Boone Plantation, South Carolina

| | | | | |

The South is known for numerous plantations: large estates with farms producing a wide variety of crops. One of the most popular and still functioning plantations is the Boone Hall Plantation in Mount Pleasant in South Carolina.  Located just 20 minutes outside of historic Charleston, Boone Hall was founded in 1681 on the banks of the Wampacheone Creek by English Major John Boone. For centuries the plantation was known for growing and selling cotton and pecans. Now, the Boone Hall Farms Market also sells various fruits, vegetables, seafood (from the local docks), prepared foods, and gifts. Film buffs will recognize the estate as a setting in the film “The Notebook.”

The plantation offers a wide variety of ways to explore the site and learn from history. All tours are included with the admission fee. I first wrote about Boone Plantation for Kidventurous, but wanted to share some of my favorite parts of our visit and a few nearby bonus stops: (updated for summer 2017) 

image-asset-3569599

Take the house tour: This thirty minute tour will take visitors through five different rooms on the first floor of the of the mansion built in 1936. The rooms display furniture that dates as far back as the 18th century. Children will probably be interested in some of the period toys “shiny decorations” as my daughter referred to the chandeliers .

Ride the plantation coach tour: It’s about 45 minutes and covers the entire plantation (over 700 acres!) in an open air coach. You’ll see the fields of crops (everything from fruits and vegetables to bee boxes), pecan trees, and marshes. The children will appreciate a rest for their feet. (The house tour does not have any place to sit down and strollers are not allowed).

dscn8395-jpg

Watch the Gullah Culture: It’s a live presentation located in an outdoor theatre at the end of Slave Street. It explains the culture of the slaves of the plantations during the 19th and early 20th century. You can also explore the nine cabins of Slave Street. Each cabin is unique in its display of the daily life of a slave on the plantation and visitors can walk through them and explore various interactive exhibits.
 

dscn8407-jpg

Boone Hall Plantation is open year round. Visit during the fall and catch all of the fun with Boone Hall Fright Nights and Boone Hall Pumpkin Patch. There’s a huge corn maze, pumpkin patches, petting zoos, numerous activities for children. Check out Monster Alley and a widely popular haunted hay ride during Fright Nights for the older crowd.

Note: While the road leading to the plantation is iconic, lined with 94 evergreen oak trees, be sure not to get too close for the photo ops- the Spanish moss that hangs from the trees is filled with red bugs that no one will want as a souvenir.

 

image-asset-3585390

 

Bonus: Less than a half mile from Boone Plantation is the Charles Pinckney National Historic Site, home of Snee Farm, the governor’s plantation in the early 1800s, and operated by the National Parks Service. There is no fee to explore the site, which includes a variety of historical exhibits, three different short films (a bio on Pickney, discrepancies in the Constitution, and the Convention of 1787), and walking trails. My children enjoyed the Junior Ranger program, where they were given a booklet to complete a scavenger hunt to earn their JR badge. Since we’ve visited, they have upped their program schedule, and offer multiple events each week, many of them family friendly. Don’t forget to get your passport stamped!

Bonus #2: Check out the Angel Tree, located on St Johns Island, about a thirty minute drive from Boone Hall Plantation. It’s believed to be 400-500 years old and is MASSIVE in size (the longest branch is almost 200 feet!) There is a gate that protects the tree during after hours (the area that surrounds the tree is usually open 9-5). Because it is so popular, they now have a gift shop and people on site to monitor the crowds. Note: there are only port-a-potties located on site.

 

  • image-asset-3956010
  • angel-oak-live-oak-8974157
  • dscn8502-jpg
  • charles-pinckney-national-9350932

Would you like to save this?

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later.

Eat with the locals: My husband found Jack’s Cosmic Dogs online, searching the Food Network website (one of our to-go search spots for local favorites). Our kids loved the vibe and the hot dogs do live up to their reputation as the “Best in Charleston. “

New England based, part high school English teacher, part non profit founder, part road tripper who LOVES hopping in the family SUV to explore America. Our bucket list includes National Parks, MLB stadiums, presidential libraries, and eating wherever the locals eat!

Similar Posts

10 Family Friendly Ways to Explore Jamestown Settlement and Chippokes Plantation State Park in Virginia
| | | | |

10 Family Friendly Ways to Explore Jamestown Settlement and Chippokes Plantation State Park in Virginia

One of the most popular living history museums in America, Jamestown Settlement tells the story of the first permanent English settlement in 1607 and the cultures that converged there. It originally opened as a museum in 1957 and was expanded in 2007, in commemoration of its Quadricentennial. Named in honor of King James I of England, the complex includes immersive indoor and outdoor exhibits, and daily interactive demonstrations.

Playing “I Spy” at the Connecticut State Capitol
| | | |

Playing “I Spy” at the Connecticut State Capitol

Visiting state capitol buildings is one of the first things we do when visiting the capital city. It’s a little ironic that it took our family, who has lived in Connecticut for almost 20 years, this long, but we recently, finally made it to the CT Capitol for a tour.

Connecticut was founded in 1662 and is known as the Constitution State, as it was the first state to adopt a constitution.  Built in 1878, the Connecticut Capitol building, located in downtown Hartford, was designed by Richard M. Upjohn to replicate a Victorian Gothic style. The building overlooks Bushnell Memorial Park’s 41 acres in the heart of Hartford and was restored in the 1980s to the original colors and design. The addition of the Legislative Office Building (LOB), which opened in 1988, allowed for office space for Connecticut’s 151 Representatives (each representing approximately 25,000 constituents)  and 36 State Senators (each representing approximately 90,000-100,000 constituents). The “LOB” also allows for more public meeting spaces and opportunities for state officials to meet as committees and with public interest groups. The first and second floors of the LOB and the first floor of the Capitol are both open to the public; upper level floors house private offices and chambers and guests must be accompanied by officials. 

Nine Northeast Resorts to Enjoy this Winter
| | | | | | | |

Nine Northeast Resorts to Enjoy this Winter

You may think I am rushing fall by writing about things to do in the winter in the Northeast, but now is the time to plan! The Northeast is known for its beautiful winters and activities such as skiing (in all its forms!), snowboarding, snowtubing, ice skating, and more. But if you and your family DON’T ski or snowboard, there are still plenty of places to explore and enjoy. 

Resorts are a great option for families as they offer a home base with lodging (great for naptime and avoiding schlepping everyone back and forth in the car), all-inclusive activities (and sometimes meals), and beautiful grounds to spread out and explore. Here are some of our favorite resorts in the Northeast to enjoy:

Food Trail #1: Cupcake Trail in Coastal Southwestern Connecticut
| | | |

Food Trail #1: Cupcake Trail in Coastal Southwestern Connecticut

We are so excited to share the first in a new series for Coast2CoastwithKids: Food Trails. A couple of years ago, we found this great list of ice cream shoppes located in the greater Mystic, Connecticut area. It inspired us to research similar types of themed “tours” through Connecticut; we’ve seen these ideas when researching cities to visit and we wanted to create our own mini versions.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, and the rise in cases, we have been staying close to home, and mainly outdoors, which has allowed us the time to try hiking (here and here). We think these food trail will be a great way to spend an afternoon (or full day) as a family, try new foods (or new flavors of old favorites), and support local businesses. First up, we’re sharing 8 places to enjoy cupcakes from Norwalk to Fairfield (lower Fairfield County), where all items are homemade daily on premises.

10 Family Friendly Hiking Spots in Fairfield County, Connecticut
| |

10 Family Friendly Hiking Spots in Fairfield County, Connecticut

We’re back with another index of places we’ve explored in the past year. (We’ve previously posted about places to hike in Western Connecticut and places to hike in the Mystic area.) Many of these spots are practically in our backyard and it’s taken us an embarrassingly long time to check them out. They are all free to visit in the off season (October-May), although some locations do rely on donations for upkeep and programming. Most of the locations in this collection are somewhat of a stretch for “hiking” for true hikers, as many of the trails are under three miles and fairly easy to navigate. But we think they’re all great spots for family fun, especially families with younger kids.

City Guide: Sag Harbor, New York
| | | | | | | |

City Guide: Sag Harbor, New York

The village of Sag Harbor, located on the northern part of the South Fork of Long Island, is typically home to under 3,000 year round residents but swells during peak summer months, as the area is a popular vacation spot. Considered part of “The Hamptons” (which includes the towns and villages of Westhampton, South Hampton, Sagaponack, Sag Harbor, East Hampton, Amagansett, and Montauk), the area is under two hours from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan (or a short ferry ride from Fairfield County, Connecticut). Sag Harbor became a US port of entry in 1789 with a growing population involved in servicing whalers and West Indian trade ships. and became a thriving whaling industry in the 1800s. There are many historic homes, museums, outdoor recreational areas, and dining and retail options throughout Sag Harbor and the surrounding towns that the whole family will enjoy.