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Magnolia Plantation and Gardens | Charleston


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Landmark: Magnolia Plantation and Gardens
City: Charleston
Country: USA South Carolina
Continent: North America

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, USA South Carolina, North America

Overview

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens sprawls majestically along Ashley River west of downtown Charleston South Carolina amidst historically significant American Southern terrain.

Founded in 1676 by Drayton family it remains America's oldest public gardens opened rather belatedly to visitors back in 1870.

Magnolia boasts a mesmerizing mix of horticulture and Lowcountry allure with its unbridled beauty and storied past pretty evidently on display.

English colonists Thomas and Ann Drayton founded it in 1676 establishing a rice plantation with enslaved African people laboring there.

Drayton Family Legacy remained in family possession for generations playing significant roles somehow in both Revolutionary War and bloody Civil War.

Magnolia suffered extensively during Civil War hostilities much like sundry other Southern towns that bore brunt of devastating conflict.

Draytons opened gardens to public raising funds vigorously for maintaining property afterwards.

Under Reverend John Grimké Drayton postbellum revival blossomed on that plantation with a newfound focus squarely on aesthetics rather than agriculture.

He transformed it into a lush romantic sanctuary oddly inspired by misty European landscapes under bright blue skies.

Magnolia Plantation sprawls across almost 500 acres with formal gardens and wild swamps alongside preserved woodlands and historic relics.

Site gets parcelled out into myriad quirky themed zones sprawling extensively around various dimly lit precincts and delightfully kooky subsections.

English romantic style gardens prioritize natural beauty rather haphazardly over rigid symmetry with subtle flair and understated elegance.

Azaleas and camellias flourish alongside wisteria and majestic live oaks festooned with dripping Spanish moss under misty morning skies silently.

Hidden alcoves and flower-lined ponds alongside arched bridges evoke a dreamy atmosphere utterly timeless beneath winding walking paths somehow.

Spectacular displays unfold in spring with azaleas ablaze and winter brings camellias bursting with vibrant color under gloomy skies.

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A 19th-century house thoroughly restored now stands proudly albeit rebuilt after destruction of its original structure.

Guided tours highlighting Drayton family history and plantation life amidst postbellum reconstruction era are occasionally offered with considerable enthusiasm.

Features historical reenactments of everyday existence alongside venerable family heirlooms and furnishings from a bygone era.

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Guided Nature Tram Tour wanders quietly through murky wetlands and overgrown former rice fields beneath dense woodland canopy.

Details about plantation agricultural history and efforts towards environmental conservation are painstakingly outlined with great relish therein.

Observe deer turtles egrets great blue herons and alligators thriving quietly beneath mangrove trees very near your boat.

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A sprawling sixty-acre blackwater cypress swamp dubbed Audubon Swamp Garden in reverence of ornithologist John James Audubon who purportedly traversed the locale.

Elevated boardwalks alongside serpentine dikes enable visitors exploring remarkably deep swamp ecosystems rather thoroughly nowadays.

Perfect for spotting feathered friends in nesting areas with ibises herons anhingas and occasionally bald eagles making appearances down by water.

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Biblical Garden showcases plants mentioned in Bible verses labeled meticulously alongside corresponding scripture references under various weather conditions.

Small sculptures frame a quiet meditative space around stone paths very serenely.

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Petting Zoo and Nature Center occupies a delightfully quirky family-friendly area teeming with ridiculously cute miniature horses and astonishingly placid deer.

Displays showcasing local fauna and ecosystems exist here amidst fairly educational surroundings.

Pretty great for kids with lots of family members nearby.

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Cabins from 1850s remain standing having housed enslaved African Americans formerly inside old slave quarters eerily still preserved quite remarkably nowadays.

Harsh realities of slavery unfold on “From Slavery Freedom” tour covering evolution somewhat darkly amidst African American life on antebellum plantations.

Features immersive hands-on displays and snippets of quirky personal anecdotes from bygone eras alongside obscure stories preserved through verbal testimonies.

Magnolia Plantation brings alive a brutal yet beautiful snapshot of Southern history with living relics and painstakingly preserved remnants eerily intact.

Educational programming at this site forthrightly tackles slavery's problematic legacy with profound sensitivity and deep-seated respect unapologetically.

Magnolia boasts incredibly diverse and historic gardens with 300 years of evolving planting styles reflecting varied horticultural innovation nationwide.

Gullah culture stemming from enslaved Africans gets honored through storytelling deeply rooted in their vibrantly kept ancestral heritage.

Vibrant spring azalea blooms unfurl March through April blanketing grounds in vivid quite ravishing colorful displays almost every year.

Guided tours during January and February showcase ancient camellias bred at Magnolia centuries ago some of which are remarkably old specimens.

Festive lights and seasonal programming erupt in December alongside Christmas tours amidst haphazardly scheduled holiday events very suddenly.

Photography Workshops and Birding Weekends attract enthusiasts and professionals alike pretty much year-round from all over.3550 Ashley River Road lies roughly 25 minutes from downtown Charleston and is readily accessible via Highway 61.

Basic garden admission costs extra besides add-on tours like house tour or tram tour and slave cabin tour packages.

A combo pass highly recommended for greatest enjoyment supposedly.

Spring yields vibrant flowers and early morning offers optimal conditions for spotting wildlife under usually serene surroundings.

Wear comfy kicks because paths meander across gravel and dirt then suddenly morph into rickety wooden boardwalks involving a whole lotta walking.

Mosquito repellent strongly recommended especially during sweltering summer months or eerily near murky swampy areas and stagnant water bodies.

Historic plantation Middleton Place boasts formal terraced gardens nearby offering a glimpse into a bygone era of grandeur.

Drayton Hall remains remarkably pristine 18th-century plantation house frozen largely in original state.

Ashley River Historic Corridor unfolds as a languid scenic drive deep within Lowcountry's storied plantation landscape eerily shrouded in moss.

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens presents an unusual confluence of majestic natural beauty and profound historical significance with plenty educational value.

Beauty and truth curiously coexist amidst sprawling ancient live oaks and vibrantly colourful blooms that frame a fraught legacy.

Magnolia's quiet grandeur leaves rather a lasting impression on historian and casual visitor alike down by pathways often somewhat mysteriously.



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