I'll start off by saying that buying tickets online was a mess. I was buying grounds tickets and private tour, but then it made me click a button asking if i wanted to view the house before hitting continue. Hitting that button cost 2.00 extra when I got to final screen. I was afraid to X it off, so I called and ordered the tix and the person told me it was basically a "problem" and they were trying to fix that. How many people were charged 2.00 for no reason? I was already paying 241.00.
Anyhow, the confirmation email tells me to pick up my tickets 30 min prior to the tour time. That's just just great because the place is locked up like Fort Knox until 9 a.m. and my tour starts at 9:15 and is nowhere near where I was standing. It was Father's Day, so I don't know why, but I didn't expect the 1,000,000,000,000,000 school students and buses out front. If I had actually not pushed past all those kids, Id have missed my tour and forfeited the $.An Asian woman through the gate bars told me all would be fine, but if someone has a house tour and has to have their bags checked and wait behind 1000000000000000 people, its not gonna work. They need a better option for people that are paying for house tours that are times. But, Mt Vernon doesn't seem to care about that bc I was trying to tell them that through the gate. Once the gate is opening, you still have to have your bags checked- someone was yelling that at us like cattle. Someone told us to go inside and stand by the statues where theyd check our bags. No one was, so I sought someone out and told them WE ARE GOING TO MISS OUR TOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was the most unorganized place I have ever been to. No one ever did check our bags, Once we SCURRIED to the house, the tour guide was at least 70 years old, not friendly and not very informational considering they said they had been doing tours there for 19 years. We were hurried through the house as fast as possible because the 1 million kids were enroute behind us. Save your money and go to Monticello-it was way more organized and just...BETTER.