Lauren was our tour guide and was so informative about the plantation's history and she was great with the kids in our group! Thank you so much for this experience. read more

Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site - Parks Near Me - Beech Island, South Carolina

A beautiful and outstanding piece of architectural history with a landscape that looks like it was painted. The grounds have an old barn, two slave quarter dwellings and the grand big house. The house was built in 1859 and includes a ton of family heirlooms and 18th-19th century antiques. A very picturesque place that is a must see . read more

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My wife and I brought our kids here while on vacation visiting family. It's a beautiful and well kept place. Our tour guide was Brandon; HUGE props to him! He was so well spoken, had so much knowledge; not just of this Plantation, but knowledge of history to give perspective on what else was happening in the world and in our country at the time. He spoke for 2 hours during a fantastic tour, and we could have listened to him for 2 more hours. Brandon, If you see this, thanks man! Truly enjoyed your tour. read more

Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site - Parks Near Me - Beech Island, South Carolina

If you've never been to a historical plantation...add to your bucket list and make sure to go. No matter what your feelings may be, do yourself a favor and visit Redcliffe Plantation. Our historian was Elizabeth. She was remarkable!!!! I can't say enough about her knowledge and the way in which she presented the information. I had a mixtape of emotions from feeling that some mention of information was astounding and yet at the same time sad and angry. Nonetheless I wanted to have this experience to try and understand more about this period in our history. And that's what I felt I accomplished from this visit. It's a beautiful place (the grounds and the mansion) and open to the public. I don't want to spoil your trip with any phenomenal details that were uncovered by our trip. Just go! I promise you will be amazed at what you discover...especially the distinct details that were kept and preserved by this family. read more

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I recently took a trip down to Beech Island, SC to visit the Redcliffe Plantation for their descendant celebration. I found out that my great great grandmother worked at this house in the early part of the 19th century and contributed to the plantations history. This plantation sits on 399 acres of land and is one of the smallest plantations in Beech Island. The grounds of the plantation are beautiful, and you can see how nice it really is once you are on the second floor of the house. If you have questions about the house or its grounds, the park interpreter is very knowledgeable and friendly. She was very helpful during the tour, and seems to love her job. She probably knows more family history than the actual descendants of the plantation. If you are ever in the area, and love history like I do, you may want to stop in and take a tour. read more

Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site - Walking up to the plantation house. - Parks Near Me - Beech Island, South Carolina

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This is an architectural beauty. Have yet to enter the home itself, but truly impressed by the grandeur of the building and the many miles of rolling hills and trails. I take my dog to this state park every now and then to cruise through the fields and explore. Can be unbearable on a hot day, but the views are one of a kind. Nothing compares in the CSRA. My only concerns are: A) If you arrive during a tour time the doors to the visitor centers are locked and there is literally nobody available on the grounds to explain the rules, attractions, etc. This was concerning as a first time visitor with a dog. B) The trail that begins far behind the first house is breathtaking--however, it is dark and isolated and is best traveled in pairs. I was very uncomfortable walking alone with my pit bull in a secluded area, especially considering the homes and farms that surround this facility. Otherwise, this place is fantastic. The sheer beauty alone is worth the experience. The history, however, is not so beautiful. Definitely walk down Magnolia Lane! read more

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I loved it. There is no charge to park or roam the property. The only cost is the fuel to get out there and tour the house. Tickets can be purchased at the main office across from the dirt parking lot. The staff were welcoming and had a great attitude. There aren't a lot of botanicals if that's what your looking for. It's a simple design. There's just some Magnolias, Oaks, and a cactus community. It's a very much green, open, and well maintained estate. I walked around for a couple of hours. Stood under some large trees in pools of shade, just taking in some fresh air and the beauty of the natural world. read more

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My sister, mom and I came here from Columbia. My sister had heard great things about it at her job. We ate lunch in Aiken and then drove here for the 3:00 tour. When you drive up, you head down a dirt road. When you arrive there is a little office/gift shop on your right. That's where you buy your ticket, and of course a few souvenirs. The place is gorgeous! Such a lovely plantation. And there is so much history here to this place. The house is so amazing and very well kept. It was donated to the State with all the furniture and other memorabilia. Our tour guide was amazing. She knew absolutely everything and answered every question with ease. She can tell so many stories. I just couldn't quit taking pictures. It's just so wonderful there. From the second floor of the house, you can see the Savannah River. The plantation sits on the top of a hill. They still have a few of the slave quarters and the horse stable. There's even an old carriage next to the horse stable. This place is definitely worth taking the time to visit. They even have books in the gift shop that tell more about the history and all the people that lived in this wonderful place. read more

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This place is beautiful. Words can't do it any justice. You must come and see it yourself. You would need to pay to tour the main house but the price isn't that bad at all. Tour times are 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm. Also if you are wondering they do take card. The tour guide is very knowledgeable and entertaining as well. If you are anywhere near this place, come take a tour!! read more

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I can't do this place justice with a review! What an absolute treasure! Two families had lived in this house during the course of it's life. The building predates the Civil War, and there are two slave cabins intact and you can see one with original furniture and photos. Though this place is stunningly beautiful, what sets us apart from other plantations is the fact that they have so many records in such great detail, we may understand what life was like for both the plantation owner, and the slaves who worked the land. Upon the end of the Civil War, many of the families who were previously slaves stayed on as sharecroppers and many of their descendants worked the land as paid employees. The original owner of the plantation kept meticulous journal of everything from his dalliances to what was planted in what quantities each year, the amount it cost per slave to maintain the operation, the allowance and clothing issue to each slave, the privileges and punishments for rule violations, quotas of work and other minute details of day-to-day operations. The family donated not only the land, the buildings, and the original furniture, but also the unedited journals. Because of this fact we now understand much more than we ever would has the record keeping been so detailed. The fact that the family live there until 1975, and some of the descendants of the slaves lived there till 1990, the amount of information is overwhelming in a good way! This place can be hard to find, as its on a one lane clay and gravel road through a rural community with several different houses ranging from plantation to mobile homes. There wasn't a sign from the highway but it's on Redcliffe Rd. No tours are available on Tuesday or Wednesday but you can still walk the grounds. read more

Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site - The backside of the plantation. - Parks Near Me - Beech Island, South Carolina

Redcliff Plantation and Ranger Brandon deliver. The tour was honest about the heritage of the plantation, the dichotomy of its owners and the enslaved histories, all while being empathetic, conversational and compassionate. We took our time through the enslaved quarters, the house and discussed significant milestones. It was a humbling experience. read more

Excellent tours by park rangers, beautiful grounds! We frequently bring our out of town guests there and always enjoy and learn something new. Also always sobering due to the slave history there. Recommend it highly! read more

What a great day we had! The caretaker was so knowledgeable. My 5 year old loves to ask many questions and he was kind enough to indulge her. The slave quarters had a great impact on my me and my children. This was such a great visual and physical stimuli for the my little homeschooling! Not was my elder daughter able to explain the importance of American Revolution (for African Americans), but also comprehend what slaves had to endure. Bravo!! A definite must see for anyone who are interested in history! read more

Stopped here on a whim on our way to Atlanta after a relaxing vacation and I'm so glad we did! Micheal Scott, our tour guide, was exceptional! The story of the of the enslaved people that worked for James Henry Hammond, and their true history, needs to be heard. read more

We decided to stop here today on our way home from Savannah, GA back home to Ohio and we were so glad that we did! The tour times were 11am, 1pm and 3 pm. The guided tour lasted nearly 2 full hours and was so much more than we expected. We found out that they offer a more in depth tour a few times a year that will enable you to see even more of the home. The tour consisted of the plantation home, some of the grounds and slave quarters. The guide was so informative and obviously cares so much about the grounds and the history here. She raised so many wonderful questions and really was well educated for speaking to the group. The gift shop was a newer addition and had clean restrooms, and more information on the family and the slaves that inhabited this plantation. Insightful, meaningful and touched on such an important part of American history. Glad we went and would encourage anyone to go out of their way to see this as well and support this preservation!! The $5 admission fee could have easily been $20 and have still been a value! read more

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Amazing historical site. I like that you can tour at your pace. We did the tour of the home which was very interesting. Our guide shared great stories about the families that had lived there. Gave us a personal glimpse into the past. read more

We were in South Carolina for a wedding over the weekend and decided to stop by Redcliffe in the afternoon. We saw that there was a tour at 1pm but, unfortunately, we were in Aiken and too far away to make it there on time. We called and asked if there would still be things to see if we just showed up so we decided to go for the drive. When we arrived, the park ranger Joy was at the visitor center and told us we were a little late for the tour but she would still open the house for us and give us a small tour of the downstairs. Joy was amazing and ended up showing us the whole house! She was incredibly knowledgeable about the property and happily answered all of our questions. The home, barn, and slave quarters have been amazingly preserved and Joy pointed out all of the aspects she thought might interest us. Being on the property and especially in the slave quarters gave us such a great appreciation for how far we've come as a country and how far we have yet to go. It was a wonderful, historical stop as part of our South Carolina weekend and we can't say enough good things about Joy. She truly made the experience worthwhile and went above and beyond to show us the home. Joy is clearly passionate about what she does and a wonderful teacher. read more