Magnolia Plantation and Gardens (464 acres) is a historic house with gardens located on the Ashley River at 3550 Ashley River Road, Charleston County, South Carolina. It is one of the oldest plantations in the South, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Magnolia Plantation is located near Charleston and directly across the Ashley River from North Charleston. The house and gardens are open daily; an admission fee is charged.

The plantation dates to 1676, when Thomas and Ann Drayton built a house and small formal garden on the site. (The plantation remains under the control of the Drayton family after 15 generations.) The historic Drayton Hall was built in 1738 by John Drayton, father of judge John Drayton, Jr., on an adjoining property. Magnolia was originally a rice plantation, with extensive earthworks of dams and dikes built in fields along the river for irrigating land for rice cultivation. African slaves from rice-growing regions created the works. As time went on, the slaves developed a creolized Gullah language and culture, retaining many elements from Africa.

Jim’s Accessibility Comments:

First, you’ll need a vehicle to get here as it’s about 30 minutes northwest (13 miles) from downtown Charleston. The Plantation House tour is not wheelchair accessible. There are 12 steps into the house and another 20+ steps inside. Both the trolley to the slave cabins and the nature train are wheelchair accessible using somewhat steep ramps which will require some assistance. There are 2 steps up into the slave cabins. The pathways are hard packed dirt and pea gravel so they’re reasonably accessible. There is a wheelchair accessible restroom in a separate building located about 50 feet from the main Plantation House.