Plantations Near Charleston

Entrance gates and avenue at Boone Hall Plantation, near Charleston, SC.

Seeing a plantation is on the itinerary of many visitors to Charleston, and there are several nearby from which to choose. For the most part, they are located sufficiently far away from the Historic District that you will need a car to get there, although some local tour companies do offer day trips to some of them.

Which to see depends on what you want out of your visit, as each offers a different interpretation and set of attractions. To see the oldest plantation house near Charleston, visit the 18th-century Drayton Hall. For beautiful historic gardens, visit either Magnolia Plantation or Middleton Place.

All the plantations give at least a little notice to the lives of the enslaved people upon whose labors the plantation lifestyle was built, but the interpretation at Boone Hall and McLeod Plantations offers the greatest focus on the history and culture of the African-Americans who lived and worked there.

Alternatively, for an entirely modern experience, visit the 20th-century Charleston Tea Garden, home to the first large commercial tea-growing enterprise in the United States.

McLeod Plantation

McLeod Plantation is the least expensive plantation to visit in the vicinity of Charleston, currently operated by the Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission.

Visitors can see both the main plantation house and the preserved enslaved people’s cabins. Guided tours are also available at specific times each day, with topics including the history of lowcountry plantation agriculture, the culture of the Gullah-Geechee people, and the history of slavery, with a special emphasis on the lives of the plantation’s African-American inhabitants from the Civil War period onwards.

4 miles from downtown Charleston. Open Tuesday-Sunday and some Monday holidays. Adults $20, seniors (60+) $15, children (3-12) $6.

325 Country Club Drive, Charleston, SC 29412
843-762-9514 or 843-795-4386
Website

Boone Hall Plantation

The highlights at Boone Hall Plantation are its magnificent 18th-century avenue of live oaks and its attention to the experiences of the people enslaved on the plantation and their Gullah heritage, including a row of original enslaved people’s cabins. The plantation house and its gardens are comparatively modern.

Admission to the plantation includes all tours and activities: talks on aspects of the Gullah language and local culture, tours of the 20th-century plantation house, and motorized tours of the plantation, its history and crops. These are offered at fixed times of the day, so check the schedule upon arrival to make the most out of your visit.

12 miles from Charleston. Adults $26, seniors (65+)/military/AAA $23, children (6-12) $12.

1235 Long Point Road, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
843-884-4371
Website

Middleton Place

Middleton Place is famous for its beautiful formal gardens, including a dramatic terraced lawn leading down to the river. Basic admission includes access to the gardens and the plantation stableyards, where you can see historic animal breeds, and demonstrations by costumed docents.

Tours of the house are available for an additional fee, but the gardens are the main attraction at this plantation, particularly in late winter and spring when the camellias and azaleas are in bloom.

16 miles from Charleston. Open Monday-Sunday. Basic adult admission $26, with optional house tour for an additional $15. Basic child admission (6-13) $10, students (14 and over) $15.

4300 Ashley River Road, Charleston, SC 29414
843-556-6020
Website

Drayton Hall

The Drayton Hall plantation boasts one of the best 18th-century plantation houses still standing in America, constructed in the 1750s. House tours of the unrestored mansion focus on different aspects of the plantation’s history and the preservation of the house.

Other things to see at Drayton Hall include an old African-American cemetery, exhibits on the post-Civil War period at the plantation, a gallery of art objects and artifacts from the house, and nature walks through the plantation grounds.

13 miles from Charleston. Closed on Tuesdays. Adult admission $24, children (7-15) $10.

3380 Ashley River Road, Charleston, SC 29414
843-769-2600
Website

Magnolia Plantation

The highlights of Magnolia Plantation are its extensive, naturalistic gardens (which have attracted tourists since the 19th century) and the Audubon Swamp Garden, which offers a series of boardwalks through the forest and wildlife-filled ponds of the swamp.

Basic admission includes access to the main plantation garden and a small nature center, hiking trails and an interpretive tour of the cabins once occupied by enslaved people. Most other tours at Magnolia Plantation are purchased as individual additional options, and include boat tours of the old rice fields, admission to the Audubon swamp, tram tours of the grounds, and tours of the 19th-century plantation house.

13 miles from Charleston. Basic admission is $29 for adults, with additional tour options to a maximum of $69. Basic child (6-12) admission is $15, with additional tour options to a maximum of $55.

3550 Ashley River Road, Charleston, SC 29414
843-571-1266
Website

Charleston Tea Garden

Located on Wadmalaw Island, southwest from Charleston, is one of America’s only tea-growing enterprises. Although tea was successfully grown in South Carolina in the late 19th century, this is an example of a modern plantation, growing American Classic Tea since the late 20th century.

This working farm offers two tour options. Tours of the factory, where the tea is processed, are free. A trolley tour of the 127-acre tea garden, discussing its history and how the tea crop is produced, is also available for a fee.

22 miles from Charleston. Open Monday-Sunday. Trolley tours $14 for adults, $7 for children (4-11).

6617 Maybank Highway, Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487
843-559-0383
Website