Middleton Place, Charleston

This was my 3rd visit over about 25 years.The tour of the house was shortened although the guide seemed to enjoy her job. Other staff were not friendly. My husband picked up a flower petal from the walk path and was admonished for "picking the flowers" while we were waiting for the tour. After touring the grounds, we walked into the gift shop as another couple was leaving and the clerk stated abruptly, "we're closed" and said nothing else as we turned around to leave. It wasn't worth the $70 fee and southern hospitality was lacking. I will go elswhere for sightseeing the next time I attend a medical conference in Charleston.

I did not go into the house, but the property and gardens were very beautiful and def. a must see, it is expensive though. But the restraunt was excellent and served a three course meal and was not very expensive. We also rode the horses and was a different view of everything else and the guide was very knowledgable.

I had heard this place was a must see so I did not mind footing the $25 plus $10 (garden and house ) but found that the original house is not there. They do not tell you this upfront , the house they show is a small addition to the main house which was burnt down. Could not see anything impressive. They do not include the whole house in the tour either. No kitchen. The gardens were great but looked more modern than its stated age. No slave cabins. The one cabin they show you does not look original at all. The supposed Eliza tour really did not show me much of history. Enjoyed walking in the lawn ,seeing sheep, horses ,etc. If you are really looking to see some original historical stuff ,I would not recommend seeing it. Also it is more expensive than the other plantations in the area. My information is from a recent visit , 12/21/08.

We were very disappointed with our visit to this attraction. It was extremely expensive compared to the other plantations, and the "house tour", while an additional $15.00 per person, did not include a tour of the original house because the only thing remaining of that is rubble. It did not survive fire or earthquakes. The building that stands and that is offered for the tour is a 'flank' building not the main plantation house. The grounds were beautiful, and costumed interpreters discussed life during that period. So... if that's why you'd like to see Middleton Place, then go. BUT... the main attraction - the house - is non-existent. If we'd been told this prior to buying our tickets for the house tour, perhaps we would not have been so disappointed.

Let me start by saying I am one of the pickiest, stingiest travelers out there. I expect the services and products that I pay for to be well worth it. And that is why this southern plantation is on my nice list. First off- the grounds were immaculate. I am serious. It was a lush paradise, someone was even hosting a wedding ceremony and reception the day we visited- and I don't blame them. It was picturesque. Now, if you aren't into scenery and want to simply be entertained and waited on hand and foot- then skip the plantation and go to the mall. The land itself is a huge part of its history. The house tour was interesting, pretty informative, and best of all had all the original stuff. So the pictures you look at aren't replicas- they are what was actually painted and framed for the original owners. And trust me, we went to so many plantations during this trip and this was the only one that came close to having original artifacts and original homes. Expect to pay more for your water than you would at McDonalds. C'mon- its a tourist attraction, they can and will charge you a little more for a soda or sandwich. Pros: stunning grounds and landscaping, original artifacts, yard overlooking rice ponds was used to film the "Patriot" with Mel Gibson, and carriage ride was quaint. Cons: if you aren't into scenery, you'll not enjoy it. if you aren't into history- you'll not enjoy it. and if you demand the Gucci product at Walmart prices- you'll not enjoy it.

We went to Magnolia Plantation first and were very disappointed. Due to this we almost did not go to Middleton: now we are so glad we did! Middleton is very manicured with beautifully maintaned gardens. We walked from garden ponds through bamboo forest to swamps and back to garden walk ways in less than an hour. There is a walkway along the Ashley River with the biggest Live Oaks I have ever seen! Take time to walk around the Butterfly Ponds, investigate the old Rice Mill, and walk along the Rice Pond crossing the bridge to the house. Your camera will love it! I took over 100 pictures and did not come close to photographing it all! Beware: if visting in summer you may want to bring bug spray and drink lots of water. See this Plantation!!!!!!

Be prepared for hot buggy weather. The mosquitoes were swarming me even after I applied copious amounts of bug spray. As mentioned before, I also believe the rates were too high to be well worth it. The best walk for me was the African American tour because it highlighted how they actually lived there. The house tour was too strict. I don't like older people getting yelled at. A lady next to me was yelled at for bringing her purse inside and it was the same size as mine. Bottled water is also a no-no. A couple tried to sit in to listen to our talk and the tour guide quickly reprimanded them. The nature walk was naturey and not worth the admission fees --and being at a plantation I want to learn about the plantation not about the weeds. The tour guide for this also was in a hurry - no wonder because the walk was over an hour long. One visit is enough.. I'd go somewhere else.

Included in my room rate was Middleton Place Plantation. That was the only reason we went there. Dinner was horrible. Our server was rude (we mention that we were staying at the Inn and he said "I'm sorry" with a smirk!), food portions were too small for the price I paid and I was told they grow thier own veggies but no one could provide me with a list of what was used as fertilizer or bug repellents! Not organic, not good and not worth it.

Pros: Beautiful scenic grounds, gardens and leasurly, self paced strolls for photos. Carriage ride down through heavy growth was great. Felt the heat, peaceful with nature. Cons: $45ea for entire 'day' package, but a day duration, surely not. A typical canned house tour/speech. Small gift center. Do it again? . . . No.

This is the most expensive plantation in the area and it is beautiful, but not worth $25 when you can go down the road and see one of the others for almost half the price. If money is not a worry, then go, great place.