Magnolia Plantation and Gardens

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens Review

The extensive informal garden, begun in 1685, has evolved into an overflowing collection of plants that bloom year-round, including a vast array of azaleas and camellias. You can take a tram or boat to tour the grounds, travel through the 125-acre Waterfowl Refuge, or explore the 30-acre Audubon Swamp Garden walking its new network of boardwalks and bridges. You can traverse the more than 500 acres of trails. (Regrettably, you can no longer rent a canoe or a bike, though you can bring them into the grounds.) There are also a petting zoo, a miniature-horse ranch, and an antebellum cabin (a guide gives a slave talk). You can tour the 19th-century plantation house, which originally stood in Summerville. (The original burned.) The home was taken apart, floated down the Ashley River, and reassembled here. The Audubon Swamp Garden is the only individual attraction that can be visited without first paying the $15 admission fee for the grounds.