Powerful. The experience of visiting and touring this plantation is hard to put into words. Their knowledgeable tour guides really help you understand the reality of what enslaved people experienced here.It’s a heavy, important place to visit. My kids who are 9 and 5 were able to attend the tour and our guide was sensitive to their ears as she explained the grim reality of what this place was for so long. This is one of only two plantations nationwide which tell the story from the viewpoint of the enslaved people so be prepared with open hearts and minds to hear the truth about slavery in the Charleston area.This was a highlight of our trip to the region and I am profoundly grateful for the county converting this place into a place of remembrance and education.Prices are reasonable and during covid it’s a good and safe option as the tour is entirely outdoors where it’s easy to maintain social distancing. Guides are sensitive to that as well. They may take their mask off to talk to the group but they remain several feet away.If you are interested in learning more of the truth about slavery and what it actually was like for the enslaved, this is a must visit.The feeling I had is similar to when visiting a Holocaust memorial or museum. It’s not an easy experience but it’s very important. Highly recommend visiting here.

It was a lovely day out learning about the history of Charleston. The interpreter was wonderful and informative and we learned more about the people and languages too. The Plantation was beautiful. I find each one we have visited has a different flavor. McLeod is a modest size home yet gracious. A must go to.

Great historical place please to visit. We really enjoyed the property and learned a lot about the history. Whilst it was originally a plantation and has that history with it, it may be off putting for some but our guide was great and friendly and did a great job of talking about the history of the property and key moments in the history of the place. Great educational tour.

As an African American I naturally have mixed feelings and emotions about places like this. However, for the historical importance I feel its necessary to preserve places like this without white washing the historical truths. We must be able to see history in his truest form. The good along with the bad. I found this plantation to be a marvelous place to visit, to study and a wonderful preservation of history. Its beauty and elegance along with the ghosts of its past. As I read the descriptive signs describing what I was looking at I could almost see the elegant of that day and the trauma slaves must have felt. A marveled and how ingenious the people of the day were. I strongly recommend everyone of every nationality to visit this place to see it splendor and understand its sorted history.

Beautiful place full of history! Very friendly and informative staff.Jeff was a great tour guide! Small children might not understand or appreciate the historical value.

I love that they honor Gullah history as a Gullah/Geechee heritage site. It sets them apart. Beautiful location for commercial Photography. Extremely helpful staff.

The tour was absolutely incredible. I highly recommend it, and I would go so far as to say a visit to a plantation is irresponsible without having the crucial context of what made these beautiful places so, so ugly. Toby (sp?) was our tour guide, and she was probably the best tour guide I’ve ever had at a museum or historical experience. She was thoughtful, kind, and extremely knowledgeable about the history of the land and the people who lived at McLeod, both willingly and unwillingly. The work that she, Paul, and others is doing is important, wonderful work. Could not recommend more.

Very informative. You can get a device to carry if you arent doing a guided tour. You hear stories and even songs from the time frame. The main house and slave quarters are all well preserved. Slavery sucked, but everyone should experience a plantation. You could feel the pain in the ground!

We were so pleased with our guided tour with Paul. We had gone to Middleton the day before, but LOVED the truth and weight that the McLeod tour and property honored. If you are interested in something beyond a pretty plantation and some understanding of the untold American history, this is your tour! Bonus: They even have a suggested reading list!

Very interesting tour, especially for a newcomer to the area. Our tour guide James was very informative and engaging. Would definitely recommend.

Plantation and grounds were beautiful. The presentation and tour was very biased and one sided. Not what I was expecting. Was very disappointed. It felt like we were having a tour of a plantation from a northerner. He was very knowledgeable but made sure to insert his political agendas. Just not for us.

The grounds here are beautiful! Much of the home is off limits but the self guided tour through the downstairs offers a lot of information about the grounds and families the lived/worked there. We appreciated being able to view the historic cemetery as most are off limits on these kinds of tours. Guides were friendly and informative as well.

Beautiful estate! We went to South Carolina for a short vacay, and during our stay at our Airbnb, our host gave us the Charleston County Pass which includes free admission into the plantation. In the spirit of saving money on our trip, we decided to skip all the other paid plantations and explore McLeod instead, and I’m so glad we did! The tour guides were simply superb and they knew the estate inside and out. One of our tour guides was a descendant of one of the slaves that work on the state, which made the tour that much more poignant. The tour took about 1 hour and we explored the estate for half an hour more by ourselves walking through the garden and the path lines by willow trees. History of this kind reminds us to always remember the bitter history that was once America and that we must go forward and build this country towards a future without racism and discrimination.

Beautiful setting, important history to understand. The tour guides do a great job of bringing the history to life.

Thank you for Aaawww passionate discussion how plantation survival was. Keep up the good work.

Excellent historical place. Our guide Toby was excellent! This place is a must visit.

Smaller than plantations we have visited but appreciated the education. The slave cemetery needs to be located and honored. Sad that this hasnt been addressed.

The tour itself was interesting and we enjoyed our guide who was very knowledgeable. That said, the women in the Welcome Center where you purchase the tickets were not very “welcoming.” I won’t go into detail but they were rude and seemed as if we were troubling them. Since this is the first place you enter on the grounds, this gave us a bad taste before we ever reached the home. Thankfully our guide made up for it.

Though calm, this place holds an understandable sadness to it. The nature itself is beautiful, but the history needs to be observed and respected. The grounds are maintained very well and the tour guides are very knowledgeable. Everyone I met was respectful, making the tour much more enjoyable. The main house contains many pictures accompanied by detailed captions. The experience was very worth the trip even though the place holds a sadness.

I loved the history provided about the McLeod family and the gullah people. The best stories were about the slaves on the land.

Nice example of a smaller plantation home and not too far off the beaten path. Regular tours and friendly docents add to the experience.

Tour guide was very knowledgeable and passionate, however the main focus was directed towards slaves and their lives. I love hearing stories about ALL of the occupants that lives on the property, however this tour was extremely one sided. I would have preferred to hear more about the property owners and their history in conjunction with the the slaves. Lastly, I believe that in a professional setting, especially with children present, your clothing (socks) should be appropriate.

This is a gorgeous wedding venue in Charleston! It’s a beautiful mansion and jaw-dropping Avenue of oaks. We love photographing weddings there! -JoPhoto

A great plantation to get a bit of everything. I appreciated that they had maintained the slave cabins on site to get a full appreciation of their living quarters. They had complimentary tours which was an added bonus when we arrived. Youre also able to roam the property freely. While it is a smaller plantation than say Boone Hall, it has a quaint vibe and is still full of history and insight into a world so far yet so near to our present day. Our tour guide happened to be of Gullah decent which was an added bonus to our tour.

We are so glad we stopped for this tour. It was incredible to see the preservation of history like this. The volunteer inside the home was so knowledgeable and told great stories about the history of the plantation. We did the self guided tour but everyone was so helpful when we asked questions. So glad city of Charleston is maintaining this land.

Must go. Good History brief not taught in remedial public education.

Paul was great and I appreciated the truth that he shared of the atrocities of the slave trade. The only plantation Ive visited that put the enslaved at the center.

Tour guides were very knowledgeable about subject matter. They were able to use historical facts to convey their knowledge of the narratives of the McLeods and the slave families they owned.

Our tour guide (Paul G.) is a wonderful tour guide and brings an unparalleled authenticity to the tour! Brick-by-brick (ask Paul about that!), the tour is unlike any other plantation tour I have seen. Rather than emphasizing the homes interior, etc. it focuses on the lives of the slaves as they transitioned to freedom.

Really good guide, presented an unvarnished picture of the lives of enslaved people. Don’t go expecting magnolias and beautiful furniture — go because you care about the truth.

The tour is very informative and the guide did a great job taking us back in time. I saw slavery in a different light. The courage and survival of the ensalved people at that time is truly remarkable.

Amazing plantation and great history.

Unlike most Charleston historic plantation sites, McLeod really focuses on the perspective of the enslaved men and women who made these kinds of places possible (and the rest of historic Charleston). Rather than focusing on how pretty the land is, this site focuses on real storytelling. The tourguides are helpful and each provides a unique perspective. I’m glad the city has this amenity and it is absolutely worth a stop.

John, the tour guide did a fantastic job explaining the history of the plantation. A must see if you are a tourist or a local resident.

The grounds are well-kept and beautiful. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and passionate (actually she came off as a little intense). The tour focuses on the perspective of those that were enslaved, which was great, but it was very biased and one sided. Given the current political climate, we felt an agenda was being pushed onto us.

Very informative with a great tour guide, easy to reach by bus from central Charleston for people without a car. I cant imagine going to a plantation not focused on the enslaved hence we picked this one, thought the tone was well pitched and would certainly recommend both from what there was to see and as a place to learn

Fantastic little historic site. The docent, John, who lead our tour was wonderfully informative and entertaining. It is a beautiful county run park and worth the stop.

Really great tour of the grounds at McLeod Plantation. You can also tour the house on your own but there are volunteers to give out information if you have questions. Love how they really try to be honest about how slaves were treated and do not overlook it but really give you a lot of good and honest information about what was going on during that time. We love to take all of our guests to McLeod!

Much enjoyed but maybe improved with more info on Ghechee culture during tour.

Amazing tour given by Mills. This is a must have stop if you are in the area. Make sure to check tour times and availability before heading there so you can make the most out of your visit.

Make sure to take the guided tour. The narrative is really powerful and gives you a lot of insights of the majority of the people -enslaved Afro-Americans- who inhabited this plantation.Thanks to Mills, our knowledgeable guide who kindly answered all of our groups questions.

Very well preserved site which nearly matches its original design. Most other plantations have been extensively remodeled. There is also an impressive oak tree on the property that is around 500 years old.

Very heartfelt beautiful place makes you think well worth the time and money. Reflect on how things were and how things can be today is still

Enjoyed our tour. Great guide .. very interesting and educational.

One of the highlights of our trip to Charleston! All the volunteers and tour guides we met were fantastic, engaging, super informed (definitely no tour guide scripts here)! The grounds have also been wonderfully restored. Were still talking about it at home days after the trip.

The house was unfurnished and only the first floor was open. We wasted $24.00. The grounds were not impressive.

Wow. Dont pass this place up. Incredible look at what the plantation system would have been like for enslaved people. It will really make you appreciate their story and resilience, and give you incredible perspective into what life was like for the earliest black residents.

Was enjoyable and informative, guides are knowledgeable and freindly.

Beautiful plantation grounds. House is unfurnished

A wonderful treasure, with a well thought out and meaningful tour. Highly recommended.

Gorgeous grounds and very well kept facilities. The McLeod Plantation did a great job conveying both sides of their history. The staff is very kind and insightful and was extremely helpful to my 80+ year old grandmother who is limited in her mobility.

Great tour with Mr. John. Ask for himof you visit.

A socially aware plantation tour. Great for an unfiltered history of the south

Awesome plantation if you want to know what a real plantation was like. Our tour guides name was Paul and he is one of the best tour guides we have ever had, he told us he was a myth buster and he indeed was. He was very knowledgeable and really went the extra mile including my 2 kids in everything. Hes just an all-around great guy. The plantation is very nice, but has the more real feel to it and is way cheaper than any other in the area. This is a definitely must see.

Gorgeous Historic Location!! We recently photographed bridal portraits here and it was a great experience. There is so many places to take photos and we enjoyed learning all about the history of this plantation from the 1800s!!

Located a couple miles from downtown, the McLeod Plantation is in a great located for tourists in Downtown, West Ashley, or James Island. Beth did a great job covering history and what truly makes the plantation original compared to the others in the area. I will be back!

We love history. We do appreciate when someone actually does research before they teach so thank you to our guide! This is a place you need to visit.

Our guide Paul was fabulous! He was full of character and charm and humor. He did not sugar coat the harshness of plantation life and slavery but managed to keep the tour entertaining and fun in spite of it. The ladies in the shop were also full of southern hospitality and we enjoyed a chat about sweet tea and grits and good old fashioned cooking. All together a delightful way to spend a couple of hours in a picturesque location.

Not a great place to learn history

Excellent tour. I really recommend Paul and the guided tour!

Staff were friendly and knowledgeable. I liked the emphasis they placed on the plantation workers, and what became of them after the Civil War. Also learned a lot about different types of cotton, and why it was so difficult to grow.

What a great place to bring people together!

Beautiful plantation. Went to hops and vines which was a lot of fun

Very interesting. Tour guide was very pleasant and informative

The tour guide Paul Started out by saying he hoped we are all there because of what is going on today. NO! Im here because I am interested in history, not paul’s version of it. I was not there to be indoctrinated by Paul. He was very belittling of the family who had owned the plantation, even going as far as to sneer when he spoke of the last daughter to come from the family. Saying she was a member of the Daughters of The Confederacy, and then he said the group that put up all the statues around Charleston. He continued to push a biased agenda that was obviously intended to indoctrinate anyone who will listen. I would have liked to have heard the history of the plantation without paul’s rude, belittling, agenda, driven opinions. However I had to walk off and we left. I am very wary about going to another plantation. I love the history of our great nation, from Jamestown till now. Im glad we went to theMiddleton plantation first and magnolia as well. I would highly recommend spending your time there. Skip the liberal agenda at McCleod Plantation.

Excellent tour by Mills. Worth a visit. Very informative and so much info and the people who lived there...of all races. Beautiful grounds.

Very interesting local guide with a wealth of information on the Gullah and enslaved persons connected to this plantation and the area.

Interesting site and guide and easily accessible from Charleston.

This tour was incredible, our tour guide Kyra was amazing and couldn’t believe it was only her first week at this site. After going to Magnolia the day before, despite beautiful scenery, felt void of any real relevant history. McLeod did a perfect balance recreating the whole story here and would definitely recommend anyone interested in real history to go here.

One star review for Paul, our tour guide. He was belittling, rude, incredibly long winded and his attempts at humor were incredibly skewed. In 45 minutes we stopped 3 times, walking only in a semi-circle from the rear to the front of the property. He literally congratulated an elderly woman on her ability to pick something up off the ground and told her he would expect she could remember some of the happenings from the time period he was discussing (1870s)... I wouldnt waste time on the tour. The grounds are self explanatory so unless youre dying to be berated by someone who knows everything about everything, pay the $15 and go for a walkabout

Our guide Olivia was wonderful- as a master’s degree candidate in a related field, her focus was on the experiences of the enslaved women and children throughout the history of the plantation. Each guide offers a unique perspective while incorporating the facts. We spent time after the tour in the “big house” and experienced another host’s perspective and knowledge. The tour was a really rich experience and my group learned many things we’d never known, despite having lived in the south our whole lives. I highly recommend visiting.

I absolutely loved this plantation and tour. Olivia (our tour guide) did a phenomenal job of really hitting home the history of the home. I appreciated how she didnt shy away from the obvious history of slavery on the property, but stayed incredibly professional about it the whole time. With such a short distance from downtown, this experience is hard to beat!

Jeff gave an incredible tour. He really helped make clear the daily life, emotional and physical abuses of the enslaved people on the plantation. The site had good info helping contrast the views of the McLeod family as rich plantation owners vs that of the African Americans on the site as it transitioned from enslavement to post-emancipation. Highly recommended

I love how they focus on the African-American experience of the plantation. However our tour guide was a little too aggressive.

Very worth visiting. Great tour 100/100.

Gorgeous and significant site, especially among precious historic African-American places. I think its sadly overlooked because the area is saturated with plantations and gardens, but its more than worth the visit.

Absolutely the best plantation tour. Real history about real people, not dressed up fantasy. If you love history, and you want the story straight, this is the place to come. The staff are knowledgeable, the place is real, very educational for all ages. Interesting exhibit of a cotton gin, other tools, slave cabins, etc. Good explanations of the detailed history of cotton, people, and events, both before and after the Civil War.

Excellent tour by Olivia about a snippet of slaverys history in Charleston. Beautifully restored original buildings and established grounds. Worth seeing for sure.

Went on my birthday this summer. I had my husband and 8 year old son. When we started the tour the guide with glasses began showing us photos. A group of maybe 15 people. I was softly explaining the photos to my son and explaining to him how significant slavery is as history is extremely important to my family and I also teach. The tour guide stopped his speech and singled me out rudely and told me to refrain from speaking till after the tour was over. I wanted to run hide n cry. I’m 36. I was very respectful of my voice levels and the rest of the group. It was my worst bday experience. I apologized and never wise another word. Finished the tour and went back to my car to cry. My 8 year old called the man mean for saying that to me on my birthday. It’s been since July and I’m just now able to leave this review. I’m from the south so this aspect of history was imp to our family as I now live in the north and wanted my son to understand the significance. He could have asked me after his initial Introduction and pulled me to the side. Not call me out in front of an entire group of people. I felt like one of my 3rd graders in trouble. However I will say the ladies in the store were extremely friendly and welcoming.

Olivia, our guide, touched our hearts with her engaging enthusiasm and personable professionalism. The wording of all the displays was a true work of art. Real thought has gone into how this place has been set up and how the history is presented: both educational and emotionally engaging. Dont miss this site. It was our first time visiting the Charleston area, and this tour was the highlight for us. I kept asking who had coordinated and overseen the overall presentation because I was so impressed by Olivia and the written material. It takes forethought and delicate consideration to make controversial history come to life in a way that teaches in a straightforward manner without overwhelming the reader/listener. They nailed it.

Worth a stop but not a lot to see. Empty house (no period furnishings, no furniture at all) and access to only four empty rooms downstairs. A few empty outbuildings too. The tour was interesting and I enjoyed the story about the history of the plantation.

We had a great tour guide that covered all aspects of life on the plantation over the years before and after slavery was abolished. From the treatment of the slaves to the lives of the owners everything was covered. The tour takes place outside, you can enter the house but it is unfurnished. This doesn’t detract from the experience though. Go if you want to see the whole picture not just the white-washed version of history.

This plantation provides an exceptional tour that details the lives of enslaved people. It does not whitewash history. Highly recommended.

Its an extreme contradiction of perspective to rate a slave plantation. The site Historian, Shawn Halifax recounts realities of the horrors slaves experienced here left me with critically important takeaways, that forever changes my approach to life. #UpGrade #YesLORD

Tour guide was very knowledgeable.

I wasnt sure what to expect when arriving at McCleod plantation. Id heard about the more honest representation given here by the guides.It 100% was the best tour of a plantation home Ive ever been on. Our guide, Olivia, was extremely knowledgeable and really helped you relate to the people who lived and worked on those grounds. I left with a deeper understanding of our nations history and how it continues to impact the modern world. And I was truly impressed and appreciative of the guides willingness to lead us down roads many people arent prepared to face, despite whatever push back other guests dished. The stories they told lingered with me for weeks afterward and I hope they continue doing the good work theyre doing.

Very nice place to host an event for your company or organization. Its full of history of the Gullah Geechie people and they have very knowledgeable tour guides. It is both and educational experience and a beautiful place to tour and have a picnic lunch on the dock. A place very rich in the history of Charleston. I would highly recommend going there.

What a great tour! Paul was a wonderful guide and was so knowledgeable in first-source information on the daily tribulations faced by the poor slaves on this plantation. Brought tears to my eyes to see the little childrens fingerprints in the bricks from their role in making them. I love tours that actually teach me things and I learned a lot on this one.

Enjoyed the historic site. Price was $15 for adults and reasonable for the experience that includes tours at designated time - Kiera the guide was informative and dedicated to her craft.

I joined a guided tour at the plantation and found it informative and educational. I don’t quite understand how could someone not expect to hear - or learn - about slavery when comes to a plantation tour. Our guide is knowledgeable and dedicated to his topic of research and the plantation. If you would like to spend some quiet time while visiting, the southern end of the plantation provides a secluded and scenic spot by the Wappoo creek.

Great tour the other day. I took my mom dad and daughter. Very informative. The staff was very knowledgeable about the history. They did not give you all the glamour and shine only. The staff was sure to let you know how life was on the plantation, which I can appreciate. From reading recent reviews you would gather that all plantations did not include slavery, especially those “real ones” in Louisiana. maybe ONLY plantations in ALL the other states in the south had it. Glad I was able to have this experience and I or something and I didn’t know about this city in his history.

Pretty and historical Plantation. The tour guide did an upstanding job. Staff at the welcome center and volunteers are very nice and helpful.

Beautifully restored and the tours and guides are wonderful. A real treasure. An important addition to slave/freedman history in this area.

Interesting glimpse of slave history but very expensive for a very small location. Could only view 1 of the 3 floors in the tiny plantation home.

Great place to learn a history lesson

This was a beautiful home and has an interesting history. Unfortunately there is no furniture in the home and only access to the bottom floor. The tour guide was very helpful and great at her job! The house btw is not included in the tour just the grounds.

I have taken four people on this tour and each one of my nephews. I appreciate that they don’t hold back and explain what really happened to the enslaved and that Charleston has some history that is pretty horrible. Thanks for the truth!

My husband I came to Charleston to learn the true history of the South, but sadly we have found it difficult to find tours that aren’t afraid to tell the true narrative and horrors of the past. Most other plantations in Charleston are still owned by the families who enslaved African people and from reviews that I have read, barely talk about anything related to slavery, or even worse, spin a positive narrative. It blows my mind because their wealth has come and continues to come from the enslavement of African people. How can they deny this truth?!McLeod plantation is thankfully different. It speaks about the history of the plantation and focuses on those who were enslaved here. Our docent - Olivia - was incredible in the way she taught us about the past and didn’t shy away from any details. Having completed African studies at college, she had a wealth of knowledge and was able to answer any and every question that we had.I have read some other reviews on google about McLeod and people have said that they felt like they were being lectured on slavery even though they played no part of it.. white denial doesn’t get us anywhere. We all played a part in it regardless of where and when we were born and our white privilege has and continues to oppress people of color. This cannot be denied. Also, who visits a plantation and expects it to be an enjoyable experience?!? That sickens me to my stomach. ‘I am by far not a racist or against all Americans having equal rights, but this was my vacation..’ - oh the millions of enslaved Africans are so sorry that the horrors inflicted upon them ruined your vacation. What world are some people living in seriously.If you want to learn the truth and honor the stories and memories of all those who suffered at cruel hands, visit McLeod Plantation. If you are in denial about the truth, this isn’t the place for you.

Beautiful plantation in Charleston, SC. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable.

Very educational and factual. Loved the tour as well as the property. A must for visitors to the area. Also great for Charlesto natives. We learned so much!