Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens

Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens, 1235 Long Point Rd., traces its history to a 1681 land grant to Maj. John Boone. Primarily a cotton plantation, it also produced bricks and tiles. The current mansion, built in 1936 to resemble an antebellum house, contains plantation-made bricks as well as woodwork and flooring from an earlier house. Costumed docents lead tours of the first floor, which is furnished with antiques.

The Black History in America exhibit, which is presented throughout eight brick slave cabins, showcases African American history with such mediums as artifacts, furnishings, photos, narratives, sweetgrass demonstrations and audiovisual presentations. A presentation about Gullah culture is offered in a theater atmosphere outside the ninth slave cabin. The original circular smokehouse, a dock house built on the foundation of the original cotton dock, a stable built in the 1940s and a butterfly pavilion also can be seen.

Formal gardens with antique roses, camellias and azaleas grace the grounds. An in-depth coach tour of the former cotton fields, pecan groves, wetlands and working produce farm is available. A half-mile arched entry is lined with moss-covered oaks, the first of which were planted in 1743 by John Boone's son.

Guided tours are available. Food is available. Time: Allow 3 hours minimum.