Finally you are escorted up the staircase to Magnolia home tour. A small field of cotton is also planted each year for demonstration purposes. Be sure to leave enough time to enjoy everything that Drayton Hall has to offer. Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2rio's travel planner. Guests at the Inn have free access to the plantation along with complimentary breakfast, option to rent bikes and kayaks, and access to an outdoor pool. The plantation has been owned and managed by the Charleston County Parks and Recreation since 2011; they opened it to the public for tours in 2015. After the Civil War, the land was also used for phosphate mining. This plantation also shines a light on the role the Civil War and Reconstruction period played in plantation and African-American history. No, but there is a demonstration rice field where rice is still planted. It was efficient to book and travel with The Adventure Tour Company and their busses hold just the right number of guests for this tour. This house not only survived the Civil War and Great Earthquake, but it also survived the American Revolutionary War. Some of the plantations include all the tours and attractions in the price, whereas at others you will need to pay extra for each tour you want to take. 582 reviews of Magnolia Plantation & Gardens "This place is magical. Architectural Style: N/A She gives a bit of information on the road but also is the lead guide initially at the Plantation. These were our favorite gardens of the Charleston plantations. The tram tour allows you to see the fields, see what a tea plant looks like, learn how they are planted and harvested, and see the young plants in the greenhouse. Join us for a special walking tour of Magnolia's beautiful gardens, just in time for bloom! The paths throughout the grounds and gardens are partially wheelchair accessible but some are sand or grass which can be difficult for wheelchair users. If you are looking for a room or apartment, then we recommend Plum Guide. He created a series of romantic gardens while recovering from tuberculosis to help his new wife Julia from Philadelphia feel more at home. Is it okay to bring food and drink on the tour? There is also a slave cemetery on site, as well as the newly-built welcome center and pavilion. Drinks are available for purchase at the Magnolia Plantation. 2.3 Where to eat and drink in Atlanta. As a former teacher, she used a variety of techniques to hold our attention. Best time of year to visit Charleston plantations? Thanks Tecsi, glad you enjoyed it and hope you enjoy your trip to Charleston if you are planning a visit! So really it is up to you to determine how much you want to focus on learning about slavery at the plantations. We focus on those that are open year-round to the public, offer regular tours and other tourist services, and are of greatest interest to visitors. There are also free 15-minute video-guided factory tours where you can see how the tea is processed. See pictures and our review of Magnolia Plantation & Gardens. The distance between Charleston and Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is 11 miles. circa 1705. Youll also see the beautiful 3/4 mile long Avenue of Oaks leading to the house. But you can also grab a quick bite from the Garden Market. Website:www.boonehallplantation.com Yes, the driving distance between Charleston to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is 13 miles. Our team does the planning . Red Bridge at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens in Charleston South Carolina- Instant Download Photography Home Dcor MKDPhotographyStudio $9.00 Magnolia Plantation Charleston Greeting Card, Charleston Plantation Black Art Card, Historic Charleston Office Art, Charleston Art Gifts GOATHouseofCreative (54) $4.99 Magnolia Plantation Admission & Tour with Transportation from Charleston 227 Bus Tours from 63.42 per adult Private Chauffeur & Admission to Middleton & Magnolia Plantation + Box Lunch Bus Tours from 715.61 per adult (price varies by group size) LIKELY TO SELL OUT* Middleton Place Admission with Self Guided Tour and Lunch 161 Recommended Then we were off to the Nature Trail on a tram with a guide. Today, Charleston Tea Garden remains the only commercial tea plantation in the United States. Most plantations dont take timed reservations in advance, but most do allow you to book your admission tickets in advance online. Boone Hall Plantation is a popular choice for those looking for a plantation to visit from Charleston. non-profit Middleton Place Foundation since 1974. Private tours are also possible. It is one of the oldest plantations in the South, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Magnolia Plantation is a historic house and gardens located in Charleston, South Carolina. Magnolia Plantation and Gardens (464 acres, 187.77 hectares) is a historic house with gardens located on the Ashley River at 3550 Ashley River Road west of Ashley, Charleston County, South Carolina. Be sure to be keep children within eyesight when exploring. It is believed that the original home was a large brick Georgian mansion and the second house was a 2-storey farmhouse. This place is a dead giveaway for being a fun place to take kids (it's got Children in the name, for god sakes) and is located in downtown Charleston. Travelling to the UK: What do I need to know? Rudis Cafe offers European-style sandwiches, meat and cheese plates, snacks, coffee, and drinks. Youll likely find more events scheduled closer to your trip departure. Rome2rio makes travelling from Charleston to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens easy. So, thank you for your very thoughtful and accurate representations as well as your great suggestions for accommodations. A romantic and altogether enchanting destination located far away from the downtown distractions, the distinctive plantation house, rich in history . 4 of the Best Charleston Plantations. However, only 4 rooms on the main floor are open to the public to tour as the top two floors are being used as a private residence. Address: 6617 Maybank Highway, Wadmalaw Island, SC, 29487 Charleston Tea Garden is a real working tea plantation outside Charleston. The Tour Pass in Charleston includes entry into over 30 Charleston attractions, including entry into Boone Hall (featured tour), Drayton Hall, and McLeod Plantation. Visitors today can still see the working farm, and at certain times of the year can even help pick the fruit and vegetables. Click here to see our current giveaway and enter! This oak alley has been featured in films like The Notebook. There is also a small slave cemetery with a few gravestones, but the exact location of the slave burials is unknown as some of these stones were relocated here to protect them from further damage. If you are visiting the Charleston plantations in the Spring, summer, or early Fall, we recommend taking along. Magnolia Moment - Joseph McGill City of Charleston. This is one of only a few surviving original antebellum plantation houses in the Charleston area, although there were significant modifications made to the exterior and interior of the house over the centuries. Duration: 4.5 hours Departure Location: 375 Meeting St, Charleston, SC Easy Cancellations! There is little to no furnishings in the main house or outbuildings. A large gift shop sells the tea from the plantation, tea-related items, body care products, snacks, souvenirs, and other items. There is a small formal courtyard garden. For guidebooks, consider the latest edition of Lonely Planets Charleston Guide or Fodors Carolinas & Georgia Guidebook. A regular guided walking tour is offered called Beyond the Fields which focuses on the everyday life and culture of the enslaved workers. Today, at nearly 500 acres and with the distinction of being America's oldest garden, Magnolia extends the same gracious hospitality to your guests as the Drayton family did when it first settled here in 1676. According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience Magnolia Plantation & Gardens: Magnolia Plantation Admission & Tour with Transportation from Charleston (From C$100.74) Middleton Place All-Access Admission / Self Guided Tour & Lunch from Charleston (From C$161.68) Plantation Extravaganza! The Horlbeck family owned the plantation from 1817 until 1935, and they greatly expanded the plantations brickyard and planted pecan trees. it is ideally situated for those who don't want to travel too far from downtown Charleston. South Carolina was the leading rice producer in the country for about 200 years. Part of the house is believed to be from a pre-Revolutionary War hunting lodge owned by the Draytons in Summerville that was floated downriver to the current location. You can sometimes get a small discount by pre-purchasing tickets, but note that most of these tickets are non-refundable. Amenities Accessibility Traveler experience Compare 2,053 hotels close to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens with room rates, reviews, and availability. Middleton Place is well known for its 65 acres of lush gardens, and they are the oldest landscaped gardens in the United States. The social distance requirement in Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is 2 metres. Then a second two-story frame house with a one-story front porch was built later. The current house was constructed on the site of the former house in the early 1870s. Hopefully this at least somewhat answers your question and I think there are books out there that are focused on the slavery history and/or architecture that could give more expert advice on this topic Just let us know if you have any other questions about visiting the plantations in Charleston. In the antebellum period, it is estimated that there were over 2,000 plantations in South Carolina, most within the Lowcountry area. We heard one person saying they look unkempt, so if you prefer landscaped gardens, these may not be the style of gardens for you. Centers for Disease control and prevention (CDC). It is, of course, not the only Charleston plantation that includes good information on slavery or Gullah culture, but it is the only one in the area to focus on it almost exclusively. Youll want to spend at least half a day here, although you could easily spend a full day here. She was a delight! Yes, photos are allowed everywhere including in the house. All of the plantations offer discounts for younger children, and some also offer discounts for AAA membership, senior citizens, or local residents. At Middleton Place, a restored dependency building adjacent to the main house was turned into the family home and can be visited. The gardens attracts butterflies during the warmer months. The shuttle that takes visitors to the slave cabins and the nature trolley are both wheelchair accessible using ramps. Yes, photography is allowed everywhere except in the House Museum. Later, the Middletons rebuilt the destroyed South Flanker in 1869 and it was lived in by the Middleton family, up until 1975. furniture, household objects, art, and early American antiques from the Drayton family who have owned the plantation since 1676. A rushed visit here is sure to feel overwhelming as youll be forced to choose between tours and have limited time to explore the grounds. It is also possible to reach Boone Hall Plantation by taking public buses; however, it takes a long time and requires a 25 minute walk from the final bus stop. There is also an introduction to Gullah-Geechee culture. Then a second two-story frame house with a one-story front porch was built later. Then in 1963, Lipton used clippings from the former Pinehurst Tea Plantation to grow tea at a research station on Wadmalaw Island at a former potato farm. They are widely believed to be the oldest existing landscaped gardens in the United States. Prices start at 87 per night. In recent years, a lot of development and new offerings have been added to the Drayton Hall estate. Board an air-conditioned coach and enjoy views of the rolling Lowcountry landscape as you make the 45-minute drive to Magnolia Plantation, one of the oldest plantations in the South. The 9 former slave cabins are unique in that they were built from brick (most slave cabins were built from wood) and each contains different exhibits about slavery and African American history that you can visit on a self-guided tour. Charleston Tea Garden doesnt have any of the historical plantation buildings of the others on the list, but it is still worth visiting if you are interested in seeing a working plantation and are interested in seeing how tea is made. Is it compulsory to practice social distancing in Magnolia Plantation and Gardens? Charleston became wealthy from these plantations, but these riches were of course made on the backs of the slaves who were forced to work the fields. The Gullah Theater, garden center, and gift shop are wheelchair accessible and there are wheelchair accessible bathrooms on site. Boone Hall Plantation was founded in 1681 by John Boone. What should I do if I have COVID-19 symptoms when I arrive in Magnolia Plantation and Gardens? Not only does it include access to the Plantation, but when we stayed there that access was allowed even after the Plantation was closed to the public for the day. We enjoyed our time at Magnolia Plantation, and liked that there were so many different things to do. If you don't see the confirmation e-mail, please check your spam folder. Along the Avenue of Oaks is a grave which is believed to be where Thomas Boone and his family are buried. The Charleston Tea Plantation was founded by Mack Fleming and William Barclay Hall, a third-generation tea taster in 1987. Our guide, Shawn, was very knowledgeable and entertaining. I swear this lady must have an acting/ stage background! The plantation was founded in 1676 by the Drayton family and is the oldest public tourist site in the Lowcountry. There is a guided tour offered of the restored slave cabins (4 1850s cabins and one freemans cabin from 1900) which traces the African-American experience at Magnolia from slavery through the Civil Rights movement. How to decide which plantations in Charleston to visit? Tour historic buildings or take a boat ride through the wetlands. Thank you! We were picked up at our hotel and transportation provided. Tripods and drones are prohibited on the property. Original Date of Main Plantation House: Originally there were 3 main plantation house buildings. Gift Shop: Yes, there is an extensive gift shop here. The national COVID-19 helpline number in Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is 800-232-4636. : Yes, today, the plantation is often considered the oldest working plantation in the country, growing a variety of fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes, strawberries, pumpkins, peaches, peppers, and asparagus. Im looking forward to returning for another stay. Led by a bagpiper, the guests strolled between the two. The gardens and Audubon Swamp Garden can be toured on ones own. Photography Allowed: Yes Today, Drayton Hall is a National Trust Historic Site and is run and operated by the Drayton Hall Preservation Trust. But second because it is an original house that has stood on this site since c. 1750, whereas many of the other plantations in the area lost their grand antebellum houses during the Civil War. The house tour was definitely a highlight here and we enjoyed a short wander around the estate and visit to the African American cemetery. After the war, it was used as a local field office for the Freedmens Bureau before being returned to the McLeods in 1870. Charles Pinckney was a principal author and signer of the constitution and the site is part of Pinckneys Snee Farm, which was a rice and indigo plantation. Brick making was also an important source of income throughout much of the 19th century. Days Tours Available from Charleston: None of the tours (of which we are aware) currently include Drayton Hall. These sites offer fewer tourist services but are recommended for those with greater interest and more time to explore plantations in the area. Nearby is the Boone Hall Farms Market (2521 N Hwy 17, Mt Pleasant, SC 29466) which sells produce from the plantation farm and has a cafe where you can get hot meals. If you have visited any of these plantations as someone with reduced mobility (or with someone with accessibility issues), wed love to hear about your experiences in the Comments section at the end of this article. As the closest campground to Charleston, We are just minutes from Charleston's historic plantations, downtown, historic district, shopping, golf and the beaches. The fact that it has been owned (and is still owned) by the same family for 300+ years is also unique. Situated for those with greater interest and more time to enjoy everything that Hall... 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