I really enjoyed seeing this house as the restoration efforts were amazing and the house is incredible. I look forward to coming back again when the slave quarters have finished being restored. I also went to the Aiken-Rhett house and seeing them back to back helped me to better appreciate how little I know about southern history.

An authentic 1800s Charlsronian home experience, great job on restoration, a full-on sherlock holmes accuracy for some artifacts. Sad vibes on slave-trade reminders that are woven in the fabric of the house. Would have loved more details on the slave quarters, but as I can understand, research takes time. Loved the intricate details that were either discovered or restored or preserved. Id recommend this home to anyone who wants to see what an authentic restoration of an antebellum house should look like :)

Beautiful home, informative tour and friendly staff. This is a must see when you’re in Charleston!

The house and furniture are spectacular, as well as the gardens and location within historic Charleston. My only complaint is that the audio tour is poorly managed and they try to stagger entries but allow too many people in at a time for the tours to flow through the building. It was constantly getting backed up if one group doesn’t move on efficiently to the next room. Plan to be patient but do go see the exquisite house. Covid affects us all and it’s just the price we pay in 2020.

Historically accurate but missing some history. Currently working on renovating slave quarters and will provide more history concerning slaves. Right now they are only mentioned as to how they served the house. With renovation will hopefully add more about the personal lives of slaves.

We had a blast here and loved the audio walk along. Price was 12 a person and totally worth it. If you arent into history, then you may be bored. Like my 7 year old, I wouldnt have been there as long if he was there. My girls would have enjoyed it. But they are older. A lot of extra stories on the audio too.

The Nathaniel Russell House on Meeting Street in Charleston is a beautiful historic house and garden area. The architecture of the house and the preservation of the house is great. When given the opportunity to take a tour of the property the docents are very knowledgeable and able to answer all of the questions that you have. This house is a memorable experience.

As a full-time professional photographer in Charleston, I have the pleasure of photographing tours and events in some incredible venues. I really enjoyed the tour of this old historic home, easily one of my favorites in town. The staircase is AMAZING!!!

Great house to visit! I was a little bummed part of the house was under restoration, so I couldnt some of the rooms on the audio tour. Luckily, I got a package deal with the Aiken-Rhett house so I felt it was worth the price and had plenty to see all day. It is a very beautiful home and I really enjoyed the gardens. Hope to come back and see the whole thing one day!

The Nathaniel Russell House is gorgeous from the inside and outside. It is amazing walking through it and seeing all the time put into the small details. I absolutely love the natural light that comes into the 2nd floor drawing room as the windows are almost the same height as the wall itself. I also enjoyed the crown molding- It is so stunning.A place to visit if you love architecture/design or history. I will be back!

Perhaps one of the most beautiful historic restorations Ive ever seen. Its a beautiful home, and the tour is great. Our guide was friendly and very knowledgeable. Highly recommend!

I didnt take photos inside... I was unsure if it was alright. We stumbled on this treasure because the garden was so inviting. Its an inexpensive way to spend 45 minutes. We did the audio tour. They provide you with iPads. The tour is detailed and sensitive to the plight of the enslaved people who served the families in this home. Despite its history, its architecturally beautiful. The spiraled staircase, moulding, and exquisite renovations took my breath away. The docents were kind and helpful.

Great house. Lots of history. Wonderful guide. I wish we could have seen more of the house.

On my third visit to Charleston I finally ponied up for the ticket here, and am so glad I did. I had two hours to spend in the house, and wished I had more. Theyve spent decades (and $$) meticulously restoring the interior, and are intentional and historically accurate to the best of their ability (unlike some other houses). There are knowledgeable guides leading regular tours, and a great audio self-guided tour.

We did the self-guided audio tour, because we arrived at the wrong time for a real person. I think that would have been better. Also, the slave quarters were still being restored, and not open for view. That would have been more interesting. Ive seen plenty of wealthy peoples homes.

Explicit foundation of yrs gone my magnificent lines architectural design! Explicit

Great place to visit. They have done an amazing job restoring the home and preserving what the could of the original structure. The self supporting cantilever stairs were an engineering marvel of the period. Get the combo tour that also includes the Aiken home.Urban CowgillDecember 2019

Lovely, elegant historical home! Knowledgeable and friendly staff!

Lovely home, could see a great deal of it unlike some others.

A wonderful step back in time, in a beautifully restored house. We took the guided tour, although you can self-tour with headsets. Its a shame that the third level isnt open to the public, due to fire regulations (only one exit). However, its a wonderfully educational tour, including a frank look at the original builders life as a slave owner.

This house shows a sobering contrast between the antebellum lives of enslaved workers and a top slave owning family. We visited in the relative mild temperatures of October, and yet the heat in the enslaved workers quarters was difficult to breathe through. These quarters are located above the wood burning kitchen, and when we were there a fire was not running. In contrast the Russell familys quarters are still opulent even by todays standards. Every surface in this residence is painted wood, wallpaper, or precious metal. Visiting this house has a weight similar to that experienced when visiting a concentration camp. It is important to learn and/or remember the inhumanity that humans are capable of practicing towards other humans. At the same time it is also important while undergoing these experiences to remember that this opulence should be viewed in horror not in celebration.

Beautiful home to see, especially the free standing staircase. I recommend going on the guided tour. We tried the self-guided (using audio), did not work. So many groups going in and out, that you cant hear the audio...so its impossible to follow.

12 dollars for the tour! Very cool and beautifully restored house.

Great tour guide. Enjoyed the visit even more with a nice tour guide to learn about the history.

This mansion belonged to a slave trader, furnishings were very nice and well appointed.

Beautiful architecture and decor. The winding staircase is very fun but youre not allowed to walk up it.

Great example of restored architecture. Incredible effort put into returning the house to what is was like in its heyday. We bought the combo ticket with the Aitken-Rhett house (which is preserved) which gave us a great contrast between restored and preserved history! The two houses allowed us a great overview of local history on limited time.

Beautifully restored house and garden, the staircase lives up to its reputation!

Fantastic tour of this beautiful home! Period pieces and lovingly refurbished back to the earlier beauty. Felt like the docent only shared a fraction of her wealth of interesting knowledge re the history of the place. Highly recommend!

Nice place. Great history

Had a super tour here with loads of opportunities for questions. Photography allowed anywhere on property. The spiral staircase is breathtaking

Beautiful home and great staff. I like that they offer both a guided and self-guided tour. I cant wait to go back and see the house once they complete the renovations.

Beautifully restored to period. Not original furnishings but carefully chosen appropriate pieces. First and second floors available for guided tour but not third. No outbuildings or servant areas.

Terrific historic home and tour. Definitely worth visiting if just to see the spiral staircase.

Nice building, to many restrictions.

Beautiful gardens! Must see the unique engineering on the staircase.

This was a special time in Charlestons history and this home is a unique piece of Charlestons legacy. This Federalist style house is a treasure. The well manicured gardens and majestic specimen trees provide the perfect frame for this architectural landmark. The meticulous and historically accurate restorations provide the patron with a genuine portal in time. The original colors of paint, wallpaper and gold leaf all provide a true and accurate visions of a segment of Charlestons colonial life. The three story floating cantilevered stairwell is a surreal example of world-class period architecture. While only the first and second floors have been restored at this point, the tour provided a more than sufficient opportunity to experience the grandeur of this home. The staff is extremely knowledgeable, attentive and helpful. The gift shop had a good selection and decent prices. If you are making plans to visit the Charleston area, I would reccomend a tour through this property. You will not be disappointed if you make the effort.

This is a beautiful house that has been restored very nicely. The tour guide was excellent. It is well worth the $12 per person.

The house was beautiful and our tour guide was super knowledgeable. She even stuck around after the tour to answer more questions, she clearly loved her job!

Magnificent house despite the history behind its creation. It is worth visiting

The garden and the house was beautiful...it was really nice to see the tour guide be passionate about their jobs. They were very knowledgeable, so polite, and made everyone feel welcome. Plus, they always included every member of the tour group. Only down fall to this beautiful house was the owner made a lot of his wealth off of the slavery trade. Kind of sad history to know how some of the historical people in the city made their wealth.Very good price, especially if you get the 2 house package which includes the Aiken-Rhett home 30 minutes north. Spend a day in downtown, youll enjoy the history.

This house is stunning and if youre lucky enough to get a tour from Mary youll appreciate it all the more.

Audio tour is too long!!! But the rooms are pretty.

Carrying a device to listen to the history of the house not worth it.

Im not big on home tours but the restoration of this one is very well done and the tour guide knows the information as if she lived there herself. Kids would probably find it boring but cool if you appreciate history.

Well kept. Okay history but I found more interesting stories doing other things such as a walking tour. Self guided tour is not bad and well produced, though the headphones could use a bit of an update. There are ultimately 4 or 5 rooms. In Charleston this is one of the better, if not best homes that isnt a plantation, but when stacked against other similar tours in the world, this ranks at a solid, positive 3 stars, considering the perspective of being in Charleston. Worth going to, but not worth going out of the way or prioritizing.

Randi was the guide. Very knowledgeable, and did a fantastic job covering a lot of aspects in order to shed light on that time. From the alterations of the house to the enslaved. Highly recommended!

We really enjoyed our visit to the Nathaniel Russell House. House museums are always my favorite historic sites, and this one did not disappoint. We took a guided tour, which was wonderful. The docent was knowledgeable and an engaging storyteller. The restoration of the house has been immaculate --- gorgeous decor, structural elements, and architectural details, including some very impressive original glass doors. The floating staircase is the real showstopper and is justifiably famous, as it appears to defy gravity and engineering logic. It is beautiful! The only thing that was slightly disappointing to us was the fact that the furnishings (beautiful as they are) are mostly not original to the house. We volunteer at a house museum that is even older than this one and in which almost all of the furnishings are original, so its always a teeny bit disappointing to us when a historic home has few pieces belonging to the original family. This house has only one chair which actually belonged to the original owners of the home. Nevertheless, the Federal era furnishings are absolutely breathtaking and absolutely convey the sense of the lavish lifestyle enjoyed by the Russells.

One of the most impressive features of this neoclassical historic house is the amazing free standing mahogany staircase not attached to any walls. The second floor rooms available for the guided tours or self tours are richly decorated and are worth of royal residents. There are multiple spectacular examples of intricate plaster work on the ceilings of the rooms, unique furnishings, silverware and dishes. The house also has well maintained grounds with beautiful garden full of beautiful flowers and trees. Little gift shop has a few souvenir items

Very nice, informative, and intriguing at the same time. The opulence is amazing. A must see. I just wish more of the house was on display.

Beautiful. Didnt get the chance to go inside due to time.

Our tour guide was kind of awful, she kept repeating herself. At one point she forgot a date and asked someone on the tour what it was . Time her her to retire. Otherwise pretty house.

One of the best tours, primarily because of its authenticity. Many places will have replicas, and the guides will continue to tell you that. The guides here so their research and take their time. A total must, youll love it. (Not going to post too many pics, itll ruin the trip, but I took lots!)

Beautiful house with some occasionally questionable reconstruction choices. They had both guided and self-guided tours going at the same time which led to crowding and confusion; the tours definitely need to be spaced a little better.

Self-guided tour was well-done and the house has been carefully restored.

Great tour provided. This house is must-see incredible. Outstanding a collection of architectural detail

Worth the $12 ticket!

Great history piece And cheryl did a great job of sharing her knowledge and history of the home.

Recommend the guided tour. Guide was helpful and answered questions.

Good tour of one of the great homes in Charleston

Wow! Gorgeous architecture. Take a docent guided tour and really learn about the history. Fascinating.

Good place to visit

A glimpse in to Charleston’s and he country’s history. Beautiful antiques and impressive upkeep of the structure.

If you are going to spend even a few days in Charleston the house tour is a must.

We visited and the lady gave us a great recommendation for lunch!

Very nice we did not go inside

Really beautiful building.

Great place to learn about the history of Charleston and slavery.

Loved touring this home, a really beautiful home during its time, it was fun imagining what it was like to live during that time and actually being in the home with its art, furniture, etc.

I love touring historic homes, but this one was just okay. We made it for the last tour at 4pm and seemed like our guide was trying to rush it. Inside, you can only see a few rooms..you cant go upstairs and they are still working on the back house renovations. The rooms we saw were gorgeous.. Just wished we could have seen more rooms.

This is our favorite home weve toured so far! The guides were exceptionally personable and down to earth. They shared in great detail what had gone into restoring the home which is a process that continues to this day. The home is uncluttered such that you can enjoy the beautiful architectural uniqueness that it holds. The staircase is absolutely breathtaking! It was also fun to sit and enjoy the gardens.

This beautiful home has been well-maintained. Guided tours available to learn about life in the era & offers the opportunity to ask questions. Free parking.

A very nicely detailed tour by guide, Randi. She shared significant history of the mansion and the family. A must see while on Charleston. The floating staircase is a masterpiece!

Beautiful home expertly restored. Our tour guide was excellent, very informative, knowledgeable, friendly and expressive.

What history is here.! Its worth a visit. !

Absolutely breath taking!

The guide was very informative and the house is lovely.

Great tour staircase was amazing

Best historical place to visit. Do take guided tour to know the history in the details

Beautiful old house, lovingly maintained & appropriately furnished. Our guide, Linda, was a delight.

Very cool old house with really neat things and an awesome staircase. Highly recommend going to see it. Very authentic.

Mary lou was awesome! Great tour!

A great way to spend an hour of your afternoon in Charleston if like big and historic houses.

We visited the home and had an excellent tour guide. She shared history of the home, its owner, his family and business connections. Details were shared on furnishings and restoration. In the restoration, every detail mattered. They are researching the home to make it exactly like it was in 1808. We were extremelt pleased with the tour.

Hands down my absolute historical home to tour in all of Charleston!The tour guides are extremely knowledgeable and take justifiable pride in the quality of restoration thats been done. The colors and furnishings are accurate and dazzling. Many people dont realize our ancestors loved color too.The floating staircase is awe inspiring.Dont miss this gem of Charleston!!

Beautiful, restored home (aka mansion) in central Charlestons French Quarter. Amazing staircase, one of the few surviving examples of a cantilevered spiral wooden staircase. Painstakingly restored with the help of Williamsburg VA restorers, with authentic paint colors and wallpapers. If you only have time for one tour, take this one.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the historical homes. The virtual tours are an added plus to share with friends and family to help them on their next east coast trip. I would go again.

Loved it. Beautiful house. Great tour guide.

Beautiful main house is fully restored.

This was my favorite house tour of all the tours we did in Charleston. It was beautiful and so well restored.

Amazing garden and helpful people.

Historic house , as part of non profit called Historic Charleston Foundation. Taking a tour package of this house and Aiken Rhett is a good option as it brings the ticket price down. The house tour is guided and takes less than an hour. The house architecture is very unique and was innovative considering the era it was built. There is a gift shop near the entrance although not many options for souvenirs. Picture taking is allowed.

A house with a fascinating history and great to guides to bring it to life

A beautiful house filled with antiques. Our guide was great, friendly and knowledgeable.

A fascinating piece of history. The docents are very friendly and knowledgeable.

Our tour guide had said this was the best mansion tour in town and to take the docent tour because it was better than the self guided audio tour that was new and still had some issues to work through. So we took his advice and the next day took the tour. Dont know if it was because of it being a weekend or the mid afternoon time of day, but we had about 20 in our group and it made it difficult to hear and see everything. The docent was good and the house is decorated nicely in period correct (but not original) furnishings. The spiral staircase is an interesting feature but you are not allowed to use it or go into the top floor of the house. Rounded interior doors are very unusual to fit in the circular rooms.If you enjoy 200 year old furniture and local family history just try to get in a small group for docent tour.

Stylish, interesting history. I would recommend visiting it

Wonderful tour with honest description of Waverly, which we found very educational. They Need stronger wifi to support the audio tour app

This was lovely! We had a wonderful and informative tour of the home. The gardens were beautiful as well. Even our 7 year old twins enjoyed the tour, so it must have been great! :)

Amazing tour of a beautifully refinished, historic home. Definitely more interesting then they unfinished homes for us, also because I have issues with breathing in dust I really appreciate it all the work that went into redoing this house. Amazing tour guide (free with paid admission), HIGHLY recommend!