You may want to consider bringing extra film.

Stand on the site of the first shot in the Civil War. Come face to face with a giant sea turtle. Take a tour of an antebellum mansion. Climb aboard a WWII aircraft carrier. There are so many blossoming gardens, so many photo opportunities and so many reasons to come back to see us again.
What to See & Do > Attractions > Plantations & Gardens


Magnolia Plantation & Its Gardens

Since 1676, Magnolia is one of the Lowcountry's premiere plantations and is still owned by the original family. Known for it's renowned and resplendent Romantic gardens created in the early 1800's, Magnolia is one of the areas family-friendly attractions.
Middleton Place

Carefully preserved 18th century plantation and National Historic Landmark; 65 acres of America’s oldest landscaped Gardens. House Museum tours highlight family collections and the role of the Middleton’s in American history. Craftspeople in the Stableyards recreate the activities of a self-sustaining Low Country plantation.
Boone Hall Plantation
“A must see!” – NBC Daytime Television Boone Hall reflects Southern heritage spanning 300 years on one magnificent “still working” plantation. House tours, gardens, slave cabins, live performances in season, cafe, plus one of the world’s longest oak-lined avenues.
Charles Pinckney National Historic Site
Free admission. The National Park Service preserves a remnant of Founding Father Charles Pinckney’s plantation, Snee Farm. Charles Pinckney was a principal architect and signer of the U.S. Constitution. An 1828 Lowcountry cottage serves as museum and visitor center. 20-minute orientation film & ½ mile walking trail.
Charleston Tea Plantation
Experience the beauty and charm of America’s only tea garden…View acres of breathtaking tea plants, learn how tea is made during an informative factory tour, take a trolley ride through the tea fields, and drink fresh brewed American Classic Tea as you browse our unique Shoppe
Cypress Gardens
Stroll 4 miles of beautiful garden trails, paddle through cypress swamp, relax in a greenhouse with butterflies and flowers or discover native and exotic reptile exhibits and the freshwater aquarium. It’s a great site for field trips, receptions and meetings.
Drayton Hall
A National Trust historic site, Drayton Hall is the oldest unrestored plantation house in America open to the public. After seven generations, two great wars, and numerous hurricanes and earthquakes, the main house of this National Historic Landmark, c. 1738, remains in nearly original condition.
Hampton Plantation State Historic Site
Grounds opened daily from 9am - 6pm. Mansion tours: March - October: Tuesday - Sunday 12pm-4pm with guided tours leaving on the hour at 12, 1, 2, & 3; November - February: Thursday - Sunday with guided tours leaving on the hour at 12, 1, 2 & 3. If you are driving Hwy 17 between Charleston and Myrtle Beach stop and see a picturesque plantation. The grounds contain former rice fields, gardens, a mansion and kitchen house.
Irvin-House Vineyards
Irvin-House Vineyards, located on Wadmalaw Island, is opened to the public Wednesday – Saturday from 10am-5pm. Free tours are available every Saturday at 2pm. Visitors can taste authentic wine, visit the vineyards and stroll through the property. Closed January.
Magnolia Cemetery
The oldest cemetery in Charleston, founded in 1849 on the banks of the Cooper River, is inhabited by generations of southern leaders. On the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors are welcome. 8:00 am-5:00 pm. Free.
Mepkin Abbey and Gardens
Guided tours – 11:30am and 3pm Tu – Sun. Since 1949 catholic Trappist monks have lived and worked on this 3,000 acre 18th century Cooper River rice plantation. Visitors tour a working monastery and adjacent gardens and shop in Mepkin Abbey Store featuring monastic products and unique handcrafted items. Adults $5.