the best way to experience history in sc: prince george plantation tours
Once a year the women of Prince George Winyah Church in Georgetown organize an incredible tour of dozens of plantations and historic sites in Georgetown County. It’s held in March/April timeframe each year with tickets going on sale on January 30th. Here are some quick facts about the ticketing process:
TICKETS | There are two days of tours and they are to different places. Tours are usually on a Friday and Saturday.
PRICE | You can purchase a 1-day ticket for $60 or 2 days for $105.
HOW TO GET TICKETS | You need to print off the form and mail it in with your check. Then you’ll get your packet back in the mail, if tickets are still available.
the Dates for 2024 will be April 5-6!
should i go? is it worth it?
Oh my gosh, 1000% yes. I mean, if you love history and beautiful places and are able to go kid-free then, 1000% yes. I do not recommend doing this with young kids. Older kids and teens may enjoy it if they really like history and are prepared for a lot of walking and lots of driving.
good to know info & tips
BROCHURE & MAPS | You’ll get a brochure with info on all the sites available for you to visit each day. I only did the Friday option this year and it had 15 locations available. The brochure includes some history and a map to help you plot your best route. It wasn’t too hard to figure out. Luckily things tend to be in small clusters.
PLANTATIONS + HISTORICAL SITES | Most of the stops are on former plantations and most of them are privately owned now and not accessible to the public. Some of them do open up the inside of the home but most just make the grounds accessible. There are also other historic sites like churches on the tour.
ONLY A FEW PLACES HAVE BATHROOMS | Take note of the distance between your potty break spots. Some of these are way out there and it’s hard to even find a gas station if needed.
EXPECT A LOT OF DIRT & GRAVEL ROADS | Many of the plantations are well off the main road and the only way to access them is on dirt and gravel roads. If you’re going to anything at Hobcaw then expect up to 2 miles of dirt roads through the woods. And they’re 1 lane but you’re often meeting traffic in the opposite direction with little space to pull to the shoulder. Basically, what I’m trying to say is to drive a vehicle that you don’t care about getting too dirty be prepared to feel like you’re off-roading it.
BRING YOUR LUNCH OR PURCHASE IT THROUGH THE TOUR | The tour gives an option to purchase a boxed lunch. Or you can bring your own, of course. Many people brought blankets to eat on the grounds which was a lovely idea. I would say you could also plan to eat lunch out but that might eat up some valuable tour time.
YOU WILL PROBABLY NEED ALL DAY | I was at my first plantation at 9:50am (9:30a is the earliest option) and I drove to the farthest point to start there. I moved pretty quickly through them and I finished my last one at 4:20pm. You may not choose to visit them all but if that is your goal then you need to be mindful of the time.
TAKE A TON OF PHOTOS | These spots are so, so beautiful! You’ll want to photograph everything. At least I did.
DO IT AGAIN TO APPRECIATE IT EVEN MORE | I think I’ll have an even better experience doing it next year. This year I was so focused on getting to all of them that I didn’t really slow down to enjoy what ended up being my favorite ones. Next year I’ll know if there are some I simply want to skip so I can spend more time at the favs. I think the list changes year to year but inevitably repeats will be on there.
YOU’LL GET A LITTLE INFO BUT NOT A TON | You’ll get a little info about each spot from the brochure and some locations have a flier with even more info. There are also docents at each spot who have more info to share but overall it’s not a great deal of info. I love this site for digging into local plantations, especially private ones.
