Middleton Place is a rice plantation located on the north side of Charleston along the Ashley River. Middleton Place is one of several antebellum plantations in the area. I am sure the other plantations are just as beautiful, but the grounds at Middleton Place are extensive and gorgeous.
Middleton Place is open daily, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., throughout the year, but is closed on Christmas day and limited hours on the day of Christmas Eve. The restaurant is open for lunch every day from 11:00 – 3:00 p.m. Reservations are not required for lunch but are required for dinner, which is served from 6 – 9 p.m., Tuesday – Sunday. The House Museum is open 10 – 4 Tuesday – Sunday and Monday 12 – 4. An inn is located on the property nearby.
General admission tickets include access to the 65 acres of formal landscaped gardens, the 18th and 19th century stable yards and exhibits. A variety of ticket types are available: Adults 14 and up $29, Students 14 and over $15 with school ID, Children 6-13 $10, and Children 5 and under are free. The plantation house museum requires a separate ticket for entry.
Upon entering the plantation property, cars follow a driveway that opens to a large, circular front lawn with the plantation house nestled in the trees on the far side. The stable yard is to the right of the circular drive and parking is located under some very tall pines on the right. An outdoor casual restaurant, ticket window and restrooms are located near the parking area. The plantation home is not the most impressive that I have ever seen, but the grounds are quite impressive.
The grounds were designed in the same style as the Palace de Versailles in France. Visitors could spend many hours perusing the beautiful gardens that surround the main house. Henry Middleton began implementing the gardens in 1741 with walls of shrubs that formed gallery style walkways. These galleries contained sculptures within as a focal point for those engaged in gardens. Directly behind the main house are two small ponds separated by a walkway that appear to look like a butterfly.
Beautiful crepe myrtles, camellias and azaleas bloom in the Spring months to add color to the vignettes. A reflecting pool with swans flows into the Ashley River. On this day, it was about to rain and the swans wanted back in to their swan house.
We were only able to see about half of the gardens while we were at Middleton Place due to the huge downpour of rain that came that afternoon. We had to run to the car to keep from getting drenched. All in all, Middleton Place is worth the visit. I bet it is absolutely beautiful when the flowers are in full bloom in the Spring.
If you are ever in the Charleston area, try to tour one of the plantations. Middleton Place is definitely one that I would like to visit again when all the flowers are in bloom!
