Top rated plantation tours from Charleston
Plantation highlights
Magnolia plantation
Magnolia Plantation one of the oldest plantations in the South. This 4-in-1 tour includes a narrated drive out to the plantation, a walking tour of the garden, tram tour through the property, and tour of the house itself, providing incredible value.
The history and beauty of Magnolia Plantation has stood the test of time. It is also the only Plantation on the Ashley River that survived both the American Revolution and the Civil War.
It is one of the oldest plantations in the south and is also known as America’s most beautiful Garden.
This guided Magnolia Plantation Tour comes with round trip transportation in our climate controlled buses. All gate fees are included in the price of this 4.5 hour tour and will allow you to step back in time, so you can experience Magnolias incredible history.
On this tour, you will experience a 45-minute narrated tram ride past slave cabins, through swamps, rice fields and see wildlife such as alligators, egrets, herons, and turtles on the nearly 600 acre plantation and garden visit. You will also receive a guided walk through America’s last large scale Romantic Garden, which is also known as America’s most beautiful Garden.
Magnolia recognizes the importance of acknowledging the vital role of enslaved people in Lowcountry history. No visit to Magnolia can be complete without an understanding of the families who have lived here—first as enslaved workers, and then as paid garden staff—throughout Magnolia’s 350 year history. By addressing this often overlooked part of the narrative, we seek to honor and remember the men, women, and children who designed, planted and worked in the gardens, built and maintained the bridges, and labored in the house and the rice fields while enslaved.
During this tour, visitors participate in a discussion focused on the history of slavery at Magnolia and the lives of the enslaved families who lived here. After the Civil War, these cabins were inhabited by free men and women who worked to design and maintain the gardens, and served as Magnolia’s first tour guides. Their history and the history of their descendants (some of whom still work at Magnolia today) is also described.
After the discussion, visitors will have time to explore the cabins themselves. These four cabins have been preserved and restored, each representing a time period significant to both African-American history and Magnolia history. The time periods represented are as follows: the 1850s during the time of enslavement, the 1870s following Emancipation and during the time of Reconstruction, the 1920s during the Jim Crow era, and the 1960s through the Civil Rights Movement.
Magnolia promises visitors will leave with a newfound perspective on the lives of the men, women, and children who have lived here since the beginning. We urge you to participate.
Boone Hall Plantation
Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens One of the oldest working plantations in the United States, Boone Hall was founded in 1681 and still grows crops. During your tour led by a guide in period costume, you’ll see the plantation’s slave quarters and learn about its history and modern-day use. Select a morning or afternoon departure time when booking
Your visit to Boone Hall Plantation starts with transportation by climate-controlled bus from the Charleston Visitor Center. Your gate fee is included in the price of the tour.
Founded in 1681 Boone Hall was built when Englishman Major John Boone came to Charleston and established a home on the banks of Wampacheone Creek. When you arrive, your tour begins on the front porch with a 30-minute presentation by a knowledgeable guide in historical dress.
You will be introduced to the history of Boone Hall and its evolution through a variety of owners since the 17th century. Learn many facets of the plantation’s history, and listen to a presentation called Slave Street, which provides a look at the living quarters, historical relics, and insight into the life of the slaves here.
In addition learn about Gullah culture, the language of the descendants of slaves who lived in the Lowcountry of Georgia and South Carolina. Boone Hall is the only plantation in the South Carolina Lowcountry to present a live presentation, in season, about this culture.
At the end of your journey tour the garden to see antique roses that are more than 100 years old. Then head back to the bus for the return drive to Charleston.
Middleton Place
Middleton Place is one of the most popular plantations in the Charleston area. This tour makes it easy by including transportation from downtown Charleston aboard a comfortable, air-conditioned van, plus a guided tour of the house upon arrival. A 3-course lunch is also included for a taste of Lowcountry cuisine.
Middleton Place National Historic Landmark is home to America’s oldest and most important landscaped gardens.
Began in 1741, the historic site today encompasses 110 acres including the Gardens, House Museum, Stableyards, and Eliza’s House. Together they tell the inclusive history of all who lived, worked, and died here.
The stories of the Middleton family including two Founding Fathers and generations of enslaved people are interwoven throughout the property.
Visitors have opportunities to experience those stories with both guided or self-guided tours. Artisans demonstrate the work and share the lives of enslaved craftspeople, and the Beyond the Fields presentation gives a more in-depth look at the role Middleton Place played in the larger institution of American slavery.
There’s much to discover here; lunch and dinner is available at the restaurant and retail shops offer many artisan-made keepsakes. At Middleton Place you can connect with the past, be present, and help build a brighter future.
It’s hard to talk about the history of the Holy City without mentioning slavery in Charleston. The city was a key port that was responsible for the sale and transport of enslaved African Americans to all other major cities in the U.S.
Charleston is known for its lush plantations — many of which you can still visit. Yet thousands of men and women who worked these plantations did so under the harshest of conditions and paid the price for the prosperity the plantation owners enjoyed.
Known as the Ellis Island for African Americans, South Carolina now strives to tell the stories of the men and women who built the South while in bondage.
If you’d like to receive a more in-depth history lesson on Charleston, we recommend joining our guided Charleston History Walking Tour during your visit. Even if you’ve only got three days in Charleston, you’ll be able to see plenty of lowcountry sites.
The Slave Triangle: Charleston’s Unique Location
If you’re interested in learning about the history of slavery in the South, Charleston is the best city to start your education. The Port of Charleston was the largest slave port in the United States and most enslaved Africans passed through the city. Nearly half the citizens of Charleston were enslaved before the Civil War.
According to the International African American Museum, “Nearly 80 percent of African Americans can potentially trace an ancestor who arrived in Charleston.”
Slaves were sold at the Old Slave Mart (also known as Ryan’s Mart, thanks to the name of its former owner) and in the streets.
Charleston Plantations
A sale of an enslaved person would generally send the individual to one of three places: a home in the city of Charleston, a plantation or somewhere else in the U.S.
Magnolia Plantation was home to up to 235 enslaved African Americans at one time. And that number isn’t uncommon. Charleston’s plantations relied on slave labor and many collapsed after the end of slavery in 1865.
Charleston Slave Owners
It wasn’t just plantations that owned slaves, either. Many of Charleston’s slave owners lived in the city itself. Enslaved African Americans performed a variety of jobs, from manual labor to housekeeping to skilled trades. Slaves were often traded or ‘rented’ out to other masters or bosses in the area as well. If an enslaved person worked for someone else, his or her owner would be paid the wages.
Slave Life in Charleston
Slave life in Charleston — as it was throughout the U.S. — was brutal. The city’s enslaved, whether they worked in the city or in the fields, were treated horrendously. They often worked long hours and weren’t permitted to stop until their work quota had been met for the day.
Slave Trade Ends on the Streets
The first visual cue that slavery could be coming to an end (or at least the sale of slaves) was in 1856. In this year, the city made the slave sales on the streets illegal. Though that was the same day that the Old Slave Mart opened in the city.
Slavery would continue for nearly another 10 years.
The Civil War: the End of Slavery
The end of the Civil War in 1865 marked the ‘official’ end to slavery (though emancipation wouldn’t officially come until a few months later). It was in this year that the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was written, outlawing slavery. Though slavery was abolished at this time, the U.S. still feels the ramifications of slavery today.
The South fell into a recession after the end of slavery. Many of the buildings in Charleston that hadn’t been destroyed in the war were leveled by an earthquake in 1886.
Where to Learn About the History of Slavery in Charleston
If you want to learn about the history of slavery in Charleston, there are plenty of museums and living historical sites to do so. Some of the best places to learn about slavery is where certain events (such as the slave trade and plantation work) actually happened. Couple one or more of these sites with a history museum to get a more holistic overview of the impact of slavery in Charleston.
Charleston’s museums are also an ideal activity if you’re headed to Charleston in January or February, as South Carolina winters can be a little unpredictable. To find out how to get around the city, check out our Charleston transportation guide.
Old Slave Mart Museum
The best place to start when it comes to the history of slavery in Charleston is the building where many Africans were sold when they arrived in the port city. The Old Slave Mart Museum, also known as Ryan’s Mart, shows visitors the importance of Charleston’s location in the Slave Triangle and the journey of an enslaved person from Africa to America.
This museum does a fantastic job of showing this history, but (as the museum itself states on its website) is not ideal for children — thanks to a large amount of written content on display.
It’s also chilling to stand in the very spot where the fates of thousands of lives were determined and families were separated.
Charleston Plantations
You won’t find many working plantations in Charleston, but you can visit the preserved grounds of some of the city’s once-famous plantations. Each plantation deals with the topic of slavery differently. Some of the plantations seemingly gloss over the topic (and instead, promote plantations as a spot for romantic getaways in Charleston, SC), while others give the stories of formerly enslaved African Americans ample time and attention.
If you want to enjoy lush grounds and tour a historic plantation house, any of Charleston’s plantations offer programs appropriate for both adults and children. Yet, if you want to learn about slave life on the plantations, Magnolia Plantation and Gardens and McLeod Plantation both do a great job explaining slave life in the South — without sugarcoating the reality of day-to-day slave life.
Local plantations are an easy day trip from Charleston, SC.
Charleston Museum
If you want to get an overview of slavery in Charleston or simply to fill in any gaps left by visiting a plantation or the Old Slave Mart, the Charleston Museum should be the next stop on your tour.
The museum houses exhibits on the harsh working conditions, including what life was like for children on plantations.
This is a great resource to teach children about slavery in the lowcountry. It’s one of the best budget activities in the city and a great stop to add to your “Charleston on the cheap” must-do list.
Future of Slavery History: International African American Museum
The International African American Museum has yet to open but when it does, it aims to act as a hub for African American history throughout Charleston.
The museum is slated to open in 2022.
You can learn more about the history of slavery in Charleston on our Charleston History Tour. We also offer private tours of the local plantations. We also recommend booking a private Charleston food tour to learn about slavery’s role in lowcountry cuisine.