Drayton Hall vs Middleton Place
Both are endorsed by professional reviewers. On balance, Middleton Place ranks marginally better than Drayton Hall. Middleton Place comes in at #6 in Charleston with endorsements from 6 sources including Lonely Planet, Fodor's and Travel + Leisure.
Drayton Hall
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3380 Ashley River Rd, Charleston, SC 29414
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Travel + Leisure
"A 1742 plantation on the Ashley River run by the National Trust for Historic Preservation."
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Fodor's
"The only plantation house on the Ashley River to have survived the Civil War intact."
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Michelin Guide
2 Stars
"The only plantation house on the Ashley River to survive the Revolutionary and Civil Wars intact, Drayton Hall was occupied by seven generations of the Drayton family."
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Where
"Circa 1738, Drayton Hall is the oldest unrestored plantation house in America still open to the public, and it's the nation’s earliest example of fully executed Palladian architecture."
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Atlas Obscura
"Oldest unrestored plantation house in America that is open to the public. "
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Middleton Place
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4300 Ashley River Road, Charleston, SC 29414
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Travel + Leisure
"This 1741 historic plantation has an exquisite formal garden."
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Fodor's
"This former plantation is home to America's oldest landscaped gardens, begun in 1741 by Henry Middleton."
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Afar Magazine
"Middleton Place exists because of slavery—that's a stark reality that's not ignored by the exhibits throughout the sprawling plantation."
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Where
"This carefully preserved, 18th-century plantation and National Historic Landmark features 65 acres of America’s oldest landscaped gardens."
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Condé Nast Traveler
"This is a place to spend time disappearing into the shrubbery, stumbling upon statuary, tiptoeing past sunbathing alligators, and learning about both stewardship and slavery."
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