Best Tours in Charleston

Attention tea connoisseurs! This is the only working tea plantation in the United States, and you can come visit to learn about tea harvesting, processing and packaging. The plantation supplies the official tea of the White House and grows over 300 varieties of tea on its 127 acres (51 hectares). The tour of the factory is free, and will teach you all about how the teas are made. Or you can pay a little extra for the trolley tour, which drives you all around the massive and beautiful plantation. If you are visiting during the summer, make sure to wear a hat or take an umbrella, as the summer sun is intense.

Middleton Place is an 18th Century rice plantation and National Historic Landmark comprising 65 acres (26 hectares) of America’s oldest landscaped Gardens, the Middleton Place House Museum and the Plantation Stableyards. The Gardens reflect the elegant symmetry of 17th Century European design. Sculpted terraces, parterres and reflecting pools full of swans are highlights of their intricate design. Rare camellias bloom in the winter, while vibrant azaleas blanket the hillside above the Rice Mill Pond in the spring. Tickets for house tours are separate from the general admission fee.

Thomas Heyward, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, built his splendid home in 1772. In 1791, the city rented the home for use by an honored guest: George Washington. The building is decorated with Charleston-manufactured furniture and the gardens showcase flowers that were available and popular in the 18th century. The Heyward-Washington House has been featured on Home and Garden Television. Guided tours are provided, and tickets are available at the house or through the Charleston Museum.

Drayton Hall is a National Trust Historic site resting on 630 lovely acres (254 hectares). The building was completed in 1742, and today it stands as a quality example of Georgian-Palladian architecture; in fact it is the oldest surviving example of this architectural style. Owned by the Drayton family for seven generations, the house remains near to its original condition, though it has been through the Revolutionary War and several hurricanes and earthquakes. This is a true piece of history, so come explore the house and enjoy the pastoral grounds. Drayton Hall regularly hosts school field trips and other educational opportunities.

Founded in 1676, the Magnolia Plantation & Gardens is one of South Carolina's most renowned green spaces built over 390 acres (160 hectares) of pristine pastures. Walking along a numbered path, you will find many beautiful cypresses and live oak trees that blissfully stand along the Ashley River's serene eastern banks. Showcasing a multitude of landscaping styles, these beautiful gardens are most-notably embellished by the horticulture mazes of Flowerdale that consists of over 50 acres (20.4 hectares) of serene flowerbeds, Camellia plantations and boxwood paddocks. The Plantation House, the Nature Train, the Nature Boat, and Audubon Swamp Garden are some of the park's major attractions that also host various fun activities and events from time to time. For those who ride bicycles, the green-scape is dotted with a succession of trails that wind through the woods.

In the early 1800s, the Nathaniel Russell House, a neoclassical dwelling, was the home of Nathaniel and Sarah Russell. Their marriage resulted in the merging of two great merchant families, who made a fortune peddling rice and indigo. The interior of the home can only be described as graceful; intricate plaster-work, uniquely designed rooms, and a breathtaking free-flying staircase are just a few of the architectural highlights. Much of the art displayed around the home is of Charleston origin, and each room is decorated in fine turn-of-the-century style.

Located in the historic railroad district of Charleston, The visitor center is one of the best places to start your sightseeing journey of Charleston. If you are keen to know about the city's history, the center hosts slide shows known as 'Forever Charleston'. There are many exhibitions held focusing on the history and culture of the city using various art forms like photography and painting. You can avail information and tickets of most of the events being held in the city from the center.

This is perhaps the most remarkable home on Charleston's downtown waterfront. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Aiken-Rhett House is a revealing architectural portrait of the antebellum South. Owned at one time by wealthy planter and former South Carolina governor William Aiken, the house is decorated with fine examples of classical art and sculpture. Around the home, the original servants quarters, sheds, kitchens and stables reveal a fuller view of Charleston life in the 1800s. The courtyard adjoining the house is used for a variety of events and programs as well.

A rich repository of artifacts spanning the disciplines of history, archaeology, and decorative arts, Charleston is touted to be one of the oldest museums in the country. Founded in 1773, it is America's first public museum. Focusing extensively on local, cultural and natural history, the museum houses permanent exhibits chronicling the course of 18th and 19th-century America. Along with housing antiquated mementos from the Civil War, they also feature an impressive silver collection which includes the christening cup of George Washington. Sheltering the only remaining fossil of the now extinct bird 'pelagornis sandersi', the museum also harbors plenty of other intriguing artifacts like olden photographs, documents, ceramics, and treasured furniture of Charleston. The museum also preserves two nearby historic homes, namely the Joseph Manigault House and the Heyward-Washington House.

Built by Scottish merchant Charles Edmondston, the three-story mansion is now a museum that showcases the way the wealthy landed gentry lived in the early 19th Century. Bought and refurbished by Charles Alston in 1838, the guided tours on offer take you through beautifully furnished rooms with period silver, antiques, books and paintings. A stroll on the second floor piazza offers great views of Charleston Harbor. During the Christmas season the house is decorated for the holidays as it would have been in 1860. The mansion's former carriage house has been renovated into a lovely bed and breakfast. The current owner of the house resides on the third floor.

Built by George Walton Williams, a native businessman and humanitarian, who wanted to revive Charleston while Union soldiers occupied the city in 1876, is now a museum and private residence. Spread over 24,000 square feet (2,229 square meters), with 35 rooms and 23 fireplaces, the Italianate style home is named after Patrick Calhoun, the grandson of Vice President John C. Calhoun, who married the daughter of Walton Williams. It includes a 90 foot (27 meter) cupola, Tiffany glass, decorative arts, antiques and ornate chandeliers. Visitors can wander through the beautiful gardens gracefully punctuated by water features and take a guided tour of the establishment.