I love history and he had plenty. The Middleton family which lived here were important figures in colonial America and residents of Middleton Place included a president of the First Continental Congress, a singer of the Declaration of Independence, a governor of South Carolina, and a signer of the Ordinance of Secession. Address: 325 Country Club Drive, Charleston, SC 29412 Don't miss out on our exclusive monthly giveaways with lots of fun travel and photography related prizes! The best was saved for last! The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 1h 57m. Later, the Middletons rebuilt the destroyed South Flanker in 1869 and it was lived in by the Middleton family up until 1975. To the best of our knowledge, it is correct as of the last update.Visit Rome2rio travel advice for general help. Memorable and Beautiful Garden with plenty of options to capture Photos. Of all of the plantations, the house tour provides the most information related to the construction and architecture of the house. Rome2rio makes travelling from Charleston to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens easy. Which Charleston plantations offer places to eat on site? You will see signs for Boone Hall Plantation and Charles Pinckney NHS. As a former teacher, she used a variety of techniques to hold our attention. The grounds were massive and we saw some wildlife including a baby alligator in one of the lakes. The gardens and Audubon Swamp Garden can be toured on ones own. Gardens: No formal gardens. There is a wheelchair accessible restroom located near the main plantation house. I love Charlestons antebellum beauty, yet it came at a very high cost to humanity which still reverberates today. The history of Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is fascinating. The South lost the war, of course, and slavery was abolished by the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865. 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. At Middleton Place, a restored dependency building adjacent to the main house was turned into the family home and can be visited. Gardens: There are extensive gardens at Magnolia Plantation, and these have been a tourist attraction for over 100 years, and some of the details date back to the plantations creation, making them the oldest unrestored gardens in the United States. 2. We had a memorable experience while visiting the 400 year old plantation, oldest bridge over pond we can ever see, hundreds of alligators and finally visited the garden zoo. You can also see the ruins of the 18th century main house and north flanker as well as the slave cemetery. Meet your guide at the Charleston Visitors Center, right in the middle of historic downtown Charleston, South Carolina. The plantation has had a number of owners, the most significant being the Boones, Horlbecks, Stones, and McRaes. What is the national COVID-19 helpline number in Magnolia Plantation and Gardens? Be sure to bring insect repellent with you if visiting from Spring to early autumn as the ponds, old rice fields, and swamp areas are a prime breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects. Rice was the primary crop grown here and it was one of the first rice plantations along the Ashley River. If you are visiting the Charleston plantations in the Spring, summer, or early Fall, we recommend taking along. The gardens attracts butterflies during the warmer months. No food is served here, but you can purchase packaged snacks such as cookies, popcorn, and trail mix. The gardens alone boast hundreds of species of flora, and are often overgrown onto the trail. Charleston Plantation Tour: Magnolia Plantation Take a tour of the Drayton family home founded in 1676. Owners: The original plantation house (ruins) is believed to have been built by John Williams, the homes original owner, circa 1705. The main tour here is the Trolley Tour which is a 40 minute guided our of the plantation via a historical trolley. This post may contain affiliate links. There are 9 brick slave cabins (built between 1790 and 1810), a cotton gin. 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). Be sure to be keep children within eyesight when exploring. 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. that can be seen in the Gates Gallery, including items owned by the Drayton family. After the Civil War, the land was also used for phosphate mining. The fort was renamed for the U.S. patriot commander in the Battle of Sullivan's Island, General William Moultrie. There are also tractor tours rides around the large farm that focus on the agricultural history and current farming operations, live slave history presentations, and live presentations on Gullah culture. To see a working plantation near Charleston, we recommend visiting either the Charleston Tea Garden or Boone Hall Plantation. 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 simplest option is to bring or rent a car. Wearing a face mask on public transport in Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is recommended. Magnolia Plantation, another former rice plantation near the Ashley River, has been owned by the Drayton family since 1676. Be sure to check the admission ticket prices and what they include before you visit. There are also cabins on site that provided homes to African Americans from before the Civil War to 1990. After the war, it was used as a local field office for the. The 1828 cottage here serves as a museum and visitor center. If your primary reason for visiting is to learn about slavery and African American history, we recommend visiting the McLeod Plantation Historical Site. Many of the plantations near Charleston were set up either along the banks of the Ashley River or on the sea islands, such as Wadmalaw Island, Edisto Island, and Johns Island. The tours primarily take place outdoors on the grounds and do not visit the inside of the house or outbuildings. Best time of year to visit Charleston plantations? Enjoyed this tour. What should I do if I have COVID-19 symptoms when I arrive in Magnolia Plantation and Gardens? 1,287 Sq. It is one of the oldest operating farms in the United States, unique factors are its beautiful Avenue of Oaks, its well-preserved brick slave cabins, and the Gullah live presentations. The flankers were also Georgian in style, but the rebuilt flanker now standing is more Dutch Revival in style. It takes approximately 22 min to drive from Charleston to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. Charleston to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens bus services, operated by CARTA, depart from Mary St / Meeting St station. Once you purchase they tell you where to meet. McLeod also has an intact antebellum Georgian style plantation house on site, although it underwent significant changes and additions in the 20th century. There are a number of outbuildings on site, including five former clapboard slave cabins with brick chimneys. We look forward to your next visit to Charleston! 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. The road distance is 21.3 km. McGills first overnight stay in a slave cabin was at Magnolia Plantation and he also regularly leads the slavery focused tours here. The McLeods grew cotton until 1922 when the crop was wiped out by the boll weevil. 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). But without enslaved Africans, there would absolutely be NO grand Charleston. No tour can present everything or all perspectives, but it is great to see efforts being put into this. Tours/Tour Guides: The Plantation House can only be visited via a guided tour. You can find many of the transcripts online for free, or can buy them as a printed book online (some plantation gift shops also sell copies). I swear this lady must have an acting/ stage background! I have visited all but McLeod Plantation and you have certainty covered everything. Find all the transport options for your trip from Charleston to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens right here. Address: 1235 Long Point Road, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 2 Atlanta. Those interested in learning more about Gullah culture, should check out the Geeche Gullah Cultural Heritage Corridor where a number of museums, historic homes, churches, schools, cemeteries, and other sites are listed that were/are connected to Gullah culture. In the 1800s cotton also became a popular crop in South Carolina after the introduction of the modern cotton gin made it easier and more profitable to cultivate. It is also considered one of the finest examples of remaining Palladian architecture in the United States. If you decide to visit Boone Hall, wed recommend at least 3 hours here, but you can easily spend half a day. It was hurry, hurry, hurry back to the bus. Before it was a tea plantation, it was a large potato farm. Most tour prices include your transport, a guide, and entry into the visited plantations. 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 two others places families might consider are Boone Hall and Charleston Tea Garden. Take a guided walk through America's last large-scale romantic garden. An interesting array of animals are found in the nature center. Tripods and drones are prohibited on the property. Below is a map of the Charleston plantations. There is a gift shop in the Welcome Center. Boone Hall Plantation was founded in 1681 by John Boone. 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