Magnolia Plantation & Gardens Reviews

We had the best day at the Plantation! The river cruise was our favorite. Our captain was friendly, funny, and very informative! He had a real passion for his job and the wildlife. We enjoyed the train and house tour as well. We definitely want to come back and do the swamp trail and cabins. We ran out of time this trip.

What a beautiful place to spend the day!

My boys got to run around and see some animals.
The grounds are so beautiful and well kept!
The kids loved the train ride. We got to see alligators sunbathing and beautiful birds.

The magnolia house tour and slavery to freedom tour was interesting and informative. Everyone we encountered was very nice and polite.

There’s a cafe with food and snacks on premises.
This place is a must when visiting Charleston!

Beautiful place and amazing experience,

Admission is too high, $30 to enter is $10 too high.

Spent the day, food prices were ridiculous for what you got but it’s your only option while on the park

Wonderful relaxing tours and walks around the grounds. Explanation and information on slavery was excellent. Stroll through the beautiful and well kept gardens

Very friendly staff. Very knowledgeable tour guide (Julie?) of the plantation house. Blonde older lady who had been there 12 years. Tour guide (John) on train was very good. Immaculate grounds.

Wonderful gardens, walking trails, and short train ride. The plantation house looked basic so glad we skipped. Good signage and well maintained. Friendly staff. Highly recommend.

We visited two plantations while in Charleston. The Magnolia Plantation and Gardens was our favorite and exceeded our expectations! I highly recommend making the drive to the Plantation. While the gardens are the highlight for many, Magnolia Plantation does a great job addressing the history of slavery, particularly through its "From Slavery to Freedom" tour, which explores the lives of the enslaved people who lived and worked there. While this part of the experience is sobering, it’s an essential inclusion that adds depth to the plantation's story. There are many activities at the plantation including a tour of the home, walking through the gardens and a ride around the plantation. One thing to be aware of is there are a lot of mosquitos. Ensure that you bring bug spray with you and generously use it!!

Got there at eleven, left at three! So much to see and enjoy. The tram ride lecture, house tours, slave cabins and lecture. Still could not see a lot of the gardens but they give you a ticket to come back another day!

I have done a lot of the historical and plantation tours in the Charleston area and this might be one of the best values. The have 3 guided tours; a nature tram, the house tour and a slave history tour. In addition to that they have the gardens and swamp to roam around along with a small wildlife section with peacocks, a tortoise, and other animals. Saw several alligators on the nature tram. Bring bug spray as I got ate alive in the gardens. The house tour was 50 minutes or so with a large group which was a tad long in my opinion. I spent 3 hours there but I can see others spending even longer with all the options.

Visited with my husband and teenage daughters, so glad we did. The gardens and grounds are beautiful. The tour guides are very knowledgeable.

We enjoyed our knowledgable and lively guides, Bree at the house tour and Nola on the train tour. We appreciated the nicely designed paper map ( new this year we were told) and the ability to use the App to navigate the grounds easily!

We did the house tour and the freedom to slavery tour, both Beverly and Millie did an awesome job educating, keeping everyone engaged, and answering questions.

There were kids on the house tour that were too young (screaming, talking the whole time), Beverly did great continuing the tour without it affecting her or our group experience.

Millie’s information on the other tour was honest and facts, if she was my history teacher in school, I defiantly would have paid attention more.

My favorite stop in Charleston! Excellent tour guides. Interesting history. Beautiful gardens. I wish I lived close so I could walk the swamp loop or take the boat tour every week. The views and wildlife are incredible. Don't miss visiting the African American Cemetery near the swamp. We spent our anniversary visiting the plantation. Thank you to the family for allowing visitors in for a glimpse of important history.

Fantastic experience learning about the history of the Plantation, the life of the family who has owned it for 14 generations, the experience of the enslaved people who lived there as well as seeing the beautiful gardens. Well worth the time!!

Great learning experience! I saw both sides of plantation life. While the gardens and wildlife are beautiful, rhe Slavery to Freedom tour was the best.

Perfect time of year to visit. Great temp, azaleas and camellias in bloom, not crowded. The tour guides were fantastic! I would love to visit again.

My favorite was the slavery freedom tour. We had a retired history teacher and she was amazing. I appreciated the factual nature of her lecture and the passion. Highly recommend.

You have to pay 38$ per person just to get on the property. The “gardens” aren’t much of a garden and it was more like just a forest walk. No interesting info. Over all this was just a waste of time and money. They had me F’d up at the 38$ just to walk around a forest. For the very little info they give and for what they consider a garden , this walk should just be free to the public. Very disappointed.

It was a great time. We did all 3 tours available. Learned a lot about freedom and the life in the south. The plantation was beautiful

The grounds were so beautiful and well kept. So much to see and learn....natural beauty and history at every turn! Birds, gators, turtles, spiders and we even saw a peacock hanging with a sleeping cat. The history of the mansion and slavery to freedom was fascinating and the guides really knew their stuff. A great time spent before having to catch our evening flight.

Beautiful grounds, the guides (3) were all very knowledgeable and well spoken. Would recommend. The flowers are stunning. The lessons on slavery are important.

We came at 11am and left at 4pm and still didn't get to see half of the park make sure to bring good walking shoes and something to drink

Such a beautiful place to visit! Everyone was so very kind and helpful and the tour guides were extremely knowledgable and answered all questions asked. The Peacock Cafe offered lots of yummy food and was reasonably priced! We visited from Maine and would definitely recommend friends to visit!

Such a nice visit! My only criticism is that I only have until tomorrow to use my ticket again because of the date. It would be great if it was a year from the purchase day.
Beautiful place!

The tour guide was fabulous. The grounds are beautiful. It was fun to see the house and hear about how the construction commenced.

The property is simply stunning! A photographer’s paradise. We purchased tickets online with the house tour included. When you arrive be sure to get tickets for the guided garden tour. There is no extra fee for this but they were not offered online and we found out from the woman at the entrance. She directed us to the ticket booth to pick up tickets for a guided garden tour which is a MUST! You should also take the tram tour (again no additional fee) and you can hop on/off at different locations on the property. The entire staff was very knowledgeable. The house is a must to get the history of the family. Have your cameras ready for the gardens. Just beautiful but no pics in the house. There is a nice gift shop with something for everyone and a cafe which we did not eat at. The swamp is very cool if you’ve never seen one. This area is self guided but be warned…you WILL see alligators! Be mindful. Being July in the summer heat/humidity during our visit the mosquitoes were plentiful so carry your repellent with you!! One spray over is NOT enough. It was brutal! They do sell some in the gift shop but probably at a higher price. We highly recommend a visit, it was definitely a highlight of our trip!

The Magnolia Plantation was lovely and was like walking though a (very large). beautiful garden. If you want to see flowers and gardens as part of your plantation visit this would be a good place. We did two tours that were included with our ticket and the guides were well informed and provided a lot of background on the place. The house itself was ok but the gift shop with their stuff sitting outside and the way the front of the house has been restored took away from the charm in my opinion.

You’ll thank me later : Bug Spray. Take it. Use it. Oh my goodness, the mosquitoes and little biting black bugs were vicious!!

I gave this review three stars due to the behavior of one of the tour guides, ‘B’. She was unnecessarily rude to a family with young children. They were not disruptive or loud. They were very small and made some hushed sounds in the back. The tour guide would stop and glare at them and her body language clearly showed her frustration. This was a short presentation in a family friendly park and not a college class. She needs to take that attitude down a notch. It was so distracting some of the research she had clearly done on the topic was lost because focus was now on the other. Ultimately it cost Magnolia a star and her a tip. Too bad. All she had to do was keep talking, we could hear her just fine.

History lesson that was presented on a property that has been lovingly maintained. I wished the garden tour would have been more about the plant life and not about the war times. We loved our volunteer docent. A true marine but ….

This place felt like an absolute tourist trap. A very expensive walk through gardens, and an extra cost for the house then another cost for the boat tour. The gardens are beautiful, but the bugs are constant. If you visit in summer, you MUST have bug spray or be covered head to toe. There is a cafe with well priced items. A storm interrupted us before we could do any tours, and we didn’t have time for the one train available that day, but I am disappointed at the $85 just for two people to walk through a garden.

My wife had a great time
Very informative
Very beautiful
Cool to see movie locations in real life.

Be prepared for misquotes... bring bug spray.

Went twice within a month. Acquired something new each time, there’s still more to discover and learn. I can appreciate history and genuinely enjoy this place. The garden is peaceful and beautiful.

We loved this place. But please DO NOT EAT AT THE CAFE. The food is terrible and overpriced. Other than then cafe we loved everything else.

Wow! This really is a must see when visiting Charleston area. Even our teenage son enjoyed it. We spent several hours walking the grounds. Absolutely stunning. The egrets were nesting at the swamp. That was an amazing sight. A tram ride is included in general admission. It’s definitely worth doing. The cafe has surprisingly good options. We had sandwiches and local beers while enjoying the beautiful outdoors.

The price doesn't justify the experience. If you're familiar with the animals native to the region and the basic history of the slave culture, there's no need to tour. We expected more blooms since we were told we were there at peak. We got a distaste for the owners (it's still privately owned) allowing the descendants of slaves to live in shack like buildings on the property until a hurricane in NINETEEN Ninety- 1990!

Very overrated, expensive at $38 just for entry to the “gardens”. In reality this is a woodland walk. If you went when the Azalea were out it may possibly warrant the cost. No ornamental gardens or flower beds to speak of other than some half done attempts at an English country garden at the entrance. The entrance fee does not include the house. This is extra. Compared with other tourist locations in and around Charleston this is poor value and was terribly disappointing.

Known for its beautiful gardens, we went for the “From Slavery to Freedom” tour. Millie, our guide was amazing and spared nothing in describing the brutality of the plantation system. Very informative and sobering. I recommend you start with the Slavery tour and then visit the plantation house, gardens and sculptures. You will never see a plantation in the same way again.

Beautiful. Very thoughtful tours concerning the slave experiences. Surrounded by beautiful camellias, azaleas, and magnolias. Great day.

Very well kept plantation. Tour guides were friendly and knowledgeable. Enjoyed visiting very much. Highly recommend.

Trip was amazing! Beautiful place with very informative tour guides. Couple of wishes. One that ticketing was clearer. It was hard to understand and get it to the checkout. Second, since photography isn't allowed inside the mansion, a way to buy pictures of the house. Thanks for a wonderful day!

We were so excited about our afternoon visit to Magnolia. We brought our Bassett Hound Ruggar who gave the day two paws up for his fun outing. They are very dog friendly. The trails were wonderful and so easy to navigate, I have bad knees and I had no issues making the rounds. The early spring blooms were beautiful, took so many photos. The staff were so friendly and helpful in all areas of the plantation. We strolled throughout the gardens, along the river to the watchtower, thru the bamboo forest, across the bridges, admired the sunbathing gator and lil gators & turtles, and just had a lovely day. Do stop in the gift shop, and pop into the cafe for happy hour. A beautiful way to spend a leisurely few hours.

Visited this beautiful and exciting place with my family (husband and two kids, 3 y/o and 5 m/o) in early September. The staff was so helpful and the guided tours were amazing. Learnt a lot and had the best day!

Excellent day overall!! By far the best talk we heard was by Bri on the slavery to freedom tour. She really opened our eyes and gave us perspective we’d never thought about. We enjoyed our entire day. We were looking forward to the boat tour of the rice plantation and were surprised to hear it was long since gone from the options.

Excellent overall annual program and great facilities to support families. Knowledgeable staffers and accommodating open picnic tables

All of the staff we socialized with were wonderful! Very friendly and very helpful! Establishment was very well kept up as well! We will be recommending to friends and family and will definitely be back!

Fantastic grounds, plenty of blooming flowers even in February. Highly recommend. Train ride included in admission was perfect. John was very interesting and informative.

We purchased general admission tickets so we didn’t do a paid tour but general admission gives you access to a lot! You can walk the grounds, take the nature tour and the from slavery to freedom tour. Our guides Walker (nature tour) and Katie (slavery tour) were wonderful!! Everyone was so nice and helpful. Wear very comfortable shoes! You will walk a lot!

Beautiful plantation rich with history. We added the house and train tour and they are worth the extra cost. Tour guides are very knowledgeable. We ate lunch onsite. Convenient and reasonably priced.

We loved our visit! We started with the nature tour and the guide was excellent. Loved seeing the wildlife up close. The house tour was very interesting with the family history and all. The guide provided detail & helped bring it to life. The gardens were beautiful.

The staff were very knowledgeable and delivered that knowledge in an engaging, thoughtful and palatable way with a bit a levity. I found the grounds pleasant to explore. I enjoyed the tours, from the house to the swamps, and the Slavery to freedom tour which was very well presented. I found everyone to be delightful. I walked the path and grounds of my ancestors, I reflected on their lived experience, I prayed, I learned, I laughed, I stood in awe of the vastness of the land, I was challenged by the unfathomable experience, and the cognitive dissonance in the experiences between the enslaved and slaver. I delighted in the story of finding and creating a life of honor from a horrific journey. I exited with new feelings to process.

The women that did the tour from slavery to freedom was very good and really gave us a lot of information very interesting

It was all so stunning. We did all the tours and they were so informative. The wildlife showed up for us and I couldn't be happier with this experience. It was everything I hoped it would be and more.

Beautiful gardens! Bonus was the birds, alligators and turtles! Trolley was very educational and enjoyed the slave home tour

Value was average. Boat tour was perfect. Host and driver are excellent. House tour was very nice but too long. Split into 3 groups. Our host Brie, was absolutely amazing and we all enjoyed the experience. The train ride was perfect after. However, doing back to back was difficult due to travel between the tours. We wanted to shop in the gift shop but not enough time. Overall A+

I recently visited Magnolia Plantation and Gardens in Charleston, South Carolina, and I had a range of emotions during my time there. The land itself is undeniably beautiful, with well-preserved trails, lush gardens, and a deep historical presence. However, my experience was marked by both an incredible educational moment and a deep disappointment.

First, I want to extend my highest praise to Beverly, the docent for the From Slavery to Freedom tour. She was exceptional. Her ability to vividly recount the painful and complex history of enslavement was nothing short of masterful. She took us on a thorough journey—from the capture of Africans, the devastating Middle Passage, and the brutal realities of slavery, all the way to the struggle for freedom. Her depth of knowledge, attention to historical accuracy, and clear dedication to truth-telling were profoundly moving. Beverly didn’t just share facts; she painted a picture of resilience and humanity that was both heartbreaking and necessary. Her passion for ensuring this history is not forgotten was evident, and I deeply respect the research and preparation that went into her tour. Magnolia Plantation is fortunate to have her, and I highly recommend that every visitor take this tour to gain a full and accurate perspective of history.

That being said, my visit to the plantation’s Big House Tour was deeply disappointing. While I understand that the focus of this particular tour was on the lineage of the family who owned the house, it is inexcusable that the contributions of the enslaved people who built, rebuilt, and maintained this house were entirely omitted. This is a glaring example of historical whitewashing. Acknowledging their labor and sacrifice is not just important—it is essential. It is not enough to tell the story of the plantation owners without addressing the reality that their wealth and way of life were built on the backs of enslaved individuals. Even a brief acknowledgment of this history would have added necessary context.

Additionally, I found myself questioning how the plantation, which remains under the ownership of the same family, is giving back to the African American community. Given the vast wealth generated from this land—both historically through slavery and currently through tourism—there should be clear and visible efforts to invest in the descendants of those who suffered here. Are there scholarships for African American students? Are there initiatives to uplift the very communities that were oppressed on this land? If such programs exist, they are not well publicized, and if they don’t, that is an issue that deserves immediate attention.

Another glaring issue was the complete lack of diversity in the workforce. Not a single African American staff member was visible during my visit. Given the history of this site, it is imperative that the plantation makes intentional efforts to ensure representation in its workforce and leadership. Inclusion is not just a word—it is an action, and right now, that action seems to be missing.

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is a site of deep historical significance, and it has the opportunity to be a leader in truth-telling, reparative justice, and inclusion. While I appreciated the beauty of the land and the powerful From Slavery to Freedom tour, I left with a heavy heart, knowing that the full truth is still not being told in all areas of the plantation’s programming. I strongly urge Magnolia Plantation to take these concerns seriously. To truly honor history, we must tell it in full.

This place is incredible! There's beauty, nature, history all raveled into one! We went 2 days and still didn't get through everything. The Home for the Holidays tour was great! The Discovery Tour was amazing! The "From Slavery to Freedom" presentation was so SO good. These volunteers really know their stuff! (We also stopped by the gift shop and the corn pones were to die for!) We'll definitely be going back in March or April when everything is in bloom!

We liked it so much we bought season tickets on our way out and to top it off we are only in the area until February/2026 and plan on going back many times

Amazing gardens, wonderful history tours, delicious snacks and beers. We also had 75 degrees and gorgeous breezes. Saw multiple alligators, birds, etc.

It was a very informative and fun excursion. Great for families or couples. I would like to go back one day. The cafe had delicious food and wasn’t overpriced. Bathrooms were clean.

Great garden tour with Tom, a very knowledgeable and friendly volunteer guide. We also enjoyed the tram ride. The cafe had good food.

Great visit. Beautiful place .

Really enjoyed John’s very honest and authentic tour of slavery at the plantation also. Great for families and lovely staff.

We had a wonderful visit to Magnolia Plantation, and the Easter event was truly fantastic! Our children had an amazing time during the Easter egg hunts—they enjoyed it so much!

We had the full experience ticket, and it did not disappoint. All three of our guides were extremely knowledgeable and provided a robust amount of information. We consider ourselves relatively well-read on topics of American history and slavery, but still learned new information and made historical connections we had not made through reading. The grounds are beautiful too…we could have spent more than one full day, if we had the time.

I understand that maintenance and operations of such a place are expensive, but I would love to see a portion of the proceeds be contributed by the family to civil rights initiatives.

John (an Irish gentleman) gave an excellent presentation on the daily activity of slaves and the emotional toll on families during slavery and the post Civil War era. A few cabins have been relocated to show the living conditions during slavery, after emancipation, and during the Jim Crow era. The gardens were beautifully maintained and wildlife, especially birds were abundant. Late September was a good time to visit as there were no crowds on a weekday afternoon and the temperature was tolerable on the shady walking paths.

I recently took the From Slavery to Freedom tour at Magnolia Plantation with John as our guide, and it was a truly engaging experience. His passion, knowledge, and unique accent made the history come alive in a deeply human way. The tour balanced harsh realities with stories of resilience, leaving a lasting impact. I highly recommend it—especially with John as your guide!

We spent hours there. We were surprised at the beautiful surroundings. A wonderful way to spend the day! We are recommending this to all of our family and friends.

Just loved the history. The tour guides were amazing. Tom on the garden tour!! WOW. Y'all need to add this to your Charleston experience

We had a pleasant time, gardens are really nice. We saw snakes and alligators. Also the Slavery to Freedom talk was amazing. Thanks!

My wife and I had an amazing tour of the grounds and also the mansion house. The gardens are lovely. The slave cabins of course makes you feel sad that such an institution existed in the first place, but are necessary reminders of the past that I pray has been rectified. The guide, the gentleman’s name I unfortunately do not recall, was extremely knowledgeable, humorous, and completely answered all of our questions.

Amazing place. The personel is very devoted and knowledgeable. Small animal shelter is very cute. Plan a whole day trip to enjoy the gardens

Lovely plantation grounds and gardens. We needed to adjust our expectations and realize we would not be seeing a Deep South Plantation - the home on this property was built after the Civil War - the original had burned down during the Civil War. The visit to the Slave Cabins and the Nature Trail Tram were both excellent. Beautiful property, well worth visiting.

It's an over-rated place, which marks a part of the dark, enslave history that everyone should learn about. And yet, all the tours organized for visiting this site will try to ignore this aspect and focused on the "beauty" and the "preservation effort" by the families who still own this former plantation. What a shame.

While Visiting Charleston, my wife wanted to see a plantation. I was ambivalent about this aspect of our trip but parts of it ended up being interesting. The tour of the home was so-so. Seeing a couple of rooms and hearing about the plantation owners was mildly interesting to me. Walking around the grounds and seeing the wildlife, landscaping and various features of the plantation was more up my alley (though if you go in the summer, it will be hot as blazes and humid to plan accordingly) but the thing I was least interested in turned out to be the most interesting and thought provoking for me. The talk on "From Slavery to Freedom" held on the grounds by four examples of the slave cabins as they existed at various points during the history of the plantation was both fascinating and sobering. How relatively recently people still lived in even the latest and most "modern" of these shacks is hard to believe.
So, even though I was a reluctant visitor, I ended up enjoying most of my time there. But thank goodness it was early March, and the heat and humidity wasn't yet a factor.

I love coming to Magnolia because it seems it’s always different and there is new stuff to see. I have an annual pass so I can experience all the plants at different seasons. It’s a “Can’t Miss” experience. I’ve even brought my children and grand children each time they visit and they always request to visit the grounds! Thanks for getting the boat ride going.

It is a great garden, but like many public and private gardens I wish it was better kept horticultural wise. Lots of plants not in appropriate conditions. Many plants need more sun than what they are getting. Limited budgets and employees I would guess. It however was a great visit.

My boyfriend and I spent about 3-4 hours at the Magnolia Plantation ahead of our evening flight. The facility has a small locker/cabinet where you can store your luggage for the duration of your visit, which we very much appreciated for the convenience.

During our visit, we attended the “From Slavery from Freedom” tour with Bri and she did a phenomenal job providing a succinct historical context of the entire transatlantic slave trade. She was a very engaging guide.

We didn’t get a chance to tour the house itself but did wander around the gardens which we enjoyed. Overall a great trip!

Amazing and not too crowded! Went right at 12:00 and barely anyone there! Gorgeous nature and was able to see a crocodile!

It was disappointing for a couple of reasons. First, it is a pretty property but the gardens are not especially interesting. The house tour was just that. Information about the former plantation owners. Not really interesting historically. Quite offensive that you have to take a special and independent "slave history tour" to even hear a mention of enslaved people. During the entire house tour there were references to "servants!" It would be nice to at least acknowledge what happened in that house! But I guess it is explained by the fact that the current owners are descendants of the original plantation owners. When we asked our house tour guide how many slaves were on the plantation at any given time, her answer was that the overn never "bought or sold" anyone!!!

Would rate this positive overall, but the gardens are closer to walking on nice paths through the woods and nothing was blooming when we went. The flowers planted between the ticket kiosk and the main house were beautiful. We toured the house which was built after the Civil War (previous ones had burned down) and heard the history of the family that still owns it. Took the nature tram tour and saw nesting egrets, herons and alligators. Also did the slavery talk with the Irish docent - we felt that was the best part and we learned a lot. Another plus was the beautiful, OLD live oaks. The food at the cafe was mediocre and would have brought our own had we known. Slavery tour and nature tram were included; house tour was extra for $15.00.

We signed up for a special workshop on indigo dying at the Plantation. It was a very nice, small group experience and worked well for my daughter's high anxiety. We also took the Nature Train guided trolley tour of the plantation. It was fun and interesting. The garden beds are beautiful. The snack bar wasn't exceptional but good enough to hit the spot. The Slave to Freedom tour was unimpressive, despite the guide's academic focus on the subject. It felt like the Plantation put the tour together to expand their potential guest numbers and lure people interested in the subject matter for a visit. Then, they clearly felt the need to tippy-toe for guest comfort around the dark side of the slavery practice at Magnolia Plantation. Very disappointing as this was one of the Charleston tours we were most interested in seeing. We did not tour the Plantation House as this was an additional fee and we'd already paid well for the indigo dying workshop ($150 ea.)

Tour guide, John, for "The Slavery to Freedom" tour was so good! His command of, and passion for the subject matter were quite apparent. He also went out of his way to recommend other "must sees", but often missed treasures found within the grounds. He made our long trip from Minnesota even more special. The Plantation itself is truly gorgeous. I highly recommend it to all. "Well done!" to all the family, staff, and volunteers.

Amazing grounds and history! Beautiful all around! Amazing tour guides, especially Mallie? At the house. Was amazing I loved every minute of it. And got to see plenty of wildlife. Was like a step back in time !

The history of this place is amazing!! Between the train tour of the grounds, the tour of the house and history lesson, walking the gardens and seeing the animals, we ended up spending 3 hours here and never expected to be doing that. This place has been in the family for 13 generations, from the late 1600s.

Step back in time with trip to a bygone era. I am a history buff who has been all over the world but I must say the guide who took us through the house tour was amazing and very accurate in all details. The grounds were absolutely beautiful and the history just jumps out without anyone saying a word. The guide on the swamp tour had so many details it was uncanny. Bravo - this experience was worth every penny.

You have to pay the extra to see the home-Otherwise you are outside the whole time walking which then you have to do by yourself. Not a clear path to anywhere. If you want to see slave quarters you have to pay

One of the best experiences of visiting historical locales. Beautiful home, amazing gardens & factual interesting historical information. As a history buff, it was up there in my top 10. And the employees were the nicest people! Kudos!!!

Beautiful Property. The tour guides were all amazing. You could spend a whole day here just walking the trails. The Freedom Tour was very enlightening and made you under stand the inhumanity experienced by the slaves.

The highlight of our trip to Magnolia, no actually our trip to Charleston, was the hour we spent with Vanessa on the ‘From Slavery to Freedom’ tour. She was a superb guide and we learned more from her about than we’d gathered from several other tours etc. Thank you so much Vanessa for answering our questions and the discussions about this period in Charleston’s history.

One of my favorite places to visit in Charleston. The gardens are so beautiful and well maintained. It is truly a serene place to be one with nature. Currently the camellias are blooming and the gardens smell amazing. And there are plenty of turtles, gators, and birds out enjoying the weather

A magnificent day on the gorgeous grounds of Magnolia Plantation. The "From Slavery to Freedom" tour conducted by John (from Ireland) had many in tears as he told a story in the first person narrative of life as an enslaved person. Absolutely well done and left a profound impact. We also took a train ride and saw alligators, blue herons, egrets, Virgina live oaks and so much more.

We love hiking, history and Legos! The ad stated over 40 Lego exhibits. The map inside stated 24 :( then we paid over $100 for 2adults and 2 children with discounts… and the plantation cost extra. We tried to just enjoy the walk… there were no signs, and the map had minimal labels. What a terrible disappointment. The maximum charge I’d pay works be $15 knowing there’s no plantation visit.

The house was beautiful and it has been passed down from generation to generation and its descendants are still living. The tour guide was very friendly, informative and knowledgeable. The white bridge in the garden is gorgeous. The tram swamp tour was really cool. You can see many alligators, birds, turtles, etc.. You can also see the remains of the rice farm. There are slave homes as well with a presentation. Wear lots of bug spray!!!!

It was great experience with my wife the place always giving the best next time i hope we can see new thing you are building

Well informed staff and beautiful grounds…enjoyed house tour and enjoyed the presentation. Team ride was good overall of house and property.

Great open air display of so many diverse sculptures and plants. Huge property with so much to see. History and aviary guides did a great job.

This is a spectacular place to visit for an entire day. We thought we might go for a “couple hours.” We stayed for 6 but could have easily enjoyed a few more hours. We did house tour, boat tour, train tour and “From Slavery to Freedom” presentation. All were splendid- especially the “From Slavery to Freedom” presentation— John had an excellent way of bringing this topic straight to one’s heart!! We could have spent much more time walking through the wonderful gardens and the Audubon Swamp. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

We loved the Magnolia House tour, the nature trolley tour and walking the grounds. The Magnolia trees and flowers are beautiful. We enjoyed hearing about the history of the property as well.

One of the best days I have ever experienced. Beautiful grounds, wonderful staff. This was an amazing experience. The plantation history was legendary.

The tour and information was great! Such a historical event. All the presenters were fabulous. Thanks again! We will look forward to the next time’

Visiting from northern Florida, we enjoyed the gardens with some of the same flora we enjoy. Had an informative nature tram ride; seeing quite a few wading birds and alligator. House tour and From Slavery to Freedom were both equally informative with excellent guides. Enjoyed the river walk. Really have to spend most of the day here to enjoy everything. Also had a tasty sandwich and fabulous potato salad at the Peacock Cafe.

I thoroughly enjoyed walking the trails with my dog. And I love the most of the trails were all stroller accessible so it was easy for me to get around and I enjoy the environment. Definitely would come again.

Magnolia plantations was absolutely beautiful! It was a tough choice but I need up going here since they have things for kids. Sadly, a lot of the tours were booked the day off so we couldn't see everything, but the kids had a lot of fun playing on their grounds, and the train tour was interesting. The Peacock Cafe is lacking and ran out of a few items so lunch there was not that great. I recommend booking the day before or the morning of the day of. While there was availability the day before, since we were not sure when we would go there, I did not book and we need up not getting the tour for the house. My only gripe is that they charge separately for the house tour. Why not just have the main admission fee? Overall it is a beautiful place and I highly recommend it. Their guide was also very good. She is a history teacher and gave us very good information, and my kids were also interested the entire time.

Stunning views, can’t wait to go back and explore more but maybe in spring or fall months - summer is HOT! But loved every moment all at the same time.

It was a good trip. The best part was the train tour.. John was very informative, our house tour guide was also very knowledgeable.

Even on a rainy day, the property is beautiful. The tour guides are very knowledgeable, and don’t shy away from the true history of enslaved folks. I love that they also have an app that has a map of the property, and if you buy your tickets online you can upload them in the app as well. You’ll definitely see some neat wildlife, but be ready for the mosquitoes!

Wonderful and informative visit. We did the house tour and the tram tour through the grounds. Both tour guides (I wish I could remember their names) did a fantastic job explaining the history behind Magnolia Gardens.

The tours were fantastic. Staff very knowledgeable and very friendly. We loved the views so much that we are going to have our picture of the bridge painted by a local artist for us (a little bit of Carolina back home with us in Indiana). Strongly recommend for visitors to the area.

We went on a Discovery (walking) tour today with tour guide, Vicki. She was amazing! Gave a lot of interesting facts and stopped at all the right areas for views and pictures. Highly recommend!

My mom and I had a lovely visit. The grounds are vast and beautiful. It’s easy to get lost exploring the garden paths. Vicky’s discovery tour was a great blend of history and horticulture. I just wish that we didn’t have to pay extra to see the inside of the house. I think the general admission ticket should include that.

What a beautiful place with lots of different spaces to explore. Enjoyed our time in the lovely gardens surrounding the main house, and really enjoyed our tram tour thru the swamp areas seeing the alligators and birds in the area. The animal sanctuary was well kept and seeing the various animals was a nice bonus. The miniature horses and the donkey were very sweet to watch, but we especially loved the peacocks that walked up to us in the cafe. Also, was glad to see that they kept the history of the enslaved people who actually built this beautiful place. We need to embrace even our bad history so we can learn from it.

Beautiful grounds and gardens. Animals were sleepy, HOT Charleston day. Did not go into plantation house , ticket to garden was pricey enough. I think they should offer a discount if you want to do both. Walked to the enslaved cabins and listened in on tour. CAUTION, wear lots of bug spray, I did not spray enough and they bit through my leggings - 90 bites! With it though .

We arrived when it opened with our pre-purchased tickets so we walked right in and enjoyed a noncrowded walk around the gardens with perfect photos without others in them. The reflections of the bridges in the calm morning water were perfect! I would say I enjoyed one of my best meals at the Peacock Cafe--salad with fruit, nuts and berry dressing. We also enjoyed a cookie later in the afternoon. Make sure to do the house tour and the Slavery to Freedom talk. Our only complaint for the day was that they need more trams to accommodate the crowds that now get to ride without an extra fee. It took us three tries and standing in line for too long to finally get to enjoy. Early in the season so mostly just azaleas blooming but they were busy planting perennials so I can only imagine it get even more beautiful later in season.

The views and landscapes are amazing
Took a lot of photos
Staff are friendly and courteous
Magnolia house with 1920's Christmas decor fabulous
Magnolia gardens beautiful
Hiking at the audobon swamp highly recommended
Narrative history of slavery and the cabins well done by John

Beautiful place. Very well kept and the staff were very pleasant. Make sure to bring mosquito repellent (you will thank me). Go early so it's not as hot. The tours were nice and informative. UNFORTUNATELY.... The tours spend just as much time apologizing to tour goers about how this makes history makes them feel as they to telling this lightened version of history. The information is accurate... but definitely leaves out the parts that are supposed to be understood and learned so we understand how this country came to be and why we must push forward UNITED. If we learn based on feelings, we only learn the lessons we want instead of what we need. It was definitely very beautiful and the tours were very nice but i encourage the facility to teach more of the reality so we can see how far we have come and how far we still have to go as a nation.

The site has beautiful grounds and a very interesting history. We enjoyed the guided tours. The guided were informative and kept it interesting with a good mix of history and family history of the plantation.

The views were amazing! The flowers were huge and vibrant. Our tour Guide for the mansion was great and very knowledgeable. We saw dozens of alligators, blue heron, yellow eared slider turtles and dozens of giant egrets. We saw many live oak trees, some were 350 years old. Definitely worth the seven mile drive from Charleston!

The gardens here are really beautiful - easy walking, extensive, varied, and located along the historic Ashley River. We took the tram part of the way, going past the swamps alive with bird activity - herons, egrets, etc. We dropped off at the "Street" slave quarters. Timing wasn't right for the "slavery to freedom" tour. Without a guide's insight, this area wasn't impressive. Since the house has gone through many modifications and improvements over the years, it is not as evocative of life before the Civil War as some of the other Charleston plantations.

It was lovely and accommodating. Not everything was in full bloom though, but as a New Englander looking to see a swamp and a alligators in person for the first time it didn't disappoint. The entire place was beautiful, the paths were clean and the app had a real time map making it much easier to navigate.

The boat tour may be the world’s best! Thanks Steve for sharing all your knowledge of this beautiful place called Magnolia!

Beautiful gardens and bridges. Lovely place to spend the day. Loved the tour. Had sandwiches at the cafe. Food was good.

My husband and I visited on February the 10th. It was about 55° very chilly out over the water. But still a fantastic visit I would much rather be a little chilly than super hot. They had hot chocolate at the concession stand and closed in bathrooms that were very nice. We got to see a hot close up and an alligator a blue heron and some white egrets as we walked through the swamp Loop. Overall it was a fantastic visit!

This site in no way meets Trip Advisor animal welfare guidelines. There is a small fenced area full of various animals in small enclosures and cages behind the food concession near the ticket booth. I guess this is the "petting zoo." It isn't advertised and you might just walk right past it, which you should. It's full of sad, neglected, underfed, unwell creatures. This place thinks the way animals were kept several centuries ago is just fine. The birds can't fly, the snakes can hardly crawl, the mammals can't dig, move around or have any normal behaviors. Shame on this place. Shame. Shame. Shame. It's all about the money for the heirs. Don't give them yours.

The grounds are gorgeous. The staff was amazing. My friends and I had a flat tire during our trip and didn't have a jack in the rent car. The staff was so helpful and used the jack they had at the plantation and charged out tire so we could get on our way. We are truly thankful for them and their help.

The grounds were beautiful and well manicured. The price was fair, we spent 5 hours walking around and enjoying the landscape. We would love to spend another day exploring and taking photos.

Beautiful plantation with amazing gardens. The show "From slavery to freedom " was really great, filled with lots of details about the slave trade. The gardens must be amazing on the spring. We loved it.

Highly recommend visiting the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens if in the Charleston area.

Arriving without reservations on a Sunday morning at 9:30, we were pleased to find that we could still book the house tour, shuttle/train ride, and slave cabin lecture. This gave us ample time to explore the gardens and take a scenic walk by the river, though unfortunately, the boat was not in operation.

The house tour offered a fascinating look at the estate’s 200-year history, detailing the lineage of its owners over the generations. We explored the first and second floors, where some rooms are furnished with original family pieces. However, the basement—once the kitchen and servant quarters—has not been restored. Instead, it now houses a gift shop with a limited selection of Magnolia-specific souvenirs.

A standout feature of the house is its impressive collection of Audubon-related artwork, including striking paintings and statues. Given this emphasis, it’s surprising that the gift shop doesn’t offer similar reproductions.

One important tip: the mosquitoes are relentless. Be sure to use the bug spray provided in boxes along the trails—but grab it early, as the cans tend to run out quickly.

Magnolia gardens was beautiful, we walked all over and enjoyed the day. Only disappointment was the house as we have toured other homes in the area and felt it was a bit lacking. Otherwise fantastic trip

I was there with a group as a group leader, what started as a disaster with a volunteer, who was trying to be helpful, was turned into a spectacular day by the staff and our tour guide John, who was wonderful!!! By the way, while I understand it is a large garden area, it should noted the amount of walking there is involved from location of the property to the other. 7-10-15 minute walking distances may not be good for some senior groups, and nothing about that was ever mentioned.

Beautiful piece of history. Truly enjoyed the grounds and tours. And it was amazing to see the wildlife - alligators and different bird species. Will return any time I’m in Charleston!

It was a beautiful place and we loved the presentations regarding the good and bad history of the place. They gave us information regarding certain eras and how the plantation’s families (owners and enslaved) were affected.

While this is a lovely setting, our visit was very disappointing. It was not clear when we made our reservations that they would include very little of the plantation. Additional tickets needed to be purchased for the house and garden train times reserved. The reservation times for every attraction were all at the same time. Times were also spaced 90 minutes apart so if you went for one attraction, you'd end up waiting forever to get into the next one. We downloaded the app while there hoping it would provide an efficient way to see what was there without spending the entire day and night, but it was also essentially useless. They need to spend much more time in designing how to provide an time efficient visit without additional costs at every turn.

The gardens are beautiful, unique and well maintained. There is a history lesson with the general admission {which is a bit pricey for what you see} And the real gems are the add ons, so be prepared!

The nature tour train was informative and fun and we saw several alligators as well as birds. The Slavery to Freedom tour/talk was honest, moving, informative, heart wrenching and encouraging at the same time. Millie did a great job of presenting a very difficult topic without sugar coating. A part of history that hopefully will not be forgotten or repeated. The grounds are beautiful, even as a tropical storm approached. Magnolia house was also beautiful and I hope they continue its preservation.

This experience was a late add to our trip and ended up being our favorite thing! You could spend an entire day here, we spent about 4 hours and it was phenomenal. We walked the gardens, ate at the cafe (great food) and did the historical house tour (guide was soooo good). Going in September at 9:30am it didn't get busy until 11am so that was very nice as well! Will recommend.

I took a grayline tour to Magnolia Plantation in Charleston. The grounds are peaceful and filled with oaks accented with Spanish moss. The tram takes you along the swampier areas where you can see the resident gators. At the entrance there is complimentary mosquito repellent. There is a small takeout counter and petting zoo with peacocks, a bobcat (hiding), goats, and more. The team guide told us that there are rattlesnakes and copperheads on the property so to stick to the trails. The main house featured preserved historic antiquities and furnishings so no cameras please. The gift shop was 4 rooms full of southern foods, plantation souvenirs, and more.

The tram was a good way to to do a preliminary exploration of the grounds. The flowers were mostly in between blooms, but the paths around the property were very lush and green. I especially liked the swamp loop and the red bridges. The slavery lecture was informative and added a lot to exploring the cabins representing different eras. I had some time between tours and hung out in a rocker on the plantation house porch. I didn’t do the house tour.

I tried to buy a ticket online but was unable to select times for specific tours, so I thought they were sold out. I took a chance and drove over and there were time slots available. Maybe the reservation system could be updated so that people don’t go somewhere else.

We love visiting Magnolia Plantation! Convenient to our southern home and beautiful landscapes. Our granddaughters love joining us!

Amazing place. Allen, Brie and Millie were super knowledgeable and also warm and engaging. They made the tours a fantastic experience. The grounds were amazing. Pictures don’t do it justice.

What a wonderful day we had at this facility. We bought our tickets for admission and some of the optional tours. Absolutely happy that we decided to do this. Even on a hot day in July, since there is a lot of shade, we enjoyed our visit.

We had the best tour guide. Elizabeth was so knowledgeable and provided such great details about the plantation history. She set a very comfortable pace and would stop to answer questions when anyone in the group asked her about any item in the house.

Beautiful, very well-kept park with lots of plants and animals (alligators, turtles, horses, donkeys, etc.). The price is high though at $38. A tour is included, but not a visit to the house.

Amazing place to visit. The history behind this place is eye opening to say the least. A must visit for both young and old. History of our great land should never be forgotten.

We thoroughly enjoyed the walks, gardens, flowers and smells, wildlife, water views, and refreshments area with the kids wildlife behind it. The mini horses were neat. Great for breathtaking views and a family experience. HAD to purchase some Charleston Coffee from the gift shop. The taste test had us sold.

Great trip to magnolia plantation and Gardens. We did every tour and enjoyed each one of them. The best, by far, was John at the "from slavery to freedom" tour. He, with great tact, brought a very challenging subject to light. He was informational, charming, and engaging.

The nature tour was also fantastic. A great chance for some photos and botanical information.

I definitely recommend coming here, and taking as many tours as you can. If you can't pay for the extras or make the time work, spend your day walking around the gardens and taking in all of the beautiful trees, plants, bridges and more.

The site is stunning. All the guided tours are more than recommended. Guides are knowledgeable, available to answer any questions and extremely warm.

The gardens are beautiful and the tram driver was very knowledgeable. We loved walking the paths and seeing the oaks, magnolias, bamboo, and Spanish moss (it’s neither Spanish nor a moss!) the animals were a nice treat to see (gators, turtles, various heron) and the house really takes you back to another time. We were here in April so it would have been nice to sit in the sun. I do realize that all the chairs are in the shade bc it gets very hot in the summer but in April- move those chairs n tables into the sun! No real cons at Magnolia. It was a nice half day excursion for us. They were very accommodating and stored our luggage for us in a secure locker at no extra charge. Gift shop was ridiculously expensive. But 5 stars to Magnolia Plantation. Thanks !!

The grounds were extremely beautiful, but the slavery to freedom tour was disrespectful to the legacy of enslaved people and very disappointing. In particular, it completely played down the painful history of slavery while concentrating irrelevantly on four cabins three of which were built after the Civil War. For a true analysis of the shameful history of slavery in Charleston, we highly recommend you visit the international African-American Museum, right next to the Fort Sumter memorial on Liberty Square.

Beautiful grounds and tour guides were very friendly and informative.Nicest of the 3 plantations we visited while in Charleston area

The grounds are beautiful, even in the winter months. While the gardens weren't in full bloom, there was still plenty of beauty to take in.

Very enjoyable. Highly recommended. Nice mix of nature and history in a wonderful setting.
Delightful Carolina experience.

The history of Magnolia Plantation was so interesting. The oaks were breathtaking.

Allen did a fabulous job sharing details about the history of the family and the houses of the plantation.

John brought history to life by placing us in the moment during the Slavery to Freedom Cabin Tour. He shared so many details. Just incredible.

My husband, in a moment of spontaneity, brought me here. He hadn’t been since he was a kid, but we loved it so much we decided it’ll be our frequent family outing spot for the year and we got a membership :) It’s GORGEOUS and it’s winter time. Looking forward to the tours and watching the seasons change in 2025!

We toured the house and took the nature train ride. It was very enjoyable and quite historical. I definitely recommend this experience.

Beautiful gardens and grounds! The tours were great and very informational. The tour guides were friendly and willing to answer any questions.

We arrived later in the afternoon and were not able to make the house tour, so I would recommend going first thing in the morning to see all the attractions and tours that are offered. I enjoyed the swamp tour and the slave to freedom tour. It was the best one in town. Will visit again soon.

The property is very pretty. The tours were great. John’s From Slavery to Freedom Tour was excellent!!! Would highly recommend that. Brie did a fantastic job with the Nature Tour. We learned a lot about the house and the area. Depending on the weather you may want to bring bug spray.

We loved our visit to the Magnolia Plantation. Beautiful gardens and friendly staff! Wished the weather would have cooperated a bit more, but we still had a FANTABULOUS time and learned so much. The Slavery to Freedom tour was soooo informative!

Lots to see and an absolutely beautiful walk around the plantation. The house tour was interesting and took about 45 mins . The nature tour was really cool and got to see lots of gators and birds . You are able to use your purchased tickets to come back before end of the year for free admission .

Visited Magnolia Plantation and had a wonderful experience. The grounds are absolutely beautiful—every turn feels like a postcard. The house tour was very good and full of interesting history, and the trolley ride was a lot of fun. Our driver was excellent and made the ride even more enjoyable with his knowledge and personality.

Overall, a great visit and definitely worth the trip!

Absolutely wonderful, amazing torque guides. Alan, who conducted the house tour, was excellent. The information provided sense of humor and just the genuine interest in the ppl and the house itself really shown through.
From Slavery to Freedom, another informative and educational tour. Another tour where the genuine interest in the people, the surroundings, and their lives shown through.

The grounds are beautiful !

The home tour was exceptional with our guide Bree. The train tour was full of sights…the guide was not very knowledgeable and did ramble the same facts multiple times, but the view and scene was great.

My husband and I visited Magnolia Plantation for the first time today. We truly enjoyed our visit and even purchased a membership because we can’t wait for our next visit. Highly recommend a visit if you’re in the area.

Beautifully maintained property and gardens! The house tour and slave cabins tour were both excellent, really explaining daily life during the plantations’ operations. Really enjoyed walking the grounds, bring bug spray though! Mosquitos are vicious!

Very good and informative tour. Very knowledgeable tour guides. A must see and visit enough for two trips. History you don't learn in books.

Beautifully kept and a great example of good stewardship, The Lego sculptures are so fun. I love the signs posted with each display. The "what's in bloom" information is so well done!

The plantation is gorgeous and the tours were informative and lovely. However, visitors who are coming without a car need to be aware of possible transportation problems. For some reason Charleston area Uber/Lyft drivers hate coming this far, so it took me 20minutes to call an Uber to the plantation from my Charleston hotel. And then on my way home, I called for an Uber at 4:20pm (the gardens close at 5pm) and then a Lyft at 4:40pm. The Lyft never came despite many cars visible nearby. As for the Uber, I didn’t get a driver coming for me (even with Uber Priority) until 5:20pm after I had walked from the Uber drop-off to the gate (the gate of the plantation closes at 5:30pm), which was a 15 minute walk. And it was a 25min wait when I got a driver and I was praying that the driver won’t cancel as I was waiting on highway 61. Thankfully a lovely lady who worked at the gift shop gave me a ride towards Charleston. She waited with me until I was able to meet my Uber driver halfway in a nearby neighborhood so I made it back to where I was staying safely thanks to her help. I was also lucky that my Uber driver spoke English and was willing to meet me half way and didn’t abandon me. 1/2 of Uber/Lyft drivers I met in the area didn’t speak English and I had been dropped off in the wrong location.

We loved our visit to Magnolia plantation. We attended a birding tour, which was awesome and we loved the grounds so much we converted to a membership so that we can visit anytime we want. The staff was very friendly and helpful and the grounds are absolutely gorgeous.

We had a wonderful time, enjoyed learning about the history of the Plantation. We toured the house, did the train tour, and the Freedom tour.
Would definitely recommend. Everyone we encountered throughout our day was very knowledgeable and friendly.

Beautiful grounds. Love learning the history of the Plantation. Enjoyed walking the paths .it's a very enjoyable day. Train ride was great and very informative.

Beautiful plantation and enough to keep you busy and occupied for an afternoon, or a day. Take the walk through the swamp area; beautiful scenery and birds. The nature train was informative and relaxing. Wander the grounds and explore at your leisure.
Took the house tour. Our guide, Marie, was amazing! She was friendly and professional. I learned so much about the plantation, the family, etc. from her. If you go, you must ask for Marie if you do the house tour.
One comment: The Lego exhibit seems out of place in such an historic place. I can only guess that it was installed to keep the kids occupied and interested during their visit (though there is enough there with the nature train and rescued animals).

Millie our tour guide for the house tour was amazing, really liked her!! I also really liked Joe the driver/speaker for our nature train ride. Overall a very great experience!!

We took the Nature Tour. It was fine. Guide was most interested in spotting alligators for us. We missed the Slavery to Freedom Tour due to rain. We did self tour the slave quarters and the Nature Tour guide provided some information.
Overall, it was fine, as previously stated. Not worth the price of admission in my opinion. I can't believe they wanted to charge more to walk through the Magnolia house.

Great experience from the time we checked in until we left. We bought tickets ahead of time for entrance and train ride. Quick easy check ins, well organized, and good signage. The app with the map is new since our last visit. Very helpful.

There isn't enough signage or staff. I visited with my elderly mother and got off the tram at the long white bridge. The trails had no signage and everyone was confused on how to get out. Because mom was already exhausted and having to take breaks we tried to find the shortest way out but the unmarked trails kept leading to nowhere. I called the office number, gift shop, etc. and all numbers led to voicemail. I was very close to calling 9-1-1 if Mom couldn't continue.

It's a shame that we are retired military (100% disabled veteran) and a Boy Scout family who have hiked many parks. Their lack of signage for a small plantation was a terrible liability issue.

Once we were back near the bathrooms, I spoke to another elderly gentleman who said he and his wife also got lost and asked other people for help, but their map, app, and Google Maps were useless in figuring out which way to go.

When I went to the ticket office the staff had no empathy and just said "Didn't you have a map?" Once I explained our location she laughed that it was easy to get lost. The lady on the ATV who worked there that we were trying to get Mom a ride from also had no empathy and said "yea I also get lost around there." I asked the staff if they had wheelchairs and they did not. They apparently don't have any plans for any guest emergency.

Beautiful but this place is basically a garden so going there during the growing season - vs mid-March - would have been much a much better experience. Loved the trails. Negatives were the add-on costs to visit the house - should be included in the base price imo & reservations are needed to attend almost everything.

Beautiful gardens including the magnificent live oak trees. We did the nature tram tour and nature boat ride. We saw alligators, turtles, and different bird species on both tours. The gift shop was huge. Great time. Highly recommend.

It was a pleasant experience. The property was huge and we got there with with 2 hours to go before closing. The tour guide was very nice, the slave quarters were refurbished, and the gardens were beautiful. This was the first time I had ever visited a real slave plantation. I went through a plethora of emotions, but still and all… I would like to visit the one in Mississippi where my ancestors came from. It was also a good experience for my children.

There was an older woman manning the ticket booth who was not friendly and provided no information about what to see, what was included in the ticket price, or where to start. It wasn't a welcoming start to the experience.

The property is beautiful and I enjoyed the nature tram. One regret is that I didn't have time to do the "From Slavery to Freedom Tour". Without doing this, I really didn't get much info about the slavery portion of the site's history. I explored the Wildlife Center which was underwhelming and some of the habitats felt a bit cramped. Food was average.

The pond/forest area behind the house was beautiful. I didn't think the view from the observation tower was worth the extra walk (the view from the waterfront was better). There are signs to warn you about alligators, but I would emphasize that they could be anywhere. From the white bridge, I saw a large alligator climb up on the bank adjacent to the walking path. Had I not seen this, it would've been easy to not notice the alligator until you were next to it which would've been startling to say the least! I'd encourage visitors to be very mindful of their surroundings when exploring that portion of the property.

This plantation house and grounds are beautiful. Still owned by the same original family-13 generation later. You need 3-4 hours minimum to really see it and if you want to do all the tours you need longer. So plan accordingly.

Highly exceeded expectations. The house, train and slavery to freedom tour guides are so knowledgeable!!! The gardens are so well maintained. I loved the individual cut flower display with names of the flowers. Had a peacock as a lunch buddy. Saw alligators!!

The views were grew at the gardens. Very kid friendly. There’s also a wildlife center, and they have peacocks just walking around in there. The tour guides are very helpful (and funny!). I definitely recommend!!

On 50th Anniversary trip to Charleston and Magnolia was a must. Wonderfully combines nature and history on one site. One of the top highlights of our trip.

We had a wonderful visit. The foliage was beautiful. Staff was friendly and helpful. We ate at the Peacock Cafe for lunch. The food was good. Their frozen sangria was very good.

Took a group to Magnolia Plantation and want to send a shout out to an employee there who went beyond the call of duty. Steve, who does the boat tour, THANK YOU for thinking ahead and taking such great care of the couple who needed a ride when they disembarked from the tour. While I was trying to arrange this, you made it happen! Thank you so much! My group had a wonderful time, and you made it that much more special!
Megann A.

Such great history, beautiful home, cool birds, alligators, gardens & the food was excellent at the snack bar! Don’t miss the slave presentation. It was so interesting & informative. This is a must when you visit Charleston!

Before Magnolia Plantation became one of the oldest and most visited historical public gardens in the United States, it was a rice plantation. Dating to the 17th century, it is one of the oldest plantations in the South, located at 3550 Ashley River Road, 13 miles northwest of Charleston, and owned by the Drayton family of nearby Drayton Hall since 1676. It features 500 acres of gardens, woodlands and wetlands and has been drawing visitors since shortly after the Civil War. The live oaks draped in Spanish moss provide a stunning backdrop for the wide array of colorful flora from delicate flowers to towering trees. While wandering through the landscape, keep your eyes peeled for wildlife, from turtles to alligators to Great Blue Herons to Wood Storks, maybe even a bald eagle. One of the most iconic and photographed landmarks at Magnolia Plantation is the Long White Bridge, which originally was constructed in the 1840s. It was recently rebuilt with old growth cypress after being severely damaged by a fallen maple tree in 2020. Beauty aside, Magnolia also is a site of historical significance. Once a thriving rice plantation, it relied on the harsh labor of enslaved people. The Slavery to Freedom Tour is very educational and a reminder of our nation's past. It features four restored slave cabins, building originally in 1850. But the highlight of the visit is the Audubon Swamp Garden, named after renowned naturalist James Audubon, which is a cypress-tupelo swamp teeming with animal activity. The black waters are covered in duckweed, providing a perfect camouflage for alligators and turtles. It also is home to a variety of local and migratory birds, including herons, egrets, ducks, hawks, owls, woodpeckers, osprey and even eagles. But don't forget the flowers. Magnolias shade the Drayton's tomb along the river. Behind the tomb, stretching back to the Plantation House, there are dense patches of azaleas and camellias. In fact, Magnolia Plantation was the first place in America where azaleas were cultivated outdoors. Meanwhile, it also takes its legacy as one of the leading camellia collections in the world very seriously. The three-story mansion with 10 rooms to tour is filled with antiques and memorabilia from the Drayton family. While 24 brick cabins once stood on the Magnolia property, each housing two enslaved families, only eight survive along with a blacksmith shop, hospital/overseer's house, tenant cabin and cotton gin barn.

Property was amazing. Mosquitoes were aggressive. Loved the slavery to freedom tour. Food was surprisingly good. That was a great pulled pork sandwich and lemonade.

This is an impressive place, with large grounds and gardens to walk, and a lot of history going back to before Revolutionary times. The tour of the house was interesting, as well as the tram ride around the property. There is also a wildlife area, with a number of local animals on display. The only drawback is that it is rather expensive. If you are sure of when you are going and what attractions you want, register on line to save few dollars.

Great tour start to finish!! All guides are sooo knowledgeable and eager to share!
We thoroughly enjoyed learning the history and experiencing the beauty of the property.

We needed more time. Only had time for the house tour and train ride, and walking a little bit of the gardens. The extra money for the house tour is worth the dollars. Surprised with the number of people waiting for the house tour but after the intro we were broken up into smaller groups. Madison was very knowledgeable. The train showed more of the natural area of the plantation. We did not have time for the zoo or boat tour of the Ashley River.

We recently had the pleasure of visiting Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, and it was truly a highlight of my Charleston trip! The sprawling gardens are a breathtaking blend of cultivated beauty and wild charm, with endless paths lined with azaleas, camellias, and other stunning plants. The historic appeal of the gardens paired with natural ponds, bridges, and the iconic moss-covered oaks makes it feel like stepping back in time.

The man showing us the animals and telling us about them was the highlight of the whole thing. Such a sweet soul! Such a beautiful place

I went when it was hot. So the fact that the house and bathrooms was A/C spaces was nice but it was disappointing that the cafe was not and they didn't have any cooling stations either (big fans with water). I expected the plantation to have the big fans blowing water all over the trails and property to help cool you but they did not.

The guides were great and all passionate.

There are gators on property and so most of the trails come near water of the swamps and so I didn't feel safe walking without a guide to check out some of the other parts of the property.

Overall the guides make this place worth a stop just not on a humid and hot day.

Total waste of time, so many better places to watch gardens and plantation life. Staff is arogant and tired. Not justify the price for the experience

We spent about 3.5 hours here. The train tour was nice even in December — we spotted an alligator. The wildlife area was also cool — we saw goats, hawks, peacocks, raccoons, etc. The best part of the visit was the Slavery and Freedom talk with Bri. Seriously, we all left saying we could spend hours with her. She was informative, entertaining, and an extremely skilled historian that helped us understand slavery in the context of the era as well as the lasting impact. The perspective she shared was much broader than that of most tours, we left understanding slavery beyond just at Magnolia. I don’t say this lightly: ask what tours Bri will be hosting when you arrive and make sure you go to all of them!

Our visit was wonderful. The plantation
Was in perfect shape. We loved seeing how much care is put into the upkeep of the property. The guided tour around the property was incredible. The guide was knowledgeable and energetic. The tour of the house was something we were not going to do at first, but once we thought about it and eventually went through the tour, it was well worth it!
One of my favorite things was that you sold watermelon!

Of the plantations open for visitation, this one offers the most options. Part of the success is due to the troop of volunteers who perform as guides. We visited during a day of Living Legacies. Therefore, the combined entrance fee for this place and Drayton Hall was $32.00. This included garden tours, the train ride, and other activities. In addition, with a ticket, a visitor can return for an additional day any time in the year. We spent a wonderful day at the height of camellia season. Various hikes, a picnic lunch, shopping, exploring the observatory, and viewing a small zoo took about four hours.

We also paid an additional $15 to join a tour of the house. This is not an original plantation home but the third structure built by the family. In order to make ends meet, this is one of the first gardens open to tourists in the country. It was also designed to make the low country appealing to some of the cosmopolitan family members. Perhaps, the most interesting facet of this site is the fascinating history of the family. Oozing with history, a plantation of this importance is able to connect the past and present

Very lovely walking trails. Nice historical park great for any ages. Reasonable snack bar with good food and drinks. Ticket is good for two visits.

We went as three couples, and spent the whole day. We took the Nature Tour, the House Tour, and the Slavery to Feeedom tour. The gardens were beautiful, so wild and yet so well maintained. Loved every bit of it!

Great Spring day here. Lots of activities here. House tour, boat tour, wildlife shuttle tour and slavery talk. Beautiful gardens.

Despite the heat, we had a wonderful time touring the Magnolia Plantation grounds and house. We hope to return in the springtime on our next trip to Charleston so we can see the gardens when the azaleas are in bloom.

Never got passed the admission gate. Told them we wanted to tour the home only and the only way to tour the home was to purchase a complete ticket with train ride, garden etc. we didn't have the time, so we left.

Educational is the best way to describe this experience. Beverly gave an amazing presentation about the enslaved on the plantation. The beautiful surroundings only add to the excursion.

I found it disappointing. The place is beautiful, the trees are beautiful, but I expected more from the gardens and from the visit to the residence. For those with children it might be more interesting. I found it expensive for what it offers.

We made the short drive from Charleston up to see the plantation and had a great day. We did the nature train tour, house tour and did lots of walking in the gardens and trails. They also have animals you can pet and see as well as a tasty snack bar with sandwiches and salads. We spent about 4 -5 hours there and still didn’t see it all. The area is just beautiful with lots of benches to sit and relax. I especially liked the trails by the river. We saw lots of wildlife and it was just a very tranquil and relaxing day.

Gorgeous place with beautiful gardens. The tour of the house and historical background gives a wholesome perspective of the location, time era, and customs of the time. Bri gave and awesome presentation. This visit is appropriate for public of any age. We really really enjoyed it

We always love the gardens & views at Magnolia... but the Nature Pop Legos today was such an added surprise!!!! Plan to be back with friends again soon!!

The plantation was well
Maintained. The views were breathtakingly beautiful!! We had a lovely time as a family. Kids enjoyed the nature train and the wild life tour as we saw many alligators, birds, turtles etc.

Beautiful and well run plantation setting !
Was. Ice to have option of free range or guided tour. Would do it again on next trip to this area.

A lovely garden to visit. I like the fact that it was quite natural with swamps and animals such as alligators and turtles, which were left mostly to their own devices. They offered several paid and free tours of the plantation. Be sure to wear insect repellent otherwise you will be eaten alive by mosquitoes.

Really enjoyed walking round the garden and learning the history of the plantation. Also amazing wildlife to see, lots of alligator and birds to see. Both of which came really close.

We're so excited.We got a membership and I probably will be a regular site.Doing my exercise and walking, thank you so much

Overpriced for the gardens. Trains were unavailable for us as we got there at 11. Another $60 to tour the house if we wanted to wait 2 hours. Certainly not worth it the cost.

Pleasant day touring the grounds. The swamp area had nesting birds with babies. Saw dolphins, and a small variety of waterfowl.

My only regret about this visit is we had to fly out so we didn’t get to stay very long! Gorgeous grounds, amazing staff and we absolutely loved the animal portion of the experience! I’m hoping to make it back and see more some day !

The weakest stop on our two-week Southern tour.
Well-maintained park no longer.
Leadership unilluminating.
Price way too high for that.

Amazing plantation tour! I visited this plantation with my sister. We didn't want to be stuck an a tour so just went ourselves. It's about a 30 minute Uber ride from downtown Charleston. We toured the mansion, did the nature tram, animal encounter area and garden walk. We spent about 2-3 hours here.

Was not impressed with Magnolia Plantation. I was looking for a day full of history and I was hoping to gain new knowledge but was left extremely unsatisfied. I felt they focused mostly on the wealth of the family and their image while leaving slavery as a background detail. It felt as if they were trying to preserve the image of the plantation owners instead of paying their respects to the many atrocities the grounds had seen. On one tour slaves were not mentioned once besides when being called "maids and butlers" and they made one comment saying they "cleared the table and did the dishes". In the other tour I did they said plantation owners were last on the list to blame, and left things feeling extremely downgraded saying only "slaves were punished" instead of highlighting the horrible things slaves endured. The food was also very bad, featuring cold bacon on sandwiches. We did meet a cat though so that was cool, and the petting zoo made me overall very sad. The animals in the petting zoo seemed very lonely and sad. We also were not able to do a tour because I was fatigued (thank you chemo) and they didn't reimburse us. Overall not a great experience and I hope in the future they will do better at portraying the brutal history those grounds hold. If you're looking for real history, I recommend Boone Hall!!

It was beautiful. We loved the flowers, the gardens, the train tour, and walking through the former slave cabins. The flowers were not yet in bloom, but the alligators and birds were out in full force. The tour guides were also very helpful and knowledgeable.

The trip was definitely worth our time. The greenery was beautiful, even though there were not a lot of blossoms or flowers. We were able to see the wildlife expected on the tram tour and enjoyed learning about the house and the families that occupied it. The guides were knowledgeable and helpful.

The app was not useful and the paper maps were ok for navigation guides but signage and guides could be improved to be more helpful. It wasn't just me. We had several people ask us about getting to different locations. Also, it was clear that a lot of effort went into cataloging the species, but there was no information about the different plants available. A useful addition would be to include that information in the app.

Although it was a good trip for our party, I'm not sure how good it would be for children. I think they would be somewhat bored unless it was part of an integrated lesson for them.

Our trip was allocated about 3 hours, and that was not quite enough to include all of the programs. There was a lot of walking but the walk was nice and flat. It definitely was not a challenge.

Great place to spend the day! Lots to see and do. Get there when they open for good parking. Some of the tours are free and some cost a little. Take all of them! You'll really enjoy your day.

Super friendly and knowledgeable staff. We went on 3 tours at the plantation in one day, the plantation house tour, the train tour and the freedom of slavery one. Great time. Beautiful sights.

Beautiful park lots of trails to walk sitting on porch was amazing . Took our pup it was very pet friendly. Also enjoyed the several benches to sit and just breath

It's nice. Took the walking tour with Vicki, very knowledgeable. Not a lot of blooms to look at October. Lots of alligators!

Well kept; friendly staff; absolutely stunning! History surrounded by beauty. A great place to reflect, learn and teach the kiddos of Charleston’s history.

Wonderful tour of the house and slave quarters with tour guides. Did our own tour of the gardens. Would have preferred that the tour guide would have done his presentation in each of the slave houses instead of all at once in a separate shelter. Beautiful place!

We had a great experience at the plantation today. Jan gave us a great tour and we enjoyed the trail to freedom presentation. The gardens are wonderful and we highly recommend all!

This is an all-day event for us as we did the house tour, the garden tour, and the slavery to freedom tour, all of which were excellent. If you are looking for classic plantation home and decor, this one isn't it as the original plantation house burned down and was replaced with more 'modern' structure and furnishing. We went during azalea budding season and it was gorgeous. The history was interesting and the slavery to freedom tour was very moving and informative.

All the flowers are in bloom and the birds are nesting. Spring is so beautiful at Magnolia. We saw many alligators sunning themselves too

Fantastic place. The Slavery to Freedom tour was full of historic information from a well-informed and lively guide plus so interesting to look inside the restored slave cabins. Our walk around the Audubon swamp was so fascinating that we returned the next day to do it again. Bring binoculars! Alligators, turtles, anhinga, nesting herons, ibises, and even a marsh rabbit.

Not many staff on hand to guide you where to go Upon getting there you have to drive where you think to get to it the parking lot it feels like your on your own to figure it out. No air conditioning building to eat the only place that has air condition is the house tour which is a extra $$$ oh and the gift shop but not to cool I was expecting something more informative than what they have . We have been to better Plantation homes For the $$$ I don’t think it’s worth it

I live in Charleston. If you love nature and hiking, this is a great place. I recommend going through the back to see the wildlife. Be mindful of alligators if you have a dog. Would not take a dog in the back. The herons jave been nesting. They are beautiful. The gardens are beautiful any season you choose.

We enjoyed every minute. We started with the ‘slavery to Freedom’ tour and Millie was excellent as she described the history of the SC plantation slaves. We then took the trolley and Bree showed us the swamp garden and gave us a quick tour of the plantation, pointing out alligators and turtles, trees and flowers with wit and humor. We had a quick lunch and then toured the plantation house. Susan was our guide there and explained the furnishings and family. We also enjoyed seeing the Lego sculptures. Definitely worth the $

We got to the plantation at 9:30 and stayed until 4:30. So much to see and enjoy. Very beautiful grounds and lots of unique things to see and hear about. I am a history buff so enjoyed hearing about the history of the plantation which included things from the revolutionary war, civil war, and beyond. We did pay extra for the house tour which was great but many other tours were included with your admission such as the slave tour and the tram grounds tour and other self guided walking tours. The gardens throughout the grounds were beautiful but guessing they would be even more beautiful in the spring. I learned a lot like learning about rice plantations which I didn't even know about previous to our tour. There are a lot of swamps with a variety of animals to be seen. Definitely a must see when visiting the area. Bring the bug spray! They do have some available around the property but many were empty. So have your own. We didn't get bit with using ours.

The slavery to freedom tour was excellent along with the tractor tour. We saw a great number of alligators. The boat tour was very informative as well.

good place. I really enjoyed my family, too. We will definitely visit again. It's beautiful. Kind staff. I recommend

This place is absolutely beautiful! My wife and I were looking for an enjoyable daytime getaway while visiting our son in Charleston. Magnolia Plantation and Gardens did not disappoint! The walking trails were beautifully maintained. The scenery was spectacular. Everything from the trees draped with Spanish moss to beautiful bridges reflecting off the water to signs explaining the historic significance….I could go on and on. We were so excited to see small alligators in the water just feet from where walked! The wildlife was amazing! There was even a small zoo of sorts to entertain the kids and adults too! Don’t miss this place if you travel to Charleston!

My biggest regret is that we didn’t allow for more time here. We arrived at 2, grabbed a glass of wine from the Peacock Cafe and walked briefly around the house/gift shop before heading to our Cabin Tour. The gentleman giving that tour was amazing and we then went into each of the 4 cabins to explore. The tour ran long, so we didn’t have much time to use the restroom and head over to the house for our next tour. Before we knew it, it was time to head to our prearranged transportation and leave. We wish we’d had time to ride the nature tram and explore some of the other garden areas…which I guess means we will just have to come back.

**Edit, after seeing that they deleted my original google review and after new information has come to light I am giving 2 stars. After talking with my day of coordinator, I found out some extremely upsetting things. When my rentals arrived the day of my wedding, one of their workers told my coordinator how disgusting the bathrooms were. When my coordinator went to find someone to clean them, an employee of Magnolia directed my coordinator (WHO IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH MAGNOLIA) to where they keep their cleaning supplies so they could clean it themselves. That is absolutely disgusting hospitality.

Also, I wasn’t going to mention this but since they deleted my original review, I no longer feel bad nitpicking. The grass in the live oaks pavillion area was completely over grown and filled with weeds. Trying to “walk down the aisle” was actually difficult because of how tall the grass was.

Magnolia Plantation is absolutely beautiful. We had an intimate 24 person wedding at their live oaks pavilion area and it truly was beautiful. The grounds are just stunning and the wedding being at the end of April meant all of the florals were in full bloom. Unfortunately, the events team is lacking. 1. We had communicated with multiple emails confirming a golf cart rental for one hour to be able to take photos throughout the grounds. The golf cart never showed up. We called and called all of the contacts that we had, and nobody got back to us. Luckily, our AMAZING wedding coordinators drove us around as far as they could in their own vehicle, but we were definitely not able to take a lot of the photos that we were hoping for. 2. When the rental team got there to set up and needed to fill the barrels with water, we could not find the hose connection. We called and called and were unable to get any response. After searching, we were able to find the connection on our own. 3. When I called to discuss this with the team at Magnolia, the venue contact who takes care of their weddings told me she was on vacation for the weekend and was sorry and turns out never actually booked us our golf cart. She did not offer anything other than an apology and did not seem to care much at all. Was extremely disappointed with their service & communication but the venue itself is stunning that I will offer 3 stars.

I have been to many plantations in the Charleston, SC area but Magnolia is tops for me. I enjoy wandering the grounds and gardens, which are beautiful and replete with so many gorgeous photo ops.
I took the house tour and I must say our Docent, Marie, was the best that I've ever had! She was very knowledgeable about the house, the family and the history of the plantation. I learned so much from her. She was very friendly, but also very professional. I hope that the plantation appreciates what a wonderful asset she is to the plantation.
I highly recommend a visit to this plantation and if you do the house tour, be sure to ask for Marie. She is awesome and the best!!!

Such beautiful gardens and landscapes. The tram ride was worthwhile to see wildlife and learn the history of the plantation. The house is magnificent.

Loved the natural untouched beauty and history this plantation had to offer. Will have to plan another visit when I come back to Charleston.

Definitely worth the time to go. We especially enjoyed walking around the grounds and the swamp. It’s truly beautiful and unique if you’re not from this area, and we saw a good bit of wildlife including alligators, turtles and birds. Very peaceful.
The house tour was interesting but I would have preferred a self guided tour, as I felt it went a bit long and included more details that I was personally interested in.
The tram ride was good. The slavery history was good, but be aware that it is intended to be a very realistic view of what the slave trade did to the people who fell victim to it.
Our biggest advice would be to spend a couple of minutes with the person at the ticket window, understanding your activity options, and organizing them in an order that makes sense.

What a beautiful informative day! Everything was perfect! Saw beautiful sights, alligators, toured the Magnolia house.

You should know that while this is a very old plantation (17th century), that term refers to the land that was worked. The house is not even antebellum period. Nor is it original to the site. This is more of a wildlife property than a true plantation experience. We rode around in an open cart with a young lady more concerned with the banana spiders than imparting any historical perspective whatsoever. She did manage to tell us various locations where deer or alligator, etc. had been spotted by employees months earlier and to wave toward some slave cabins. The gardens were a little wild, but that's okay. We did most of the add-ons. It was quite expensive. As a Southerner, I was embarrassed that I had not done my homework adequately. I hope you can benefit from my mistake and go to Middleton or Drayton Hall.

Superb gardens, wonderfully maintained. Easy access and parking. Simply stroll around the extensive grounds and admire the plants, the ponds, the reflections and flowers. Tour the mansion then sit and envoy the many views. Stunning

We would like to thank our host very much. Everything went very well. The house was super clean and we had nothing to complain.

This place was terribly expensive! The property is owned by the decedents of the original slave-owners and that might have been apparent in the lecture beside the slave cabins, where the guide let us know that Africans sold Africans, other countries like Portugal were worse than the US, that many slaves were given their freedom or were able to buy it, that many also had "skilled labor" jobs, and that some freed slaves also went on to own slaves. This came off as very biased both in terms of the emphasis placed and also in what she didn't say. You won't learn what life was like here for the enslaved. You won't learn about the Gullah people either. Only one of the cabins has been restored to the time of slavery. Is there an agenda here by the family? It left a bad taste for sure. That being said, the house tour by Rigel was excellent. The other staff were lovely too.

The gardens are absolutely beautiful, even during the winter. There are so many walking trails to take, you could spend hours wandering the gardens. We also enjoyed the tram ride. The house tour was ok- not a very large area to tour but it was fine. It’s a bit pricey to do the home tour and gardens but if you spend a good amount of time enjoying the gardens it will make it worth it.

Took the “From Slavery to Freedom” tour. Our guide was phenomenal. I think his name was John. He is Irish and the very best tour guide I have had anywhere. He brought the stories to life and really made all of the information visceral for us. He had us completely enthralled!

We are so glad we returned when the flowers were in bloom. It is a beautiful walk through the gardens. Would highly recommend the boat ride down the Ashley River.

Love this place. History, culture, NATURE, and beauty all meet in SC at Magnolia Plantation!

Been here twice. Flowers, swamp, trees, and history of the rice crop, slave trade, the people of this land, all worth it. However, please remove the Lego stuff, immediately!!!!! Not cool. Basically, Let Nature Do Nature!! People in the gift shop were friendly( Lorraine) . Very hot, bring water or electrolytes! Some exposed walks and rides. Parking lots not paved. Typical of the Carolinas???? Weird. Bathrooms are clean.

We enjoyed walking all around the plantation, lunch was delightful, signage for historic info here was very good
Most outstanding was the staff member Kat. She did an excellent interpretation verbal presentation of the enslaved and enslavers at this site.
She was very easy to listen to as she did NOT hurry and gave an excellent talk. Probably better than any other presenters I have heard over the years, in my teaching experiences. Well done !!

I enjoyed it even if I was alone. It’s a family friendly and pet friendly place to visit. They said locals don’t usually visit this place but it should be visited at least once if you’re living in Charleston. I like how they were able to preserve their this historical place. I saw lots of alligators and turtles too - the swamp is a must visit.

The tour guides are amazing .!!
Do all of the free tours.
Eat at the peacock Cafe. All kinds of yummy food.
Down load the app for discounts

The grounds were lovely and we thoroughly enjoyed the nature train and gardens, seeing an abundance of wildlife, including several alligators of all sizes.

We appreciated seeing the animals being cared for in the animal sanctuary.

We did not tour the house.

The most meaningful part was the From Slavery to Freedom tour. Our guide did an incredible job both with keeping it interesting and tackling a very difficult topic with truth, integrity and compassion. I was moved to tears. Bravo!

Exquisite gardens, so much history so many gorgeous trees and flowers, and the butterflies! So many different gardens and tree spaces. Even saw a bald eagle so regal, an alligator and turtles. Can't wait to come back!

The “From slavery to freedom” talk was awesome! So informative. The plantation grounds are beautiful. Don’t miss the Audobon Swamp Garden walk!

The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable concerning the history of the slaves that worked the property and the family that owned the plantation. The grounds were beautifully maintained. Very informative historical tour.

Spent a whole day enjoying Magnolia Plantation! The tours were amazing and the gardens were beautiful! We would definitely recommend.

Absolutely beautiful grounds and a lot of history. The azaleas had just bloomed and they were stunning. Really enjoyed the ride around the area where we saw many birds, turtles, and alligators.

Really liked the tours. Very informative! We were very impressed with the slavery to freedom tour. John was a captivating presenter. Grounds are beautiful!

We enjoyed the beautiful nature and the guided tours were informative and interesting. There was so much to see and the weather was great. I would come again and bring some friends.

Having never been to a Plantation, friends highly recommended Magnolias Plantation & Gardens as a Must See and we were not disappointed. Millie was an amazing and so knowledgeable about the History behind the plantations and how were run. Some facts dating back to the revolutionary war we would never have known. Our friends from New York suggested requesting Millie as our tour guide and luckily she was available and assigned to our group.

The Magnolia plantation and garden are one of a kind. The setting is incredible, the plants and fauna are a unique experience.
Everyone is certain to spend a unique moment. However, this is really expensive for a family.

Absolut must do. If I lived in the area I would go all the time. Wish I had more time. It was so peaceful and beautiful. Wear comfy shoes lots of walking to see it all

Having visited several plantations around Charleston it is my opinion that Magnolia is the best. The gardens are beautiful with lots of wildlife including alligators. It also has a very interesting history. It is well worth a visit.

The landscaping is beautiful and there is so much to see. The walking areas are neatly kept and it wasn’t too crowded when we went, which was 10:30-2:30. The tour guides were very friendly and entertainment as well.

A highlight of our Charleston visit! The grounds were amazingly beautiful and the history of the plantation’s creation was interesting. Loved the home tour add-on. Highly recommended for your next trip to Charleston!

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is a must-do site when visiting Charleston if you enjoy nature, history, and animals. There are four tours available: the nature train (a tram), From Slavery to Freedom, the House tour, and a boat tour. The nature train tour and From Slavery to Freedom "tour" are included in the admission fee, but you need to reserve a ticket for both. The house tour and boat tour cost extra.

On our visit, we reserved tickets for the Nature Train, From Slavery to Freedom, and paid for tickets to the house tour. For 2 entrance admissions, and 2 house tour tickets our total cost was $94. The free tours are both informative and interesting and worth the time. The house tour was fine, but not particularly interesting and not worth the added ticket price, in my opinion.

There is so much to see and do on the grounds of the plantation. I particularly enjoyed the Audubon Swamp Garden (we saw several alligators!) and the Wildlife Center. The walk along the river is also beautiful. We visited in November and I can only imagine how much more glorious the gardens are in the spring!

House tour was educational and more comprehensive than some other plantation tours I have been on. Discussion of slavery cabins excellent. Much more emphasis on horticulture than other plantations. I would have liked to see more about rice growing, production and harvesting. The grounds are huge and offers many walking paths. One doesn’t even need tickets to wander most of the grounds. However, close toed shoes and bug spray is a must. The whole place is a swamp and many of the trails could be muddy or under water.

Beautiful grounds. Tour guides knowledgeable. Could spend hours here meandering and watching wildlife or sit along the shore of the Ashley River.

The staff was extremely helpful and friendly. They were knowledgeable and generous with their time. The grounds were beautiful and well tended.

Absolutely stunning! The smell of flowers when you walk in was beautiful, and all the scenery was amazing. I’ve been to other plantations and this one is hands down the best! The train tour was fantastic, our guide was so knowledgeable!

One of the Best parts of our trip. Breath taking views. Please, Do Not Miss this place! Tips: Come right away when it opens. Best photo ops are early before the sun rises directly above you. Also, if you are there when the doors open, you will be able to get in on all of the tours right away.
Which tours to take? 100% the plantation house tour! So very informative and sobering. This tour explains the very serious story behind why these Beautiful grounds exist. The female tour guide was outstanding!!! I believe her name was Milley.?
We also took the boat tour. The guide was excellent, but I would not do this tour again. The waters are in the beginning stages of being developed. Give it a few years and there will be much more to see on the boat tour. So, much to see by foot here.
I would recommend a very minimum of 3 hours to visit here. Four to five hours would be best.
Only one hiccup- I purchased a small bug spray bottle upon arrival at the ticket booth. The cap must have been damaged or not on tight enough. The entire bottle drained into my purse and on my clothes. If purchased, Be careful!
Enjoy and do not miss this place!

Peacock cafe

Very poor customer experience

I’m very disappointed by the way I was treated. After waiting 40 minutes under the sun with children just to get refreshments, I politely asked for an extra plastic cup. I was told I had to go all the way back and queue again—just for a single empty cup. When I calmly tried to explain the situation, without raising my voice or being aggressive in any way, they escalated things by calling security on me. Nothing was explained nor « rules » written anywhere ont that. I had no issue paying for the extra item if needed, and I remained respectful throughout. Unfortunately, the staff responded with unnecessary hostility and completely lacked empathy or common sense. This kind of treatment is unacceptable, especially in a family-oriented setting.

Excellent Docents at both the plantation house and Slavery to Freedom experiences. Super well presented. Made us laugh and cry. Gave us a lot of insight into the mindsets of the people of those times. Our small group is elderly and we had some trouble getting to the different events on time. Cafe time was too rushed. However, we immensely enjoyed our day.

Our tour guide, Allen Minster was very knowledgeable, pleasant, answered all our questions and was a very pleasant person. We had a great time, enjoyed the tour and will definitely come back.

Fascinating history with an informative guide on location which helped deepen our understanding. That was combined with stunning grounds with swamps, alligators, turtles and a snake as well as incredible vegetation. It’s an easy Uber ride from downtown Charleston. Highly recommended!

Beautiful plantation. The tour of the house is a must. Our tour guide was excellent. The only issue was we were here during Tropical Storm Debby, and we got too wet to see the grounds.

Loved everything but because I’ve went with Adventure tours we did not have time to enjoy your cafe! We had intended to have lunch there, but time construed that impossible.

This place is more beautiful and more expansive than I had ever imagined. It is no wonder that many weddings are held here. The Nature Train tour was very informative and enjoyable, with the tour guide stopping the train often to point out numerous alligators in the swamp, or specific types of large birds. And the Discovery/Nature Trail tour was excellent. Our very knowledgeable guide included stories of romance, history, and more. I believe anyone of any age would thoroughly enjoy visiting this amazing place.

Beautiful plantation! So much to see and learn about. Awesome perk - you get to use your general admission ticket for a second day! The best! Tour guides were great, very knowledgeable.

The plantation was beautiful and the tour giudes were knowledgable. We listened to the slave to freedom talk and took the train tour around the plantation. We also walked around the grounds and the romantic gardens which were beautiful. There is a snack bar along with beverages that we stopped at. The plantation is well kept and very clean. I would recommend a visit to this plantation.

Albert was great! He was very welcoming and kind. He also had much knowledgeable about the area and history. Really had a great time here in Savannah! Thank you Albert and the other guest for making it fun. Will never forget it.

Absolutely beautiful property and the most amazing and informative staff. Very very peaceful to walk around and explore

Beautiful day for the tour and I enjoyed the history telling from the guides. Plenty of time to walk around and see all the flowers and plants. I have learned so much about how the plantations operated to keep them going.

Great plantation, swamp Audobon gardens, planned romantic gardens, photo opportunitiestons of alligators and various birds.

The guides have a great ability to communicate (attention is a very strong and fast American accent), there are no audio guides in other languages... it is not a trip that Europeans do ... they were surprised that we were there. Interesting part about the slaves of America and the plantations in this state, less known than other , but probably just as important for their history ... this visit has been for years as popular as Niagara Falls and grand canyons.

We had only planned to spend 2 hours here but spent nearly 4 without even taking the house tour. The nature tram ride led by John was excellent - we saw multiple alligators and other wildlife as well. Vanessa’s Slavery to Freedom talk is not to be missed either. Other highlights included the swamp and bamboo gardens.

Amazing and breathtaking views. Tour guide Lexie was awesome. My son and i enjoyed our nature trail train ride at 1130. Very clean park. Didn't feel crowded at all. Animals are we'll taken care of in the zoo, most of the animals at this zoo are rescued or can't be released back into the wild due to the fact they have imprinted on human care they can't be released

Was a beautiful place with a lot of wildlife, beautiful gardens, and history. Will definitely be visiting again in the spring when everything is blooming. This a must see on your Charleston visit.

Absolutely stunning grounds. Friendly people, reasonably priced lunches, and fascinating. The tours were energetic and interesting. We can't wait to go back.

This was beautiful and informative. We did the train tour and the slavery to freedom tour. Both guides were very knowledgeable and friendly.

The Plantation tour was very whitewashed and didn't acknowledge the use of slaves (or by any other name - servants, sharecroppers, etc), and in fact denied it when asked since the plantation was rebuilt shortly after the Civil War "after the slaves were freed."

Even the Slavery to Freedom tour was disappointing because, while acknowledging the mistreatment of the slaves before and after the Civil War (contradicting the Plantation tour guide), the narrative was presented by a white (Irish) man who kept comparing the plight of the slaves to the past plights of the Irish (yikes - not even a remotely close comparison) and made a point of stating that slavery began as a "Black on Black" crime with the black warlords in Africa. The idea of "Black people selling Black people" into slavery is a distortive shorthand used to minimise and deflect culpability - and to shame people into silence against demands for justice and reparation.

The narrator thanked the Drayton family for allowing this uncensored tour, but when asked if the Drayton family was involved in or considering reparations such as land, ownership/oversight of the slavery tour, or even a spot on their Board, he said he can't comment. Hmmm...

This tour absolutely MUST be done by a Black person, preferably a descendent of the Rev Drayton's nearly 300 slaves. Until that happens, skip Magnolia and find a better option. Wish I'd done McLeod or Boone Hall instead. (Plus there was a wedding the day we went )

Beautiful place, full of history and so many scenic views. Great place to escape the city and breathe in some fresh air. The tour guides were amazing and educational. Highly recommend visiting Magnolia Plantation and Gardens

The respectful attitudes of the tour guides and staff on grounds. They were honest about the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of history. Millie was absolutely amazing!!! I promised myself to not cry, but I did tear up. The way she gave the talk was superb!!!! We need more Millies in the world!!!

A beautiful place with awesome
scenery. Would recommend to all age groups! A little hot but with plenty of shade. Would go again.

Is a beautiful place, a lot of history.
The gardens are beautiful and tours very interesting.
People working there are very friendly and knowledgeable.

Visiting Charleston and chose Magnolia Plantation for an outing. We did the tram ride, Magnolia House, and Slave to Freedom tour. All 3 were interesting and made for a nice relaxing day while learning about some history in this area.

We enjoyed a sisters day trip to Magnolia Gardens. However, Bri the tour guide at the Magnolia home was outstanding and informative. She truly made our visit special.