Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2rio's travel planner. Crowds: Moderate. A number of Lowcountry plantations continued to grow the prized Sea Island cotton; however, a boll weevil infestation in the 1920s virtually wiped out cotton crops throughout the southern United States. Although the main house is not the focus of the tours here, the house is notable for being an original antebellum house built for the McLeods. The reason I couldn't give the trip a five-star rating was the time. Yes, certainly, slavery and the want/need for a separation between the slaveowners and slaves had a huge influence on the architecture of plantation houses and other buildings of that period. In the city of Charleston, slave labor was used to built many of the houses, schools, government buildings, and churches, to do factory work, and to perform domestic duties in the homes of the wealthy. Drinks are available for purchase at the Magnolia Plantation. 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 flankers were also Georgian in style, but the rebuilt flanker now standing is more Dutch Revival in style. The regular guided interpretive tours here are the best place to get this information. It takes about 20 minutes to drive from Charleston to Boone Hall. There is a wheelchair accessible restroom located near the main plantation house. If you want to do all the extra tours and spend the whole day, Id recommend getting the inclusive pass (if offered, not always available) during your visit as it saves you about $8.00 on the total cost. Wear comfortable practical shoes. Rome2rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Your email address will not be published. Click here to see our current giveaway and enter! Is the tour at the venue always done by staff or is there free time to wander around unattended? A small field of cotton is also planted each year for demonstration purposes. he Middleton Place house is fully furnished and contains a large collection of furniture, art, documents, and family heirlooms from the Middleton family that date from the 1740s to 1880s. Tour guides are not costumed. 3 Beds. Take in the beauty of the plantations wetland, lakes, forests, and marshes with a nature train ride. This was the only plantation we saw on this long weekend trip, so have no local comparison. If youve visited any of these plantations, feel free to share any advice or tips of your own and please share any information updates. The two others places families might consider are Boone Hall and Charleston Tea Garden. If you haven't visited Charleston, this is a great way to get a summar, We used Adventure Sightseeing for a historical tour of Charleston. It is one of the oldest plantations in the South, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Magnolia Plantation Admission & Tour with Transportation from Charleston cancellation policy: All sales are final and incur 100% cancellation penalties. Magnolia Plantation & Gardens is ranked #3 in Charleston with endorsements from 6 reviewers like Lonely Planet, Travel + Leisure and Fodor's. Middleton Place. When we arrived, we were taken on a 45 minute guided tour of the gardens, then a tram ride to see the various alligators, turtles, and birds that live in the swamps on the property. There is a wheelchair accessible restroom located near the main plantation house. The quickest way to get from Charleston to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is to taxi which costs 5-7 and takes 22 min. Owners: John Drayton purchased the property in 1738 and the Drayton family would own the property and live here for generations. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel North Charleston - Convention Center Show prices Enter dates to see prices 926 reviews 5264 International Blvd, North Charleston, SC 29418 3.9 miles from Magnolia Plantation & Gardens #1 Best Value of 418 places to stay in Charleston The carriage tour is OK but there isnt a lot of unique information presented here if you do all the other tours. Regular 45-60 minute interpretive guided tours of the site are available multiple times a day that take place outside in the grounds. The tour group is given front of the line position with just our group! The area became particularly known for its rice, and the use of tidal irrigation changed the landscapes of this area and make this a much more profitable endeavor. Its also one of the oldest and finest examples of Palladian architecture in the United States. 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. The basic admission ticket includes the orientation film, access to the historic gardens, petting zoo, maze, and plant conservatory. There is a tea bar in the gift shop where visitors can sample both hot and cold tea. The McLeods grew cotton until 1922 when the crop was wiped out by the boll weevil. The house and gardens are open daily; an admission fee is charged. The Garden Market is a causal spot to eat, selling sandwiches, snacks, ice cream, and drinks. Address: 1235 Long Point Road, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 Address: 4300 Ashley River Road, Charleston,SC 29414 Youll also see the beautiful 3/4 mile long Avenue of Oaks leading to the house. Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2rio's travel planner. Tours/Tour Guides: The McLeod Plantation Historic Site can be visited as part of a guided tour (included with admission) or can be done as a self-guided tour if you prefer (there is a phone app and signs to guide visitors). The closest plantation to downtown Charleston, the McLeod Plantation Historic Site sits on James Island. There are 399+ hotels available in Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. Yes, travel within United States is currently allowed. Tours/Tour Guides: The Plantation House can only be visited via a guided tour. Magnolia Plantation has always been on our list to visit. Working plantation today? Most do not allow drones or tripods on site. oldest surviving plantation house on the Ashley River. Similar to the rural plantations, most of these city mansions were run with the use of enslaved labor. We recommend checking the events schedule as events will mean larger crowds and that regular plantation tours and activities may be suspended. One reason is that the ticket price includes all the offered tours and attractions, so you dont have to pay extra to visit the house or take the tours. !! A large gift shop sells the tea from the plantation, tea-related items, body care products, snacks, souvenirs, and other items. All of the plantations offer discounts for younger children, and some also offer discounts for AAA membership, senior citizens, or local residents. The original house was ransacked by the British but survived the Revolutionary War. Also very informative. You can easily spend the entire day at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. Visitors today can still see the working farm, and at certain times of the year can even help pick the fruit and vegetables. Rome2rio displays up to date schedules, route maps, journey times and estimated fares from relevant transport operators, ensuring you can make an informed decision about which option will suit you best. Also, no photos allowed inside the house! Charleston Historic District to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens bus services, operated by CARTA, depart from Mary St / Meeting St station. Main House Furnishings: The first floor of the house is furnished with antiques and period sympathetic pieces to resemble an antebellum planters home, but the furnishings are not from the original antebellum house. These plantations were run using generations of enslaved people and visiting can be upsetting or cathartic for their descendants and other visitors. Drayton Hall survived both the American Revolution and the Civil War, and is the oldest surviving plantation house along the Ashley River. Prices start at 7,500 per night. 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. Tours/Tour Guides: The main house can only be visited on a guided tour, but the grounds, gallery, caretakers house exhibit, and cemetery are self-guided. You can roam the grounds as you like but not through the house. Magnolia Plantation Admission & Tour with Transportation from Charleston price starts from $75.33. trails for walking or biking, a wildlife observation tower for bird-watching, an herb garden, a horticultural maze, a petting zoo and a train that takes people on tours through the Cypress swamp." If you are visiting the Charleston plantations in the Spring, summer, or early Fall, we recommend taking along. Obviously we try to share information that is balanced and respectful of anyone reading our travel blogs this can be more challenging when writing about more controversial tourist attractions such as former plantations. 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. Working plantation today? HISTORIC GARDEN WALK. What should I do if I have COVID-19 symptoms when I arrive in Magnolia Plantation and Gardens? Some of the antebellum plantation homes that did survive, or had been rebuilt after the War, were damaged or destroyed by the Great Earthquake in 1886. 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. Our tour guide comes along to add a few details and answer questions. Boone Hall Plantation is one of America's oldest working plantations, continually growing crops for over 320 years. Magnolia Plantation is a historic house and gardens located in Charleston, South Carolina. Drayton/Hastie family. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 1h 57m. Tours/Tour Guides: The main house can only be visited with a guided tour, but the grounds, gardens, and stableyards can be explored on ones own. Last updated: 22 Feb 2023 My only tip would be to ditto your recommendation of staying at the Inn at Middletown Place. These later changes were made to make the house appear more grand. Recommended option Line 10 bus, line 12 bus Your e-mail will not be published or used for any other reason other than those outlined above. Private tours are also possible with the plantation founder William Barclay Hall but need to reserved in advance. What is the Magnolia Plantation Admission & Tour with Transportation from Charleston cancellation policy? Next, take a guided walk through the garden, before finally heading to the Drayton Plantation for a tour of the grand historic home. I have visited all but McLeod Plantation and you have certainty covered everything. Prices to visit a Charleston plantation vary greatly, and admission tickets range from about $15 per person to over $30 per person. The house contains exhibits about slavery and African Americans workings at Middleton Place after the Civil War. A regular guided walking tour is offered called Beyond the Fields which focuses on the everyday life and culture of the enslaved workers. There are many smaller neighborhoods on the downtown Charleston peninsula, some only a few streets long. The gardens are incredibly beautiful, especially in the Spring when the azaleas are in bloom. How to decide which plantations in Charleston to visit? As always, thanks for such detailed information! Last updated: 22 Feb 2023 Plum Guide carefully curate their listings so their options tend to be of a very high quality whilst still being available at a range of price points. Charleston Plantation Tour: Magnolia Plantation Take a tour of the Drayton family home founded in 1676. Tours on offer at the plantation include: . There are 399+ hotels available in Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. Winters in Charleston are mild, so also not a bad option, but check to make sure everything you plan to visit remains open as some plantation attractions are seasonal. All-inclusives 50 mi from Magnolia Plantation & Gardens 2022 1. Travel directly from downtown Charleston to Magnolia Plantation, and then tour the grounds. Many of the tour guides House guides and many of docents doing craft demonstrations are costumed in period clothing. What are the travel restrictions in Magnolia Plantation and Gardens? Other buildings to visit on property: 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. Magnolia Plantation is known for its well-preserved Romantic Style garden, which is designed to be an oasis away from the city. The tour guide had a fu, Very nice experience! Originally there were 3 main plantation house buildings, The original main plantation house was built. It takes about 20 minutes to get to the plantation and the tour guide does not talk the entire time as ther is traffic to attend! Enjoyed this tour. In the city, slaves were often loaned out to do work as well. Can be very busy, especially during events. Accompanied by a knowledgeable, local guide, visit over 100 of Charleston's most iconic sights . Middleton Place Plantation has both a casual cafe and more formal sit-down restaurant. The Middleton Place house museum contains a large collection of furniture, art, documents, and family heirlooms that date from about the 1740s to 1880s. The house tour was definitely a highlight here and we enjoyed a short wander around the estate and visit to the African American cemetery. The Gullah Theater, garden center, and gift shop are wheelchair accessible and t. here are wheelchair accessible bathrooms on site. 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. Tour the Plantation House. Can one use their own transportation to the venue and pay a lower fee? Please check your e-mail to confirm your sign up. 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. 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