This place is definitely down on its own path and out of the way in the country, but it's interesting to hear and see a house and business that's been around 400 years and the oldest family-owned business in the country. The descendants still live here, so only the first floor is tourable. The tour guide was knowledgeable and touched on all aspects of the house's history, so it felt like an all-encompassing informational about the owners of the house and the enslaved people who lived and worked there including photographs to give faces to the names. She went over room highlights and answered any questions that people wanted to better understand. It includes a lot of very old artifacts and paintings of the Hills and Carters who lived there. The view of the river is beautiful, and there are a few outer buildings but most don't have anything to see in them. The gift shop is decent. The price is high for a historic tour, but it is a significant enough house to see to understand more the history of Virginia. read more

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Saw road signs when driving through the area. Well - we just had to stop! Nothing to see or visit on this rainy day, but we took a few minutes to go off the main road and drive down the lane, past the vineyards and see the buildings (even though from a distance). Would like to go back sometime to see if anything is open and visit what seems like a fun little historical site. Not sure - maybe it's just a destination venue. Wasn't clear in signage. read more

Shirley Plantation has the distinction of being the oldest Virginia plantation in the Old Dominion dating to 1623. The estate set prominently off the James River. The 11th generation Carter-Hill family own and continue to reside in the home. Shirley Plantation has been in the Hill Family since 1660. Shirley is dominated by the three story Dutch-style mansion set off the James River. The structure that we all know as the mansion is but one of what was a vast complex. Other structures included two three story guest homes situated perpendicular to the main house. John Carter, oldest son to Robert King Carter married the heiress Elizabeth Hill in the 1723 and probably built at least the pair of facing buildings. After King Carters will was settled in 1738 John built the large home we all think of when visiting Shirley. The village like appearance is enhanced by less formal buildings including a large brick stable, a cylindrical dovecote, dairy and smoke house. Since the home has continually been in the Carter-Hill family with its vast furnishings and portraits it, offers one of the most memorable pictures of continuity in Virginia plantation history. No interior photos are permitted inside the mansion when visiting. A gift store is available. Tours are currently suspended due to COVID-19 until at least June 10th. Looking for a road trip this Summer? Consider not only Shirley Plantation, but others like Berkeley along the James River on highway 5 NW of Williamsburg. read more

Stopped by here on a whim and got so lucky to get in on the last tour of the day with Melissa! She is fantastic! Very knowledgeable, kind and willing to answer questions and talk about anything and everything. The grounds and house are beautiful and having such a great tour guide really made this experience wonderful! Highly recommended! (Don't forget to pay attention to the key she uses to get into the house and if you're good she'll tell you a ghost story) read more

Historic Shirley - Shirley Plantation - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Charles City, Virginia

Loved this visit back into history! Try to get Carolyn Stevens as your tour guide-call ahead for the schedule! So many delightful insights ( won't steal her thunder)! Don't miss the 350 yr old Willow Oak. read more

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Visited Shirley with friends from out of state. Wonderful tour with exceptional guide. Fascinating history and gorgeous house and property. Always worth the visit! read more

Historic Shirley - Land side entrance. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Charles City, Virginia

When we arrived, we realized that we had already toured this plantation years ago. The plantation was supposed to be open, but it was not. Shirley Plantation is the oldest active plantation in Virginia and is the oldest family-owned business in North America, dating back to 1614 with operations starting in 1638. This beautiful home sits overlooking the James River with stunning views. We were surprised to learn that there are over 700 riverfront acres. It is about a 35 minute drive from Williamsburg on VA Route 5. It is supposed to be open daily from 9:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. I would recommend calling to verify. Tours are offered for the main house. Admission price for an adult is $12.50. read more

Historic Shirley - Shirley Plantation - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Charles City, Virginia

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We had a great time visiting the Shirley Plantation!! I recommend making the drive into Hopewell to visit this charming home and the winery. It will not disappoint. This beautiful plantation comes with an interesting family story that is sure to intrigue. Our tour guide was informative and cheerfully pleasant. The grounds are beautiful and welcoming. After the tour you are encouraged to spend as much time as you want self touring and photographing the grounds. They have a little gift shop that offers some fun items to take back home with you. You are also given the opportunity to donate to the preservation of the estate. This is a deserving cause... read more

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I've always loved Colonial Williamsburg, and since my big sis went to college there and lives there, I've spent a lot of time walking around over the years. It's like time travel to the 18th century and that's exactly how you feel at Shirley Plantation, although the drive is much shorter since it's out on Route 5. It's incredible that this is still a working plantation and still owned by descendants of the original family. Even more incredible is that they've opened the first floor of their personal home and the grounds to share with visitors. These folks don't get any government funding: they use the admission fees to preserve Virginia's first plantation. There's a fab gift shop, Lady Cessalye's (named after the original owner's wife) that has some really nice china and gift items. I love blue & white patterns and like to mix them up...a little Colonial, a little Delft, a little WIllow... The part of the house that's open has lots of personal family antiques and memorabilia. If you like the Colonial period, you'll really enjoy the thirty-minute guided tour. read more

I enjoyed this place a lot! I think it's one of the bigger tourist attractions of all the plantations that line the non-interstate road the way there. Even so, early morning on a nice day like we were, it wasn't very busy and actually really nice. The tour group only had about ten people in it. The tour itself was short and about the only thing we had a problem with. While learning the family history was really interesting and unique (how could eleven generations of family-owned business not be interesting?), they rarely touched upon the faults of the family and only focused on the good things. No mention of slavery AT ALL, nothing about how nepotism affected their standing in the world, nothing about any hardships the family had. Even when you get out of the tour, there's ONE wall inside one of the buildings that focuses on slavery - and even then it's brief. To be honest, the whole tour is brief for what you pay. Even so, the property is beautiful and the family is interesting. Our tour guide was excellent and so was the woman selling tickets. They sell jams produced on the property in the gift shop! All of the buildings are nicely kept after and preserved and there are many wonderful Kodak moments to be had, for sure. It's worth the drive from Williamsburg! read more

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Pretty James river plantation where the 11th generation still lives in the main house. Great tour We enjoyed learning the history. Recommend others.to take the tour. read more

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Tons of history. Beautiful view of the James River behind the house. Well preserved historic site.

To the exceptionally rude woman with the short bangs, you can go you know what yourself. I was with a few friends at the plantation. We just arrived. Another couple were stood near us. The woman came out and said to us "If you're getting tickets you need to get them now and if not you need to move on". We need to "move on"? Wow. I would suggest to people nor give their money to a business wheee obviously there is still some strange racial tension. Needless to say everyone that was standing there near us left as well. We we were all appalled. By the way, a friend we were with said she has done the tour once and it was boring. read more

I give it a 5 star for a few reasons. 1. The tour is comprehensive. 2. Most of what is in the house has been a part of the plantation since it was built 3. It has been in the same family since it was built. 4. It is the oldest surviving plantation in Virginia. 5. They still live here! Seriously, I can't imagine how much it costs to keep this place up but I am thankful that they have seen fit to allow the general public to see something so rare. The house is stunning and imposing and sits on the banks of the James River. The traditional "front" of the house, like all plantations, faces the river. A tour is given of the first floor of the house and it is both interesting and informative. A favorite part is where you can view a pane of glass with the initials of all of the Carter Hill brides (the authenticity of a diamond is tested on glass to see if it is real and can cut glass) going back hundreds of years. The out buildings are of interest as well. My favorites were the kitchen (kept away from the house to prevent fire) and the ice house. Both are intact as built and a visit here really makes you remember that, despite the money and best comforts of the time, living life back then was still pretty tough. This is a fantastic place to take out of town guests and for those new to the area to get a feel for how Richmond came about ( the farthest North navigable water before the falls of the James River caused tobacco and cotton to be hauled of River and around the falls) Richmond's tobacco warehouses dried huge amounts of tobacco that came from the many plantations that dotted the James River from Richmond to Williamsburg. read more

Really neat piece of history only 30 minutes southwest of Richmond! This house has been in the same family since the 1730's and the family still lives there! The first floor is open for visitors - the family resides on the upper floors. The house tour was nice - nothing spectacular - but nice. The grounds are a bit lackluster, so I would definitely not just do that if I came. It's a quick tour, but a cool part of history! read more

Historic Shirley - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Charles City, Virginia

We were in Williamsburg for a vacation and found ourselves looking for something to do for the afternoon. Decided to travel to the Shirley Plantation about a half hour away. On the way there you'll pass another half dozen or so other plantations. Shirley is a big impressive complex consisting of a main house and four other buildings that at one time contained laundry, ice house, store house, kitchen and a few other out buildings. I have to agree with the previous review by Msrock1504 that very little information is there about the slaves except for the fact that their living quarters were above the kitchen. Might be due to the descendents still occupy the main house on the 2nd and third floors and use the basement for their kitchen and dining (off limits on tour) and probably have some say in what information is shared with the public. While I found the tour informative I was left wondering how much better it could have been. The tour guide shared with us that the owners were putting in a new modern kitchen in the basement. I thought it odd that a place with so much history would allow modernizations to the structure that would change it's historical state. Part of me wished that the owners would make the entire home a historical landmark even though they too are part of the current history of the home and family that made Shirley Plantation what it is today. read more

This place is great for a number of reasons: - The tour is informative, yet brief and digestible (30 mins, tops) - The house itself is legit and not a reconstruction of any kind, as is the bulk of the plantation. - The plantation itself is still in use and is the oldest family-owned and operated business in the United States - Some dude from the family still lives upstairs! I want in on this family! All in all, I had a very pleasant experience at Shirley Plantation. The situation along the James River is beautiful, as is the old mansion home and the grounds. It's a little bit pricier than I'd like, but I think this is my favorite of all the tourable (I made up that word) plantations on the Virginia Peninsula. read more

What makes Shirley Plantation so unique is that it is truly "living history". You will find attentive, thoroughly knowledgeable docents who give a wonderful tour of the first floor of the house. Just the first floor. The other floors are in use by the family. That thought is a little disconcerting once the door is closed. You can just discern the TV in the background as you look up at the magnificent flying staircase. Then you see the security cameras. Really creepy. But, yeah, o.k., I mean people have probably lifted priceless objects from here and they are just protecting themselves. But it's still creepy. And while this is the longest running plantation in Virginia, you get a sense that a major professional restoration is in order. The rooms have none of the "freshness" that you would experience at say, Williamsburg or St Mary's City. When I tour a home of the past, I want to feel like I could step through time and become a part of my surroundings. The layer upon layer of paint, the dirty windows, lend more of a "Haunted Mansion" aspect to what is truly a lovely river plantation. That being said, if you are on a budget or time is not our your side, or perhaps you have small children, I would probably suggest that you tour another plantation such as the home of John Tyler. Shirley Plantation is a must see for anyone interested in Virginia history, specifically the Carters and the Robert E. Lee connection. read more

Incredible piece of history just east of Richmond. I would highly recommend taking the tour - the docent/guide we had was super knowledgeable about the plantation and home, and made things really interesting. Beautiful property, and just a really interesting look into how a plantation worked back in the day. I believe everything here was kept in its original state, which is pretty fascinating. I would recommend doing the tour of the plantation and then going next-door to Upper Shirley Vineyards for a glass of Viogner afterwards. read more

I loved my visit to Shirley Plantation. The tours cost $11 for adults but are $10 with AAA discount. A retired teacher did our tour and she was great--enthusiastic and attentive as if it were her first day. The tour takes you inside the four main rooms of the first floor. You learn about technical stuff like house construction and how it evolved, as well as the 400-year history of the Hall Carter family. The guide is very patient and knowledgable when answering questions. This is the farthest plantation from Williamsburg on Hwy 5 but well worth the brief trek. Alternately it's the closest to Richmond! read more

Historic Shirley - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Charles City, Virginia

Did you know that this is the oldest continuously running small business in America? Neither did I, until i trecked up to Shirley. Trust me, take the tour, the guides are knowledgeable and the history of this land and the family is pretty impressive. We arrived and had some time before the tour so we took a stroll around the grounds and there's just some fantastic history here. The view, location and whole plantation is absolutely gorgeous and I fully recommend this for anyone looking for something "historic" to do on the weekend. Make sure to ask about the taps on the side of the fireplace, some of the first hot water indoor plumbing ever (says the plumbing nerd). The fact that they used that smoke house into the 1950's boggled my mind - make sure to take a look around the other buildings and learn about the details on this one. Don't forget to make a stop at the new Upper Shirley Tasting Room, it's a great way to cap off your historical vist. read more

I am so sad that I just realized this place existed! We came over the weekend as part of a friend's bachelorette celebration, and it was awesome. We all did a tasting, and even though we had a large party they were very accommodating. We had an older gentleman taking care of us a the bar (him and his wife both worked there and they were adorable). He took great care of us, and we all really enjoyed hearing him talk about the wines. After the tasting they set us up with a great table outside, even though we were approaching closing time. We shared a few bottles and some appetizers on the beautiful patio. Even though we ended up staying a little bit past their closing time, everyone was still incredibly polite and did not make us feel unwelcome. I was really impressed. We will definitely be coming back! read more

Small but interesting and very informative. Park rangers were welcoming and knowledgeable. We enjoyed it.

iI love to hear about history, our guide was very knowledgable about everything shirley plantation related. And had patience for all of our questions. I was a little dissapointed that we couldn't take pictures inside the house, but for privacy concerns I understand.. I took my 7 year old with me and she liked it to. The animals and fieldhouseswere her favorites and hearing about the ghost of shirley plantation was her second favorite read more

Take the ride from Williamsburg it is so worth it! Beautiful place, so much history, tour was so informational. One of the best things we did on our trip to Williamsburg! read more

Glenn was a great tour guide! Amazing that it's still in the same family. Easy to find. Oh, and for those of you traveling, the restroom is behind the parking lot - just want to save you some walking before you go to the gift shop to buy tickets for the tour, and then have to walk all the way back past the parking lot! read more

The site was spotlessly clean. The home was so well preserved. The guides were well educated. Shirley Plantation is still a working farm under the ownership of the original family. No reconstruction here. The buildings are original, maintained construction. The structure and grounds are lovely. Much effort and money goes into keeping this home the pinnacle of plantations. If you bring kids, they will love the animals outside and say "hi" to Kabob. Shirley Plantation is a place you should visit more than once and while visiting, check out a few other plantations in the immediate area. You will have a deep appreciation for the efforts the staff at Shirley extend to support the structures and endear the history of Shirley Plantation. read more

Every visit to Shirley has been well worth the trip. The property is always well-manicured and sharp-looking; this visit was during Garden Week and it was impressive. The guides are informative and friendly and the tours are approximately 30 minutes. The tour content can vary; it must be a challenge to condense 400 years of history into a half an hour tour. Even the farm cats are friendly. Photography is not permitted in the Great House, but outside is okay. I wish they still had all the farm animals, though. read more

Food is wonderful and the service exceptional. Sat on the back porch with a beautiful view of James River. The parking lot is terrible with river rocks which are extremely hard to walk on. Be prepared. And why can't they put chairs out on the front porch for people to sit? The experience is more than just the food and atmosphere. read more

Beautiful location and amazing staff/tour guides. We stopped in today to visit and were very pleased and happy to spend time touring the Plantation grounds and the 1st floor of the home. Both ladies on staff who worked with us today were great. Carolyn is an amazing tour guide and is very knowledgeable as well as personable. We liked our time at the Shirley Plantation far more than our time spent down the road at the Berkeley Plantation. read more

Very beautiful historic place the people were very nice if anyone has the time to check it out if your near by try it it's the oldest North American plantation around. The only problem is they don't stay open very long. The have a winery up the road with a restaurant. read more

I am amazed that America's first plantation is so accessible. Also that the 11th generation of the family still works the farm and lives in the big house. Thank you Shirley! read more

I give Shirley Plantation five stars! The ambiance, the history, the VIEW, and the upkeep - can't imagine the work that was put into the home to keep it in good shape. My only disappointment was the tour guide (I have small children under 5) my husband and I could not participate. We also read the brochure and there was no indication that the Plantation Home was occupied by residents on the upper floors. We thought this was a museum where we can come pay the admission and walk around the home. PROS: Sugah was the plantation owners kitty cat. My children love her! Gift shop attendant was wonderful and helpful! The patio behind the gift shop was a great break from our feet and we ate our snacks and lunches. CONS: if the brochure can inform the public the Home is not free to roam must be with a tour guide. And give background to the public that the home is occupied by the original owners :) read more

We wanted to visit a river plantation on our way home from visiting Williamsburg, and we picked Shirley Plantation. I thought this plantation was really neat because of several things: the family still lives here (after almost 300 years), it's still a working farm, and it's America's oldest family-owned business since 1638. We bought tickets for the short tour of the first floor (the family resides on the 2 upper floors). Our tour guide was very knowledgeable. and answered every question that people asked. There are many original furnishings still in the home. One cool item of interest is the fact that many of the female members of the family have "carved" their names or initials into the window glass with their wedding ring (to see if the diamond is real). The grounds are really nice and are perfect for walking around. There are some farm animals to visit, like goats, chickens, and a couple of cats. The goats are all rescued and are used for educational purposes! It was really cool to visit such an old plantation home, and hear the family members watching CNN upstairs, LOL. read more

grounds are nice, but not worth the pricey admission. restrooms were clean. view of the ever was beautiful.

This is one of the best plantation tours I have had. The tour guide was fabulous. She gave so much historical information. It was fascinating read more

I once visited here with my little 6 year old boy and had the WORST experience of my life. My 6 year old reached up and whispered I love you mommy in my ear. And the extremely young tour guide said, "Mamm, if you cannot control your child, you need to sit out in the hallway". The woman next to me spoke up, she said to the effect, "you are the rudest tour guide I have ever seen". Needless to say, I left immediately and asked for my money back. DEFINITELY NOT CHILD FRIENDLY at this plantation. My son was not loud by any means and the tour had not even started yet. We were treated extremely RUDE. read more

Greetings! I visited Shirley Plantation about 46-48 years ago, when it was a working "farm" with a delightful family. Mom greeted the guests and gave the first-floor tour, Dad was riding a tractor in a nearby field, and there were two little tykes (I think two) running around the place, enjoying a beautiful summer day. Mom said they were ancestors of the original family, that her husband quit his job and moved the family to the plantation to try to make "a go of it" and restore it to its former beauty. I recall it was lovely inside, even though it wasn't complete. There was a beautiful cantilever staircase to the second floor, but we were told the space up there was for their family and not open to view. There was a gorgeous dining room, with its own sink where the lady of the house washed the dishes after dinner, not allowing slaves to handle the china. Also, I recall an ornate grate in the hallway which provided "central heating and cooling from the basement. Ha. There was a bedroom off the main hallway where the lady gave birth to her children. There was a beautiful cradle in the room. I also noted that there was no large double-decked porch as you approach the house. When I was there, there were a few steps and a door, no porch. I believe there was a stone porch on the side that faces the river, though. I don't think they had lived there very long before we visited. To my knowledge, I don't recall much grass or outbuildings, but it was a long time ago. I thought it was enchanting, and I've thought about it many times through the years. The photos are very pretty, but I think I would have liked to have seen it a bit less "finished." I loved visiting there, and the family was very nice and friendly. One other thing I remember is driving for miles and miles through corn fields to get to the plantation. It was a wonderful place to visit. read more