Historic Plantation Tours

Middleton Place is located up the Ashley River on a high bluff. This plantation is known for the oldest formal landscape gardens in America with rolling terraces and butterfly-winged lakes. The main house was burned by Federal troops in February of 1865 but the family rebuilt a wing of the house. It is filled with family heirlooms and portraits. There are also stable yards and a slave cabin to tour.

Also located on the Ashley River, this plantation belongs to the National Trust and is a true treasure. It is the only house that survived on the river as it was bypassed by Sherman’s troops. The house is considered the first of the Palladian design in the US. This plantation and Middleton Place are only 4 miles apart. It is easy to see both in one day with lunch at Middleton Place overlooking the gardens.

Boone Hall Plantation is located in Mt. Pleasant on Horlbeck Creek. Nine of the original 27 slave cabins, with exhibits in each, are available for touring. The “Gullah” (African-American) culture of plantation life is presented by local historians. The original house was replaced in l936 by a Canadian Ambassador and is also open for touring. Hollywood visited this plantation in l939 and sketched the Avenue of Oaks for Ashley Wilkes Plantation, known as Twelve Oaks in “Gone With The Wind.” The plantation was also used in the filming of “Queen”, the mini series “North and South” and “The Notebook.”

The Charleston Tea Plantation is located on historic Wadmalaw Island. In 1799, a french botanist brought a tea plant to the US and gifted it to Henry Middleton. Middleton planted it in his plantation and it flourished. This is the only brand of tea in the world that is made exclusively with 100% tea grown in America. Wadmalaw Island is also home to the Angel Oak. The tree is estimated to be 400-500 years old and produces shade that covers 17,200 square feet. You will have plenty of time to enjoy both of these historic attractions in one day.