The first-phase exhibits for a renewed Montpelier capture the main theme of the hospitality extended by Dolley and James Madison to well-known personages and others whom the Madisons entertained at his ancestral home. Other themes are civic culture, plantation life, and family heritage. Exterior wayside panels, strategically placed for the best sight lines to the architecture and landscape, explore sites such as the Temple, the Backyard, and the Quarters for the Enslaved. They reflect on Madison's thoughts and ideals, which continue to influence our national life today.