Drayton Hall Tour: Historic Plantation and Galleries

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…
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…

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
4.3
(50 Ratings)
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Sherri_w
Jun 28, 2024
True Southern Palntation - A true Southern plantation. Plan to arrive early as the humidity is wicked awful this last week of June 2024. Can’t imagine how hot July, August, and September will be. Our tour guide, Morgan was very knowledgeable and answered all my questions. There was only one other couple in our tour. Lots of history here and well worth the admission price. My husband and I toured Boone Hall & Magnolia prior to visiting Drayton Hall, and this was my personal favorite.
Review provided by Viator
Marshas606
Jun 8, 2024
Wonderful - What a wonderful estate that is being carefully restored. There’s not tons of walking and also a film to help with information.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Andrew_d
Jun 2, 2024
Very interesting and informative! - Great tour guide who was very knowledgeable. Loved learning all the history of the home and seeing what life was like back then.
Review provided by Viator
Scottbi6894xc
May 22, 2024
Very Informational Tour - This tour did a great job of explaining the grounds and house and associated history. The tour was well-paced and gave ample time for taking photos.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Linda
May 19, 2024
Well worth the trip! - Lovely home and grounds! Home has been maintained as originally designed as much as possible. Guide was very knowledgeable and informative. Thanks for the experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
769jeanettec
May 2, 2024
Drayton Hall is a must see while in Charleston area - The tour of Drayton Hall was interesting and informative. Our guide was personable and knowledgeable and shared many interesting details about the home and plantation which made the tour a memorable one. What makes Drayton Hall different from other historic homes is that it is empty and is in the original state that it was in when the preservation foundation took it over. There are two archeologists working at the plantation site and many artifacts on display. The ongoing archeology work continues to shed light on life for the Drayton family and its many enslaved staff which means the tours guides receive new information on a regular basis to share with visitors. The gift shop has a nicely curated selection of items related to the home and area. We spend about 3hrs there, including the 90 minute house tour. We enjoyed our time at Drayton Hall and highly recommend it as a must-do activity while visiting Charleston.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mscameron80
Aug 27, 2024
Worth it. - The tour was very interesting and more so visiting the oldest and authentic plantation house. Note that besides the house there’s not much else to do. Staff are friendly but it can be tricky getting to/from there if you don’t have a car. I did manage to get Uber but you need to time it right as a lot of times the drivers won’t take the rides due to traffic.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carolyn_s
Aug 4, 2024
Didn’t get to tour. - Original plan was a girls trip with my two girls & grandson. One daughter was unable to travel due to storm expected. We only got to the first room of Drayton House and grandson was not a fan of being still or quite (19 mo) the picture is us leaving as the rest of the trip fell apart. 3 tickets & no tour 😥🥺
Review provided by Viator
Barbarasa5592pr
May 16, 2024
Save Your Money - Save your money. Drayton Hall is an empty plantation main house, devoid of any furnishings. A visitors Center has been constructed with material culture from the 18th century. Our Docent could have been better and needed to know the history of the house or Charleston. Go to Middleton Place for a nice lunch, walk the grounds, and see remnants of the original plantation. Go to McLeod Plantation for a real visit to a plantation with well trained Docents. Visit the African American Museum in Charleston.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
245ceeceep
May 5, 2024
Drayton Hall - Not worth your time - Definitely disappointed and not worth the money. You can see most of the first two floors - empty rooms. The guide didn't even have much definitive history - she kept saying "We assume...' Save your money and go to Boone Hall or the Magnolia Plantation. Waste of money!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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October 2024
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