Voted the Best Place to See by Condé Nast Traveler.

Whether it's your first visit or one of many, Drayton Hall's ongoing research into the people, places, and events of its past promises there will always be something new to discover.

Admission

Drayton Hall's main house, galleries and landscape are open to the public Wednesday through Monday weekly. Drayton Hall is CLOSED on Tuesdays.

Register online in advance or buy tickets at the gate. Please note: The gate will accept no cash transactions.

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Groups and Education

Attending in a large tour group? Let us coordinate professional, tailored tours for groups of every size, customized to your interests.

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House Tours (All-inclusive)

Drayton Hall's main house and landscape are open to the public Wednesday through Monday weekly. CLOSED on Tuesdays. Save $3 by registering online in advance. Tickets are available at the gate but the gate will accept no cash transactions.

One-hour guided house tour is available each open day at 9 am, 10 am, 11 am, 12 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm.

Drayton Hall is Condé Nast Traveler's Best Place to See in South Carolina

All-Inclusive Tickets
$29 per person online/ $32 per person on-site
$15 youth (ages 7-15) online/ $18 on-site
Children under 7 are free

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Grounds & Galleries

Drayton Hall's Grounds & Galleries ticket includes visitation to the Stephen & Laura Gates Gallery, the Caretaker's House, the Stephen J. Wood Conservation Laboratory, and the African American Cemetery.

The Grounds & Galleries ticket also includes our new landscape audio tour titled; Within the Garden: Exploring Outside the Main House.

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Drayton Hall Preservation Trust's collections are on public display at the estate for the first time in history.

The Gates Gallery includes rotating exhibitions of decorative arts objects that once belonged to the Drayton family, archaeological artifacts related to the estate and its inhabitants, as well as archival materials and architectural fragments.

Founded in 1738, Drayton Hall is the nation’s earliest example of fully executed Palladian architecture and the oldest preserved plantation house in America still open to the public.

Because of our preservation philosophy, all imperfections and changes over time have survived to the present.

Your visit starts with a brief orientation film, then you’ll begin an interpreter led tour of the main house at Drayton Hall. You'll be guided through the cellar, the first, and the second floors of Drayton Hall.

After the interpreter led tour, you are encouraged to explore the landscape, the Caretaker's House Exhibit in the Richard and Jill Almeida Gallery, the Stephen F. and Laura D. Gates Gallery, the Lenhardt Garden, the Stephen J. Wood Conservation Laboratory and the African American Cemetery at your own pace.

The earliest surviving record describes its use as a burying ground and dates from about 1790, indicating this sacred ground may be even older. In keeping with the wishes of Richmond Bowens, a descendant of the enslaved at Drayton Hall, the cemetery has been left natural, not manicured or planted with grass or decorative shrubs.

Take a leisurely walk around the grounds to explore the gardens and natural features of Drayton Hall.

Enjoy the self-paced Within the Garden: Exploring Outside The Main House, landscape audio tour.

See layers of history carefully preserved on the 125 acres that surround the main house: the central axis and clear view to the Ashley River, planned by John Drayton over 285 years ago; Richmond Bowens’ camellia; the Historic Lawn & Gardens; the site of the former garden house or the 18th-century live oaks which continue to provide the structure to the Drayton estate.

Take a leisurely walk around the estate’s grounds to explore the gardens and natural features of Drayton Hall.

Enjoy the self-paced Within the Garden: Exploring Outside The Main House, landscape audio tour.

See layers of history carefully preserved on the 125 acres that surround the main house: the central axis and clear view to the Ashley River, planned by John Drayton over 285 years ago; Richmond Bowens’ camellia; the Historic Lawn & Gardens; the site of the former garden house or the 18th-century live oaks which continue to provide the structure to the Drayton estate.

This tour will take approximately 45 minutes.

This state-of-the-art facility will give guests a unique hands-on experience with Drayton Hall’s archaeology and preservation teams. In this shared space, preservationists will work on the conservation of architectural materials and artifacts uncovered during current archaeological excavations which will be brought back to the laboratory for processing allowing visitors to witness the cleaning, mending and conservation in real time. Studying Drayton Hall through the archaeological record is one of the most valuable ways we can continue to preserve and advance our historical understanding of this important landmark

Anchoring the Sally Reahard Visitor Center experience, the Lenhardt Garden surrounds a 200-year-old oak tree.

The garden's plantings are historically inspired, with horticultural specimens related to John Drayton's botanical lists. The courtyard has a selection of benches to best enjoy the seasonal flora and fauna.

The exhibit in the caretaker’s house highlights the post-Civil War period and the 20th century at Drayton Hall. Learn about the African American community that formed because of the phosphate mining industry and kept the property alive for 100 years after the Civil War.

Constructed in 1870, the caretaker’s house was built for a caretaker to watch over the main house and grounds while phosphate was mined on the property. The house has been rehabilitated to serve as a conditioned exhibit space, creating opportunities to see layers of its construction and decorative materials.

Group Tours

Discover professional, tailored tours for your group at Drayton Hall

We offer a full range of options for groups of varying sizes, ages and interests – including professionally guided house tours, an interactive program on African American history, standards-based K-12 educational programming and packages with some of Charleston’s premier historic sites.

Adult Group & Private Tours

Drayton Hall offers a full range of options for groups of varying sizes and interests. Whether your group is interested in architecture, decorative arts, the Revolutionary War or African American history, we will work with you to craft an unforgettable experience.

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Plan a K-12 Field Trip

Drayton Hall offers a host of curriculum-based educational programming for grades K-12, conducted by a professional education staff who helps to bring Drayton Hall’s extensive history to life for students of all ages.

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Private Events

Drayton Hall's event venues make a stunning setting for gatherings of all sizes.

Drayton Hall’s new McDaniel Pavilion, facing Drayton Hall’s Main House on one side and the Lenhardt Ornamental Garden on the other is a stunning and beautiful Lowcountry Charleston location for corporate meetings, events, and retreats. This inviting facility, conceived by Glenn Keyes Architecture is the premiere corporate event venue facility in Charleston.

For smaller meetings and gatherings, Drayton Hall’s Kennedy Library is another stunning spot available for groups of up to eight people.

Catering is available for all events.

Drayton Hall does not accommodate wedding ceremonies, wedding receptions, bridal portraits, or proposals.

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Getting Here

Drayton Hall is a short, 13-mile drive from downtown Charleston. We're open Wednesday through Monday weekly, except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day.

3380 Ashley River Road
Charleston, SC 29414

Parking is always free at Drayton Hall.

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