Visit The Oldest Landscaped Gardens In America At Middleton Place Plantation In South Carolina
Ask any Charlestonian if a visit to Middleton Place is a must and you’re likely to get a resounding and enthusiastic yes for an answer. Locals know the charm stowed away at this riverside plantation located on the banks of the sleepy Ashley River. And if you’ve yet to discover it for yourself then there’s never been a better time to become a tourist in your own South Carolina back yard than now. Crowds are at a minimum (due to the pandemic), even in a touristy town like Charleston.
Middleton Place is comprised of 110 acres located adjacent to the Ashley River.
The complex includes a historic plantation home (now a museum), a restaurant, an inn, stables and a stableyard, and 65 landscaped acres turned into gardens, terraces, and outdoor garden rooms.
The plantation was begun in the early 1700s as purely a residence. Later, it would become a rice plantation before undergoing a complete restoration in the early 1900s.
Today, visitors have full access to the grounds, the house museum, and all the plantation entails. Guests for dinner at the restaurant get the added advantage of being inside the gates after the plantation closes to the public for the day.
Stroll the grounds after sundown as you make your way back to your car after dinner. A sunset from here would not have the sun setting over the river as the property is on the south bank of the Ashley, yet it is still a beautiful sight.
America's oldest landscaped gardens are open year round.
The next time you’re in Charleston, make it a point to pay a visit. You’ll be so glad you did!
Learn more about Middleton Place from its official website. You can buy tickets in advance and online. Middleton Place is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets purchased online in advance are $26 for those age 14 and over, $10 for those 14 and over with a student ID, $10 for children age 6-13, and free for kids age 5 and under.
Robin Jarvis is a travel writer and editor for OnlyInYourState.com with a bachelor's degree in Journalism. Her love for travel has taken her to many parts of the world. She's lived in the Carolinas for nearly three decades and currently resides in Charleston. When she's not working, she loves to cook with friends and check out new adventures. General questions and FAM tours: rjarvis@onlyinyourstate.com.
