Drayton Hall Tour: Historic Plantation and Galleries
4.5
85 Ratings
Charleston

Explore Drayton Hall, America’s oldest preserved plantation house, with an interpreter-guided tour. Book now for a family-friendly adventure in Charleston.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Drayton Hall - Drayton Hall plantation c. 1738 is located in the Ashley River Historic District of Charleston, SC.
    Our Interpreter-Guided House Tour is led by professional interpreters who have worked with and in the house for years and have deep understanding of the history and fabric of the house and all the lives which have touched Drayton Hall…
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What's Included
  • All-Inclusive Admission to Drayton Hall
  • 1-Hour Interpreter-Led Tour
  • 18th Century African-American Cemetery
  • Gates Gallery
  • Almeida Gallery
  • Orientation Video
  • Free Parking
What's Not Included
  • Transportation to/from Drayton Hall
Additional Information

Discover historic Drayton Hall, the oldest preserved Plantation house in America still open to the public. Founded in 1738, Drayton Hall is the nation’s earliest example of fully executed Palladian architecture. Enjoy a 1-hour interpreter-guided tour of this historic estate and complete your visit with a self-guided tour of the grounds as well as access…

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Location
Drayton Hall
3380 Ashley River Rd,
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.5
(85 Ratings)
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Lindasa6195qx
May 29, 2025
Drayton Hall plantation - The plantation was preserved rather than restored which gives you authentic view of the past. The tour guide was quite knowledgeable as she was also working on the archeological team. Provided history of slavery, economy, and social status issues. Highly recommend. It’s about 25 minute drive out of Charleston
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lauren
May 29, 2025
Wonderful Tour - Great and knowledgeable staff. This mansion has been restored to its original condition. Very nice tour of home and grounds.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gloria_d
May 24, 2025
A good day @ Drayton hall - A lovely experience, my daughter & I have been to Charleston but never went to any of the homes for a tour..the guide was knowledgeable & answered all our questions..beautiful property @ Drayton hall..a must see
Review provided by Viator
V8194arlindaw
May 18, 2025
Wonderful experience - Drayton Hall was a great experience! The buildings and grounds are beautiful and well maintained. The archeological dig was fascinating and I am interested to see what else is found on this site. Our tour guide, Cody, was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and extremely patient. He took his time explaining everything and sharing his own experiences on the grounds i.e. spots for personal reflection and crossing paths with a resident alligator! I would highly recommend visiting Drayton Hall.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Amanda_m
May 18, 2025
A must see in Charleston! - Amazing glimpse into history and understanding how historical knowledge is aquired. Beautifully preserved house and excellent informative tour. This is the one place that I knew I wanted to go back to after first visiting 20 years ago.
Review provided by Viator
Marien359
May 9, 2025
An enlightening experience - What a cool experience it was to visit Drayton Hall. We learned a lot about the Drayton family, the plantation operations and the history of the land and the surrounding area. The guide was very knowledgeable. I wanted to see a plantation, but did not want the kind of "Gone With the Wind" experience that I felt I would have at other nearby plantations like Magnolia and Boone Hall. I did not want to celebrate a culture that allowed the suffering of the enslaved people who made the plantation system possible. I felt the Drayton Hall tour met my needs in that regard. The house is preserved but not restored. There is no furniture in the house, but there are artifacts from the house in a small museum on the property. There was an audio tour of the property that was very interesting and informative. Just make sure to bring the mosquito spray! I highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vicky
Apr 30, 2025
Great lesson in antebellum history - Our guide, Morgan, did a great job explaining the history of Drayton Hall as well as the procedure of preservation as opposed to restoration. Grounds were beautiful to walk around. We took our time with the self-guided landscape tour. The audio assistance via QR code was very good.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
1cwm
Apr 21, 2025
Great Experience - Well worth the money and time to visit. The grounds and facilities were beautiful and the house was like no other we’ve visited, being perfectly preserved in the historic period.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mamcilvaine
Apr 29, 2025
A different perspective of a plantation - This plantation tour is from the preservation perspective. There is a video to watch, I recommend doing this before the tour. There is an museum exhibit that I wish we had explored. I believe that would present the human aspect of the plantation. The audio tour of the grounds continues the preservation theme and is lacking in explaining the stops on the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Williamof2908hg
Apr 24, 2025
Learning experience - Would have liked to see it more as it was furnished during the time period. Tour guide was very knowledgeable and pleasant
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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From $32
From $32
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
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Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).