I just wish there was a placard on the barns and outside buildings with an explanation of how it…read morewas used at the time since tours are few and far apart so we had to go on our own This plantation has been restored, AC and lights just like a modern house

This is a great way to learn about the history of slaves and the civil war along with the history…read moreof this plot of land. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable.

A real hidden gem…read more 1. It's free!!! 2. It's on a beautiful non working farm with trails 3. The house is not the original but was built on the ruins of Pinckneys actual house...archaeological artifacts are displayed in the house 4. If you get the history bug but only wanna spend an hour instead of 8 on a plantation this is a perfect little stop...we hit it up going from Charleston up to Myrtle Beach 5. National park so there at knowledgable rangers to tell you everything about a big name in SC and US history

We were planning on visiting Boone Plantation, but we were early, since it opens at Noon on…read moreSundays. So, we had some time to kill. Almost across the street I have noticed a sign for Charles Pickney National Historic Site which looked open, so off we went. There is a big parking lot upon entrance. Free to visit. Big, woodsy grounds with a few trails, historic houses (closed for the season when we visited in November), a small visitor center with picnic benches, clean restrooms, water fountains. We enjoyed walking around, decompressing, admiring the Spanish moss and the camellias in bloom. We also learnt about Charles Pickney (had no idea who he was), always interesting to get a slice of local and US History. He was a land owner, a politician, a Founding Father who contributed to the Constitution, South Carolina governor (several times), US Senator and member of the House. Also, alongside his wife, Eliza were some of the first people developing indigo crops. All this information you ready by walking around it's interesting and will tie in with the facts and stories you will get while touring Boone plantation. It all connects. Great place to stumble into, it has a bit of everything: respite, nature, history. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. TIP: If you are early for Boone, pop in here. You should do both place if you have time! Lots to learn and the historic site has lots of charm on its own!

We knew we would only have time for one plantation experience on this trip two years ago and only a…read moremorning or afternoon to tour. If you are looking for something totally different yet satisfying and educational, you'll definitely enjoy Hampton Plantation State Historic Site in McClellanville, S.C., on the Wambaw Creek in the Santee Delta. The Colonial-era rice plantation mansion on 274 acres with its remnant buildings, two cemeteries, trails, three endangered species and park buildings holds a quiet change of pace from other Charleston area attractions. "Tours include a study of the architecture and evolution of the house, as seen in the open walls and unfurnished rooms, as well as personal insight into the people that called Hampton home." Built in the 1740's, two wings were added in 1760 and the first Adams style portico in the Lowcountry was added in 1791. The structures at the once 700 acre prosperous and bustling Hampton Plantation are architectural monuments to the labor of enslaved Africans. Here at Hampton, "The plantation's Georgian-style mansion and well-kept grounds serve as an interpretive site for the system of slavery that helped build such plantations in South Carolina into the greatest generators of wealth in early American history." "The property also tells the story of the freed people who made their homes in the Santee Delta region for generations after emancipation. Visitors can explore the mansion, wander the plantation grounds or look out upon Wambaw Creek at the remains of rice fields that once stretched as far as the eye could see." During the Revolutionary War, the British captured Charleston. They said that any man bearing arms against them would be treated as a traitor and so they searched houses and plantations, confiscating any valuables, including slaves, not even knowing for certain who were traitors it seems. Hampton was searched twice and plundered of everything. Just think of those soldiers, over 200 years ago, pounding up and down those still solid wooden stairs, hauling off whatever they wanted, including people already sold once, that they were going to sell again, on down the road. After the war, George Washington visited Hampton in 1791. The President was asked whether a certain oak tree should be cut down to create a better view from the newly built portico. He replied that he liked the tree, and it was saved. From then on the tree was known as the Washington Oak. It still stands almost 230 years later! This visit here at a historic place cared for by the Park Service was quite a find and a bargain. Stop here, if you get the chance. The park website below has an incredible virtual tour if you don't get the opportunity to visit this unusual historic plantation in person. Grounds are free. House admission: $7.50/adult; $3.75/S.C. Senior; $3.50/youth age 6-15; Free for children 5 & younger. Ground Hours: Apr. - Oct. 9 a.m.- 6 p.m., daily. Nov. - Mar. 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.  Mansion Hours: Guided tours only, F, M and Tu noon and 2 p.m. Sa-Su 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. https://south-carolina-plantations.com/charleston/hampton.html https://southcarolinaparks.com/hampton

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 small museum and dungeon tour is worth the experience. It gives you a good overview of early…read moreCharleston's history while also covering the darker history of the dungeon. They also offered a multi-museum pass that included the Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon, the Slave Mart Museum, and the Powder Magazine, which was well worth the price.

Neat little spot, good info and displays overall, but our tour guide was clearly not feeling her…read morebest, maybe healing form a cold so she probably should have been home and seemed a little tired like she had maybe done too many tours. Lots of info from her that was not exactly what we were looking for, could have been a little more interesting for the family, but we liked the dungeon and old building and museum. We really loved the Constitution signing and quiz about what side you would have been on etc. Not much in the gift shop. Cool area.

The Admiral's House on Navy Way in North Charleston is a beautiful and historical house that has…read morebeen fully restored and now is an excellent and unique venue option for a special event. I really like the atmosphere and location here with the three levels and the balcony overlooking everything. This is a cool place that really stands out.

Had a wonderful hair cut here. Staff were all extremely nice. Dedicated surface lot--yes!…read moreRecommended!

I went on my honeymoon here and it was the best experience. I miss this place and have such good…read morememories. I can't wait to return, and look forward to coming back.

Biggin Church Ruins is a beautiful old historic church near Moncks Corner. No commercial…read morephotography is allowed. And they've put up a fence around it for preservation efforts. But it's a peaceful place to stop for a snapshot and walk through the quiet cemetary.

Was driving home from Florence on a Friday afternoon, taking a rural route, and saw the sun shining…read morethrough the ruins. I immediately stopped, and had to check it out. Plus it screamed take pics!! Really not much to see, but church ruins and grave stones. The winter weather was making it dark and gloomy, but the church ruin is amazing to look at. Historical marker standing nearby to give some history. Many faded tomb stones, hard to read, but I did notice the last name Cordes. I would assume that is why it's called Cordesville nearby. Glad I could stop before the sun set. Would I return? Maybe in the spring to see green and the azalea blooms. If passing by on hwy 402, check it out.

It took my husband and me longer than I'd like to admit to figure out the parking situation - we…read moreshould have done better research, but basically, there's a small pay-by-text lot at the entrance to the paved graffiti path. It costs $2.85 for the first hour. There's a gate at the path, which caused us to wonder, for a moment, if the path is closed, but it's open daily to foot traffic, closed to vehicle traffic. Now that we have that all sorted out, I saw the many warnings about the length of the path, and still, I underestimated it. LOL. If you're pale, put on sunscreen. I mistakenly thought I would not be in the sun long enough to get burned. I was wrong. We enjoyed the walk - lots of art to take in, and the weather was beautiful the day we went. The walk to the beach and back to our car - we only spent about 5-10 minutes on the beach, totaled 30 minutes. The section of beach where the lighthouse is visible from is stunning! Next time, we will likely bring chairs and spend more time in this spot. It wasn't very busy at all, as it seems most people walk the path, see what they can see, and return back to their cars. All of my complaints are of my own doing. Next time, we'll be better educated and more prepared!

Enjoyed a quiet, early morning walk along the water. The views of the lighthouse were incredible…read more-very peaceful.

A step back in time to the beginning of the Civil War. Fort Sumter has the calming views of ocean…read moreand city scapes but also the scars of war. I thought the videos were well done and I preferred them over reading a number of placards. There were several examples of artillery used at the fort. I really like it when they give you a sense of what life was like for its occupants and at Ft Sumter, they had a nice sprinkling of that. Only one boat tour is allowed on the island at a time and you have one hour to walk around which I thought was about right. The red brick was unique. It was very interesting to see how much excavation and repair had to be done to make it accessible to the public. One tip we got was to take pics of the placards in the museum to read later and focus more on the grounds. Thought that was a good tip. The boat ride was just as interesting as the fort itself as there is much to see along the way.

​If you really want to hear about it, my dad, former FBI, gets a real charge out of all this Civil…read moreWar stuff, he came down to visit me. Having lived in Charleston for over ten years back when I was married, I've seen about every phony tourist trap in the lowcountry, so I took him out to Fort Sumter. ​You have to take this ferry boat out into Charleston Harbor just to see the damn thing, which is built on this island made out of roughly 100,000 tons of granite rock. The ferry is full of tourists wearing ridiculous matching hats, but my dad was in heaven taking pictures of the brickwork and cannons. ​As far as history goes, it's where the whole mess started. Back on April 12, 1861, at 4:30 in the morning, the Blues started shelling Major Robert Anderson's Federal garrison inside the fort. Dad would know so much more but unfortunately he's since passed. They pounded the brick walls for 34 straight hours until the Greys guys finally surrendered. The crazy thing is, nobody even died during the actual bombardment, though a couple of guys got blown up later during a 100-gun surrender salute. I think that was the rumor I heard. ​The National Park Service guys running the tour try pretty hard, walking you around the area and telling you all about the 587-day Union siege that practically flattened the whole brick structure. It's actually pretty impressive if you don't mind standing around in the humid heat listening to retired guys talk about artillery calibers. It's worth the boat trip if you're stuck showing a history buff around town, even if the whole war thing isn't your cup of tea.

Tickets to tour Fort Moultrie are ~$10. We started at the Visitor's Center, where there's a film…read moreyou can watch to get some background as well as souvenirs for purchase. Then, we walked across to the fort and spent time exploring it. 10/10 would recommend!

This was my second visit to the Fort Moultrie Visitor Center and I'm glad we made time to stop…read moreagain while exploring Sullivan's Island. Earlier in the day, we had visited nearby Fort Sumter, but instead of taking the ferry out to the fort itself, we stopped here to learn more about Charleston's harbor defenses and the area's fascinating history. The visitor center has several exhibits providing great context before (or after) exploring the historic sites. After spending some time inside, we crossed the street to walk around Fort Moultrie itself. Between the exhibits and the fort, it was an enjoyable way to spend an hour or so. Whether it's your first visit or your second, I'd recommend making a stop here. The staff was friendly (I love rangers), the exhibits were informative, and it's a nice complement to a visit to Fort Sumter or the rest of the Charleston area.