Boone Hall Plantation is a popular choice for those looking for a plantation to visit from Charleston. It takes 12 miles between Charleston and Boone Hall for you to drive there. Charleston visitors center. Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. In addition to the Romantic gardens, there is also the Audubon Swamp Garden, where visitors have a good chance to see lots of waterfowl, including egrets and herons, turtles, frogs, and alligators. The main house can only be visited on a guided tour, but the grounds, gallery, caretakers house exhibit, and cemetery are self-guided. In 2003, David and Eunice Bigelow, of the Bigelow Tea Company, purchased the plantation from Hall. He created a series of romantic gardens while recovering from tuberculosis to help his new wife Julia from Philadelphia feel more at home. Watch on. . Boone Hall Plantation has gardens, a tractor tour, outdoor Gullah theater talks, and a seasonal butterfly pavilion. The main house and flankers were burned by the Union troops in 1865. Explore the stable yards, where crafts people re-create the activities of a self-sustaining Lowcountry plantation. This is a good plantation house to visit to get a good idea of the average middle class planter home, although the focus of tours here are on the crops and slavery. Harris and Nancy McRae purchased the plantation in 1955 and the McRae family still own the plantation. Almost all the objects had been owned by the Middleton family, and include family portraits, Charleston rice beds, and an extensive collection of English silver. Public transit is not a convenient option for most of the Charleston plantations as there are limited bus services outside the city. The main house (now destroyed) was a 3-storey brick house and was likely Georgian in style. If you don't see the confirmation e-mail, please check your spam folder. Boone Hall Plantation Admission & Tour from Charleston, South Carolina Self-guided tour of the gardens and grounds Gullah performance adds insight into cultural history Round-trip transportation provided from Charleston, SC aboard air-conditioned bus Small-group tour of 15 people All gate fees Pickup and drop-off from designated meeting point The trolley tour requires 4 steps to get into and out of the trolley. There are a variety of complimentary guided tours included with admission: a Garden Overview, Meet the Breeds (an introduction to heritage animal breeds), Beyond the Fields (black culture and slavery), and various seasonal Nature Walks. There is a wheelchair accessible restroom located near the main plantation house. The tour of the house only includes 2-3 rooms, not the whole house! To learn more about the plantations around South Carolina, this website is a good resource on finding historical information on South Carolinas plantations. The 14 Best Historic Downtown Charleston Neighborhoods While some lump all historic downtown Charleston into one area, a city with this much history should not be thrown together. 7 Charleston: Historical Walking Tour. Visitors can take a tractor tour to explore the farm at Boone Hall and learn both about the historical workings of the plantation as well as the current farming operations. Am I allowed to travel from Charleston to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens? Crowds: Moderate to large; this is a popular spot. You can sometimes get a small discount by pre-purchasing tickets, but note that most of these tickets are non-refundable. Although they rarely attack people with provocation, you dont want to accidentally step on a gator or snake! Later, the Middletons rebuilt the destroyed South Flanker in 1869 and it was lived in by the Middleton family, up until 1975. The prettiest one is the Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens located a mere 30 minutes away from downtown Charleston. Drayton Hall was established in 1738, and construction of the house was likely completed circa 1750. The national COVID-19 helpline number in Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is 800-232-4636. Boone Hall Plantation was founded in 1681 by John Boone and the Boone family lived here until 1811. Charleston grew into the South's first great port city, and slavery became the backbone of the southern agricultural economy for the next 200 years. Although the tea plantation is not that old, the history of tea growing in the Charleston area goes back to 1799 when French botanist Franois Andr Michaux planted some near Charleston Middleton Barony (now Middleton Place). We purchased some of the plantation-grown tea here, but you can also purchase it online via the plantations website or on Amazon here. There were several period pieces of furniture in the house. French Quarter Inn Show prices Enter dates to see prices 4,035 reviews 166 Church St, Charleston, SC 29401-3125 0.1 miles from Charleston City Market These were our favorite gardens of the Charleston plantations. In 1995, an act was passed making South Carolina-grown tea the official state hospitality beverage in South Carolina! - magnolia plantation stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images Save this link to stay updated on COVID-19 restrictions, If you need help, visit the national COVID-19 website or call the COVID-19 Helpline 800-232-4636. The main historical outbuildings are the four slave cabins (built in 1850s) plus a fifth cabin built around 1900; these cabins were lived in until the 1990s. If you are here for lunch, there is also a picnic area where you can either grab some food from the little cafe or enjoy your own packed picnic lunch. We loved having a great, knowledgeable driver in a very nice air conditioned bus drive us out to the Plantation. Founded in 1773, The Charleston Museum, America's First Museum, has been discovering, preserving, interpreting, celebrating, and sharing ever since. There are extensive gardens at Magnolia Plantation, and these. The distance between Charleston and Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is 18 km. A stay also gets you free entry into Middleton Place plantation, which is a significant savings for 2 people. The second house completed in 1811 was burned by the Union troops in 1865 during the Civil War. There is a gift shop in the Welcome Center. Today it is a 37 acre park dedicated to Gullah heritage and African American history. Join us for a special walking tour of Magnolia's beautiful gardens, just in time for bloom! The Visitor Center, Gates Gallery, Caretakers House, cafe, and shop are all wheelchair accessible and can be accessed without stairs. What documents do I need to cross Niagara Falls? We recommend watching the 30 minute introduction video to start your visit. The reason I couldn't give the trip a five-star rating was the time. Many of the wealthy peoples town houses, plantation homes, and institutional buildings (churches, schools, clubs, banks) were built with slave labor (even children were often forced to make bricks). Originally there were 3 main plantation house buildings, The original main plantation house was built. Slavery Information: A regular guided walking tour is offered called Beyond the Fields which focuses on the everyday life and culture of the enslaved workers. (built in 1850s), smokehouse (oldest building on site c. 1750), and stables (1930s). Theres no big house, slave cabins, or antiques. Tour guides do not wear costumes. Drayton Halls African-American Cemetery is one of the oldest African-American cemeteries still in use, dating from at least 1790. 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. The Drayton family decided to sell Drayton Hall to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the State of South Carolina in 1974. Middleton Place offers the nicest on-site restaurant of all of the plantations so a great place to have lunch or dinner. After the Civil War, the land was also used for phosphate mining. The house, for instance, had two flakers which were destroyed by natural disasters in the late 19th century. 2 Baths. Getting to any of the plantations will require some form of transport, as none are located within the city of Charleston. If youve visited any of these plantations, feel free to share any advice or tips of your own and please share any information updates. Its also one of the oldest and finest examples of Palladian architecture in the United States. Youll likely find more events scheduled closer to your trip departure. more. The house is not wheelchair accessible, and requires 6 steps to get inside and another several steps to visit all the rooms. Boone Hall is one of the oldest continuously working farms in the country, and has been producing crops for over 300 years. A small field of cotton is also planted each year for demonstration purposes. Of all of the plantations, the house tour provides the most information related to the construction and architecture of the house. If you have questions about accessibility, wed be happy to help. No guess work getting there or back. The main house and south flanker were damaged beyond repair, and later reduced to rubble by the Great Earthquake in 1886. Last updated: 22 Feb 2023 For those who cannot climb the 4 steps, a tour of the farm in a persons own vehicle can sometimes be arranged with advanced notice. Follow Highway 61 north for approximately 9 miles. 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. After the war, it was used as a local field office for the Freedmens Bureau before being returned to the McLeods in 1870. This is the last large-scale, romantic-style garden left in the country. So it will just depend on your exact dates and your interests. Main Cash Crop: The plantation was used to grow indigo and cotton, and to raise cattle. How to get to the Charleston plantations? In 2020, the name was changed to Charleston Tea Garden. The social distance requirement in Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is 2 metres. The original main plantation house was built circa 1705. Website: https://charlestonteagarden.com/ If you are visiting the Charleston plantations in the Spring, summer, or early Fall, we recommend taking along. One note for your readers: the Tea Plantation is now called the Charleston Tea Gardens. We did a combination tour for the Harbour tour and Magnolia Plantation. The Horlbeck brothers, using a large slave labor force, produced millions of bricks a year in the mid 19th century. Most paths are also wheelchair accessible although some paths are unpaved and may require assistance. House tour guides wear antebellum period costumes. These objects are displayed across 10 different rooms and include portraits, quilts, and early American antiques. Tour concludes with drop-off at your original starting point. You might also consider checking out books about South Carolinas plantations and historic homes. However, there are services departing from Mary St / Meeting St and arriving at Dorchester Rd / Reserve at Ashley River via N. Charleston SuperStop on Rivers Ave. Fabulous write up. We purchased tickets through Adventure Sightseeing. Allow a few hours to half a day for the visit. Boone Hall Plantation was founded in 1681 by John Boone and the Boone family lived here until 1811. Is it compulsory to practice social distancing in Magnolia Plantation and Gardens? Days Tours Available from Charleston: We havent found any tours that include a visit to McLeod, but the plantation is easy to reach by public bus from downtown Charleston. The house and gardens are open daily; an admission fee is charged. ft. 3247 Middleburry Ln, Charleston, SC 29414 $345,000 MLS# 23004233 Welcome to 3247 Middleburry Lane, a charming one story home located in the sought a. It is sold as loose leaf tea, tea bags, and bottled. The tour group is given front of the line position with just our group! The negative, Thank you for truly amazing experience. They founded the city, then called Charles Town, and set up large plantations around the outskirts. Best, Jessica, Hi, I read that the houses were built in order to make enslaved people be able to serve those who owned the houses and their visitors. The house contains exhibits about slavery and African Americans workings at Middleton Place after the Civil War. Architectural Style: The house is Georgian in style although additional features and additions have changed the look of the house over time, including the addition of wings to be used as a garage and for storage in the early 20th century and a 2-storey Roman Doric portico in 1926. 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. By 1721, some 2,000 Africans had been imported into the Louisiana colony, primarily for work in the fields of indigo, sugar cane and tobacco. Clippings from these plants were later grown at the commercially successful Pinehurst Tea Plantation by biochemist Dr. Charles Shepard Jr. from 1888 to 1915. The best way to learn about slavery at Drayton Hall is to take the interpretive guided tour focused on slavery offered twice a day here. What should I do if I have COVID-19 symptoms when I arrive in Magnolia Plantation and Gardens? In our opinion, Drayton Hall has the most impressive plantation home of all the Charleston area plantations. Magnolia is the plantation near Charleston that has been open the longest as a tourist attraction and it offers a wide and varied set of tours and attractions. 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. furniture, household objects, art, and early American antiques from the Drayton family who have owned the plantation since 1676. The main house and flankers were burned by the Union troops in 1865. Charleston became one of the wealthiest and most powerful cities in the United States, largely due to vast incomes made through the plantation system and slavery. The road distance is 13.4 miles. When you reach the plantation, head right past the entrance gatethe entrance fee is already accounted for in the tour price. A large gift shop sells the tea from the plantation, tea-related items, body care products, snacks, souvenirs, and other items. The tea is now owned by the Bigelow Tea Company but Hall is still very much involved with the plantation. And just as many hotels and inns are in historic downtown Charleston, a 25-minute drive away. Wearing a face mask on public transport in Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is recommended. It takes approximately 2h 10m to get from Charleston Historic District to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, including transfers. The two plantations with the more kid-friendly offerings are Magnolia Plantation and Middleton Place. Recommended option Bus 56 min Take the bus from Courtenay Dr / Doughty St to Festival Centre Park & Ride Xp3 $7 - $10 Cheapest option This was the only plantation we saw on this long weekend trip, so have no local comparison. Many events and festivals might not be planning too far in advance, especially given the pandemic. We had some free time after that, then went on the house tour. There are 399+ hotels available in Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. Don't miss out on our exclusive monthly giveaways with lots of fun travel and photography related prizes! As a former teacher, she used a variety of techniques to hold our attention. Watch for the "Historical Plantations and Gardens" signs and the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens signs. Accessibility: The main house is not wheelchair accessible, and requires 12 steps to access the main floor and another 12+ steps to reach the top floor. I do wish we had time to do the tour that addressed the way of life for the slaves of the plantation, but that just wasnt an option that was included with this package. The gardens attracts butterflies during the warmer months. None of the plantations are located in downtown Charleston, as plantations by definition require a lot of space. The plantation focuses not only on the lives of the enslaved but also the lives of the formerly enslaved and their descendants after the Civil War to the 21st century, which is a time period less often mentioned during plantation visits. If you are looking for a house like Scarlett OHaras Tara (which was actually a movie set in California) in the film Gone with the Wind, you may be a bit disappointed. Before it was a tea plantation, it was a large potato farm. Definitely recomm, My family really enjoyed the Magnolia Plantation Tour we did through Adventure Sightseeing. For local events, Id check the Charleston CVB and other websites for Charleston events in September 2021 and you can put in your specific dates. They were also one of the few brickmaking producers still operating after the Civil War. : No, although a small area of Sea Island cotton is being grown on the plantation again as a project by volunteers and staff for demonstration and educational purposes. It was founded in 1676 by the Drayton Family, making it one of the oldest plantations in the country. Owners: John Drayton purchased the property in 1738 and the Drayton family would own the property and live here for generations. The house has been owned and run by the. Be sure to check what is included with the basic admission fees, some plantations include everything for one price, and for others you have to pay extra for things like house tours and different attractions. There is also a slave cemetery on site, as well as the newly-built welcome center and pavilion. What a thorough reply, Jessica. Magnolia Plantation & Gardens is ranked #11 out of 26 things to do in Charleston, SC. Visitors can also explore a self-guided black history exhibit, front gardens, and butterfly pavilion on their own. The road distance is 20.9 km. It also has a beautiful mature live oak alley, which is very photogenic. This caused many surviving working plantations to cease farming efforts and many fell into disrepair. No, there is no direct bus from Charleston to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. Read our range of informative guides on popular transport routes and companies - including Travelling to the UK: What do I need to know?, How to get from London City Airport into central London and Italian Lakes: Getting around by train - to help you get the most out of your next trip. From downtown Charleston, travel south on Hwy 17, over the Ashley River, until you hit Hwy 61. It provides a nice overview of the history of the plantation and the people who lived there. 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