We will be installing a new exhibit in the cabin for enslaved people, through Saturday, August 30. There may be times when the cabin is closed to the public as we work to update this space.
Redcliffe grounds are open 9 am-6 pm every day. Please do not enter restricted areas as we continue to clean up storm damage. Access to the mansion is only provided on tours. Tours are held Thursday-Monday at 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm. Special events and field trips may affect tour times. Book your tour spot in advance by calling the park. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
HOURS
Grounds: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., daily
Guided Tours of the Historic Structures available: Thursday-Monday at 11 a.m. 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Access to the mansion is only available on a guided tour.
OFFICE
10 a.m. - 11 a.m., daily. Please note that on Tuesdays and Wednesdays park rangers are often out on the grounds.
ADMISSION
Park admission is free. House tours are $10 for adults; $6 for SC Seniors; $5 for children ages 6-15; children age 5 and under are free.
PETS
Pets are allowed in most outdoor areas provided they are kept under physical restraint or on a leash not longer than six feet.
Welcome! I am Ashley Rust, Park Manager at Redcliffe Plantation. I don’t know if I ever had an “aha!” moment of realizing that I wanted to be a park ranger, but I am so glad my path led me here. I grew up hiking, fishing, and camping in Southern Virginia, but my deep interest in history always seemed at odds with a career that could combine the two things I enjoyed most. I began my work in museums and art galleries over a decade ago, and from there I was lucky to find a way into the world of historic sites. The history at sites like Redcliffe is tangible, the stories of people are brought to life through buildings, artifacts, and landscape. I enjoy that this job is sharing history with the public and so much more – it’s preservation at every level from sweeping the floors to digitizing documents and protecting the decades-old trees and flowers.
The magnolias all over the property are my favorite and are a constant reminder of the resilience of the environment and people around us. Some are 160 years old, planned and planted in a neat row that was once the entrance to the site. Some are yearlings along the trail, wild and voluntary and making a place in a dense landscape.
If you're a first-time visitor to the park, spend time with the land, whether it’s learning about how the terraces were shaped by enslaved people or walking the trail and sitting by our small pond. Talk to a ranger, check out our exhibits, or take the full tour to see everything and hear the history of the people who lived here.
Redcliffe Plantation has been named as one of the "Top Ten Sites to Visit in South Carolina" by the SC African American Heritage Commission during Black History Month. Please visit Green Book of SC, for information on other African American Cultural Sites in South Carolina.
**Our Ultimate Outsider stamp is located at the historic mansion on the side of the mansion closest to the stables.
Redcliffe Plantation, completed in 1859, was once the home of James Henry Hammond, three generations of his descendants, and numerous African-American families like the Henleys, Goodwins, and Wigfalls who worked at the site as enslaved laborers and later as free men and women. Now one of the many historic plantations South Carolina has opened to the public, this site encompasses the ambition, wealth and power of James Henry Hammond as well as the injustices and suffering forced on the hundreds of enslaved peoples who were forced to live and work on the land. A successful cotton planter, congressman, governor and senator, Hammond spent his life defending the southern plantation system and his status within it.
Just one of several historic plantations South Carolina is known for, Redcliffe provides a setting for exploring the experiences of the enslaved, as well as the larger institution of slavery and reflects the historical experiences and impact of the white and black families who lived and worked at the site. The extant slave quarters, mansion, and iconic lane of magnolia trees planted in 1861 serve to highlight the plantation’s rich and varied history.
The South Carolina State Park Service preserves historic resources including artifacts, structures, and cultural landscape features that document the layers of history and the patterns of change at Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site and other South Carolina State Historic Sites.
BY THE NUMBERS
1 historic house museum with 4,000+ artifacts from 4 generations of the Hammond family from 1859-1975
2 historic circa 1857 slave cabins, used to interpret the history of generations of families enslaved at Redcliffe
1 expansive porch where you can sit and catch a breeze
1 magnolia lane, perfect for strolling through these old, magnificent magnolias
19 primary source documents, 26 historic images, 100s of stories in the Visitor Center Exhibit
1 small gift shop that gives you the chance to purchase a memento from Redcliffe Plantation
369 acres with a rich and complex history that underlies its beauty
1 hiking trail approximately 1.7 miles long
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