Boone Hall Plantation

State: South Carolina. Type: historic plantation and gardens in Mount Pleasant, Berkeley/Charleston-area Lowcountry, about 8 miles from downtown Charleston. Founded in 1681 by Major John Boone. Address: 1235 Long Point Rd., Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464. Famous for its nearly mile-long Avenue of Oaks planted 1743-1843, and for nine surviving brick slave cabins now used for Black history and Gullah culture presentations.

Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens is one of America's oldest working plantations, founded in 1681 when Theophilus Patey granted 470 acres to his daughter Elizabeth and her husband, Major John Boone, as a wedding gift. Located in Mount Pleasant, about eight miles from downtown Charleston, the property has operated continuously for more than three centuries, moving from cotton and brick production, the estate's enslaved workers made an estimated four million bricks a year by 1850, to becoming a leading U.S. pecan producer by the turn of the 20th century. Its most iconic feature is the Avenue of Oaks, 88 live oak trees and one magnolia planted between 1743 and 1843, running three-quarters of a mile from the entrance. Nine brick slave cabins, built between 1790 and 1810 and occupied for close to 150 years by enslaved workers and later sharecroppers, survive on the grounds and are now the setting for guided Gullah culture and Black history presentations. The current mansion, a 1936 Colonial Revival house, replaced the original structure and has appeared in film and television productions including The Notebook and North and South.

Boone Hall Plantation is located at 1235 Long Point Rd., Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, about eight miles from downtown Charleston in the Charleston-area Lowcountry.

The property sits in South Carolina's Lowcountry, with a humid subtropical climate of hot, humid summers and mild winters typical of the greater Charleston area. Because much of the visit involves walking outdoors along the Avenue of Oaks, gardens and slave cabins, summer heat and humidity are worth planning around.

Spring and fall bring milder, more comfortable temperatures for the outdoor tractor tours, gardens and Avenue of Oaks walk than the height of summer. Garden displays of seasonal plants and antique roses may also be at their best in spring, though the site did not specify exact peak bloom months in the pages reviewed.

Boone Hall was founded in 1681 when Theophilus Patey granted 470 acres to his daughter Elizabeth and her husband, Major John Boone, who had arrived in the Carolina colony in 1672, as a wedding gift; some sources also describe the plantation's founding narrative as Boone arriving in Charleston directly in 1681. In 1743, the Boone family began planting live oak trees along the entrance approach, a project that continued until 1843 and produced today's Avenue of Oaks of 88 live oaks and one magnolia, spaced evenly along a three-quarter-mile drive. Ancestors of Founding Fathers Edward and John Rutledge lived on the property. By 1850, enslaved workers at Boone Hall were producing an estimated four million handmade bricks annually, and the plantation later became a leading U.S. pecan producer. The original plantation house was demolished, and the current 1936 Colonial Revival mansion was built by later owners Thomas and Alexandra Stone. Ownership passed through several private hands over the 20th century, including Prince Dimitri Jorjadze (1940-1945) and Dr. Henry Deas (1945-1955), before the McRae family took ownership in 1955, continuing to the present. Nine brick slave cabins dating from 1790-1810 survive on site, having housed enslaved workers and later sharecroppers for close to 150 years, and are today interpreted through guided Gullah culture and Black history presentations.

Visitors can take guided tours of the first floor of the 1936 mansion, ride a roughly 30-40 minute plantation tractor tour across the 738-acre property, and walk the grounds' seasonal gardens with antique roses and a tropical conservatory. Live "Exploring the Gullah Culture" presentations and a "Black History in America" exhibit inside the nine original slave cabins offer historical interpretation of the plantation's enslaved and sharecropping past. Many visitors combine the house tour, tractor tour, and cabin exhibits into a single multi-stop visit.

The Avenue of Oaks, 88 live oaks and one magnolia planted 1743-1843 running three-quarters of a mile from the entrance, is the site's signature image. The nine brick slave cabins (1790-1810) house the Black History in America exhibit and Gullah culture presentations. The 1936 Colonial Revival mansion offers guided first-floor tours, and the gardens and tropical conservatory add a horticultural element to the visit.

Boone Hall is about eight miles from downtown Charleston, reached by car via US Highway 17 into Mount Pleasant. Charleston International Airport is the nearest airport with regular commercial service, from which a rental car or rideshare is the practical way to reach the plantation.

As of research, Boone Hall was open Monday-Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Confirm current hours on the official site before visiting, since these can shift for holidays or events.

As of research, regular adult admission was $30, seniors/military/AAA $27, children ages 6-12 $12, and children 5 and under free with an accompanying adult. Confirm current pricing on boonehallplantation.com before visiting.

Plan for about two to three hours to cover the house tour, tractor tour, gardens, and slave cabin exhibits at a comfortable pace.

Mount Pleasant and nearby downtown Charleston, about eight miles away, offer a wide range of hotels, inns, and vacation rentals, from historic Charleston properties to standard chain hotels closer to the plantation.

Mount Pleasant has a growing dining scene with casual and upscale options, and downtown Charleston, a short drive away, offers an extensive range of Lowcountry and Southern dining; specific on-site food service details were not confirmed in the sources reviewed.

Downtown Charleston, about eight miles away, offers historic architecture, museums, and the historic Charleston City Market. Other Lowcountry plantations and historic sites in the greater Charleston area make natural pairings for visitors interested in the region's plantation-era history.

Charleston International Airport is the nearest airport with substantial commercial service, generally under a 30-minute drive; a rental car or rideshare is the practical way to reach and move around the plantation.

As with any outdoor historic site, wear comfortable walking shoes for the grounds, gardens, and Avenue of Oaks, and bring sun protection given the exposed walking areas. For any emergency, dial 911.

Comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen and a hat for the outdoor tractor tour and Avenue of Oaks, and a camera for photographing the oak allée and gardens are all worth packing.

Because Boone Hall has been ranked the #1 plantation in the Charleston area by USA TODAY 10Best, arriving earlier in the day can help avoid the busiest tour groups. Checking the tractor tour and house tour schedule on arrival helps visitors plan their time across the property's several attractions.

Dial 911 for any emergency. Boone Hall Plantation's general visitor line is 843.884.4371, per the official site.

Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens - https://boonehallplantation.com

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This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.