minimum. Daily 9-5. Closed Jan. 1, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Free. Phone (540) 721-2094.