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). Go approximately 7 miles and turn left onto Long Point Road. The gardens here are special so take some time to wander around and appreciate them. This includes a c. 1750 desk and bookcase designed for John Drayton that are considered two of the most important surviving pieces of colonial furniture in America. Most of the objects date from the 18th to 20th century. There is also a cafe at Boone Farms Market located a 5 minute drive away which has more hot food and meal options. Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy. The best plantations for those interested in seeing period furnishings, antiques, and family heirlooms from the antebellum period would be Middleton Place and Magnolia Plantation. Charleston Historic District to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens bus services, operated by CARTA, depart from Mary St / Meeting St station. Youll also see the beautiful 3/4 mile long Avenue of Oaks leading to the house. On balance, Magnolia Plantation & Gardens is the choice of most writers compared to Middleton Place. 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. We recommend that any first-time visitor check this one out. Henry established the gardens and later built the North and South flankers. The flankers were also Georgian in style, but the rebuilt flanker now standing is more Dutch Revival in style. 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. The Main House - also called the Drayton House - at Magnolia Plantation. We have visited five of the plantations around Charleston, and in this article we will give you all the details you need to plan your own visit to these plantations. Accompanied by a knowledgeable, local guide, visit over 100 of Charleston's most iconic sights . They also started growing a small amount of Sea Island cotton on the property in 2017 for educational purposes. It takes approximately 2h 10m to get from Charleston Historic District to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, including transfers. Watch on. The cheapest way to get from Charleston to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is to drive which costs $2-$4 and takes 22 min. This was the only plantation we saw on this long weekend trip, so have no local comparison. Is it available in April 2022? Whether you have a pop-up or a large motor home, let Oak Plantation Campground welcome you with our friendly, southern hospitality. The tour begins with a walk around the gardens. Thanks so much for the feedback and I'm sure all of our guides appreciate your advice! To do this, we store the data as outlined in our privacy policy. Take in the beauty of the plantations wetland, lakes, forests, and marshes with a nature train ride. Only one of the plantations, Middleton Place, offers on site accommodation. Both plantations have lovely gardens, and if trying to decide between them, it depends on whether you prefer more wild gardens (Magnolia) or more tended and landscaped ones (Middleton Place). Today it is a 37 acre park dedicated to Gullah heritage and African American history. It has appeared in TV series such as North and South, Days of Our Lives, the 1993 mini-series Queen (by Alex Haley) , and the 1994 Scarlett mini-series (sequel to Gone with the Wind). Our team does the planning . Architectural Style: The main house (now destroyed) was a 3-storey brick house and was likely Georgian in style. There is a wheelchair accessible restroom located near the main plantation house. If slavery and African American history tours and talks are of interest, be sure to check the daily schedule in advance at the planation you plan to visit to make sure you can fit in the tours during your visit. Boone Hall is one of the oldest continuously working farms in the country, and has been producing crops for over 300 years. The final private owner, William E. McLeod died in 1990. He created a series of romantic gardens while recovering from tuberculosis to help his new wife Julia from Philadelphia feel more at home. No tour can present everything or all perspectives, but it is great to see efforts being put into this. The cabins can only be toured as part of the slavery guided tour. An interesting array of animals are found in the nature center. Rome2rio is a door-to-door travel information and booking engine, helping you get to and from any location in the world. Visitors today can still see the working farm, and at certain times of the year can even help pick the fruit and vegetables. 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. Next, take a guided walk through the garden, before finally heading to the Drayton Plantation for a tour of the grand historic home. Charleston in the antebellum period was extremely diverse ethnically, religiously, socio-economically with a distinct and rigid social hierarchy with those of mainly of Anglo-heritage at the top (whose lives tourists gawk over). Slavery Information: 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. 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. The house is not wheelchair accessible, and requires 6 steps to get inside and another several steps to visit all the rooms. The Magnolia Plantations and Gardens feature 600 acres (243 hectares) of gardens, lakes, forest and old, flooded rice fields. There is a path from the Inn to the Plantation, which we took to have dinner at the restaurant and then wander around the gardens without anyone else around. cannot resit to take photos. Rome2rio also offers online bookings for selected operators, making reservations easy and straightforward. During the Civil War, Union troops set fire to the second house here in 1865, burning it to the ground. An interesting array of animals are found in the nature center. If its canceled due to poor weather, youll be offered a different date or a full refund, This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. The negative, Thank you for truly amazing experience. Prices start at $100USD per night. In addition to the Romantic gardens, there is a nature tram tour, a boat tour, and the Audubon Swamp Garden. These later changes were made to make the house appear more grand. Accessibility: The welcome center, factory tour, restrooms, and gift shop are wheelchair accessible and require no steps to visit. Ticket prices can be fairly pricey and we recommend taking full advantage of your entry fee. The casual garden cafe offers sandwiches, snacks, and ice cream. The road distance is 20.9 km. Boone Hall Plantation has gardens, a tractor tour, outdoor Gullah theater talks, and a seasonal butterfly pavilion. 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. Thanks for the good work. There is a wheelchair accessible restroom located near the main plantation house. Drayton Hall, Boone Hall, Middleton Place, and Magnolia are all about a 30 minute drive away. Private tours are also possible with the plantation founder William Barclay Hall but need to reserved in advance. he first plantation house was built in the 1680s by Thomas Drayton and his wife Ann Drayton. If staying in downtown Charleston, we recommend staying in or within walking distance of the Historic District if you can as this is where many of the citys main attractions and restaurants are located. Make yourself known to an official member of staff and/or call the national coronavirus helpline number on 800-232-4636. Which plantation you choose depends a lot on what you are looking for in a plantation experience. We visited Drayton Hall prior to all the recent additions and development, and at that time there was just the guided house tour and the grounds to explore. Weve stayed at a number of their properties around the world, and you can see ourreview of the Plum Guide here. Click here to see our current giveaway and enter! 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 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. What a thorough reply, Jessica. Large sections of the city of Charleston also lay in ruins after the war. The Main House at Magnolia Plantation isn't exactly a traditional southern plantation, and it's not the original plantation house. Each of the Charleston plantations offer different experiences. Remember that all of the plantations are located outside of Charleston, so you will need to either drive or arrange transportation. The site has been dedicated as a. manicured gardens here, but there is an oak alle and the huge McLeod Oak tree, which is thought to be more than 600 years old (perhaps even 1,000 years!). Henry Middleton began to lay out the gardens in 1741, inspired by formal gardens in England and France. But there's so much more to this antebellum plantation than just a Hollywood tear-jerker. 2.1 What to do in Atlanta. One unique aspect youll learn about in the Lowcountry is the Gullah culture (also sometimes called Geechee) developed by slaves in this area of the U.S., particularly South Carolina and Georgia. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 48614P1. Magnolia Plantation is known for its well-preserved Romantic Style garden, which is designed to be an oasis away from the city. I think years ago, there was almost no discussion of slavery and African culture on plantation tours, but it is great that this has slowly changed over time. We visited in late January so the temperature was cool and crowds were low, but it was not the best time for the gardens. Read our range of informative guides on popular transport routes and companies - including Bali: What to do if Mount Agung erupts, Italy Travel Guides and Train travel in Spain: A guide to Renfe - to help you get the most out of your next trip. The factory tour and gift shop at Charleston Tea Garden are wheelchair accessible. arge. Slavery Information: The entire site is primarily focused on the African American slaves and tenants (from 18th century to 1990) who lived here and the Gullah culture. 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. It also offers a variety of tours from the house tour to the slavery talks to the tractor tours of its farm. Some of these will likely open to the public in the future after more stabilization work is done. Architectural Style: N/A But youll need to pay more to do the rest of the tours. Domestic travel is not restricted, but some conditions may apply. Yes, there is an extensive gift shop here. We were sitting for the Gullah presentation and I felt the perspiration running down my back:) It was so interesting, though, and I learned so much. There is also a slave cemetery that was re-discovered in 1996 which contains about 100 graves of people who are likely slaves at McLeod although much is unknown about the site and burials here. The plantation was bought by the Drayton family in 1676. 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. Note that the interiors of the outbuildings can not be visited for safety reasons, but some are open for visitors to see the inside of them (from outside) and some house exhibits. The closest is probably Boone Hall with its pretty oak alley and brick Colonial Revival mansion house, but the house only dates to the 1930s. 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. Owners: The plantation was established in 1676 by Thomas and Ann Fox Drayton, and is still owned by the Drayton/Hastie family. Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum is located in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, at the mouth of the Cooper River on the Charleston Harbor, across from Charleston. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC. What should I do if I have COVID-19 symptoms when I arrive in Magnolia Plantation and Gardens? Before we get into the details of each plantation, we want to give you some background on South Carolinas plantations, and what you need to know before visiting them. Once you purchase they tell you where to meet. Thomas Stone and his wife owned it from 1935 to 1940 and built the current house. 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. These sites offer fewer tourist services but are recommended for those with greater interest and more time to explore plantations in the area. Owners: The original plantation house (ruins) is believed to have been built by John Williams, the homes original owner, circa 1705. Two flankers (dependencies) were built to the north and south around 1755. Then a second two-story frame house with a one-story front porch was built later. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 1h 57m. Boone Hall Plantation 1235 Long Point Road . As the closest campground to Charleston, We are just minutes from Charleston's historic plantations, downtown, historic district, shopping, golf and the beaches. Please Arrive 15-Minutes before departure time, This experience requires good weather. Youll also see the beautiful 3/4 mile long Avenue of Oaks leading to the house. It is possible to arrange a golf cart for those with limited mobility to see grounds, but this should be arranged in advance of your visit to guarantee availability. Many visitors are surprised by how much walking they do at some of these plantations. The plantation is still owned by the Drayton family who have maintained the plantation through wars and natural disasters. Clippings from these plants were later grown at the commercially successful Pinehurst Tea Plantation by biochemist Dr. Charles Shepard Jr. from 1888 to 1915. 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