Edmondston-Alston House
Edmondston-Alston House
Edmondston-Alston House
4.5
11:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
11:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
11:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
11:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
11:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
11:30 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Constructed nearly 200 years ago, circa 1825, the Edmondston-Alston House presents a unique history of the people, both free and enslaved, who lived and labored on this property. Its collection of furniture, silver and decorative arts, largely original to those who owned the house, constitutes a rich, complex history of Charleston in the 19th century. Commanding a magnificent view of Charleston Harbor, the Edmondston-Alston House has witnessed many historic moments in the port city’s history. One of the oldest houses along the High Battery, it withstood the American Civil War, the Earthquake of 1886, and numerous hurricanes; it has survived to share a piece of Charleston history.
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Address
Neighbourhood: Charlestowne
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Restaurants
527 within 5 kms
Attractions
277 within 10 kms
See what travellers are saying
- cdandoyGilbert, Arizona1,257 contributionsGreat!We had a nice visit. Tours happen 15 after the hour and 15 before the hour. It lasted about 40 minutes. Enjoyed seeing the house, learning it's history, etc. It went at a good speed. Also a site for the filming of Outer Banks.Visited October 2023Travelled with friendsWritten October 6, 2023
- ChicagoTraveler08Lake Bluff, Illinois104 contributionsBeautiful home -- RecommendedBeautiful home with an amazing location. Tour was well done; you get the opportunity to see first and second floor. (Interesting: family of one of the 19th C owners lives on 3rd floor.) Beautifully furnished. Situated on the Battery. Down the street from Rainbow Row houses.Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten October 23, 2023
- Irisheyes_777Charleston, South Carolina394 contributionsA Charleston GemThis is a beautiful historic museum house looking over the harbor on the battery. We had a fantastic guide informing us on so many interesting facts and stories about this house and the part it played in the Civil War. It is definitely a Charleston gem and a must visit if you love touring historic homes.Visited April 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten April 20, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
996 reviews
Excellent
592
Very good
289
Average
86
Poor
17
Terrible
12
TravelingSoccerLoon
Saint Paul, MN5,931 contributions
Nov 2021 • Couples
Beautiful house and incredible location overlooking the Charleston harbor. Guided tours offered every 30 minutes. Not as interesting as some of the other historic homes in Charleston but still worth a visit especially if you have the Charleston Heritage Pass that allows admission to 10 different homes and museums in Charleston for $49/person. A bit annoying being the only house that doesn’t allow indoor photography. Also could have done a slightly better job recognizing the lives of the enslaved who were an integral part of the history of the house and city.
Written December 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christine T
Thornton, CO203 contributions
Dec 2020
Visited last week and fortunate to obtain tickets for this event. Lovely tour inside the house by candlelight. You are allowed to climb the stairs to the 2nd foor Drawing rooms. On this 2nd floor balcony the carolers are gathered in costumes. Guides inside provide background information about the house. Outside you can listen to a brief Gullah Christmas carole. This event helped set the tone for the holiday season.
Written December 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
spephf
Wappingers Falls, NY3 contributions
Feb 2023 • Couples
We had visited other prominent houses for the same price. The value of this guided tour is not worth the expense. They only show you 4 rooms of the house and no pictures are allowed. The guide gave a theatrical performance of the lives of the owners for about 10-15 minutes while standing in the first room. Any questions about the house or architecture were answered with a condescending tone. We left feeling like the current owners were giving the tour and we should be grateful that we were allowed to view anything at all.
Written March 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dawne F
Anderson, SC57 contributions
Apr 2021 • Couples
We approached the “volunteers” (I’m hoping these unprofessional people are not getting paid to treat people the way they do) at the front no greeting was given. We had to interrupt their personal conversation about everything but the home at which point we inquired how to view the home. We showed them the passes and were told ok that’s it. The “hostess” at this place point turned away and began to chat with her colleagues. We entered the home and were inside for several minutes before she followed us in and rudely told us we had to wait on another tour. Then they made comments when we went to wait on the next tour. Don’t waste your time on this trip it’s rushed and the people are unpleasant.
Written April 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for letting us know about your experience. I'm sorry to learn of the miscommunication that occurred upon your arrival. Our staff and volunteers take great pride in welcoming visitors and sharing the history of the house. We offer 30 minute guided tours; after purchasing tickets at the desk or showing confirmation of your purchase, our guests are invited to have a seat on our piazza before the start of the next tour (typically no more than a 15 minute wait).
Written April 29, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Loves-A-Deal-2-Eat
Ventura, California702 contributions
Jun 2022 • Solo
I thoroughly enjoyed my tour of this old historic home. Mary Ellen was a informative docent who knew her stuff about the house and incorporated the family's history into Charleston's history. So interesting and I learned so much. I loved the fun little facts she gave us about the art, pieces of furniture, the grounds, how the family earned their living, and the working of the enslaved people around the home. Ask about PT Beauregard and the balcony. Wow. We were able to tour the first 2 floors, but the family still resides on the 3rd floor, and there is a bed and breakfast in another wing of the house. Very interesting. I wasn't bored for a moment.
Written June 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tanyajn1
Sterling, VA231 contributions
Jan 2023 • Couples
We stopped by this house on a whim. Sitting along the battery, the house is open for guided tours even though the owner still lives there on the third level. The guide was very knowledgeable about the house, it's occupants, and the history it has. I can't believe the dining table stretches to seat 22 people! No photos are allowed in the house.
Written January 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chloe Acosta
4 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
Looking forward to the house, we planned the EA house much in advance, even going out of our way to visit a place so rich in history. But, we were very disappointed. It was quite a feat to tour about five rooms in ten minutes. Having paid for said tour, I was very confused as to why the duration of the tour was what it was, and why the information supplied seemed woefully paltry. Standing out on the balcony, where a scene occurred that gives the EA house it’s fame, we were given a short twenty-second liner that did no justice to the story we knew was behind it. Having toured two houses a couple hours before, it was my first time leaving one of the beautiful Charleston house’s with a sense of wonderment at how insulting the experience was. Beautiful house, but with a tour only ten minutes long and a tour guide that seemed intent on running from room to room and leaving much to the imagination, I wonder why I even paid.
Written July 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We apologize that your experience at the Edmondston-Alston House did not meet your expectations. There is indeed a rich history here which our guides strive to share. The Middleton Place Foundation, which operates the Edmondston-Alston House, is stretched very thin at the moment and in order to be open under these circumstances we have been giving people the option of a self-guided tour or a 20-25 minute guided tour; the online ticket is discounted as a result. We are keeping our groups to no more than 6 people to accommodate for adequate social distancing. Because we must run them more frequently, the tours are shorter in nature. Once again, we are sorry that you did not enjoy your time here. We hope you understand our efforts in trying to keep both visitors and staff safe during COVID. We hope that post pandemic you’ll revisit the Edmondston-Alston House. Please know that entry fees support the Middleton Place Foundation, allowing us to keep our doors open at this time.
Written July 6, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
allifromWI
West Bend, WI308 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
There are a lot of interesting things in this house, but you only get to see two floors of it. It felt like the tour could have been done in 15 minutes instead of more than 30 minutes. Our tour guide had some interesting information about the families who lived there, but I felt it was just too long of a tour (in my humble opinion) and you didn’t get to see much. It was okay.
Written February 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vic S
Greenville, SC414 contributions
Jun 2020
The Edmondston-Alston house was part of our combo tix which included the house/Middleton Place estate. We did the house mid day friday and saved the grand house and gardens/farm for saturday. The house is well worth the tour, since Covid you tour the house at your own pace, but docents on each floor discuss the art, furniture, and house lay out as you proceed through. Only took 30-45 minutes plus plenty of parking out front. Enjoyed seeing the in town set up, but Middleton Place left me with greater impressions of the original main house, the flanker houses, and the stunning gardens.
Written June 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bluedog38
Boston, MA176 contributions
Sept 2021 • Couples
This house tour can be combined with the Middleton Plantation ticket. Highly recommend this as you don’t have to use both same day
The house is a well maintained home furnished with original pieces. Very informative docents and great view of Charleston harbor from second floor balcony. Interesting history of the family and the role the house and family played in civil war.
The house is a well maintained home furnished with original pieces. Very informative docents and great view of Charleston harbor from second floor balcony. Interesting history of the family and the role the house and family played in civil war.
Written September 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The last tour of the day begins at approximately 4:30 pm (which is also the closing time each day),
Written March 6, 2019
Is advanced ticket purchase necessary?
Written March 17, 2018
It is not nessary to purchase a ticket in advance. Enter the home and you will be greeted in the office to the right of enterance hall by those providing tickets and information on the tours times.
Written March 18, 2018
Yes. There are a couple of packages to choose from. You can choose just the house tour or a combination ticket which includes the Middleton Plantation. I recommend the combination ticket. I would check the website for current rates.
Written February 18, 2017
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