Middleton Place is no ordinary magnolia plantation. It?s registered as a National Historic Landmark for several good reasons. For starters, Middleton Place serves as the birthplace of a Declaration of Independence signatory. It?s also the site of the oldest landscaped gardens in the country.

At the Middleton Place, there are simply too many attractions to explore that you?d be better off spending the entire day exploring. The plantation stableyards offer a fascinating glimpse of how an 18th ? 19th century plantation operated. The gardens, which Henry Middleton started landscaping in 1741, followed the themes popularized by Andr? Le N?tre, the man behind the Versailles gardens. The house museum, also known as the South Flanker, originally served as guest quarters for visiting male guests in 1755.

You can then relax afterwards in one of the finely appointed fifty-three rooms of the Inn at Middleton Place, all of which are hidden in the midst of live oaks and tall pines that offer guests an exquisite sense of privacy.

Other Charleston plantations you may want to check out are Drayton Hall and Boone Hall Plantation.