Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens

Although Boone Hall appears to be overshadowed by the other plantations in Charleston due to its size and lack of activities that the others offer, it has it's own charm. I thoroughly enjoyed touring Boone Hall - and our tour guide far surpassed any other tour guide at any of the other plantations or houses that we have visited in Charleston. She was extremely knowledgeable and charming, and really seemed to enjoy her job. The slave cabins were informative, and the grounds themselves were neat to tour. more

Boone Hall was one of the largest Cotton Plantations in the South a couple of hundred years ago. You can tour the grounds and parts of the house. They have special events throughout the year, also. They have a kitchen on site which serves Lowcountry foods. The admission is very expensive for what you get. It is a beautiful place to visit, but if you had one day to spend in the area you might want to visit one of the larger plantations (like Magnolia) with more to do. more

It's hard to keep track of the "sibling rivalry" between the different Plantations in Charleston. One is the most photographed, one is the most visited, one is the largest, one is the oldest---forget about the "most"est and just go for the interesting history and excuse to get out of the city and see some non-city tourist attractions. Boone Hall has old slave quarters and slave burial grounds, and there's usually always some type of archaelogical dig going on and they (the archaelogists) will generally let you look over their shoulders and see what goodies they're picking out of the dirt. Don't be pushy, though. If they don't want you around, say "thank you" and go back to mingling with the tour group. I don't recall there being any kind of food or refreshment stands here. If you're visiting in the summer, bring plenty of water because the heat and humidity will KILL you. Honestly. You'll just die. Wear long-sleeves or you'll get eaten alive by Mosquitoes (don't use those noxious sprays...they annoy the people around you and they stop working once you start sweating). The Plantation itself is, well, just like all the other plantations. Some old furniture, alot of guided and self-guided tours. Good photograph opportunities, but an even better excuse to get out of the city and see what lies beyond the confines of Downtown Charleston. Drive along 17N and buy some of the hand-woven sweetgrass baskets made by the black ladies who learned this passed-down tradition from their mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, etc. THAT is true local artistry and local business. These people sit in their house and make baskets JUST FOR YOU. Pay the dang $45 for a basket because YOU know that YOU couldn't make a basket like that. Oh and they last FOREVER. more