Pleasant Grove House Museum & Visitor Center

The history of Pleasant Grove is associated with many of the “founding families” of Fluvanna County and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Over 150 years ago, William Douglas Haden purchased property which today is simply known as Pleasant Grove Park. The 1854 Pleasant Grove House is the only one of its kind seen from the road along Highway 53. Although much like many other contemporary houses in Virginia in plan, its place in the County’s agrarian landscape and its role in the County’s social and economic history are significant. Pleasant Grove was a vibrant and active farming operation, producing wheat, corn, oats and tobacco. Plantations similar to Pleasant Grove depended on the Rivanna bateaux and canal boats to transport harvested tobacco crops and the locally milled corn, wheat, and oat flour downriver to Richmond markets and warehouses.

Pleasant Grove House Museum (FREE Admission)

Visitors can tour the 1854 home, browse the exhibit galleries or visit our reading room to learn more about Fluvanna's history at 271 Pleasant Grove Drive, Palmyra, VA 22963.

• Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm
• New hours starting January 1, 2020
• Saturday & Sunday 9am - 6pm

Hours of operation vary from season to season so please call us at 434-589-2016 for more information or to schedule a group visit. 

A slice of Fluvanna history resides in the renovated Pleasant Grove House and Summer Kitchen Museums. The house also serves as the County's Visitor Center for visitors and houses exhibits relating to the history of transportation in Fluvanna including its reliance in the early years on the Rivanna and James rivers for commerce and movement of our agricultural production to Richmond and points east. To accommodate these uses, the County had a historically accurate two-story addition joined to the original building while restoring this facility in 2014. The addition contains a catering room, an elevator providing, and a small reading room. The top floor of the original structure is used as office space for the Fluvanna Department of Parks and Recreation.

The Pleasant Grove House Museum and Visitor Center at Pleasant Grove Park is located on Route 53, 2 miles after turning off Route 15. This 800 acre park has something for everyone: Walk the Heritage Trail to the Rivanna River, take a jog on the cross country team’s 5k loop, enjoy the 18+ miles of multi-use trails, or just come out and enjoy the natural habitat or bird watching. The park consists of a softball, baseball and three (3) multi-use fields, e.g. soccer, lacrosse and football which are open to the public when not scheduled for league use. A 30’ x 100’ Pole Barn is available for picnics, special events and group outings. And best of all, it’s only 6 miles from the Food Lion at Lake Monticello or 8 miles from Fork Union.

Check out this article about Pleasant Grove Park from the Bay Journal.