Constructed in 1820 by Charleston merchant John Robinson, Aiken-Rhett House serves as a time capsule for 19th-century Southern architecture and the life of the Aiken family who took ownership of the property in 1827. Surrounded by palm trees and other greenery, the preserved, three-story home is on the National Register of Historic Places. The grounds were also home to a number of skilled African American slaves, who were freed after the end of the Civil War. You can wander the area and see their living quarters. The family passed the property down from one generation to the next until the house was donated to the Charleston Museum in 1975. Make Aiken-Rhett House part of your personalized Charleston itinerary using our Charleston trip itinerary builder app.
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Aiken-Rhett House reviews
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This grand old home is in a state of preservation, not restoration. This was very interesting to see, and one could visualize the decline of the once wealthy and entitled family. Recommend see this...
This grand old home is in a state of preservation, not restoration. This was very interesting to see, and one could visualize the decline of the once wealthy and entitled family. Recommend see this... more »
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The Aiken-Rhett House is absolutely amazing. You are given headphones that take you on a self-guided tour of the grounds including the slave quarters and the house. My favorite room I think was the.... more
The Aiken-Rhett House is absolutely amazing. You are given headphones that take you on a self-guided tour of the grounds including the slave quarters and the house. My favorite room I think was the.... more »
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This was so well done! We bought our tickets ahead of time. Took our own ear phones(they have some if you don't, but might cost you?🤷) and downloaded the app. Walked right in and started the tour. Very interesting. But I did walk through thinking that it would be very difficult for those who can't walk stable. And I never saw an elevator for handicap (of course there wouldn't be those back in the day). I never saw on the website information on convenient parking. That could have been helpful to us. Everyone who worked there was super friendly and helpful. Very clean bathrooms in the gift shop.
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This grand home is "preserved", rather than maintained. It shows original paint & wallpaper as it has worn through the years. Period furnishings in the rooms reveal life as it was. A very nice historical book is available about this home & the Nathaniel-Russell house in the gift shop. Beautiful pictures & the history of the homes & those who lived there is a wonderful addition to anyone's library.
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