Drayton Hall, Charleston

I really expected more. I didn't realize we would be going to an absolutely barren old home. We looked at old paint, and the only interesting thing about the house was a story about one of the children who kept the heights of her dogs etched into the wood. I will say the trees outside were beautiful. We stayed for the for the whole tour only because it was so expensive, but others kept on running out during the tour.

First, let me say that I am extremely pleased that we decided to visit Drayton Hall first. The guide was extremely informative and gave a realistic perspective of the history and consequential events that occurred therafter. We stayed for the lecture afterwards and loved the details that were presented to us as well as the social historical perspective of the slaves as well as the and the relationships and their significance. The tour was not rushed and took about 45 minutes. it was well organized, informative, and very interesting. The talk afterwards was about 45 minutes. The grounds would have been great for a romantic picnic as it was not a long walk as there was plenty of shade. The landscape and the cemetary was breathtaking. Even if we didn't have a coupon, the tour was economically affordable and very much worth the price compared to those also along the same road. I cannot express how much fun this was and I am excited to go again.

What a beautiful day for such a wonderful tour. We arrived in Charleston a week ago for a months holiday. After checking all the things to do on the internet here I was thrilled to find Drayton Hall still untouched by some 20th or 21st century designers interruption of 18th century design. I compare it to a beautiful matriarch whose face proudly shows all the joy and sadness of a lifetime and whose eyes have faded but still shine brightly while concealing a thousand secrets. We have seen other plantations that have been restored but could just as well stayed home and watched the movie "North and South" on Netflix and gotten as much out of it. Don't be put off by it not being furnished. It allows you to feel the soul of this treasure.

We went in December and it was unusually cold. Perhaps that colored our experience but we felt snookered. The house is empty. If you have visited other historic buildings and are familiar with the architecture, there isn't much to see or to learn. Hats off to the people who felt history but my personal feeling is that the people who lived here did not exist in an empty box. I want to see what THEY saw, not a bunch of walls, sanded so I can see 7 layers of paint. Only watching the actual paint dry would have been more boring. If you do not speak the code of "preserved" as opposed to "restored", you may not realize that this means empty and abandoned looking. And they never plan to do anything else with it! There are many other similar historic buildings in the Charleston area, such as the Aiken-Rhett house. I've never been in a crack house, but aside from the grafitti, I imagine they look a lot like these empty shells.

Everything was original and the landscaping was beatiful. The staff was very professional and informative. I would def. go back on another trip

Drayton Hall was a relaxing tour. It was nice to walk the grounds and just enjoy it without be nagged but a tour guide. Then when we did have our tour, he was very knowledgable. He talked somewhat fast, so it was hard to keep up on all the details. I would not take teenagers unless you know they would enjoy it. We didn't take our teenage boys, but other families had theirs and the kids looked bored. Great visit and money well spent.

The most fascinating thing about it was that it was all history and no pretense. When I went it was not furnished at all. They were actually working on some moulding on the ceiling with scaffolding in the middle of the floor. The stories about the house and the Drayton family were captivating. You could sense the history when you walked through the rooms. When I tell people that I'm from Charleston they usually respond with the desire to go there. I always tell them that when they do they should put Drayton Hall on their itinerary.

The grounds are southernly beautiful, but it doesn't have all the flowers like other plantations. It is unfurnished, so there is not a lot to look at. Just being there and thinking about how many years it's been standing and all the things that had happened was interesting to me. I imagine living and working on the plantation and I bet the summer heat was unbearable. I know from a close friend that has done work at Drayton Hall that this place gets visitors in the night from the past, if you are into that kinda thing. I would recommend visiting if you've got the time. Make sure to check out Middleton Plantation as well.

I visited Drayton Hall about 15 years ago and still talk about it! Actually I hate history....and ,forgive me, American history is the worst (for me). Having said that, I had goosebumps when in that house. You can actually FEEL the age and history...and all the people and life...and dare I say it ...ghosts! I highly recommend a tour of this house.

We had a family group of 13 people, and Drayton Hall offered a little something for everyone. We got there a little before our tour started, so we began with the river walk. It was beautiful and a great place to take pictures. Then we sat in on a Connections program, which was okay (very informative but not experiential, so a little lecture-ish). Then we did the house tour. Our guide was extremely informative and had worked there for decades. Our only regret was that he spoke so fast, we missed a lot of what he said. We left after doing the marsh walk. My favorite parts were the two walking trails. Last year we went to Magnolia; the two offer very different experiences. Magnolia's plantation home is furnished and the gardens are beautiful. Drayton seems a bit more plain but was still beautiful. The two best surprises about Drayton were: 1) The free admission for teachers and 2) they allow dogs! These two factors really helped our group have a great experience.