Day Trip with kids to hampton plantation
Hampton Plantation is preserved as a state historical site and maintained by the South Carolina State Parks Department. It’s located about 55 miles south of central Myrtle and is an easy day trip from anywhere in the Grand Strand. Read on to learn more about our recent trip with kids to Hampton Plantation and find some pointers for your own trip!
things to know before you go
Getting to Hampton Plantation is easy. It’s a straight shot south past Georgetown and into the area known as the Santee Delta. It’s pretty remote once you pass Georgetown so plan appropriately if you think you’ll need a potty break.
There is no fee to enter the grounds but a tour of the house is $10 for adults and $5 for kids (6-15). Younger children are free (wheee!). Guided tours are offered Fridays-Tuesdays at noon and 2pm. Without a guided tour you will not be able to enter the house. The grounds open at 9am daily and are free to explore on your own.
Other good-to-knows: There is a clean set of bathrooms right by the welcome station/parking lot but none at the house. There are plenty of grounds to cover at the house. You can see the giant oak tree, Wambaw Creek nearby, the evidence of how the area was used in rice production, and sit on the front porch of the giant house. There are hiking trails to explore too but the park site encourages plenty of bug spray for this undertaking.
Kids will have no problems walking around and an all-terrain stroller should be fine but there are no sidewalks or pavement so be prepared for lots of sand and grass. Also, there are no quick serve restaurants in the local area so packing a lunch is a good idea. There is an uncovered picnic area nearby.
As you cover the grounds there will be shaded areas from the many trees but the house does not have air conditioning so summertime tours will be toasty.
The mansion tour
Our group of six adults and four kids took the guided tour which lasts about an hour. The tour take you through each room on the main two levels and points out key features and interesting stories. The older kids did well for the tour but the 2 year old had no patience for this ho-hummery. The guide was kind to involve the kids in passing out artifacts and incorporated them into the presentation wherever possible.
If you are remotely interested in history then this tour will stick in your brain and have you searching for more history of the area, history of the family and history of this time period. It is all fascinating.
What else to do in the area
If you and your kids still have some juice left in you after all that exploring then you’ve got options!
The town of McClellanville is a little farther south and has a small historic district with a fresh seafood market, popular restaurant (TW Graham & Co), and a small museum. If you’re not in a hurry then those are cute to check out.
There is another local plantation called Hopsewee only 5 miles north. We’ll post our review of that one once we make our way there.
And the town of Georgetown has a lovely harborwalk with plenty of shops and restaurants to check out. There are also many museums and historical markers to explore. A quick stop for ice cream is always a good idea. Our tips for day tripping in Georgetown is coming soon too!