Cruise from Charleston SCCharleston Plantation Tours: Choosing the Right Plantation Near Charleston
Charleston plantation tours take you onto five historic plantation sites near downtown Charleston. This page compares them side by side on price, hours, drive time and how each one presents the history of enslaved people, then covers the bookable tours that include transport. Admission for one adult runs from $20 at McLeod on James Island to $35 at Middleton Place, and Magnolia, Boone Hall and Middleton Place each have a bookable trip with a driver if you would rather not rent a car. Admission is never included in the Middleton Place van tour, so check what each ticket covers before you pay. For what still sails on the water, see the guide to cruises from Charleston SC. The bookable tours are compared on cruises from Charleston SC.
The reflecting pool and lawns at Middleton Place on the Ashley River. Photo: mogollon_1, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Quick answer Which plantation to pick
Boone Hall adult admission is $30 and the drive is about 20 minutes from downtown by the Ravenel Bridge. Magnolia Plantation costs about $32 online and bundles the gardens, swamp garden, house tour and From Slavery to Freedom tour in one ticket. Middleton Place charges $35 and includes 65 acres of landscaped gardens. Drayton Hall is $30 online, $35 at the gate, and McLeod on James Island is $20 with a 45-minute guided tour included.
Key takeaways
- Short on time or no car? The Boone Hall Plantation Entry with Transfers costs $71 and leaves from the Visitors Center.
- Gardens first? Magnolia and Middleton Place sit a few miles apart on Ashley River Road, so see the Magnolia Plantation Tour with Coach Transport or drive both in a day.
- Want a visit built around the story of enslaved people? McLeod Plantation closes on Mondays but is the closest site to downtown at 4.6 miles.
- Building a longer stay? Pair a plantation with the day trips from Charleston SC page.
Charleston Plantations Side by Side
Five sites are worth a half day each. The table pulls admission, opening hours and drive times from each operator's own pages and local guides, so you can match a plantation to the time and budget you have.
The Numbers at a Glance
Adult admission runs from $20 at McLeod to $35 at Middleton Place. Drayton Hall charges $30 online but $35 at the gate, so book ahead. Magnolia, Boone Hall and Middleton Place have free parking.
McLeod shuts on Mondays and Drayton Hall on Tuesdays.
| Plantation | Adult admission | Open | From downtown | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magnolia Plantation | About $32 online (older figure $29) | Daily, closes 4pm or 5pm by season, last tickets 1 hour before close | 13 miles, 20-30 min (one source says 40-45 min) | 200 acres of gardens, 6 miles of trails, From Slavery to Freedom tour |
| Middleton Place | $35 ($32 seniors 62+ and military) | Daily 9am-5pm | 16 miles, about 30 min | 65 acres of landscaped gardens and the Stableyards |
| Drayton Hall | $30 online, $35 on site | Wed-Mon 9am-4:30pm, gate closes 3pm | Ashley River Road, a few miles from Magnolia | Preserved 1738 house with one-hour guided tours |
| Boone Hall | $30 ($27 seniors, military, AAA) | Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm | 8 miles, about 20 min | Avenue of Oaks, nine slave cabins, Gullah presentation |
| McLeod Plantation | $20 ($15 ages 60+) | Tue-Sun 9am-4pm | 4.6 miles, 10-20 min | Entire site built around enslaved people's story |
How to Choose
Pick Boone Hall if you want the most included in one ticket and the easiest drive. The $30 adult price covers the house tour, covered wagon tours, the gardens, the cabins, stable tours and the gin house museum, and the site suggests 3-4 hours for the full visit or about 2 hours for the essentials. Pick Magnolia if gardens and wildlife matter most, because one ticket covers the gardens, the Audubon Swamp Garden, the Wildlife Center, the house tour and the From Slavery to Freedom tour.
Pick Middleton Place if you want landscape design, since 65 acres of landscaped gardens are included with admission. Pick Drayton Hall if you want architecture, because the house dates to 1738 and the one-hour guided tour is part of the ticket. Pick McLeod if you want the story centered on enslaved people and their descendants rather than a furnished mansion.
Its main house is deliberately left largely unfurnished and the 45-minute guided tour is in the $20 price.
Sources: Drayton Hall, Boone Hall, Middleton Place
What Each Plantation Shows
Each site teaches something different about the same history. Here is what you actually get for the ticket, what costs extra, and how each property presents the lives of enslaved people.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens
Magnolia sits at 3550 Ashley River Road, about 13 miles and 20-30 minutes from downtown in normal traffic, though one guide puts the drive at 40-45 minutes. The grounds cover more than 200 acres with 6 miles of trails. General admission for adults is about $32 online, with an older figure of $29 still circulating, and children's rates run $18 for ages 12-17 and $14 for ages 5-11, free under 5. One ticket covers the gardens, the Audubon Swamp Garden, the Wildlife Center, the house tour and the From Slavery to Freedom tour, which is part of the site's slavery interpretation.
The house tour and the From Slavery to Freedom tour both need free same-day tickets from the Welcome Center and capacity is limited, so collect them when you arrive. Two paid add-ons exist: the 45-minute Nature Train tram ride at about $15 per person and a seasonal Wildlife Boat Tour at about $15, sold on site. The site is open daily with last tickets sold one hour before closing, and the current close is 4pm or 5pm depending on the season. It shuts on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Parking is free and no public bus serves the property. Allow 3-4 hours.
Middleton Place
Middleton Place is at 4300 Ashley River Road, about 16 miles and 30 minutes from downtown. General admission is $35 for adults, $32 for seniors 62 and over and military, $20 for college students, $15 for children 6-13 and free under 6. One older review cites $28, so the price has risen. Admission includes 65 acres of landscaped terraced gardens, the Stableyards with Belgian horses, Cashmere goats and water buffalo, and guided outdoor tours.
The House Museum reopened on April 11, 2026 with the exhibition Conversations of Freedom: The American Revolution at Middleton Place, open 11am-3pm daily. The guided tour Beyond the Fields: Enslavement at Middleton Place runs several times a day and puts enslavement at Middleton Place at the center of the visit. Eliza's House, a freedman's dwelling, is reached with general admission. Hours are 9am-5pm daily and the only listed closure is Christmas Day. Parking is free and a full visit takes 3-4 hours.
Drayton Hall
Drayton Hall is at 3380 Ashley River Road, a few miles up the same road as Magnolia and Middleton Place. Its ticket is called all-inclusive because the guided house tour and the grounds are one price: $30 per person online and $35 on site, so buying online saves $5. Youth tickets for ages 7-15 are $15 online and $18 on site, and children under 7 are free. The gate takes no cash, so bring a card.
Guided one-hour house tours run at 10am, 11am, noon, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm. The 1738 house is preserved, and the one-hour guided tour is included in the ticket. Admission also covers the African American Cemetery, where people enslaved at Drayton Hall and their descendants are buried, plus the Stephen and Laura Gates Gallery, the Caretaker's House, Lenhardt Garden and a landscape audio tour. Hours are 9am-4:30pm Wednesday to Monday, with the front gate closing at 3pm. It is closed Tuesdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Day, and New Year's Eve and Day.
Boone Hall
Boone Hall is at 1235 Long Point Road in Mount Pleasant, 8 miles from downtown and about 20 minutes away via US-17 and the Ravenel Bridge. Adult admission is $30, with $27 for seniors, military and AAA members, $12 for children 6-12 and free for ages 5 and under. The ticket covers the three-quarter-mile Avenue of Oaks, roughly 88 live oaks, a guided tour of the house's first floor, covered wagon tours of the grounds, live cultural presentations, exhibits in the historic cabins, the gardens, stable tours and the gin house museum. Parking is free and a ticket is valid for one day.
Boone Hall presents slavery in nine original brick slave cabins built between 1790 and 1810, which hold the Black History in America exhibit. A Gullah culture presentation is performed live several times a day by descendants of Gullah people. Hours are Monday to Saturday 9am-5pm and Sunday noon-5pm, closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, and the site closes fully for a few special events such as the late-January Lowcountry Oyster Festival. Suggested visit time is 3-4 hours, or about 2 for the essentials.
McLeod Plantation Historic Site
McLeod is on James Island at 325 Country Club Drive, only 4.6 miles and 10-20 minutes by car from City Market, making it the closest plantation to downtown. Admission is $20 for ages 13 and up, $15 for ages 60 and over, $6 for ages 3-12 and free under 3, and it includes a 45-minute guided tour. Hours are Tuesday to Sunday 9am-4pm, and it closes every Monday plus Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Charleston County Parks took McLeod into public hands in 2011, and the interpretation centers entirely on enslaved people and their descendants rather than the owners. The main house is deliberately left largely unfurnished. Six cabins along Transition Row were lived in continuously from the late 1700s to the 1980s. The site lies inside the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor designated by Congress in 2006 and reserves ten acres for growing sweetgrass. It is the cheapest of the five and, for many visitors, the most direct answer to a slavery-focused visit.
Sources: Magnolia Plantation, Middleton Place, McLeod
Plantation Tours with Transport
Three bookable trips put a driver and a ticket together. Each covers different things and one leaves admission out entirely, so read the inclusions before paying.
Magnolia Plantation Tour with Coach Transport
The Magnolia Plantation Tour with Coach Transport from Adventure Sightseeing costs $96.30 for 4.5 hours and runs on an air-conditioned coach carrying up to 25 people. The price includes admission to Magnolia Plantation, a 30-minute tour of the historic home and a 45-minute narrated nature tram ride through the Audubon Swamp Gardens. It does not include food, drinks or hotel pickup and drop-off, and the tour is not wheelchair accessible.
Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours ahead. The trip holds a 4.5 rating from 918 reviews. Full details are on the Magnolia plantation tour page.
Boone Hall Plantation Entry with Transfers
The Boone Hall Plantation Entry with Transfers from Gray Line Charleston costs $71 for 4.5 hours and bundles Boone Hall admission with round-trip travel on a climate-controlled bus. Check in at the buses directly behind the Visitors Center and Charleston Museum building in Charleston. Hotel pickup is not included, so arrive at the Visitors Center yourself.
Free cancellation runs to 2 hours before departure, the most forgiving window of the three. The trip carries a 4.6 rating from 121 reviews. The full breakdown is on the Boone Hall plantation tour page.
Middleton Place Small Group Tour
The Middleton Place Small Group Tour from Historic Charleston Tours costs $125 for 3 hours with a group capped at 6 people. It is the only one of the three with hotel pickup in Charleston included, plus a licensed city guide and a brief driving tour of the Old and Historic District. Admission to the plantation and the plantation home is NOT included, and the listing puts that at about $47 extra on top of the $125.
Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours ahead, and the trip holds a 4.8 rating from 119 reviews. More detail is on the Middleton Place tour page.
Which One Fits
If you want the simplest math, the $71 Boone Hall trip and the $96.30 Magnolia trip both have admission in the ticket. The Magnolia trip also adds the narrated tram, which costs about $15 extra per person on site if you drive yourself. The $125 Middleton trip buys a small group and hotel pickup, but admission is billed on top at about $47 extra.
None of the three lists lunch as included. For trips beyond the plantations, see the day trips from Charleston SC guide.
Drayton Hall stands across a pond on the Ashley River west of Charleston. Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Driving Yourself
Magnolia, Boone Hall and Middleton Place have free parking, so a rental car costs nothing at their gates beyond admission. Drive times below come from local guides and operator pages.
Drive Times and Parking
Boone Hall is 8 miles from downtown, about 20 minutes over the Ravenel Bridge on US-17. McLeod on James Island is 4.6 miles and 10-20 minutes from City Market. Magnolia is 13 miles out, quoted at 20-30 minutes by one source and 40-45 by another.
Middleton Place is about 16 miles and 30 minutes. Drayton Hall shares Ashley River Road with Magnolia and Middleton Place, a few miles from each. Parking at Magnolia, Boone Hall and Middleton Place is free.
No public bus serves Magnolia, and the others are not practical by city bus either, so a car or a bookable tour is the realistic choice.
Combining Sites
Ashley River Road carries Drayton Hall, Magnolia and Middleton Place within a few miles of each other, so two fit in one day without backtracking. Middleton Place and Magnolia each suggest 3-4 hours, so two big sites fill most of a day. Check the one-hour house tour times at Drayton Hall first, because the last tour leaves at 3pm and the front gate closes at 3pm.
Driving yourself costs admission plus the drive, while the bookable trips bundle the ride.
Boone Hall Plus Mount Pleasant
Boone Hall pairs naturally with the rest of Mount Pleasant, since the plantation sits in the same town. After a 3-4 hour visit, head to Shem Creek, where a boardwalk of about 2,200 to 3,000 feet runs past working shrimp docks and the free park lot fills up at busy times. If you stay into the evening, the Shem Creek BYOB Sunset Cruise leaves from the creek at $45 for 1.5 hours.
Add the Mount Pleasant Pier at Memorial Waterfront Park, 1,250 feet long and free to walk, and you have a full day on one side of the bridge.
Plantation Tour Dos and Don'ts
Do
- Do buy Drayton Hall tickets online, because the $30 online price saves $5 per person against the $35 gate price and the gate takes no cash.
- Do collect your free same-day house and From Slavery to Freedom tour tickets at the Magnolia Welcome Center the moment you arrive, because capacity is limited.
- Do check McLeod's calendar, because it closes every Monday and shuts for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
- Do book the Boone Hall transfer tour early if you have no car, because free cancellation lasts only until 2 hours before departure and buses leave from the Visitors Center, not your hotel.
- Do plan 3-4 hours at Boone Hall, Magnolia or Middleton Place, since all three say that is the time a full visit takes.
Don't
- Don't assume the $125 Middleton Place van tour includes admission, because the plantation entry and home are extra at about $47 on top of the tour price.
- Don't show up at Drayton Hall on a Tuesday or after 3pm, because it is closed Tuesdays and the front gate closes at 3pm even on open days.
- Don't expect hotel pickup on the Magnolia or Boone Hall tours, because neither includes it.
- Don't drive to Magnolia expecting a bus option, because no public transit serves the property and parking, though free, requires a car to reach.
Charleston Plantation Tours FAQ
Which plantation tour is the best in Charleston, SC?
There is no single best, because the five sites do different jobs. Boone Hall packs the most into one $30 ticket with the Avenue of Oaks, nine slave cabins and a live Gullah presentation. Magnolia at about $32 is the pick for gardens and wildlife. McLeod at $20 centers the story on enslaved people and their descendants more directly than any other site. Compare them all in the side-by-side table.
Which is better, Magnolia Plantation or Boone Hall?
Magnolia wins on gardens, with more than 200 acres, 6 miles of trails and the Audubon Swamp Garden included for about $32. Boone Hall wins on structure and access, with a 20-minute drive against Magnolia's 20-45 minutes and wagon tours, the house and cabins all in the $30 ticket. If you have no car, the Boone Hall Entry with Transfers makes the choice simple at $71.
What is the most famous plantation in Charleston, South Carolina?
Boone Hall is known for its three-quarter-mile Avenue of Oaks with about 88 live oaks, and Magnolia for its gardens, with more than 200 acres and 6 miles of trails. Middleton Place includes 65 acres of landscaped gardens in its $35 admission. Fame and fit are different things, so use the what each site shows section to decide.
Do any Charleston plantation tours include transportation from downtown?
Three do. The Magnolia coach tour costs $96.30 with admission, house tour and tram over 4.5 hours. The Boone Hall trip costs $71 with admission and round-trip bus from the Visitors Center. The Middleton Place small group tour costs $125 with hotel pickup for up to 6 people, but admission is extra at about $47. Details are in the tours with transport section.
How much does it cost to visit a plantation in Charleston?
Admission alone runs from $20 at McLeod to $35 at Middleton Place, with Boone Hall at $30, Drayton Hall at $30 online and Magnolia at about $32. Drayton Hall charges $35 at the gate, so booking online saves $5. Parking is free at Magnolia, Boone Hall and Middleton Place, and add-ons such as Magnolia's Nature Train cost about $15 extra. See the comparison table.
How far are the Charleston plantations from downtown?
McLeod is closest at 4.6 miles and 10-20 minutes from City Market. Boone Hall is 8 miles and about 20 minutes over the Ravenel Bridge. Magnolia is 13 miles, Middleton Place about 16 miles and 30 minutes, and Drayton Hall sits between Magnolia and Middleton on Ashley River Road. Driving yourself avoids the tour fare, and Magnolia, Boone Hall and Middleton Place have free parking, as covered in the driving yourself section.