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Hopsewee Plantation

4.1 (70 reviews)
Closed 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

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What a beautiful location to take a break, enjoy a glass or two of wine and a delicious charcuterie spread. Local friends took us here in October while we were visiting on vacation and we really enjoyed catching up with them in this gorgeous location. We sat down by the river and it was so relaxing. Deb, our hostess, was very friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. We definitely will be back for this Wine by the River experience.

John B.

This is a privately owned site which was hosting some sort of group event when I was there and thus was perhaps uncharacteristically busy. They clearly want you to buy tickets beforehand online (not easy to do at the last minute if you're in one of the surrounding areas with limited cell service). The price for a ticket was quite high, but there was an interesting experience on offer. Signage indicated something to the effect that some visitors might think the content too harsh, others might not think it harsh enough, but the important thing is to think. A noble sentiment, which I agree with. And for me, individual statements by tour guides sometimes missed the mark and were overly opinionated or fringe-y, but the experience as a whole provided a distinctive picture of the history of the region. The house is quite a splendid historic building, with a basement faintly visible through the apparently very high-quality floorboards that are still there after centuries. We got a good run through the house, and a lot of history. It is remarkable that the place has never flooded, given how much water there is everywhere around. A small museum based on archeological work in the area goes into a different vision of history, and gives one a sense of how difficult it would have been to live and work (or be forced to work) here. There is a boardwalk that goes close to the river, with numerous signs stating to watch out for snakes and alligators, continuing to hammer home the dangers of a superficially serene environ. This would be a reasonable stop for people not overly familiar with the distinctive history of the region, but as a seasoned explorer I still picked up some information and experiences to be worth the two hours or so I spent.

Front of tea menu
Ashley H.

We didn't plan well so we only had time for our scheduled tea when we arrived and not a tour also. The tea was fantastic and they were so accommodating with us being pescatarian. The grounds of this plantation are beautiful but beware of the mosquitos! The tea and crumpets were delicious and the set up was really cute! Our server was so nice and friendly!

River Oak Cottage Tea Room
Jamie M.

I found this place online strictly because they had a tea room that I wanted to visit. Although the weather was down pouring that day, we still decided to go see it on our way from Myrtle Beach to Charleston. The River Oak tea room is a quaint little cabin/cottage with a little gift shop, fire place room and then finally the back room is your tea table area. They do prefer reservations but they did take us as walk-ins since they weren't busy (it's the off season and they only had 2 tables occupied). We ordered the Full Southern Tea for $20/PP (Plus tax) and it was a great amount of food for a tea. For tea, I opted for the Hopsewee House Blend, a tea they have specially made for their tea room. The sandwiches were a deconstructed cucumber and cream cheese sandwich, salmon mousse, mozzarella/pesto/tomato cracker, curried chicken on shortbread, and a blue cheese spinach quiche. The quiche was the only one I wasn't fond of: the rest were great! They also had a cookbook for sale that had the recipes for everything served in the tea room as well as boxes of the House blend tea for purchase. There is also a tour of the house on the premises for $20. There's a video and a guided tour through the house (which is currently occupied by residents). A nice afternoon trip if you are staying in Myrtle Beach or Charleston (or passing between the two like we were).

a poster for the event

Fabulous lunch. Two of us had the 3 course tea; two of us had lunch from the (quite extensive) menu. Everything was very tasty and beautifully presented. Our waitress was attentive, congenial and VERY knowledgeable about the extensive tea list. Lovely setting. We will definitely be going back & taking friends.

Dock of the North Santee River
Diana L.

The plantation is such a hidden treasure. Great food and amazing photo opportunities with the old buildings, river and live oak backdrops.

The tacky decor!
Jonas R.

This is on the tea house-AWFUL! Food was microwaved, service was fair, environment was cheap and cheesy. The staff was not friendly. Made eye contact with the manager, three times, I smiled every time and she couldn't smile once! I would NEVER come back or recommend. Save your money. I haven't taken the tour yet, but this place is a rip off and tacky at beyond belief! Low value-poor quality, poor taste.

Beauty Berry

Our first time to South Carolina and we chose Hopsewee plantation to visit based on a recommendation from a local. It was absolutely a wonderful and historic visit. There was re-enactments that showed us everyday life of the militia. We had tea and food and it was so delicious. It's a scratch kitchen so there is no waste! The hopsewee tea was fabulous. Yancey was our tour guide for the house and that man is a wealth of knowledge. It was an honor to listen to him speak and to be so passionate about the history he told. We couldn't have asked for a better tour guide!! Deb who was at the tea room was so helpful and even gave us some of her homemade jelly made from a beauty berry that was sooo good. We heard about Elizabeth who gives ghost tours and we are sorry that we missed her but we did purchase her two books and already have read one of them which had such great haunting stories of the surrounding areas. I know we overstayed our welcome but they were so welcoming and kind that it did not bother them one bit. if you have a chance to stop in, you will most definitely be in for a treat!

Side of the house
Ashlen C.

We had a really good time today touring the home and the grounds and seeing the live demonstrations. The perfect kick off to our 2022/23 homeschool year. The tour guide through the home was top notch- he was SO knowledgeable and interacted with the kids to keep them engaged in the history. One recommendation for visitors - bring that bug spray! The South Carolina mosquitoes are vicious!

Dessert and tea

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Food and service was amazing! We were pleasantly surprised and definitely will return!!

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Review Highlights - Hopsewee Plantation

and hubby had the Low Country Sampler - pulled pork, collard greens, Pirleau, etc.

Mentioned in 2 reviews

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Hampton Plantation Historic Site

Hampton Plantation Historic Site

4.6(22 reviews)
3.3 mi

This historical marker along US-17 is in front of the Hampton Plantation Historic site and provides…read morea brief overview of the history. This is old Charleston, dating back to Colonial times, and even in condensed form the place carries more weight than the marker can hold. It notes the Horry and Rutledge families and the plantation's early eighteenth century origins, but it leaves out the deeper story of the rice economy built through the labor and agricultural knowledge of enslaved Africans whose work shaped every field along the Santee. The front of the marker reads, "Hampton Plantation, 2 mi. N.W., was established by 1730 and was one of the earliest rice plantations on the Santee River, in an area settled by Huguenots and often called "French Santee." The house, built in the 1730's for Elias Horry, later passed to his granddaughter Harriott Horry, who married Frederick Rutledge in 1797. The plantation remained in the Rutledge family until 1971." And the reverse, "One of Hampton's best-known owners was Archibald Rutledge (1883-1973), educator, man of letters, and first poet laureate of S.C. He wrote of life there in Home by the River (1941), calling it "the mother plantation of this old plantation country." Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970, it has been Hampton Plantation State Park since the state acquired it in 1971." The limited space on the marker omits much. Including the near‑loss of the house in the twentieth century and Archibald Rutledge's role in reviving interest, as well as the long‑loved Washington Oak that tradition links to George Washington's 1791 visit. Today the unfurnished house and quiet grounds at Hampton Plantation State Park offer a clearer sense of the layered past than the roadside text suggests, inviting visitors to step beyond the marker and into a landscape where memory, myth, and history still mingle. It is marker number 1040 and it was erected in 2001 by the St. James-Santee Parish Historical Society. [Review 107 of 2026 - 1377 in South Carolina - 25297 overall]

The site is still in the process of improvement, but even just walking the grounds is a memorable…read moreexperience. A history trail has been added with some visually and intellectually stimulating exhibits. The mansion is rarely if ever open but offers some interesting views. And a walk through the abandoned rice fields yields both wildlife sightings and hints of the place's past. There is a charge to get in, but they waived it for me as I stopped in just at the end of the day to take a quick walk. There are a variety of more developed areas that give private plantation tours, but this outdoor setting is an entirely worthy state park.

Photos
Hampton Plantation Historic Site - Hampton Plantation Historical Marker, Mc Clellanville

Hampton Plantation Historical Marker, Mc Clellanville

Hampton Plantation Historic Site - Hampton Plantation Historical Marker, Mc Clellanville

Hampton Plantation Historical Marker, Mc Clellanville

Hampton Plantation Historic Site

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Hopsewee Plantation - historicaltours - Updated May 2026

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