Ashley River Road
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, SC

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is the original seat of the Drayton family in America. Reverend John Grimke Drayton began designing the gardens at Magnolia in the 1850s and opened the plantation to the public in 1870. The pleasure gardens, fully matured today, enjoyed immense popularity by the close of the 19th Century, with regular boat service up the Ashley River from Charleston. By the early 20th Century, the gardens were a popular touring destination for automobile trips along the scenic Ashley River Road.

The original plantation house was burned by Federal troops in 1865. The house currently on the property was built in Summerville, SC in 1873 and moved to Magnolia by barge. The property also includes seven slave cabins, a nursery, the Drayton family vault, and historic rice fields. Visitors may also enjoy the Audubon Swamp with its mirror-like still black waters and ancient cypress trees located at Magnolia Gardens.