Nathaniel Russell House
Nathaniel Russell House
4.5
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
About
A National Historic Landmark, the Nathaniel Russell House Museum was completed in 1808 by merchant Nathaniel Russell. The home’s graceful, free-flying, three-story staircase is an architectural marvel and the elegant interiors with elaborate plasterwork, geometrically shaped rooms, formal gardens and collection of 18th-century decorative and fine art speak to the wealth of Charleston’s elite in the early days of the American Republic. Restored to its original splendor using forensic analysis and cutting-edge conservation technology by our curatorial staff, we ensure the highest standards of old-world expertise to replicate the finishes, fixtures and textiles appropriate for this 200-year old townhouse. The 18 enslaved Africans that lived on and maintained this property are an integral part of its history. Archaeological artifacts, educational panels and ongoing restoration of the enslaved quarters are vital to learning more about the enslaved and telling their important stories.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Charlestowne
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See what travellers are saying
  • SGcvn69
    Munhall, Pennsylvania1,055 contributions
    Great Tour!
    I love visiting old houses and this is no exception! I’m always in awe of how they designed and managed them to take advantage of the best that nature has to offer! I loved the recessed shutters and how they locked them. How the house is built for function, air flow, etc! The oval staircase is gorgeous in this house and the even have the original sized joggling bench! The old globes were pretty interesting to see too! The architecture inside is gorgeous. Worth seeing! Much nicer than the plantation house I saw, but then again…this was city living 😆
    Visited January 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written January 12, 2023
  • Shannon
    512 contributions
    Well-worth the $15 visit
    It was a rainy day in Charleston and we needed something to do! I decided on visiting the Nathaniel Russell House because it opens at 10 and admission is only $15. I really enjoyed this visit. It was more than just looking at a historic home. The audio tour combined with the beautifully restored and decorated home was very well-done. The audio tour, device and headset included, was informative, interesting, easy to use and not too long! The ladies narrating gave just enough information without making you want to skip ahead. Not only is the home restored to original glory, it's decorated with period pieces so you can really envision the lives of the Russells. The laundry room/enslaved quarters is currently being worked on, so it was very interested to see it in it's primitive state. As I said, it was raining so we only briefly walked the gardens which are rather small so I didn't feel we missed too much. The whole visit took us about an hour. Nice job, Historic Charleston Foundation!
    Visited January 2023
    Written January 22, 2023
  • Badforever
    London, Canada726 contributions
    A great, inexpensive tour, with or without a guide, benefits the Historical Foundation.
    We just happened to show up when a guided tour was commencing. Otherwise, the tour is self guided with an audio device. Our guide was very knowledgeable speaking about preservation techniques, interior design, architecture, and, of course, history. We learned a lot and the building is quite fantastic. We appreciated that the beneficiary of our admission fee is the Historical Society and funding the ongoing preservation - and not the descendant family of someone who had built their fortune on the backs of slave labour.
    Visited March 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written March 13, 2023
  • Janice P
    Markham, Canada52 contributions
    Mostly Great
    Historical society has done a great job of renovating this prominent home to its original state. Provides a glimpse into the wealthy life of upperclass Charleston. However, was disappointed that they are only now allocating monies to renovate the kitchen and laundry area where slaves worked non-stop to support the needs of the household. Also, I was disappointed that there was no indication that the slaves bedroom quarters were to be renovated. Otherwise, very good self-audio tour!
    Visited March 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written March 23, 2023
  • Kathryn A
    Chicago, Illinois20 contributions
    Nice house but the tour was a little off-putting
    The house was beautiful and there was a lot of interesting information but our tour guide got a little impatient with people's questions and was almost rude. She seemed flustered and annoyed when anyone asked anything. I might try it again and hope for a different guide.
    Visited March 2023
    Written March 30, 2023
  • StigJim
    Alliance, Ohio532 contributions
    A Top Tour
    This was one of, if not the best, of the tours we took in Charleston. While some of the historic homes have been left in the condition they were I when they became museums, here there has been an effort to bring the home back to what it was like back in the 18th century. Our guide provided a lot of information about the house, it’s original residents, and about archeological digs in the basement and about how some of the restoration has been done. It’s also unusual among the historical home tours in Charleston in that this house is based more fully on British/European models.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written April 28, 2023
  • Red-Barchetta2011
    Suffield, Connecticut749 contributions
    Lovely Tour
    This was a nice home to visit. When we arrived they had asked if we wanted the self guided audio tour or the guided. We decided to do the guided tour. I believe there was no cost difference. Since it was mid morning it was not too crowded and since most people did the self guided tour so it was just me and my wife with the tour guide, so it was very personal. She was great and she walked through and explained the history, the furnishing, decor and architecture. She had a lot of knowledge and passion which makes these kind of tours much more enjoyable. We did not do lot of tours do to time available but we were very glad we did this. If you can only do one or two I would highly recommend this one.
    Visited February 2023
    Written May 6, 2023
  • paisha
    187 contributions
    Excellent docent-led tour!
    We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Nathaniel Russell House. The docent-led tour was excellent. If you visit, be sure to catch one. The tour and the house were filled with architectural and historical wonder. Highly recommend.
    Visited May 2023
    Written May 18, 2023
  • amusementparkguy1
    104 contributions
    Informative Piece of History
    A friend and I toured this house on our trip to Charleston. As with the Aiken-Rhett House, this one reflects life in the antebellum and Post Civil War days. It is under restoration currently in the kitchen and laundry rooms. The grounds are beautiful.
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written June 7, 2023
  • Matt B
    7 contributions
    A happy accident
    We had a walking tour cancelled so my wife and I created our own. Came across this place and gave it a shot. Really happy we did. Really informative and insightful, definitely do the guided tour instead of the headphone one. Diane really was a fun guide and answered all of our questions.
    Visited July 2023
    Written July 18, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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BDfromDC
Washington DC, DC50 contributions
Nov. 2023 • Couples
Don't do the woke audio tour unless you need a lesson that slavery was like a really, really bad thing. Read about the house and its inhabitant but don't depend upon the millennial-speak infused audio tour, which is just embarrassing.
Written November 22, 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.

Amy B
8 contributions
Nov. 2023 • Friends
Beautiful staircase and architectural features. Staff was very friendly and I appreciated the option for an in-person tour
Written November 22, 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.

Voyage319904
4 contributions
Oct. 2023 • Friends
Great restoration. Walking audio tour was so informative, easy to use and could move about at your own pace. The building itself plus period pieces helped you feel like you were in their moment.
Written October 26, 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.

ChicagoTraveler08
Lake Bluff, IL108 contributions
Oct. 2023 • Couples
Interesting home. Good self-guided tour. Unlike many tours you do get to see most of the house, including second floor. Kitchen and laundry are under excavation -- that was interesting.
Written October 23, 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.

cdandoy
Gilbert, AZ897 contributions
Oct. 2023 • Friends
Easy to find. I used the audio which is about 45 min long. It was a tad slow in places but the rooms themselves are great! Love the chamber pot chair and the staircase. Used to some rooms having chairs for those that need to sit occasionally but this only had 1 spot for sitting.
Written October 5, 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.

Virago750
Athens, GA52 contributions
Sep. 2023 • Family
The self guided tours were okay. I had to go back 3 times to get the tour started and back to where the device failed. Some renovations were in progress so not all was available/convenient.
Written October 4, 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.

vichy
NYC539 contributions
Sep. 2023 • Friends
Very nicely maintained house museum - the place is the size of a normal house so it doesn't take more than 1-2 hours to get through it. Really nice audio guide for the property. It also shows really well the contrast between the owner and slave quarters.
Written September 23, 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.

JefSch75
Marion, IA91 contributions
Jul. 2023 • Family
The Nathaniel Russell House and the Aiken-Rhett House are must-sees in Charleston. The AR house is not refurbished but the Russell House has been restored quite a bit. It is air conditioned which is a consideration if you're in Charleston in the summer. The guided walking tour that uses your phone (or you can borrow one) is excellent and well-paced. Make sure you also spend time at the Aiken-Rhett House and you will get an awesome glimpse into life in Charleston many years ago.
Written July 28, 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.

Alf R
Sausalito, United States11 contributions
Jul. 2023
An excellent self guided audio tour. Informative, with plenty of additional sound bites. History was narrated with clarity and the architecture, especially the cantilevered three flight staircase. High recommended, and the garden is lovely too.
Written July 26, 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.

Matt B
7 contributions
Jul. 2023
We had a walking tour cancelled so my wife and I created our own. Came across this place and gave it a shot. Really happy we did. Really informative and insightful, definitely do the guided tour instead of the headphone one. Diane really was a fun guide and answered all of our questions.
Written July 18, 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.

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NATHANIEL RUSSELL HOUSE - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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