When you pull up to Boone Hall Plantation you have no idea of the wonders beyond the gate! Once you have paid your admission, you drive a bit further and are rewarded with a wonderful view of The Avenue Of Oaks -- it is absolutely breathtaking; very much what one envisions a southern plantation should look like as you approach. Planted back in the 1700’s, they are draped in swaying Spanish moss forming a wondrous view. Tune the car radio to a station (you are told about it as you pay your entrance fee) and hear about the history of each aspect of the plantation. It is great fun to hear about each building and how life was on the plantation at one time.

At the end of the Avenue of Oaks take a turn to the right and park behind what was once the Cotton Gin and now is a gift shop and restaurant. Be aware that the road in, and the parking lot are not paved, so if it has been raining the whole area is apt to be muddy and messy!

The girls were eager to view the house. The most fun was that the guides are costumed in beautiful dresses, hoop skirts and all! The tour is only of the first floor, and while the furnishings are very nice, and there are many antiques, it is a tour of a private home, not a "restored" plantation house. Since you are there (the tours are offered every ½ hour) and are included in the cost of admission to the site, you might as well take it, but it is not one of the better tours we have taken.

After the house tour and taking pictures, we stopped by the Cotton Gin House (originally used to house the equipment that separated the cotton fiber from the seed) to visit the gift shop. They had a wide variety of gifts at reasonable prices. We had a hard time resisting many of them, and did pick up some postcards.

We also walked around the grounds a bit. I enjoyed seeing the smokehouse , and its interesting brick construction, unless you are interested in the brickwork it is not very interesting. The the slave cabin street , again is interesting, and very historic, but not very exciting. There were basically empty buildings.

We were all glad we took the time to go and see Boone Hill Plantation, for the Avenue of Oaks is wonderful to see in person, but with so many places to see in the area I would not put it on the top of my list.

Hours: Labor Day through March 31 - Monday through Saturday, 9 AM to 5 PM; Sunday, 1 PM to 4 PM: April 1 through Labor Day - Monday Through Saturday, 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM; Sunday, 1 PM to 5 PM

One of the oldest working plantations in the south,Boone Hall Plantation is well worth the visit. They refer to themselves as,"Americas Most Photographed Plantation". After visiting this plantation you will see why they make this claim.

Founded at Christ Church Parish in 1681 by Major John Boone, this plantation once encompassed 17,000 acres. Today there are 738 acres under plantation control.

You enter off Highway 17 down a dirt road to the plantation entry where you pay $10.50 to enter. The road has remained dirt to keep things as close to original as possible. The day before we went, it had rained and that dirt road was now a clay road, slippery as snot. This takes you down the Avenue of the Oaks, planted in the 1700's. The parking area is off to the right behind the Cotton Gin House. The Cotton Gin House is now the Plantation Kitchen/Restaurant on the second floor, and of course a gift shop on the first floor. The Commissary,(formerly a school)now has vending machines and restrooms.

The Gate to the Plantation House passes through a serpentine brick wall made of brick manufactured from the abundent clay at the plantation. The facade of the house is not too impressive,this house was actually built in 1934, on the site of the original home.T ours of the first floor are offered by costumed tourguides, and are scheduled on the hour and half hour. While the tour of the house was interesting, I was much more interested in the surrounding grounds. Besides the Avenue of the Oaks and the beautiful gardens, Boone Hall Plantation is famous for some of the last remaining slave cabins in the United States.

A sign on the left side of the road points out Slave Street. Here remain nine of the original 27 slave cabins where House Slaves and Skilled Slaves lived. These Brick structures are currently under renovation as Hurricane Hugo damaged them severely. Cabin # 4 is open however. Slave Street will certainly direct your attention back to a more ominous time in our history. If the elite of the slave system lived here, what was life like for the field hands picking cotton several miles away,living in wood shacks?

Admission $10.50.

Hour: Open All Year,except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Monday through Saturday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Sunday 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

April 1 through Labor Day

Monday through Saturday 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM
Sunday 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Phone-843-884-4371
Internet Address