No visit to Charleston(opens in a new tab), South Carolina, is complete without a stop at one of the area’s striking historical plantations. These immaculately preserved sites allow visitors to take a step back in time and soak up the atmosphere of the Old South. Next time you’re in town to visit the Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction(opens in a new tab), we recommend stopping by one of these three beauties. Middleton Place No matter what time of year you visit Middleton Place, you’ll find 65 acres of stunning gardens in bloom. A National Historic Landmark, Middleton Place offers a glimpse into the plantation life that dominated pre-Civil War South Carolina. Visitors of all tastes will find something to love at Middleton Place, which includes extensive landscaped gardens, a preserved plantation mansion, and rejuvenated stable yards, where actors perform the tasks that African slaves would have done in the 18th century. Plan your trip(opens in a new tab) to Middleton Place! Boone Hall Plantation Famous for the double line of oak trees (planted in 1743!) that line its driveway, Boone Hall Plantation provides educational tours as well as an opportunity to participate first-hand in plantation life. For 320 years, Boone Hall has been a living, producing plantation. In the 1800s, Boone Hall produced cotton and pecans, but today its crops include strawberries, pumpkins, tomatoes, and other fruits and vegetables(opens in a new tab). Visitors can pick their own harvests in special fields after learning about the life of those who lived in the Boone Hall house and on the plantation hundreds of years ago. Plan your visit(opens in a new tab) to Boone Hall! Magnolia Plantation Home of the oldest public gardens in the United States, Magnolia Plantation opened its doors to the public in 1870, nearly 200 years after its founding in 1676. In 2010, Magnolia Plantation won a prestigious Heritage Tourism Award for its efforts at interpretively recreating and presenting slave cabins to visitors. Visitors can enjoy boat tours, a petting zoo, tours of the gardens and house, and a leisurely stop at the plantation’s Peacock Café. The self-guided walking tour of the Swamp Garden is especially popular among tourists, and is open 365 days per year. Plan your trip(opens in a new tab) to Magnolia Plantation!