We went to the Berkeley plantation during the Thanksgiving festival. We were not planning to attend, but saw a road sign leading us to the event. They had a tremendous amount of activities for the children, including a petting zoo. The weather was great and the grounds were filled with beautiful trees, flowers, and it's right on the water. They were collecting food for FeedMore and there were a lot of Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts there. The cost to get in is $25 per car, and $10 for a bike. It is right off of the capital trail, however, the trail does not extend to the plantation. Wish they had more kid friendly food items. But the nice food truck allowed us to buy a simple hotdog. read more

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What a beautiful place with so much history! Peaceful, lovely location. Great tour of house. Gardens are not super impressive but the walk to the James River is nice. Go just for the history! read more

Berkeley Plantation - The James River taken from the property. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Charles City, Virginia

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One of the best historic sites I've ever been to, and I've been to dozens of great ones in Virginia and all along the east coast. If you're a history buff or not, I can't recommend this site enough. The amount of different history that went on here is unparalleled. read more

I cannot say enough good about this place. The history of this place predates the pilgrims and takes you on an impelling journey through the American Revolution as well as the Civil War. On the way, you'll meet a signer of the Declaration of Independence and hear of his two descendants connected to this place who both became Presidents of the United States. You'll also hear the direct connections to ten other Presidents as well as such revolutionary luminaries like Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton. Even Abraham Lincoln is directly connected to the Berkeley Plantation! You'll also explore the origins of our Thanksgiving observance as well as the invention of "Taps." For any student of history, RUN don't walk to visit this extraordinary place. If you're lucky enough to have Clarence as your guide, be ready. His historical facts are not only fascinating, but also a bit like drinking water from a fire hydrant. This place is amazing!! read more

Berkeley Plantation - Berkeley Plantation on the James River. Virginia. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Charles City, Virginia

We added Berkeley Plantation to our list of historical sites to visit on a recent trip as we were stopping by several presidential homes and sites in VA--Washington, Madison, Monroe, Jefferson, Wilson...and here in and around Charles City are two (Tyler, and here at Berkeley, WH Harrison). We were unaware of how much history this location has been home to, however: home of a signer of the Declaration of Independence as well as his son a future president and grandson another future president; birthplace of "Taps"; site of the first Thanksgiving and a major scene in Indigenous-British settler disputes (to say the least); battles and events key to both the Revolutionary and Civil wars; and much more. Our tour guide was fantastic and taking that guided tour is highly recommended. Check out the grounds and exhibits, stroll through the gardens and along the river. Pick something up in the gift shop and while in the area take a quick tour of the Tyler estate as well (Sherwood Forest), just know that tours of that house are by appointment only and made well in advance as the home is still under Tyler family ownership. read more

My wife and I stumbled upon this plantation while driving from Williamsburg to Richmond. It wasn't planned but I'm so glad we stopped in. The grounds are beautiful and the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. After a short video we toured the house. The historic house is well preserved and has a ton to offer. The rain cut us a little short today but we will definitely be back! read more

Berkeley Plantation - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Charles City, Virginia

Berkeley Plantation is steeped in America's history and has the distinction of being the oldest three story brick mansion in VA, The land first settled and developed in 1619 as Berkeley Hundred, it was unfortunately wiped out in an Indian uprising of 1622. The property was purchased by the Harrison Family in 1691 and the present mansion built built in 1726 by Benjamin Harrison IV. This is recorded in a date stone in the West gable. Berkeley is the birthplace of Harrison's son Benjamin Harrison V, signer of the Declaration of Independence. His son William Henry Harrison, the ninth president of the United States, also was born at Berkeley. Berkeley was among the first grand Virginia Georgian mansion and has a number of distinguishing early accomplishments. Most obvious is the pedimented gables seen also at Shirley Plantation down the road and the Nelson House in Yorktown. All three homes were built in the 1720's. As a matter of fact Berkeley and Nelson are near twins in concept. During the revolution the house was pillaged by Benedict Arnold and thus a total gut remodeling took place around 1790. Lighter Federal woodwork replaced the old Baroque interiors which did survive in Nelson. Another major renovation took place after the war when Berkeley was occupied by the Army of the Potomac. President Abraham Lincoln landed here in 1862 to confer with Gen. McClelland. The house was heavily restored under by the late Malcolm Jamieson The property holds the distinction of several first. Berkeley held the first Thanksgiving in America, first whiskey distillery 1621, first shipyard with the Man of War being constructed for the Revolutionary War. The first TAPS with melody written by Oliver W. Norton was played by bugle horn on the very grounds. The grounds and gardens are nicely manicured. Do not skip a walk down the path to the beautiful James River. Looking for a road trip this Summer? Consider not only Berkeley Plantation, but also Shirley Plantation and others along the James River on highway 5. 4.5 rounding down with many of the interior and furnishings period, but not original to home. read more

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Beautiful grounds and house and an informative, knowledgeable guide made this a great experience.

I was visiting my son at Ft. Gregg-Adams and honestly stumbled upon this plantation. Greatest stumble ever!!! The grounds were absolutely beautiful, and the guide had a wealth of information. I highly recommend the guided tour. To be honest I knew nothing of this plantation and was happy for all the information. This house played a role in our history, it's a shame that it's not taught in schools across the country. The grounds felt like something right out of the 1600's. Walking the paths, I could imagine all the parties and forbidden strolls. If you have ever watched Vampire Diaries, it reminded me of the scene with Katherine being chased by the Salvatore Brothers, lol. read more

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Berkeley is a great place to learn about the history of America and Virginia. Sure was great to see George on this visit!. Sad to hear Shane is no longer with the Berkeley Plantation. He was always fun to talk to about the history of the plantation and was a wealth of knowledge. Thankyou for making the plantation available to the public--such a awakening of the past. read more

Beautiful and well kept. The tour was amazing. Definitely worth it and would recommend.

It's not close to other areas (23 miles) but we'll worth visiting! The mansion is only the first floor. Then a movie in basement with displays. The kitchen is another building that you explore on your own. Tours start with a movie and display of the people's relationships. This the story of 3 families with Benjamin Harrison the center of history. The James River, slave quarters, and the gardens with Canadian Geese! Walk the grounds! read more

Let me start by saying that if you're going to visit only one James River Plantation, no doubt about it that Berkeley should be it. (Berkeley is of course one of the few plantations that is actually still fully open to the public as most are now closed, became high priced B&B's/wedding only venues or you can only tour the grounds but not the house itself.) Some basic Wikipedia style history as to what makes coming here a must. 1. The grounds are indeed the site of the first Thanksgiving. While MA may have had the first celebration/experience that resembles our current set up of gorging yourself like a hog, watching football then going Black Friday shopping (alright, maybe not the last two), like it or not on December 4, 1619 settlers from England came ashore at Berkeley and observed the first official Thanksgiving in North America. 2. The first bourbon whiskey was distilled at Berkeley. 3. Berkeley later became home to the colony's first commercial shipyard. 4. Gen. George B. McClellan utilized the mansion as his headquarters and while quartered nearby Gen. Daniel Butterfield composed the famous bugle call Taps. 5. Built in 1726 of brick fired on the plantation, the mansion occupies a landscaped hilltop site overlooking the James River and is considered the oldest 3-story brick house in Virginia that can prove its date. 6. In 1781 British troops under Benedict Arnold plundered the plantation, but did not seriously harm the mansion as Arnold was trying to keep it for himself. 7. It was the birthplace and lifelong home of Benjamin Harrison V, signer of the Declaration of Independence and three-term Governor of Virginia, as well as the birthplace and boyhood residence of his son William Henry, 9th President of the United States, and of Benjamin Harrison the 23rd President. 8. Also noteworthy is that the first ten Presidents of the United States and Abraham Lincoln all paid a visit to Berkeley and that the woodwork and the double arches of the "Great Rooms" were installed by Benjamin Harrison VI at the direction of Thomas Jefferson. As for the tour itself, meh. The guide we had was mousy quiet and very quasi-awkward throughout most of the tour especially when she kept referencing the tours large size. There were eleven people on our tour, including her. Mount Vernon this is not. As others have mentioned the format is basically that you head into the building to the left of the mansion which serves as gift shop and ticket sales. After that they'll tell when the next tour starts and in the meantime you are welcome to wander the grounds before and after the tour. The tour itself starts in the basement where they have some artifacts on display, you watch a short movie or as they call it - 300 years of history in less than 20 minutes -. You are then taken into the mansion and tour only the first floor. Note: No pictures are allowed in the mansion and they are pretty firm/pissy/strict about that. To be honest, the woman at the gift shop should have been the one giving the tours. She I guess has been around the property/area for a while and explained more than the guide did about some interesting nuances like the ages of some of the older trees on the property (not as old as you would think since The Union cut most of the old growth down during their occupation of the grounds), when/where on the property the TV show Turn was filmed and about how much the current owners (the Jamieson family) rely on that type of revenue along with wedding rentals and the hundreds of acres they lease out for farming to help keep the doors open. Ticket sales alone wouldn't cut it. With that said, the grounds and the view of the river are immaculate. When you put that together with all of the one of a kind things that happened on the property plus the beautiful drive up Route 5 it's hard not to leave with a smile on your face. If you go: Berkeley is open for tours March through December 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and January & February from 10:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Admission includes the short film, museum, guided house tour, self-guided grounds and garden tour. Current ticket prices are below: Adults $12.00 Seniors (60+) $11.00 Children (ages 6-16) $7.00 Military Discount Adults $11.00/Children (6-16) $6.50 Note that Berkeley is on Groupon at different times of the year so it might be best to wait until that deal comes around again as it has for the last several years. read more

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I am the fifth great granddaughter of Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd president of the United States. And the sixth grade granddaughter of also the ninth president of the United States, William Henry Harrison. I have been to the plantation and I will be back with my family. For those that don't know about the place it is worth the visit. For me, the experience to touch my fourth grandmother's quilt that she made for her bed. I'll never forget it too bad she couldn't see it. Patti Harrison read more

One of many things to see when you are in Virginia, so much history here that my review can't do it justice. It isn't free, but the admission is worth it and reasonable. Bring your walking shoes because the property is big. You can use your camera outside but inside it is not permitted. read more

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This house was nice, but a bit disappointing to me. It seems like they advertise it as being the home of William Henry Harrison, but he was here during part of his childhood and the house was inherited by his other brother, so it seems a little bit of a stretch to consider this his house when they don't really have anything of his personal belongings here. Wiki says that it is the ancestral home to Benjamin Harrison too but we were directly told there was no evidence he had ever been to this house, just that his great-grandfather owned this house and another ancestor had signed the Declaration. It's like it says "we're the home of 2 former presidents but not really." Kind of a cop-out. Our guide was pretty new, which didn't leave a good impression. Multiple questions were answered with "I don't know that, ask the woman in the gift shop." It's like the woman in the gift shop was actually trained and they decided to switch positions for the day. I know when one is new she probably hasn't gotten a lot of questions yet, but it seemed like she didn't know anything that wasn't part of her script. The house is open for tours but is still privately owned apparently, so the tour doesn't include anything upstairs. A lot of the items in the house were "accurate to the time period" and not really items specifically from any of the Harrisons. Then it's just a generic old house with recreations. The parts of the story about the alleged first Thanksgiving and about Taps being created there were pretty interesting. They have a side house that as a family tree and some information about slavery and a video playing about the Thanksgiving which nicely rounded out the information to be gained. It's a nice property to walk around. It just wasn't my favorite of the presidential house tours because it really wasn't a presidential house (nonetheless 2). read more

Berkeley Plantation - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Charles City, Virginia

The guide was lovely and informative. Grounds are clean and immaculate. We didn't tour the entire house (skipped the basement) but we walked to the river. Our guide, King George led the way and made sure we were safe. read more

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We came in on Saturday and did a mid afternoon tour. The tour guide was very friendly and dressed to theme which was fun for the kids. They offered a scavenger hunt with prize which was also fun for the kids. Touring the home was very interesting. The only downfall is that there isn't much room and when they have multiple parties coming together for the tour so spaces can be very cramped. There are many great historical occurances at this location with much evidence left to see. This would be a great location for a picnic. We would definitely come back and recommend. read more

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Recently wrapped up a weeklong trip to Virginia, during which we visited many different sites connected to presidential history. Berkeley Plantation made the list as the birthplace of William Henry Harrison. We were here mainly for that reason, but were pleasantly surprised when it turned out there is a lot more to this historic home and grounds. A. Lot. More. It was refreshing that they employees (including our tour guide) were dressed in period garb. I thought that was a nice touch. The employees seem very well educated about the history; our tour guide in particular was knowledgeable, personable and hilarious. By the time we made it to Berkeley Plantation, we'd been on a host of tours, so I feel safe saying this: the price point is perfect for what you get (I'd definitely been to other presidential sites which were more for less). We also learned a lot more than just Harrison family history. Thanksgiving, how the plantation survived the Revolutionary War, Civil War, and TAPS, are just a few things I had no idea I'd learn... Do yourself a favor... make sure you walk the grounds; they are absolutely gorgeous. Throughout my trip I definitely came away with a new found respect for private families who now own these locations... Not only are we history "buffs" lucky these locations still exist at all, but we need to remember those who, sometimes sacrificing their privacy, help preserve our country's history. If you're a student of history, seriously consider visiting. read more

The Berkeley Plantation house is beautiful. There are two options based on what you wish see at the house. We toured the grounds, saw the small basement museum, and watched the video about the history of the house for $10 per person. You can also pay a bit more to tour the inside of the house as well. We were pressed for time, so we did not go inside. The museum is small and contains artifacts found on the plantation grounds. Another video can be found in the basement. The museum and videos were not very interesting to me. I did enjoy strolling the grounds. The gardens and view of the water was beautiful. I enjoyed taking pictures. read more

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When we arrived at Berkeley, we realized we had already toured this property. We did visit the gift shop while there. This is another lovely estate sitting on the banks of the James River. The property has about 1,000 acres. It was the first estate to have slaves. Benjamin Harrison IV built what is believed to be the oldest three-story brick mansion in Virginia and is the ancestral home to two Presidents of the United States: William Henry Harrison, his grandson, and Benjamin Harrison his great-great-grandson. Of special note are the facts that the first Thanksgiving was held here on Dec. 4, 1619 - Taps was first played in July 1862 - Bourbon whiskey was originally distilled here in 1620. Admission ticket includes film, museum, guided house tour and self-guided grounds and garden tour - adults $12.00. read more

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You can forget about everything you learned in school about those puritanical Pilgrims who arrived on "The Mayflower". I don't know if anyone has changed the history books, but officially, the first Thanksgiving was held on Dec. 4, 1619 at this plantation and the settlers arrrived on "The Margaret". Sounds weird, doesn't it? If everyone knew about this, it would kill the sales of those salt and pepper shakers dressed in Pilgrim garb. The plantation is out on Route 5 (head east on Main Street and pick up Route 5 just a little ways out of Church Hill) and is well worth the scenic drive. It was the family home of the Harrisons, who gave us both a President and a signer of the Declaration of Independence and is supposed to be the oldest three-story brick house in the state with the first known pediment roof. Another fun fact is that "Taps" was composed here during the Civil War. Tours last about an hour and a half and are led by costumed interpreters. It's right on the River and you can stroll around the gardens on your own. I visited in the fall, but I would love to go back in the spring when everything is in bloom, Architectural buffs will also love the woodwork and be able to see Thomas Jefferson's input in the double arches and other details. We might as well just say TJ designed Virginia pretty much singlehandedly. read more

Nice place to visit and learn some history! Great area for the kids to run around and see some beautiful country side as well!

Very nice setup here. Berkeley Plantation was the site of an early settlement that predates Jamestown by a short period but after a major Indian attack was abandoned for several decades. In the 1690's it was turned into a Plantation owned by the Harrison family which spawned a signer of the Declaration of Independence and 2 Presidents. It must be noted that those Presidents have minimal connections here, this plantation is more about the multiple Benjamin Harrisons that they descended from. Because this is not Mount Vernon or Monticello there are small crowds in attendance, no more than a dozen while I was there. The house tour is led by very knowledgeable staffers dressed in period outfits. The grounds are open for self tours, huge and gorgeous. I came for the Presidential connection but there are lots of other points of interest. Taps was first written and played here while the plantation was being occupied by GEN McClellan. The staff claims the first "official" Thanksgiving was here. There is lots to see throughout the grounds if you don't mind walking. I only omit a fifth star because of the brevity of the house tour. read more

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This is the Forrest Gump of plantations. By this I mean it seems to have some attachment to every important person and event during it's lifetime. Not quite, but there is a surprisingly long list. (Christopher C. said it well.) Definitely worth a stop as it is a beautiful home, with gorgeous grounds, lovely trees and sone kind of story. The site of the family cemetery is worth the short walk and looks out over the James River. Just wanted to give a shout out to our fantastic tour guide. He was absolutely amazing. Best storyteller I've heard in a long time. He is shown in a picture in Bill Y.'s review--wish I'd listened more closely when he said his name. But if you get him you will not be disappointed. He talks fast and must fit in more info than most other guides could fit in in twice the time. I wasn't sure which plantation to visit, but am so glad I stopped here first. It was definitely worth the drive. (Btw, my next stop was Westover, then Shirley. It was a perfect day.) read more

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My friends and I had a fantastic tour! We arrived a bit late but the guide who gave the tours on Dec 29, 2021 was very engaging and entertaining. You can definitely tell she loves the subject she's interpreting. We look forward to returning soon. read more

We visited Berkeley plantation on a tour. This is the original Plantation house and it has a great story. Jefferson was a frequent visitor and made suggestions on changes to the interior. On the grounds towards the river is the spot where Taps was written and first played for the troops! read more

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Rich with history this plantation was well worth the trip. Consider this, standing in the main hall, you would have stood in the same location of 10 of the first US Presidents and Abe Lincoln! How cool is that! While many other plantations around the area get most of the attention, Berkeley is by far is more history rich in comparison. The Harrison family's homestead is worthy of the entrance fee, just to get a tour of the inside of the main house, along with a video presentation that covers a great deal of 300 years of history in a matter of a few minutes, lol... Read up on the plantation and learn about the "real" first Thanksgiving and get a chance to visualize standing in the footsteps of the likes of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abe Lincoln, and the very grounds of where the Army of the Potomac camped during the Civil war!! Yes, I'm a history nerd.... A small gift shop and restrooms are on the grounds, along with plenty of free parking. read more

This plantation is deep with history and the grounds are aesthetic. Interesting facts. We paid $50 thinking we would get a tour of the 3 houses, but only toured basement and the 4 rooms on main floor of main house. Not much to it. Tour guide was knowledgeable though. read more

Berkeley Plantation - Path through Crepe Myrtles on plantation grounds. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Charles City, Virginia

The tour was short for the price. You only get to see the first level and basement. Tour guide was uninformed in many areas. Staff was unfriendly. Did not feel welcomed. Would not recommend. read more

We did the house tour and strolled the grounds. It's a very nice area, lush and on the river. I was shocked to learn that so much interesting history took place here. There's a little museum in the basement you visit after the tour. Well worth the time and money. The kids loved the scavenger hunt assignment. read more

Beautiful plantation ! This was our second time here. Disappointed the carriage house tavern no longer operated as a restaurant on the property. Some neat history and beautiful furnishings. Our guide was very knowledgable and funny. Take the time to walk the grounds. Only negative is that the gardens seemed to be a bit overgrown ( shrubs bigger than I would think they wod have been maintained to) and not as many flowers as I remember the first visit 15-20 yrs ago. Well worth the visit! read more

Wonderful history. Our tour guide really knew her history! Wear walking shoes and a walking stick because you can walk all around the grounds. Great way to spend a few hours. Shirley read more

I went here with my hubby for the "First Thanksgiving" re-enactment. They set up outside food vendors and some crafting vendors and a couple things for the kids to do. Some people were dressed in period costume. The re-enactment a little slow but it was interesting to learn that Plymouth wasn't the "first Thanksgiving". Technically, though this plantation boasts it was actually the one, even it could be said Jamestown and potentially before that even the Lost Colony of Roanoake could have been. It's Plymouth that has the most extensive documentation so that's why they got credit when the holiday was enacted. This landing here, actually mentions having a Feast of thanksgiving... so that's why this claims to be first. The two before probably did but no definitive writings on it. Anyway we did that and ate from a vendor booth pulled pork (cold yuck) but the beans and coleslaw were really good. We took a tour of the home. They only show you four rooms (I think costs 12.50 each ticket). They do give military and senior discount. The highlight of the plantation were the presenters. Three presenters four different presenters told you about the history (and it's FULL of interesting and funny political history that involved Benedict Arnold, William Henry Harrison, Benjamin Harrison and other famous people who were born, raised there or important things happened there. It was GREAT FUN to listen to two of them. They were super knowledgeable and were funny and answered all the questions. It made the whole thing worthwhile. If not for these three (the fourth one I couldn't hear she had the voice of a mouse) I'd of downgraded it one star. They really made the whole trip. The reason I didn't give it full stars is you can't go into the kitchen outbuilding or upstairs to see the bedrooms. Apparently they are storing the owners things there. But lovely furniture pieces and a couple rare items in there. Also worth it was the view. OMG the view of the river was astounding! I just enjoyed sitting there looking out. It was gorgeous. Worth the trip. It's not well talked about but I'd consider this one of the most important plantations. Especially in VA. read more

Very nice place, tour guide was great. Ginger W. gave an excellent overview.

Beautiful grounds and well-preserved house. A lot of history happened here--the Army of the Potomac camped here, President Lincoln reviewed the troops, Taps was written here, the first bourbon distilled here, Thomas Jefferson advised the owners on what renovations to make and so on and on. Rose gardens, a weeping willow tree and a lovely walk to the river. $12 adult admission, $11 senior discount (starts at age 62 I believe), not sure the price for children. Restrooms on premises, free parking. read more

We went to the Berkeley Plantation today and it was just ok. I felt a little bit of misled by the people that run it. When you pull up you think your going to tour three very nice structures, when in fact you pay a fee to tour the basement of the main house and walk through four rooms on only the first floor. The 2nd and 3rd floors are a private residence. None of this information was shared with our tour until we were about to go on the tour. Photography is not allowed and about a 1/3 of your tour will be you watching a video in an old basement that is very racist to the Native Americans. Our tour guide also seemed bitter toward a male guide since she kept making anti-male comments about him. Our guide also when asked questions would try to make up answers we could tell as a group and eventually said "We don't know much about a lot of these items or the history outside of the well known stories". They also currently are renovating about 25% of the space you usually tour, but offer a $2 discount as a result. But, you can not apply any coupons you also have, so it's pretty much the coupon discount for everyone. read more