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Another historic house. Another fairly interesting staircase. I'm pretty sure I ended up here because it was part of a combo ticket for the more interesting looking Aiken-Rhett house. You can take a regular tour or a self-guided tour where you download an app and listen through AirPods/earphones. I went with the latter, for which I am glad. The tour guide ahead of me seemed wonderful, but I've seen so many old southern houses that I don't need anything in depth, I just wanna see cool architecture and be on my way. I paid 24.72 for two houses, so definitely worth it. The people on site were super nice and helpful with helping me get the app downloaded and getting me started. A nice little gift shop. This home is best known for their three story free standing staircase and it has some nice pieces, but nothing mind-blowing. Worth a stop, but I would do the audio tour that maxes out at 45 minutes (faster if you desire). More to come on the Aiken Rhett house tomorrow . . .
To buy some time waiting for our table at Millers, we decided to visit the Russell house for a quick tour. This isn't a big house by any standards. It's really just two floors, of which one room on the top floor wasn't a part of the original house and is more a general history of South Carolina. The neoclassical architecture was pretty cool to see. I was a fan of the music room personally. There are iPods given to you when touring the house. Truthfully, I tuned out of it after some time because the narratives were longer than what was in the room itself. There's the kitchen/laundry quarters behind the front desk, which was in the process of restoration of sorts. Was a bit confused with what was going on. The spiral staircase was cool, but inaccessible to visitors. The garden was nice, but also pretty small and easy to get through. After going up and down the stairs a few times, we spent about 30-45 mins max here. Just enough time until the table was ready, but maybe not necessarily worth it to see a second time.
Our interest was piqued while on a historical walking tour of Charleston. The way the house was described made hubby & I want to go especially to see the three level spiral staircase. After our tour concluded hubby & I made our way back. We purchased tickets and got an audio. The audio was confusing as the house layout was tight. What room? And the narrative was too long winded for the rooms being described. I was disillusioned and turned it off completely. The biggest disappointment was not being able to go up to the third floor. It was purposely closed off as to avoid wear and tear. So much for ooh and aah of the showcase spiral staircase. And the rooms design - rectangle and square. Yawn. The house has been restored and it's very opulent. Hubby and I went through it in no time. Boring.
There are 2 ways to tour the house.... 1) self guided, audio tour - where you can rent a headset w/ recorder 2) with a docent (tour guide) We opted for the tour guide. I always find it more enjoyable to have a live person tell stories and describe things on a tour. Plus, you can ask questions. It's more interactive. I enjoyed this tour because: * The rooms, decor, furniture and architecture have been beautifully maintained. * The floating staircase is a marvel. Way ahead of its time. I wish there was more like this built today. * The garden was peaceful and beautifully manicured. * There is a current excavation for artifacts, etc... happening in the kitchen area that you can see up close. * Gives you an idea of what life was like for "the rich" back then...
I would recommend doing the tour with a tour guide, it was really informative and included in the price of the admission ticket. There is also a tour with head phones. They let you take pictures throughout the house. The coolest part of this tour is the restoration they have done throughout the house to ensure that everything matches as close to the original house as possible. Our tour guide explained they had to go through almost 20 layers of paint to get to the original color. The ticket to this tour also gets you half priced admission to the William aikens house.
Came here during a trip to Charleston. If you're looking to do a tour of a historic home, I highly recommend this one! There's an audioguide you listen to in the form of an iphone, and the tour takes about 1-1.5h. They also have options to do the tour with a guide at different times of the day. I learned a lot not only about the house's history, but also Charleston's history during my visit here.
Dont want to post all the pics because this is one of those houses you HAVE to see- i loved our tour guide she was the sweetest! Its a beautiful home and def transports you back in time A must see- and they let you take pics!!!! You can purchase the Aiken Rhett tickets here too which I highly recommend because you get a discount! If your in Charleston dont miss this house! About an hr long and worth it
Disappointing. My friend and I are here for a girls trip. We really enjoy and love history. This is one of the reasons that we decided to spend the weekend in Charleston. We got a few recommendations that we should go and visit the Nathaniel Russell house. We arrived seven minutes early, while it was raining, they open the doors at 10 AM. The first tour begins at 10 AM. They open the doors about one minute before 10 o'clock, and let us in to purchase a ticket. You are asked to place all big purses and jackets in a locker section located in the back of the house by the restrooms. While we were purchasing tickets, there was an issue with the computers so this day with cash only. Thank goodness we had cash on us, so just a heads up be sure to keep the cash with you our cashiers name was Randi. After the tour when we asked questions, our guide was not available, so we asked Randi. She was quite nice when we originally got there, but after the tour she seemed a little snappy and annoyed that we still had questions about the house. Our tour guides name was Glenna. My friend and I were the only two people on the tour, until about 15 minutes after 10 to other people showed up. Glen seemed a little put off that two people join the tour later. When the tour begin we felt as though we did not get a good representation of who Mr. Russell was, so we asked a few questions. Glenna, annoyingly/politely Told us that she was going to get to that and we needed to wait. I felt as though when we were walking through most of the rooms there was not a lot of history of the family, but history of the time period. The tour was extremely hard to follow and it did not seem as though questions were welcomed. I felt as though we started off on the wrong foot from the moment that we arrived seven minutes early. I found this a little disheartening because we are both in our early 30s and feel as though a lot of people our age do not appreciate historical things as such. I would prefer to have done the audio tour, if I would have known that the guided tour would have gone like this. Sidenote, when we arrived at the house there was a large miscommunication on what type of tour my friend and I wanted to take. We both eagerly stated that we enjoyed guided tours and historical things, but there was a miscommunication and they thought we wanted the audio. I politely said oh no we enjoy one on one interaction, so we can ask questions. Glenna, repeatedly told me that I specifically asked for audio tour and that was what we were going to be given. I got quite annoyed at this point and politely, in my most Louisiana southern lady voice, said to Glenna, " there clearly has been a miscommunication and we do not want the audio I am certain that I said guided. We appreciate you being so cooperative with this." All in all, go to the house, but do the audio tour.
The Nathaniel Russell House is a historic house at 51 Meeting Street in Charleston. It was built by slave trader and wealthy merchant Nathaniel Russell in 1808. It is recognized as one of America's most important Neoclassical houses. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973. This house was recommended to us by our Free Tours on Foot guide. The house is in the French Quarter off Meeting Stree. One can choose between a self-guided audio tour or a tour given by a guide. We chose the guided tour as it was pretty much starting when we arrived. The rooms were not excessively roped off so we could view and photograph the detailed architectural and decor features and period furniture. The large oval staircase is the centerpiece of the house. Some of the molded and wood crown molding was incredible.The grounds and the entire house were beautiful. Certainly worth the visit.
One of many historic homes in the downtown Charleston area, but reputedly one of the best and I can see why. The craftsmanship of the restoration/ rehabilitation shows unbelievable attention to detail. The docents leading the tours and stationed within the house provided invaluable information. Easily accessible off Meeting Street, this home was one of the highlights on our visit of historic Charleston. One can choose between a self-guided audio tour or a tour given by a guide (unless I have time constraints, my experiences have shown me that human guides provide a more enjoyable, personal tour), we chose the later. The rooms were not excessively roped off so we could view the detailed architectural and decor features. The large oval staircase is the centerpiece of the house and deservably so. Only 2 of the 3 floors were available for viewing with only 1 bedroom shown (as other parts of the house had not been restored). The grounds, while smallish, were well maintained. Tip: Discounts were provided if you purchased tix for this house in conjunction with tix to the Aiken-Rhett House. That house is an excellent example of a building undergoing preservation (vs. restoration).
Conveniently located in the French Quarter, I took the guided tour of this house and was very impressed with this house. The tour starts off in a few plain rooms down stairs with some exhibits about the house and the enslaved people associated with the house. I thought these exhibits were well done. Moving upstairs there is a fantastic free-flying staircase in the center of the house with very elegant rooms throughout the house. Each room we saw had wonderful details and our guide answered all of the questions I could think of.
Truly charming and historic - so it's a win win. I was amazed by the lovely decor and intricate architectural details of this historic house. The tour was fascinating as it provided a glimpse into pre-war and post- war (civil) history and how it changed not only socio-economics but also lifestyles. I enjoyed learning about the detailed restoration process. Definitely worth an hour or so of your time while visiting Charleston SC. read more
Another historic house. Another fairly interesting staircase. I'm pretty sure I ended up here because it was part of a combo ticket for the more interesting looking Aiken-Rhett house. You can take a regular tour or a self-guided tour where you download an app and listen through AirPods/earphones. I went with the latter, for which I am glad. The tour guide ahead of me seemed wonderful, but I've seen so many old southern houses that I don't need anything in depth, I just wanna see cool architecture and be on my way. I paid 24.72 for two houses, so definitely worth it. The people on site were super nice and helpful with helping me get the app downloaded and getting me started. A nice little gift shop. This home is best known for their three story free standing staircase and it has some nice pieces, but nothing mind-blowing. Worth a stop, but I would do the audio tour that maxes out at 45 minutes (faster if you desire). More to come on the Aiken Rhett house tomorrow . . . read more
To buy some time waiting for our table at Millers, we decided to visit the Russell house for a quick tour. This isn't a big house by any standards. It's really just two floors, of which one room on the top floor wasn't a part of the original house and is more a general history of South Carolina. The neoclassical architecture was pretty cool to see. I was a fan of the music room personally. There are iPods given to you when touring the house. Truthfully, I tuned out of it after some time because the narratives were longer than what was in the room itself. There's the kitchen/laundry quarters behind the front desk, which was in the process of restoration of sorts. Was a bit confused with what was going on. The spiral staircase was cool, but inaccessible to visitors. The garden was nice, but also pretty small and easy to get through. After going up and down the stairs a few times, we spent about 30-45 mins max here. Just enough time until the table was ready, but maybe not necessarily worth it to see a second time. read more
3 months ago
3 years ago
Our interest was piqued while on a historical walking tour of Charleston. The way the house was described made hubby & I want to go especially to see the three level spiral staircase. After our tour concluded hubby & I made our way back. We purchased tickets and got an audio. The audio was confusing as the house layout was tight. What room? And the narrative was too long winded for the rooms being described. I was disillusioned and turned it off completely. The biggest disappointment was not being able to go up to the third floor. It was purposely closed off as to avoid wear and tear. So much for ooh and aah of the showcase spiral staircase. And the rooms design - rectangle and square. Yawn. The house has been restored and it's very opulent. Hubby and I went through it in no time. Boring. read more
11 months ago
There are 2 ways to tour the house.... 1) self guided, audio tour - where you can rent a headset w/ recorder 2) with a docent (tour guide) We opted for the tour guide. I always find it more enjoyable to have a live person tell stories and describe things on a tour. Plus, you can ask questions. It's more interactive. I enjoyed this tour because: * The rooms, decor, furniture and architecture have been beautifully maintained. * The floating staircase is a marvel. Way ahead of its time. I wish there was more like this built today. * The garden was peaceful and beautifully manicured. * There is a current excavation for artifacts, etc... happening in the kitchen area that you can see up close. * Gives you an idea of what life was like for "the rich" back then... read more
4 years ago
I would recommend doing the tour with a tour guide, it was really informative and included in the price of the admission ticket. There is also a tour with head phones. They let you take pictures throughout the house. The coolest part of this tour is the restoration they have done throughout the house to ensure that everything matches as close to the original house as possible. Our tour guide explained they had to go through almost 20 layers of paint to get to the original color. The ticket to this tour also gets you half priced admission to the William aikens house. read more
Came here during a trip to Charleston. If you're looking to do a tour of a historic home, I highly recommend this one! There's an audioguide you listen to in the form of an iphone, and the tour takes about 1-1.5h. They also have options to do the tour with a guide at different times of the day. I learned a lot not only about the house's history, but also Charleston's history during my visit here. read more
Dont want to post all the pics because this is one of those houses you HAVE to see- i loved our tour guide she was the sweetest! Its a beautiful home and def transports you back in time A must see- and they let you take pics!!!! You can purchase the Aiken Rhett tickets here too which I highly recommend because you get a discount! If your in Charleston dont miss this house! About an hr long and worth it read more
7 years ago
Disappointing. My friend and I are here for a girls trip. We really enjoy and love history. This is one of the reasons that we decided to spend the weekend in Charleston. We got a few recommendations that we should go and visit the Nathaniel Russell house. We arrived seven minutes early, while it was raining, they open the doors at 10 AM. The first tour begins at 10 AM. They open the doors about one minute before 10 o'clock, and let us in to purchase a ticket. You are asked to place all big purses and jackets in a locker section located in the back of the house by the restrooms. While we were purchasing tickets, there was an issue with the computers so this day with cash only. Thank goodness we had cash on us, so just a heads up be sure to keep the cash with you our cashiers name was Randi. After the tour when we asked questions, our guide was not available, so we asked Randi. She was quite nice when we originally got there, but after the tour she seemed a little snappy and annoyed that we still had questions about the house. Our tour guides name was Glenna. My friend and I were the only two people on the tour, until about 15 minutes after 10 to other people showed up. Glen seemed a little put off that two people join the tour later. When the tour begin we felt as though we did not get a good representation of who Mr. Russell was, so we asked a few questions. Glenna, annoyingly/politely Told us that she was going to get to that and we needed to wait. I felt as though when we were walking through most of the rooms there was not a lot of history of the family, but history of the time period. The tour was extremely hard to follow and it did not seem as though questions were welcomed. I felt as though we started off on the wrong foot from the moment that we arrived seven minutes early. I found this a little disheartening because we are both in our early 30s and feel as though a lot of people our age do not appreciate historical things as such. I would prefer to have done the audio tour, if I would have known that the guided tour would have gone like this. Sidenote, when we arrived at the house there was a large miscommunication on what type of tour my friend and I wanted to take. We both eagerly stated that we enjoyed guided tours and historical things, but there was a miscommunication and they thought we wanted the audio. I politely said oh no we enjoy one on one interaction, so we can ask questions. Glenna, repeatedly told me that I specifically asked for audio tour and that was what we were going to be given. I got quite annoyed at this point and politely, in my most Louisiana southern lady voice, said to Glenna, " there clearly has been a miscommunication and we do not want the audio I am certain that I said guided. We appreciate you being so cooperative with this." All in all, go to the house, but do the audio tour. read more
7 years ago
The Nathaniel Russell House is a historic house at 51 Meeting Street in Charleston. It was built by slave trader and wealthy merchant Nathaniel Russell in 1808. It is recognized as one of America's most important Neoclassical houses. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973. This house was recommended to us by our Free Tours on Foot guide. The house is in the French Quarter off Meeting Stree. One can choose between a self-guided audio tour or a tour given by a guide. We chose the guided tour as it was pretty much starting when we arrived. The rooms were not excessively roped off so we could view and photograph the detailed architectural and decor features and period furniture. The large oval staircase is the centerpiece of the house. Some of the molded and wood crown molding was incredible.The grounds and the entire house were beautiful. Certainly worth the visit. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
One of many historic homes in the downtown Charleston area, but reputedly one of the best and I can see why. The craftsmanship of the restoration/ rehabilitation shows unbelievable attention to detail. The docents leading the tours and stationed within the house provided invaluable information. Easily accessible off Meeting Street, this home was one of the highlights on our visit of historic Charleston. One can choose between a self-guided audio tour or a tour given by a guide (unless I have time constraints, my experiences have shown me that human guides provide a more enjoyable, personal tour), we chose the later. The rooms were not excessively roped off so we could view the detailed architectural and decor features. The large oval staircase is the centerpiece of the house and deservably so. Only 2 of the 3 floors were available for viewing with only 1 bedroom shown (as other parts of the house had not been restored). The grounds, while smallish, were well maintained. Tip: Discounts were provided if you purchased tix for this house in conjunction with tix to the Aiken-Rhett House. That house is an excellent example of a building undergoing preservation (vs. restoration). read more
3 years ago
2 years ago
7 years ago
Conveniently located in the French Quarter, I took the guided tour of this house and was very impressed with this house. The tour starts off in a few plain rooms down stairs with some exhibits about the house and the enslaved people associated with the house. I thought these exhibits were well done. Moving upstairs there is a fantastic free-flying staircase in the center of the house with very elegant rooms throughout the house. Each room we saw had wonderful details and our guide answered all of the questions I could think of. read more
Whenever I travel to a new city, whether it be for business or pleasure, I always trust in Yelp to show me the best local attractions. So while in Charleston, SC a few months ago, Yelp pointed me in the direction of the Nathaniel Russell House. The Nathaniel Russell House is a 9,600 square feet historic house located at 51 Meeting Street in Charleston, SC. It was built by merchant Nathaniel Russell in 1808, and is considered one of America's most important Neoclassical houses. It was built in the Federal style, which was popular between 1780-1830. I'm no architect, but trust me when I say it's a cool house / museum and is worth the price of admission. The house was constructed of Carolina gray brick and was built to emphasize the height of the house. This impressive height is definitely appreciated when you are standing just outside the brick and wrought iron fence from the sidewalk and you are cranking your neck upwards. The house is decorated/preserved/restored to its original grandeur and is as lavish as any mansion on St. Charles Avenue. Upon entering, your eyes are immediately drawn to the cantilevered spiral staircase, that ascends to the third floor. There is elaborate plaster moldings covered with 24-karat gold leaf everywhere. In the rear of the house is the two-story slave quarters that housed many of the estimated 18 slaves that were at the Nathaniel Russell House. The Historic Charleston Foundation purchased the National Historic Landmark in 1955 and the house and grounds are meticulously maintained. The Nathaniel Russell House is open, Mon-Sat, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun, 2-5 p.m. (last tour begins at 4:30 p.m.). Tickets are $12 adults; $5 children 6-16; under six free. The only disappointment is that NO interior pictures are allowed. However, I purchased a book in the gift shop and now have an affordable copy of all the highlights of this marvelous structure. read more
3 years ago
5 years ago
The Nathaniel Russel house is a beautiful home to tour. The volunteers and tour guides were great. The gardens were beautiful and the 3 story staircase is astonishing. A bonus is that if you are wanting to tour the Aiken Rhett home you get a discount by showing your tour receipt from the Nathaniel House. read more
Very great tour guide, she was informative and polite. Construction is being done in some areas so I'm sure it will just become an even more interesting location to visit in the upcoming year. The foundation has put great efforts into restoring the rooms to their most original state, including time pieces and replications of previous decor. Suggest seeing this house before seeing the finale: the Aiken house. read more
7 years ago
Beautiful and well preserved home with gorgeous gardens. We had a personal tour guide followed by a reception on the premises afterwards. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and encouraged us to ask questions. He really gave us a feel for what it was like living in the house way back when. It's a great site to visit if you are into seeing beautiful ornate homes with lots of history. read more
6 years ago
Great place to learn the history and the whole society semantics in the Carolinas! Loved the tour and the options to hear while watching the iPod for the tour! read more
8 years ago
8 years ago
We visited the Nathanial Russell House after our Free Tours By Foot guide, Scott, recommended it. We arrived a little before they opened at 10am and were able to stroll through the beautiful gardens and nearby old graveyard before they unlocked the doors to the house. Once inside, we took a guided tour which was detailed and interesting. The house has very many intricate details that are fascinating to both see and learn about. However, if you have kiddos, this would not be a tour that they would enjoy. I would recommend this House your if you are seeking a relaxing tour where you can sit back and appreciate beautiful sights! read more
7 years ago
15 years ago
7 years ago
The Nathaniel Russell House on Meeting Street in Charleston is a beautiful historic house and garden area. The architecture of the house and the preservation of the house is great. When given the opportunity to take a tour of the property the docents are very knowledgeable and able to answer all of the questions that you have. This house is a memorable experience. read more
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Blair P.
Thank you for your review of the Nathaniel Russell House. We are so…
5 years ago
We took the last tour of the day. Our tour guide was very enthusiastic. She made the 45mn tour go by so quick. The house was beautiful with lots of architectural history. The spiral staircase was pretty cool. The 2nd floor with the living rooms and bedroom was the star of the show for me. I was enthralled with the large windows and the mirrors, the symmetry of the rooms, the paintings, the lavishness! I was glad that we were allowed to take pictures, just no flash. It was cool to hear about all the work they did to preserve the house to keep it as authentic as possible. This tour is great for anyone who is into history and architecture. read more
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More info about Nathaniel Russell House
51 Meeting St
Charleston, SC 29401
South of Broad
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(843) 724-8481
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http://historiccharleston.org
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How often do they start tours? The website says tours begin at 10:30, but they don't give you the option of selecting a time and nothing on the website says how often they start a new tour.
Nathaniel Russell House Museum 51 Meeting Street | Charleston, SC 29401 843-724-8481…
Is this Open Thanksgiving?
Thank you for your inquiry. Both museum houses are closed on Thanksgiving day, but will reopen on Friday at 10:00 am. The phone number for the Nathaniel Russell House Museum is 843.724.8481. The phone number for the Aiken-Rhett House Museum is…
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15 years ago
