Hampton Plantation State Historic Site

The Hampton Plantation State Historic Site, located in the southern Santee Delta region, is the home to the final remnants of a colonial-era rice plantation. It now serves as a site that teaches visitors about the rice cultivation, history of the property, and even the lives of the slaves who lived upon the plantation until the end of the Civil War.

Visitors get to see the beautiful grounds and explore the plantation’s mansion, learning about its construction, occupants, and all of the changes the property faced from the early 18th century. The grounds show what life looked like for the planters and slaves during that time and also includes plenty of of pine forest walking trails, the remains of the rice fields, and views of the Wambaw Creek. Hampton Plantation also inspired the famous Archibald Rutledge, South Carolina’s first poet laureate, who was the last owner of the house. He lived there until 1969.

The Hampton Plantation State is a National Historic Landmark. The property features more than 300 of Archibald Rutledge’s works and writings, as well as 274 acres of land. The Washington Oak Tree, the 220+ year old oak tree was saved by and named by the United States’ first president, also resides upon the property. The plantation’s mansion also has twelve rooms for visitors to explore as well as four acres of “wild gardens.” The property has three endangered species living upon the grounds, including the swallow-kite, endangered bats, and the red-cockaded woodpecker.

Admission to the grounds is free, while adult tickets for the mansion tour is $10. Senior tickets are $6 and children aged 5-15 are $5. Children under the age of 5 are free.