Wonderful historic site that was a former rice plantation. The same family lived in the home for multiple generations and the last heir left the estate to the state of Georgia. Beautiful antiques, cool grounds, and amazing landscape. All left in It's original state. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and shared many interesting facts. Definitely worth visiting! read more

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The history of this region is worth thinking about, but tough to see. Most of these sorts of plantations are long abandoned; the story of how this one fell into the hands of the state government is told, along with other context, on a half-hour tour of their small mansion. The tour starts on the hour, and having arrived shortly in advance, they told me to drive down a service road that said not to drive down on it so I could park at the house and make it on time. The tour content focuses on the family line that owned the house; there is some discussion of the people they owned early in its history, but a more detailed take on the forced labor system involved in rice farming is given in the museum back where one starts. It is a distinctive and difficult topic, but the films they play offer a relatively level-headed take. The area is very swampy now; I got outside of the house and thought to wander around and take pictures, but was immediately beset by flies. Fortunately, I had the luxury of my car. Seeing these places in person makes one wonder how anyone ever lived and labored here without modern conveniences. There's plenty of food for thought. read more

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Amazing history of the family, of the area, and multiple periods of America. It is a gem that is hard to describe. The house has books from the 17th century to 1970. Unlike most places, the portraits, paintings, and photos that are in the house are authentic. Imagine going to a house where five generations of your family are created through paintings and photographs. What brought the experience to the next level was the tour guide. He painted an incredibly detailed picture of each item and subject he discussed. He obviously has spent a great deal of time, familiarizing himself with the local history and national history of the house represents. Additionally, the grounds were amazing! The trees! read more

Coming from the North, plantations are creepy to me. It is a former torture center, a site of cruelty and criminal acts, a well of suffering, and generally a solemn sad place. I felt uneasy the whole time I was there, despite wishing peace for the souls who suffered. Unlike the Kingsley Plantation near Jacksonville, the slave cabins no longer exist at Hofwyl. The property only left the hands of the original slave-owning family in the 1970s, so they'd long since razed those buildings. I'd hope the state would have reconstructed at least one cabin to demonstrate what conditions slaves were forced to endure, while the people who oppressed them lived in luxury, but no. I think I got a different tour from some of these other reviewers. The state devotes the majority of the didactics to the white slave owners, the current nature topography of the property, and the historic structures remaining, and their artifacts. But the narrative of these didactics pretty much regales this old rac!st family, offers park & wildlife information in a vacuum, like this is any old designated park (instead of a former site of evil inflicted on hundreds of stolen human beings), and described uses for the artifacts with dictionary definitions rather than contextual anthropology (I.e. minus the SLAVING labor involved in their use, and any humane explanation of that piece). In the house tour, the rac!sts' belongings are again, depicted for their specialness and relative value back when. I was underwhelmed by the home's size and lack of opulence, but my expectations are only as educated as having read Gone With The Wind in 8th grade. Perhaps this was a "modest" human-owning family? Or perhaps they just weren't relatively wealthy? A quick mention is made of the black man who became the first tour guide after working for the last rac!st family member who bequeathed the property to the state in the 1970s, with two photos of him smiling. It felt like this was meant to come off as a happy ending to this oppressed southern black man's mid-century life working for a family whose wealth came from his ancestors' back-breaking toil. Sorry but why do I have to feel "woke" just to point out the obvious here? In Yankeeville, we talk about the sh!-tty stuff for real. This whitewashing-of-history type of narrative is insulting to me as a white lady, and I cannot imagine how it comes off to black people. To me, the act of healing rac!sm involves action. Trying to pretend this was some old rich cracker clan, whose rice crop magically grew out in the marsh topography, goes far beyond ignorance and way too far into sick delusion. If history is to fairly and ACCURATELY be told, then where is the narrative voice for hundreds of exploited, abused, traumatized Africans? Matter-of-factly we were told only that these human beings were purchased for their origins in West Africa because they farmed rice there and brought experience and more agricultural knowledge to their unpaid traff!-cked jobs. Wow, layers of psycho-pathy in all that! Can we unpack that, please, instead of making these poor rangers (who themselves cringe as they have to open mouths to) talk about Vaseline glass? I'm at a plantation where much more significant things happened. The dining trinket bling bought from bloodshed in the fields should be much farther down the list of historic details. Call me woke if you want, but this place just creeped me out. I love handmade things but I just could not keep the ceramic bunny they passed out for the scavenger hunt, and when I donated it, I worried I'd upset or offend one of the volunteers at the thrift store! Note, I tried posting this about four times because Yelp kept censoring the words I had to hyphenate or alter. Messed up! read more

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This is a great plantation - really one should go there, visit, see the history -very nice most people might know who are from Brunswick, GA or born there-absolutely. This is one of good to learn about different generations. They have a great Dairy farm -it has a history as well -one should visit- from outside it is so healthy, well planned as well - i did not get a chance to go there. Good thing similar to St. Augustine , Downtown Charleston, SC -not the West Virginia one- they all have a Visitor Tour. if you go to GA Visitor Center- they can help us finding the right people for this city, town -how to get to the right exit, where do you start from -all are in the Visitor Center Bureau-they have a pamphlet-i could not attach all those. They have generations profile/pictures to see, learn, ancestry, Original history...i would definitely stop by...if some people like Museum, they should go there as well read more

A window into the old south awaits anyone stepping onto the Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation. Don't expect a Tara version of a plantation but rather an old farm house with several outbuildings. While it's history goes far back to the civil war era, it's current state reflects updates from the 1920-30s. The well informed docents love to tell stories about ghosts living on the grounds. Old family photos and memorabilia certainly makes one feel like you're peering into a home of a real family with a meaningful impact on coastal Georgia. The slave cabins bring less than appealing historical facts to light. The plantation manager and many volunteers do an exemplary job educating visitors about days gone by and how those days impact today. read more

Hufwyl-Broadfield Plantation felt like stepping back into the 1800's. It's about an hour and 15 minute drive from Jacksonville, if you live near Jax Beach. It's well worth the drive if you like historic places and exploring the outdoors. We were shown a fifteen minute video at the visitors center before taking the ten minute walk to tour of the home and grounds. You should check out the gift shop at the visitors center. You will find history books that include slave memoirs and books with photos and descriptions of the plantation. You will also find homemade candles, jams and other goodies made by people in Georgia. The home we toured was built in the 1850's. The original home was burned during the Civil War. But the unique thing about this home is that you will find original items dating back to the 1800s. This home stayed in the same family for five generations. The last descendant passed in the home in 1973. She willed the home to the state of Georgia as she wanted the home and land to be preserved. The furniture was gorgeous! I also liked the fact that there were original pictures of the families that lived in the home all throughout the house. You can also tour the barn, servants quarters, and a few other buildings. And don't forget to take a picture of the 800 year old tree outside the home. The grounds were amazing, mainly because of all the old gorgeous trees with Spanish moss hanging everywhere. You can take a nature walk to the brackish marshes which was pretty. There is also an overlook. However, since we were the only people left at the park and there was a sign telling us there were alligators on that portion of the walk we chose not to go forward. But if there had been a group of us we would have done it. If you like history like me this should be added to your bucket list! read more

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The primary function of the tour is to celebrate the owners of the property. This location having been once the prison of over 300 slaves as I understood it, has minimal mention of slavery. The tour guide even lamented that after the civil war the slaves returned because they 'liked it there'....whereas history would tell us something very different. The home has many tributes to the past, yet they turned the one standing slave cabin into a public restroom. Which about sums up how they represent slavery. read more

The plantation was in the same family from the early 1800 to 1973 when the last living heir deeded it to the state. In the beginning it was a large rice plantation and later a dairy. The building are original to the property. The current main house was built in 1850's . The buildings are open and there is a tour of the house. The grounds are beautiful. Some of the trees are estimated to be 500 to 800 years old. The museum focuses on the family and the rice farming. There is an explanation of the decline of the rice plantation during and after the Civil War. And then the dairy farm existing to pay off debt.The film is also good. Will spend 1 to 3 hours here. About 5 miles from Darien. read more

Dog friendly!! Tbey invited us to bring our dog inside the museum and said the last family members in the home here lived dogs so much they carry read more

Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation - Main house - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Brunswick, Georgia

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History comes alive as you walk through the saga of a family to change with the times. The cottage is left as close to as it was to the day that the final family member passed in 1973 and left the estate to Georgia. This is not the epic Gone with the Wind mansion, but you build a connection with the family saga through the home tour, highly recommended as it comes with your admission ticket. The ranger had great anecdotes and sketches to feed the imagination as to life as it once was. The grounds include a museum, picnic area, and a 10 minute nature trail. read more

We visited Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation to learn more about life on a rice plantation. Located on the banks of the Altamaha River, the property was built in the early 1800s and was held by five generations of the same family. After the Civil War, it became a dairy farm and when their last heir died in 1973, she left it to the state. Several signs lead from I-95 to the state park so we didn't have trouble finding it. The entrance is off US-17/Ocean Drive in Brunswick. The property is so thick with live oak canopies that you can't see the sky in many places. The trees drip with Spanish moss...it's so beautiful! The visitor's center is off the parking lot. Tours of the house take place at the top of every hour and you don't need a reservation. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and $5 for children. There's no charge for children 5 and under. A tree-lined path led from the visitor's center to the house--about a 1/4 mile walk. We were met by a gorgeous, 800-year-old live oak named Ophelia that sits next to the house. Our guide, Ranger Andy, invited us onto the front porch where he shared a few facts with our tour group before we went inside. Ranger Andy said that at one point 357 slaves worked the marshland between the house and the river. That was literally everything we could see except for sky...1,200 acres of rice in all. They struggled against malaria, snakes and gators in stifling heat to produce 1.5 million pounds of rice in a year. The two-story house was constructed before the Civil War in a farmhouse style. Because the property was passed down from generation to generation, it's filled with family heirlooms and antiques, some of which date back to the 1790s. In case you're wondering, the house has A/C. The tour ran 45 minutes or so. Afterwards, Ranger Andy pointed out the back door towards other structures and said we were welcome to walk through them on our own. We spent half an hour exploring the kitchen, slave quarters, commissary (still filled with antebellum tools), laundry yard, smokehouse/ice house and garage at our own pace. We returned to the visitor's center to watch "The People of Hofwyl-Broadfield" film. I wanted to know more about the slaves and fortunately Ranger Faye had the answers. She said that most of them came from a rice-growing region in Africa. Several unique aspects of life on the Georgia coast helped them retain their African traditions. A book I bought in the gift shop expanded on those points in more detail. Thanks to the well-preserved grounds and knowledgeable rangers, we left with a better understanding of life on a rice plantation. For that I would recommend a visit to Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation. Just be sure to wear cool clothing and closed-toe walking shoes and pack bug spray. P.S. ~ Ophelia is massive! See the photo I took and notice the F-150 truck parked nearby for scale. read more

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We would recommend you stopping here for a tour. The woman at the Visitor Center is very polite and friendly. She thinks that the slaves were lucky to live here. It was very difficult to hear this. She should keep those comments to herself. They were extremely racist. Overall, the plantation is very historical. it has all original contents inside and is a beautiful, but long walk through the oak trees filled with Spanish Moss. read more

Five stars for history, spectacular trees, friendly rangers and amazing views. Much gratitude to the family who bequeathed this gem to the public and to the state for keeping it up. Bravo! read more

Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Brunswick, Georgia

This was a wonderful stop! We enjoyed a great tour of the plantation home by a tour guide who seemed to have a passion for sharing the family's story! The grounds are beautiful and it's amazing how much history - and original history! - has been preserved in this little gem. I would highly recommend this stop for the afternoon. read more

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My fiance has been wanting to go on the ghost tour for over 2 years. However, as a truck driver we never got a chance until tonight. I will say that the Manager, his wife and some of the volunteers were wonderful and truly seem to enjoy their jobs. However, there was an overweight, older white male who was rude and belligerent to my fiance more than once. He accused my fiance of "not paying attention to the presentation that he paid $15 for". He also accused both of us of "messing with the water supply" while we were exploring the grounds which we had been told we could do after the presentation. He then yelled at us to leave and go home. If these are the volunteers they are going to continue to use, I wouldn't waste my money. It's a shame because this could have been an enjoyable time and we had intended to return. read more

Good family fun with a ton of learning! Kids (19 and 14) had an absolute blast. Tour of the house is entertaining but does involve climbing some steep stairs. Beautiful land as far as the eye can see with many photo opportunities. A must see if in the Brunswick area and Groupon makes even more affordable! read more

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Our 2:00 PM TOUR TODAY was wonderful! Ranger Andy was informative, knowledgeable, and personable. He also interjected timely humor that kept us in chuckles. The property was magnificent and the stand of moss covered centuries old live oak trees was unforgettable! read more

Beautiful history. Just drop dead live oak trees. The remains of a real rice plantation from slavery thru post civil war. A "summer home" and plantation of a wealthy Savannah family, that couldn't survive post civil war reconstruction, and generations of women who fought to preserve the land and life they loved. A must see !!!! Ranger Andy, gave a great tour of the "farm house"/plantation home. read more

This plantation has a great story to tell of 5 generations farming rice and then dairy farming. When the last heir died she left everything just the way it was. Beautiful trees and a peaceful setting. read more

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I guess times have changed cause I paid at least $7 for the tour not $3. Oh well. It was still worth the money. Beautiful grounds. Well manicured lawns. The old plantation house is nicely kept with according to the tour guide all the original items from when it was a thriving rice plantation then later a diary farm. I had a wonderful and humorous tour guy. I love the fact that they have trails on the grounds and also an observation deck and plenty of benches spread out all around the big property. Its as if they made it so homey that you'll want to stay all day. Of course just as long as you've brought your own food for a picnic. read more

Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation - Ole rice field - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Brunswick, Georgia

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This place is amazing!!! This is an absolute must see if your in the area. The folks here are super friendly and extremely knowledgeable. Could not have been happier with our visit. read more

This rice plantation/dairy farm is a nice side trip if you are in the area. Not a plantation in the traditional sense; big house huge lands, etc., this is a probably what a smaller landowner enjoyed....a nice sized house and a decent amount of land with many lovely, large oak trees draped with Spanish moss . There is a short walking trail and guided house tour. This was a nice break on my GA coastal trip in Feb and can I just say, kudos to the GA state park system for keeping admission prices to historical sights low. The $3 I paid was quite reasonable. read more

Came for a couple hours. The house is a guided tour that starts on the hour and it has to be guided so be aware of this in timing your arrival. We got there at 205 pm and had to wait an hour. But it worked out great because there is a 17 minute video that was very interesting about the plantation. A nice little museum with a lot of great antiques and information. House tour guide is very very eccentric which fit well. read more

Great place to visit. Beautiful acreage with moss covered live oaks some of with are hundreds of years old. Ranger Andy gives an informative tour of the 1850's plantation house and there are many other buildings to explore on your own. There are walking trails and an observation deck out over the old rice fields. Plenty of parking and picnic tables to enjoy your lunch. Cool stuff in the museum too! read more

We visited this Planation today. Well worth the drive and tour. Ranger Andy was or tour guide and if you are lucky enough to have him give you the tour of the house.....yay you. He was fun, knowledgeable, and in no hurry to see you go. Ranger Andy is the best. This is our 3rd Plantation visit, and out of the 3 we would rate this one number 2. The only reason being our first Plantation had many slave huts and the home lots of history. This Plantation has only 1 servants quarters left although it at 375 slaves in its day. An important part of history that must never ever happen again. read more

Very much worth the now 7.00 adult admission. Fascinating tour and beautiful grounds. Two suggestions: BUG spray and close toed shoes. I wore sandals and my feet were soaked and dirty from walking the grounds. read more

A very worthwhile stop on our tour of the area. This plantation was especially interesting because the house was occupied by the same family for generations and the furniture, clothes, tools, etc that you see were actually their personal belongings. Although there was no grand Greek Revival mansion, a visit here will give you a real sense of what plantation life was like for both the landowners and the people who worked on the property. read more