Aiken-Rhett House Reviews

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 Ballroom as it felt haunted. This is a must see if you are planning a visit to Charleston.

Growing up in the northeast, the history in the south is defintely different from what we know. The Aiken-Rhett House is preserved, not restored, meaning in most cases it reflects the condition it was in when the house was converted into a museum/tour. It it maintained today to prevent it from further damage.

The house is grand and the audio tour does a good job of explaining what you are seeing both from the family's perspective and estimating the perspective of the servants/slaves that lived there. The information on the house is deep and a bit too long and dry in my opinion. Volunteers on the property are very kind and happy to answer any questions as you go through.

I can't compare to similar sites as this is the only one we did, but this would be mid-tier on my list of recommendations for things to do in Charleston.

My favorite historic home to visit in Charleston, South Carolina! I dig the preservation over restoration choice. The audio tour is informative and well done. I would bring headphones to listen although they don't require it. People were playing it off their phone out loud. Doesn't shy away from the role slavery played in this time and place and deals with the issue respectably. Very impressed by the social consciousness of the tour and place. Do the combo ticket with Natty Russell house, well worth it. Kind of secluded area compared to other sites. Can relax on benches on the piazzas.

A wonderful experience! Using the hand held audio guide, you can take your time and enjoy every part of this historical home & grounds. The rooms are furnished with period pieces and very well displayed. The audio guide is very informative and nicely articulated. Unlike the McLeod Plantation, it is well worth the time and money.

Definitely either bring your own headphones or borrow theirs; the guided audio tour is very informative and well written. Plan to stay for about one and a half hours. My 11 year old son, my mom, and I all enjoyed it. So worth it!

I really liked the headphones and individual handset given to each person. It is a self-guided tour. If you want to hear the discussion a second time, no problem. Overall, this was a very good visit.

We bought the combo ticket in order to see both the Nathaniel Russell House and the Aiken-Rhett House. Highly recommend. This house is preserved (whereas the Nathaniel Russell House is restored), which gives a whole different outlook on the history of the house. This house self-guided audio tour focuses not only on the lives of the owners of the house, but also of the enslaved workers of the house. Fascinating history. Highly recommend the visit. Arrive at least 45 minutes prior to listed closure of the house, as they would prefer the tours to be finishing up at listed closure and will close the gate 45 minutes prior.

Bad, incredibly bad, service at wedding I attended on 21 Feb -2025. Wait staff service was rude , nasty and unprofessional.. At a wedding, and given the charges to the couple, certainly expected minimal service, what I experienced was less, in fact poor rude staff interaction from opening cocktails to, especially bad, dinner / wedding cake service. wedding cake service. Don’t choose this poor venue if you hope for/expect minimal/ reasonable service. I’m not from Charleston, but am confident there are better places than this place. It was unpleasant.

I really enjoyed this self guided tour. The house has been preserved not restored so there are a lot of original aspects to the house from wallpaper, paint, lighting to furniture. I found it very interesting and sad how things were back pre and even post Civil War. Glad we stumbled upon and went in.

We were initially going to skip this house due to the fact it's preserved, not renovated and worried about the audio quality. WOW would we have missed out on a great experience!! The audio is so well done - better than most in Europe! Take earbuds for better experience. Lasts almost 1 hour, goes by fast. The house is SO fascinating, even without being restored - it's actually nice to see the difference, but is still well maintained, many rooms to see!! Buying tickets online very easy. In charming Uptown.

It is like stepping back in time visiting this house and they take great care to celebrate the slaves who built and supported it.

We loved our visit. We purchased the combo ticket and visited this house first as it was closer to our hotel. We were glad we visited here first as there is so much to take in and see. We loved that the home was preserved instead of restored - so much more interesting to see the layers of history. It was also enjoyable to be able to listen to the tour as a group as you do not need to use headphones here to listen to the tour as they stagger guests as they enter the home.

This was truly a house preservation spot and to that extent was very good. The system in place for payment snd the self-tour headphone for phone app we’re outdated. The payment reader did not accept payment without multiple tries. The headphones worked only one ear for me, then readily fell off my husbands head. The worst part was the self-tour did not easily handle with large your groups who took up room for longer time periods. We had TWO tour groups to work around and were never able to finish tour completely. Groups should be spaced out more.

Very interesting tour that was well done. I enjoyed the slave history and buildings the most. The house was in a beautiful residential area.

This was one of our favorites during our Charleston vacation. Walking through the house is like walking through history. They have done a great job of preserving what they can and painting a picture of life in and around the home through the audio tour. The self-guided audio tour is easy to follow and they provide iPods and headsets for those that don't want to use their own phones.

This is our favorite house to visit when we are in Charleston. As people who love history, we really appreciate the audio tour compared to others because they have done a wonderful job of accurately depicting the life of the Aiken-Rhett's including a focus on the role of the slaves there. As hard as it is to learn about this, it is very eye-opening and important to understand slavery and we appreciate their efforts to preserve the dwellings and to tell the stories of those who served at this house. It is a wonderful preservation project that is a must see in Charleston.

This is a preserved but unrestored house with no AC in main part of the house. The focus of the audio tour is on slavery. It looks as if some repairs will need to be made soon. Also, not great for those who are unable to walk stairs.

This is a fantastic self guided tour! You can listen to as much or as little of the tape as you want for each room. Easy to download free app and headphones available if you don't have yours. An amazing house and history of it. The idea of cooking in those kitchens in the heat is overwhelming, as is the slave quarters above the work places. Hard to believe that Americans really owned other people and thought of them as property.

What a great tour. The audio tour will take you through the upstairs and downstairs of the home. You will see the out buildings and get a great feeling of how a such a place was run in the 1800s. The good, the bad and the reality of it all. If you want to see a town home of a well to do Charleston family this is the place to go.

This house is completely unrestored inside and in very bad shape. I usually like unrestored houses, but this is the worst I have ever seen. Some parts of the back of the house look like it may cave in any day. The floor boards squeak like I have never heard in an old house.
The "tour" is on a recording with earphones and It is very rambling and too long. Most of what it says is not interesting or historic. It tells you very little of the famous owners and their lives. The main focus is on the slave quarters and that is where you are directed first. There is a lot of guess work and speculation of the enslaved people who lived there.
The old kitchen is very interesting and the stables with old carriages. There is no one to ask a question.
I have been on tours there years ago, but it is in much worse condition and they had real people as guides then.
It is worth seeing to imagine how grand it once was, but it is almost a burden to listen to the long recording that rambles on.
The tour leaves many questions unanswered. I think children would not like this. It is like a haunted house.

One of the sites you should tour. This house is being preserved as opposed to restored. Therefore it is in rough shape. But it is very informative.

Coming from Australia we chose to explore this house that is totally preserved.We were given headphones and a device to hear stories about the slaves,the family and the overall running of a plantation 200 years ago.This was a total education for us as we did not know much about American history.Coming to Charleston we would highly recommend you put this on your list of things to do.

The self-tour was greatly enhanced by the recording & headphones. So much we didn't know about that era; a wonderful experience.

Recently went to this home and viewed how the southerner's lived. The house has not been updated, but maintained as to not change the historical accuracy. The only reason why I did not give it a five star was the tour was given by listening thru your smart phone. It took me a wow to figure out the sequence
of the rooms using the app. Felt more instructions on how to use in the appropriate sequence would have been helpful. Unfortunately, I was on a time crunch and would have stayed longer but could not. I did learn how the slaves were lived and other stories.

This is an amazing opportunity to tour an historic home set in the 1800's, maintained in its original condition. The preservation is remarkable, providing visitors with a realistic glimpse of daily life during this time period. The audio tour enriches the experience by sharing the inhabitants' stories. The slave quarters are an emotional experience and not to be missed. Highly recommend.

We enjoyed seeing this house as it has not been restored. Interesting history for certain. You won't be disappointed. There is a discount to purchase tickets for here and the Nathanial Russell House...we took an Uber between them as they are not close.

Step back in time and imagine what it was like to live in that era, For the wealthy and the hard work required to keep this beautiful home. I am from the south (Savannah) and always admired homes like this, but hate the fact it was maintain by slaves.

I highly recommend this tour. It is self guided. We used the equipment that they provided and it was great. As most have said, it is a home that is being preserved in its natural state and not refurbished or restored. I really enjoyed seeing the home that way.

We purchased to combination ticket that also includes the Nathaniel Russell home. I highly recommend seeing them both. I would tour the A-R House first and then NR.

The Aiken- Rhett home spent a lot of time and care on the lives of the enslaved which I very much appreciated. As you will see if you your this home, the enslaved were the majority of people who lived at the A-R House. Wonderfully preserved history right in downtown Charleston. A must see in my opinion!

Very interesting to see the difference between preserving a historical site and restoring one. The audio narration was engaging and well done. I appreciate all the extra information that is available for those who want to do a deeper dive. The history of the enslaved workers and their families was respectfully represented and connected to the history of the Aiken-Rhett families.

We learnt a lot during our visit to the Aiken- Rhett House. After visiting a restored mansion we wanted to see a preserved house. You will literally see the layers of history through the layers of paint, wallpaper and dust. The carriage house has carriages that seem to have been waiting there for a century, the slave quarters speak of the many generations that lived their lives in cramped rooms within that compound. The dining room, bedrooms and living rooms are in various stages of disrepair. It was great learning more about the history or Charleston and getting a glimpse of the contrasting lives of those who lived through the harsh conditions of slavery as well as the opulent lives of those they served.

Amazing architecture and preservation that makes you feel like you are truly stepping back in time! Located an easy stroll from King Street, this is a piece of history you should visit once when visiting Charleston.

We enjoyed our visit. Well worth the walk and time it took for the tour. Our tour guide was gracious and informative.

I now know the difference between restoration and preservation. Very interesting place to see the what used to be...

There are many historic house tours in Charleston and I would rate the Aitkin-Rhett House as one of the 2 best in the city. Rather than a restored home, it is a “preserved” home with the rooms of the house and other buildings left in an untouched state since the 1800s. This provides a more authentic experience especially with the excellent 45 minute audio tour that is provided. To their credit, the tour focuses as much if not more on the enslaved who lived and worked on the property. In fact the first stop on the tour is the slave quarters and work yard. For me, this is the honest story of the antebellum South rather than some glorified history that was being presented at some of the other homes and nearby plantations.

This is a very large house with attached stables and old slave quarters. Very emotional and thought provoking. The house is preserved not renovated so is not as pristine as other historic homes in the area. The slave quarters are worth a visit by themselves. You can join a tour or do a self guided audio tour. We did the latter which takes roughly an hour.
Recommend a visit.

I loved the fact this place was preserved rather than restored, so it has an aura of authenticity, such as the original bathtub in the bathroom, the very basic brick oven in the kitchen, fragments of French wallpaper in the grander rooms. The headphones tour is done at your own pace, and the descriptions are detailed enough without being too long - they have done a good job on getting the balance right. And there is clearly a conscious effort to include the realities of life in Charleston's past, and the lives and hardships of the slaves/hired help who made the good life possible for their white "owners" in houses such as these. All up, a very satisfying experience and one of the more insightful in Charleston.

My husband and I really enjoyed our visit to the Aiken Rhett House. We did the Audio tour and found the house and the story behind the family that owned it and the slaves that lived there, to be very interesting. The house is a preserved home meaning that they do all they can to keep the house looking very much as it once did and do not do rennovations to it.

My husband prefers restored homes, but I appreciated this preserved home, as well. The audio tour was extremely informative, enabling us to understand the lives of the enslaved as well as the owners.

Didn't know what to expect from a candlelight tour. The candles gave a good idea of how the house looked before gas and electricity was installed. Turned out to be wonderful. We were luck that our tour was presented by the museum director. He was very informative, sharing info about the house, family and city. The tour was so interesting that we didn't realize it had gone over time but no one cared. We walked around the house on the street the next morning to get a look in the daytime. This is a good example of a preservation vs a restored home. Allows you to see changes over time.

We visited both here and the Russell house. The Aiken Rhett house is preserved, not restored, so in some places really showing its age, but well done. the Audio tour on the Ipod was excellent, lets you go at your own pace

A fascinating look at a preserved mansion from the past. The self guided tour was probably the most complete and easy to follow tour I’ve ever taken. You could feel the history while walking through the rooms. Staff was helpful and knowledgeable.

I have been living in Charleston 20 years and have had many visitors to Charleston that I have toured around. This is my first time to Aiken-Rhett. What an amazing place!! So much history! Definitely worth the visit! This will be my go to place when I have people visiting who would like to see a historical Charleston home! Make the time to visit this one!

My favorite house museum we visited. There is an app you can download for audio tour, take headphones. They do offer loaners and they are sanitized. My husband and I both enjoyed this one. The house is really cool and they have a lot of stuff in the house to look at.

This is self guided, which I don’t mind. It’s really well put together. They present an insightful history of the enslaved people who lived there, followed by the people who owned the house. I loved how the house is preserved rather than restored. It has a haunted feel. Highly recommend.

We bought the combo ticket with the Nathaniel Russell House and visited this second. There were no human-led tours offered the day we were there, so we were handed iPods and headphones to take a tour. My husband and I tried to press 'play' simultaneously in each area to hear info at the same time:). This house is worth it for the slave quarters that are 'as found' (as is the rest of the property) and it's an interesting contrast to the Nathaniel Russell House. The audio tour got a little bit long at times - maybe I was just hot and tired because we were there on an extremely warm day. However, the information given was really interesting and I enjoyed the narration overall.

I encourage anyone interested in seeing an excellent example of historic preservation, as opposed to restoration, to visit the Aiken-Rhett House. Historic Charleston is doing an outstanding job in not only preserving the house but, also in explaining the process and how it differs from restoration. This magnificent house also has many stories to tell of its inhabitants. But none more so than that of the enslaved people who lived and worked on the property. Again, Historic Charleston is doing an excellent job in preserving the quarters and working spaces of the enslaved people in the yard of the Aiken-Rhett property and telling the stories of their lives.

This is a preserved (not restored) historic house. There is a self-guided audio tour which you can take using the house's audio device or as an app, there are no tour guides. The tour started with a focus on the lives and daily activities of the enslaved people, and then moves on to the owners of the home. I really enjoyed it.

This is a most interesting house. As the tour says, it is preserved, not restored so you will not see the beautiful home as it once was. But also as the tour says, how should they restore it - as it was originally in 1820 or after owners remodeled it decades later? It provides a good look at how Charleston’s aristocracy lived and what it took to provide that lifestyle, including untouched slave quarters for stark comparison. My only wish was that they provided docent-led tours rather than the self-guided tours using your phone - I like to ask questions.

The home is very good to visit as it is preserved as it was but not restored. The home and grounds are amazing to see.
The audio tour is self guiding and the information is wonderful, however, staff really needs to have someone available at most turns in the home so one knows where to go especially outside going back into the home. I made a wrong turn and it was confusing.
The staff needs improvement. One older lady was very rude and not helpful. A couple other women were ok once we started asking questions. Some young men were working up stairs and sat in a chair and played on their phones. I’m sure most are volunteers but most of us spend a lot of money and time for a vacation such as this and we expect the tours to be rewarding.

We were not planning on going to the Aiken-Rhett house; however, it was a recommendation by our walking tour guide. After visiting the Calhoun Mansion (which was terrible and NOT recommended by our walking tour guide), we decided to give it a try.

The audio tour was wonderful and really gave you a sense of what it would be like to be at the Aiken Rhett house in the early 1800s, which is impressive as the house is not furnished! We are so glad that we followed her suggestions, as this ended up being our favorite house that we visited!

The staff were also very helpful and the gift shop, while small, had some interesting books and other cute items.

Don't let the fact that this house is not furnished and is being preserved rather than restored turn you off. This is a gem!

I visited the Aiken-Rhett House in June 2021 during my visit to Charleston. I had purchased a combo ticket for the Nathaniel Russell House and the Aiken-Rhett House. The Aiken-Rhett House is "preserved" as opposed to the Nathaniel Russell House which is "restored". I had a self-guided audio guide tour which took over an hour. Highlights included the slave quarters, the carriage and horse stable, the art gallery, the library, several rooms and the porch ("piazza"). The Aiken-Rhett house survived the Civil War, theft, Hurricane Hugo and many other events. It was an interesting visit.

Well worth a visit to this fascinating house. We all should learn about our country’s history, good and bad. This home has been preserved and not restored like a few others in town. You get to see it, the way it was. Great audio and some gut punching moments when visiting the quarters of the enslaved Africans.

This is an excellent chance to see untouched Charleston and then also compare it to a restored version of a similar house - the Nathaniel Russell House. We thought the combined ticket was very much worth the price of $24. ($15 for doing one house). Both offer very informative audio tours.
We enjoyed it very much. And pictures are allowed throughout the property. A very educational experience.

Interesting but best to do when it’s not hot
Audio tour equipment that they loan you is very temperamental. Took 3 times to get one that had sound. A little costly but how often can you find a house that has been preserved- not restored!?

What a excellent preservation! This house is not restored but preserved. Wonderful self guided tour narrated on an ipod. 45 minutes in length but plenty of extra material to learn more. Masks required and social distancing in place.

They make a point of showing the difference between preservation, what they have done here, and restoration which makes it look like it did in the old days. This gives a different perspective on how much things change, but also has an impact on understanding what the enslaved people might have been experiencing since it isn't as polished as some tours.

A friend and I toured this historic place. The home is beautiful, and there are many artifacts giving tourists a glimpse of life during the antebellum and post Civil War years. It's a very moving experience.

We toured this home on a day when it was going to very hot and we thought it was going to be a good place to avoid the heat for a few hours. Wrong! Only one room in this house is air-conditioned and it's 3 stories high, so you can imagine how hot it gets on the 2nd & 3rd floors. They had windows open and a few fans going, but not enough to keep you cool. Besides that, it is a very interesting home and property. The home has not been restored - it is being preserved, so there is peeling paint & wallpaper throughout. Don't expect it to be beautifully decorated. There are several outbuildings including where the slaves lived. The tour is self-guided - you can either download the app on your phone (they provide earbuds for all phone types if you don't have them), or you can use one of their iPods, which is what we did. Worth a visit, but not on a hot day.

A tremendous experience to see a house truly locked in time. To be able to experience the conditions the enslaved lived in first hand was humbling.

Until viewing this house I didn't understand the difference between preservation and restoration. These walls are as is and that gives you a trip through history right before your eyes. This is truly unique. The house tour begins with the slave working and living quarters. This as well is very unique as many throughout history do not survive to the present day. The audio tour is very complete and lets you go at your own pace. The story of this family and those who worked here was fascinating. Well worth a trip.

The home has not been restored, unlike the Russell House so you really need to use your imagination. The app narrative was excellent and did a great job of interweaving the African American slave experience into the narrative.

Irrespective of the "preserve v restore", this is worth seeing for a sense of history. Charleston is a city of history and this is both interesting for its example of old buildings and the social issues of how lives were intertwined.
As an aside, I'd err on the side of preserve to better understand the social mores.

If you like your historic homes restored to shiny and pretty, this is not the place for you. But if you want a balanced look at the home shared by enslaved people in the urban slave quarters above the laundry and kitchen, and their owner in the beautiful mansion, you will not be disappointed. The audio tour is top notch. This home is not air-conditioned and may be closed on hot days.

This house is a great example of a Charleston property that still has its slave quarters and yard intact. Once you have paid your entry fee you will be given and audio device to listen to as you walk thru the property and house, giving you the history and stories of the people who lived and worked here. You can spend as much or as little time as you'd like wandering thru. It has been maintained as it was when it was last occupied, so even though the house does not look beautiful, I could definitely imagine how it did look when it was well kept. Take as many pictures as you'd like, just don't touch the furniture.

The Aiken Rhett house is a preserved house as it was in the 1800’s. I really enjoyed seeing the house in the present state. One of the few places you can enter every room, see items used by alabes and get a feel for the way the folks in Charleston lived. Don’t miss the alabe quarters. Included is a self-guided tour using an app aim your cell phone or earphones provided. Everything in the house is original, no reproductions.

This was my fourth time visiting the Aiken-Rhett House and I find that I enjoy it each and every time! There is truly something special about a preserved house versus a restored house. I enjoy doing the self guided tour with the headset because you can go at your own pace and the recording goes into such great detail about the life of the family and slaves that once lived there! I would highly recommend this place!

You never know what you'll find if you don't start digging. In 2016, a team of archaeologists began to research and survey the slave dwellings on the Aiken-Rhett property in Charleston, South Carolina. By 2018, they were able to uncover over 10,000 artifacts, from coins and tools to pieces of bottles and pottery. Today, visitors can take a self-guided audio tour that lasts 45 minutes and includes exhibit descriptions and photographs and relates stories about enslaved peoples and the African American community in Charleston. It's all part of a visit to the Aiken-Rhett House or the Governor William Aiken House or the Robinson-Aiken House. Located at 48 Elizabeth Street, in Charleston's Wraggborough neighborhood, it was built in 1820 by John Robinson. Originally, it was configured as a single house with entrance from the south side along Judith Street. Later, it was home to William Aiken and his son, William Aiken Jr., a governor of South Carolina. In fact, the house belonged to the Aiken family for 142 years. Today, it is considered to best preserved complex of antebellum domestic structures in Charleston. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Place in 1977.

This house has a lot of interesting history with some authentic furnishings and art and sculpture . You could also go upstairs and walk through a few rooms there. It includes the slave quarters and the garage with a couple old horse carts people rode in during that time period. I felt like I could get a sense of how things were done there in their time. I thought it was a good tour (self guided with audio ).

If you only see one historic house on your trip -- this should not be it. But if you've seen a bunch of historic houses, this is an interesting change of pace. As other reviewers have mentioned, it's preserved, not restored. That said, it has paint on the walls from the movie "Swamp Thing" so the time period that's preserved is not always what one expects. They have a tablet with a reconstruction of that room to make up for it.

It's a self guided audio tour which is nice because it has information but allows for individual pacing. A chunk of the tour is outside or going between buildings. One "room" (the piazza/porch) can be closed for bad weather. The tour also covered a room which was closed for unspecified reasons.

From a practical perspective, there are lockers for coats and bags. Also restrooms by the gift shop.

Nothing is restored, the original buildings just preserved so you see the original wall paper, furniture, and woodwork. But the sadness of the slave quarters was eye opening. Until I saw this, accompanied by a great audio earphones presentation, I'd never felt the horror of what being enslaved was all about. It's life changing. I will never look an African-American in the face again without thinking about where they came from. Most of them were shipped through and sold in Charleston. The people in the glorious mansions got rich off the slave trade. It's a must see.

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Tours of this historic home of an influential 1800s family include a back lot where slaves lived.
48 Elizabeth St, Charleston, SC 29403
2.4 mi
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A: Inside the building on your right, they have audio tours as well as guided if you want.
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Eric Gelsomino "Beautiful home....highly trained staff"
Joshua Zuniga "1 hr street parking in the surrounding neighborhood"
Crystal Robinson "Beautiful estate with well-preserved architecture, design and furniture."
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Catherine PeavyCatherine Peavy
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😞NOT AUTISM FRIENDLY 😞
We really enjoyed the house and the way it was taken care of. What really turned us off was the older woman that was handing out audio tours devices multiple times gave nasty looks at our four year old austistic son;who at that time was behaving very well!! He was doing some gibber-gabbering (not loud) and was walking around his father. He recently with intensive speech and language therapy
these past 6 months has just started talking
in longer phrases. Then she gave us an attitude about using their audio device instead of out own phones, which were almost dead. She almost acted afraid of him when she walked us to the start of the tour.
I wanted to get out of there as fast as I could.
We were here 11 years ago when I was pregnant with my first son and he was really looking forward to learning all about Charleston and it's rich history.

Audio tour was a nice way to go. Fascinating to see this beautiful house preserved and not restored. Interesting historu

This historical house is a bit of a yawn. The audio tour provides some interesting information, but it references so many names (with good intent) without any real backstory to any of them, it becomes quite boring. The lack of parking is exasperating. If you do get lucky enough to find a parking space there is a one hour time limit. I was unable to finish the tour because I had to get back to my car for fear that it might be told. I was told by the museum workers I could simply move my car to another parking space after one hour then continue the tour. Good luck with finding another parking space. And although it's a small thing, it is irritating to be charged a $.36 processing fee on top of the $12 admission and $1 requested donation, even though I paid with cash. I most definitely would not return, nor would I recommend this attraction to others.

This is such a cool house! The tour is very comprehensive. They offer the tour through an app - Historic Charleston - and you can listen to it through your phone (bring headphones!). They do offer the audio tour through their devices if you don’t have a phone, which is a nice accommodation. We toured several houses and plantations while we were here, and I would definitely put this one on the top of the list. It tells a lot about the history of Charleston and how people lived. Wonderful staff and restoration of the house. Highly recommend.

This home is not furnished, but the architecture is fabulous. I loved sitting out on the big porch imagining what it would have felt like to live here. Definitely buy the combo ticket and tour the Nathanial Russell home too.

This preserved mansion is a must-see in Charleston. The audio tour (bring headphones) was informative and not boring at all. They did a great job telling the story of slaves that lived in the Aiken-Rhett house and not skimming over the history. Definitely a must-see.

Enjoyed the self-guided tour. Very informative, this home is only partially furnished and was preserved as is versus being restored. Download the app (iphone) or bookmark the weblink (android) to have the tour info ready, and bring your own headphones for convenience. Purchase the combo ticket if planning to see the Nathanial Russell home as well.

Interesting tour of a preserved historic house. I appreciated the audio tour included in admission. A few areas were closed during our tour due to an event.

The life and lifestyle inside the Governor’s House was very intriguing. I was not disappointed when I toured Aiken Rhett House in Charleston.

The house holds the story before the Civil War of the principal residents who were powerful and wealthy as a Southern politician, slaveholder and industrialist and African slaves who maintained their owners house, property, and way of life.

The admission fee included an audio headset which was relative easy to use for a self-guide tour at your own speed of this historical house once belonging to the Governor of South Carolina.

Main House: in an “as-found” condition of the basement, main floor, and upper floor; with the only “restored room” in the house - the art gallery showcasing the paintings and sculpture the Aiken family had acquired - the Aikens were very wealthy

Slave Quarters: kitchen, lead slave quarter, and other slave quarters - it was very poor dark living conditions with no windows or doors except the window in the kitchen

Carriage House: horse stalls, tack room, carriage storage room, and hay storage - it was better than the Slave Quarters.

I really appreciated that they kept certain parts of the house in its original condition so that I could see how the enslaved Africans who lived on-site, maintained the household and catered to the needs of the life and life style of the power, rich, and political Aiken family and their guests at the GOVERNOR’S MANSION ... the Aiken-Rhett House.

This is an absolutely wonderful house to visit. The house is preserved, not restored and still one can imagine how its owners and their slaves lived during the antebellum era and in general how urban life was before the war. The self guided tour does not only focus on the house and its owners but it does justice to the lives of the slaves who lived in the property.

As others have said, the house is preserved rather than restored, so it looks "dilapidated," but that makes it a wonderful resource for historians. The audio tour is great, and if you like more in-depth information, it has plenty of options for that. It's one of the only house museums you'll ever go to where you have the freedom to wander at will, and I don't see that lasting long with how damaging guests can be. Take advantage of it while you can! Does not have HVAC, so go before the heat sets in.

After touring the beautifully and painstakingly restored Nathaniel Russell House on the other end of town, the Aiken-Rhett House is a sharp contrast. This house is not restored, but preserved. I strongly recommend the audio tour, which is excellent. Set aside about two hours to do the tour ... more if you click on all the audio extras during the tour. Several things stand out: first, the house and the out buildings behind the house (the stables and kitchens with slave quarters upstairs) are terribly dilapidated, but you can still see with the help of the audio guide what a beautiful home and busy place this once was. Second, the audio spends as much time on the lives of the slaves who lived there and made the house/estate function as on the owners, which was refreshing. I felt I came away with an unvarnished picture of what life was like for a town slave in Charleston. Three, the whole experience of visiting this house was unlike any tour I have previously taken. The Russell family began closing down parts of the house ... just shutting them off .. after the civil war and on into the early to mid-20th Century as they became too expensive to maintain, heat, etc. So stepping into some of the out buildings and rooms of the mainhouse was a real time warp. The stables contain two 19th century coaches. It's like the stable doors where closed more than a century ago and then suddenly reopened. The leather seats are torn, but oh my what a sight those coaches are. Because things were closed off instead of torn down or remodeled, there are a lot of time warp sort of moments. Footenote: The house was used in the filming of the 1982 cult film 'The Swamp Thing' since it was the ideal spooky Southern mansion at the time.

Charleston was great to visit. We had very nice weather and the food was great. We especially enjoyed the Aiken-Rhett House and the Boone Plantation.

The is s step back in time that showed really how people were treated and how the rich high class of Charleston lived during the late 1800's. The house is mainly preserved in it current state...it is NOT a home for restoration but don't let that stop you form touring and enjoying all of the history it has to offer.

They have not restored the house. It's all as when it was donated. The tour covers up and downstairs.

The audio tour was informative, engaging, and well paced. The descriptions of the lives of slaves who had lived there were heartbreaking and thought-provoking. The focus on the distinction between restoration and preservation was explained clearly with multiple examples. Our time there was well spent. This tour deepened our understanding of the history of Charleston.

The self guided tour is very well organized and easy to use and understand. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. The art gallery was a welcome surprise!

Beautiful old home that is in its original state without being renovated. It is a self guided tour which was ok...I wish there were actual tour guides to take you around so that you didn't have a variety of people walking around listening to different sections of the tour. Worth your time to visit.

One of the questions they ask you if you would like the house restored or preserved. At this time the house preserved. Thus what you see is a house that has seen better days from all the events which happened at Charleston through the years. It still is a wonderful place and very much worth seeing. While I would like to see them bring her back to her glory days it is neat to see the old lady soldier on even after all that has happened with in her doors.

Beautifully preserved home! Not a lot of original furniture, but the home has withstood break-ins, hurricanes and earthquakes, so it’s not surprising. The slave quarters are super interesting. The internet is not great to download the audio tour on your phone, so I suggest getting the equipment they provide.

This was our second historical home tour. I knew the property was preserved, not restored. While it was interesting, especially the slave quarters, I was disappointed that there wasn't more furniture or items to help see how the home was lived in. We had a discounted ticket price because we visited the sister property (Nathaniel Russell home), so it was still worth it.

This house tour was wonderful and so much to see and learn. I like the audio tour and there are a bunch of extras you can listen too. Walking thru the slave quarters was very informative, The tour does a great job explaining what slavery was like during those times. The house is gorgeous with many rooms to tour. Really enjoyed it and well worth the $12. The Charleston museum is across the street another good reason to visit the area.

Before you visit, download the Historic Charleston app for your smartphone. It has a tour that you can use to self-guide through the home and grounds. Take the time to purchase the combo ticket which gives you the ability to go to the Nathaniel Russell House also, which has been restored. It is a great opportunity to see the difference between preservation and restoration. Listen to the tour fully, and imagine the former slaves and residents. It truly is a historical gem, and the treatment of the history of the enslaved people who resided and worked there is very well done, with dignity and respect for their struggle.

This is a cool stop. Has some very interesting history and adds to the whole Charleston experience. Worth a see...

Excellent and informative and very different from other tours where you look but do not learn. Audio guide provided an incredible amount of info and a balanced perspective on this family and their social status vs the people they owned. Compelling, insightful with some great added features on the audio guide . Honestly, the no air conditioning was a bit tricky on a hot summer afternoon but worth it. Never been to a home that was preserved and not restored and found it fascinating- not sure I liked it but was intrigued. Seems like this is an important site for the city and it’s incredible history - cannot believe how many storms and fires and natural disasters that the house has seen. Well with the 90 minutes it took to tour. Many tricky stairs and it was very very hot inside - you do appreciate those open side porches !

Late afternoon on a hot day in Charleston and I was a bit leery and weary when I saw that there was no climate control, but I am so glad that I took the tour. Used the well done audio guide (with plenty of supplemental short audio clips) to tour the house. I am not so sure about preservation over restoration, but I did find the iintegrated discussion of the lives of the enslaved workers offering quite a different perspective from the other two homes I visited. Even in the sorry state that the house is maintained, I got a good understanding of the lives of the family and their enslaved workers. There is even a small art gallery at the end of the tour. I really do recommend this tour for an alternative to other house tours.

We were two adults visiting this preserved, not restored, urban home. One of us used the mobile app and the other borrowed a device and headphones. The staff were very nice. The audio tour was an effective way to learn about the home and easy to use. We bought the combo ticket and also visited the restored Nathanial Russell house which was a nice contrast. Tip: You do not have to tour both homes in the same day. You can listen again later in the app if you feel you missed anything. The app also includes a city tour.

Very sad and depressing “preservation” of this gorgeous house. This house is not restored, it looks like a big haunted mansion that is falling apart. Be forewarned that this is not like the Heyward-Washington or any other of the nicely “restored” houses in Charleston SC.

Unique preserve "as-is" property with beautiful woodwork, artwork, and many original pieces/fixtures I've never seen before! The staff was very knowledgeable, and the giftshop has affordable options like silver-plated antique replica spoon for $28. I also liked the combo ticket price with Nathaniel Russell house. Historical society ownership is doing a great job.

Incredibly preserved actual buildings where enslaved individuals lived and toiled. If you want to see pretty things, then this place is not for you. If you want to see the home of an early 19th century Governor that miraculously exists fairly intact, then this is for you.

If you’re looking for a manicured antebellum mansion, this is NOT it. It is fascinating in its own right. Decay is (mostly) arrested, but otherwise the house and outbuildings are in a similar state to when the preservation society purchased it. Audio guide (included with admission) excellent. Gives you an idea of how much wealth the governor had, and how after the civil war the city didn’t recover until maybe the 1990’s.

In many ways I find it more interesting that the restored mansions.

We all love pretty to look at it, but a historical place in its preservational state is so revealing and exhibits real history. This place was refreshioning real and educational.

We did the headphone tour and it was very interesting. It gave us a sense of how the family lived, their values, and the oppression of the enslaved who worked at the home.

I LOVE touring historical houses and I understand that some are more lovingly cared for than others but I was disappointed by the dilapidated state of this house. Peeling wallpaper, bare lathing where plaster was missing and a few pieces of shabby furniture. It looked to me as if they have just allowed it to deteriorate after the Union armies pulled out in 1865. The highlight was the art galley which contained some nice pieces, especially a portrait. I was much more favorably impressed by the Edonston-Alston, Calhoun, Nathaniel-Russell and Middleton houses.

Wandering around the preserved but unrestored mansion and slave quarters gives you a true picture of what life must of have like. A nice foil to the restored Nathaniel Russell House. See AR if you only have time to do one.

So this house is just a block and a half from the Charleston visitor center. Park at the visitor center parking garage and walk over is the best way to get there. We visited this on a combo ticket with the Nathaniel Russell house which is downtown Charleston instead. Went to one on Sat and the other on Sun. Since this house is preserved nothing is changed except for any structural needs from the time the historical society acquired it. Unlike Nathaniel Russell there are no tour guides. It's a self-guided audio tour with the society's devices/headphones or you can download their app to your phone with headphones and get the same audio presentation. We really enjoyed seeing a home that is exactly as it was. Just keep in mind that there's no air conditioning and the floorboards will creak and such. It's a different experience from a restored home like Nathaniel Russell but worth the little additional when buying the combo ticket.

Among the most interesting historic houses we've ever been to. This house is conserved, not restored, which is to say that you can see the original walls, wall covers, structures, etc.

It is also the most detailed description of slave conditions that we found in all of Charleston.

Second time to visit this home and it is still neat to see as it is not restored like most of the other homes in the area. You can see the bones of the home and get more of a feel of what it was like to live here 200 years ago. The did restore the owners picture since our last visit and did an awsome job. If limited on time or you just want to do a couple of tours do the combo tickets with this home and the Nathaniel Russell home. We'll worth the money and you will see both extremes and get a feel for how the enslaved lived.

Really appreciated the very well-written commentary on the iPod tour. Very easy to follow, well marked and if we did lose our place, there was always someone to help. You can get so much more detailed information on a recorded tour like this. Very interested in the distinction between preservation and restoration. Also very interested in the contrast between the daily life styles of the family members and the enslaved persons who made everything run smoothly. By far the best historic home tour I have ever seen.

This was a great self-guided tour. My husband and I appreciated that a majority of the tour was focused on the history of the ensalved forced to live and work at the Aiken-Rhett House. Thank you to the National Park Service for working to uncover the sordid history of one of the largest slave-owners in the South. We recommend this visit for couples and families alike in order to learn about the other side of Charleston.

This was a very informational self-guided tour. Having visited two plantations about 12 and 16 miles out of Charleston, I thought the information was much better. Both my adult daughter and myself felt the narration was well done and the content was probably more on point than the other places we had visited. Having struggled with the concept of paying to view places where slavery took place was difficult for me. I think that a good portion of the money should go to Black institutions. I did not read anywhere in the literature, that was in fact the case. The Magnolia Gardens and Middleton Place were quite expensive. However, the Aiken-Rhett House was not. My daughter and I felt that the tour at Aiken-Rhett did not gloss over the inhumanity of slavery as the other places did. The entirety of the self-guided tour is just about an hour. It is well worth the time.

This house would have been something to see back in its time. While it isn't restored to its glory it is worth seeing. The tour includes the enslaved quarters on the property as well as the back lot. They lack air conditioning so only do this early in the AM or on a cool day!

This "preserved" house and slave quarters, with ts easy-to-use audio guide, gives you an excellent insight into how the upper classes lived in the 18th and 19th centuries, along with a good perspective on the slave side of the experience. Good, rounded view.

Really tells more of a story of the decline of the South after the Civil War. Visited in July, and house was a very hot tour.. Nice old house with great historic significance, but story will continue to deteriate with the house. Personally, find restoration efforts provide a better story Do have an air conditioned room with some very nice art work.

The Aiken-Rhett House is a Preservation, rather than Restoration site. Therefore the foundation that owns the house has a mission to maintain the house in the condition it was found. The idea is that future generations can see this house with everything in the way the original historians and architects found it. So, the walls are covered in peeling wallpaper and fading paint. The floors are in good condition but in some places the foundation and interior of walls are visible. I've seen many houses across the south restored and they are fascination but seeing a house like this makes it so real. For example, in the quarters of the enslaved servants, there are some small patches of yellow-pigmented paint. This is an important finding because this shows that owners spent additional money painting the quarters since pigment was expensive. The original thinking was that enslaved's quarters would always just be whitewashed but this turns out to not always be true. Why the owners spent this money is not clear. But it is a question that some day will be answered. If the home had been restored this data point would have been lost to future historians.

The other thing that was great was that the tours are self-guided. The home has a web site where you go on your phone and get a 45 minute room-by-room tour. And the gift shop has speakers to lend. It is so nice to go at your own pace. There are also lots of "extras" if you have the time to linger longer.

Finally, the tour is strongly focused around the experience of the enslaved servants in the home. There ae very few intact enslaved quarters but the Aiken-Rhett home has a suite of apartments that were used b the enslaved. The tour takes advantage of this rarity. The narration describes the lives of the enslaved and how they interacted with the home. It also explains the ways that the lifestyle of the owners was made possible by the enslaved servants.

This tour was 2 hours and so enlightening! The tour guide was engaging and put her soul into her job. This should not be missed when touring historic homes

We took an audio tour of the Aiken-Rhett House that gave us a look back into life in the 19th century in Charleston. The home, slave quarters, kitchen and stables have been preserved as it was in the 1850’s. The tour was so informative as to what life was like for the slaves and the Aiken-Rhett family at that time in history. The home is not air conditioned. Doors are opened to allow the breeze to come in, and there are fans placed throughout the rooms. It can be quite uncomfortable on a hot day. At the end of the tour there is an air conditioned room with original art pieces on display. We enjoyed this tour and the glimpse back into the 1800’s in Charleston.
Admission was $12.00 each for the audio tour. Admission also gave you a 50% discount to tour the Nathaniel Russell House Museum, which I also recommend.

The 200 year old house is "preserved" in original but very weathered condition -- looking quite bad as you walk thru the 200 year old rooms with a narrated tour of what it looked like 200 years ago. Aiken was not only Governor way back, but owned over 800 slaves who's pathetic living quarters on the estate were very depressing and left you feeling very resentful. Instead of this place (listed as "preserved"), you should visit some restored mansions furnished and designed to look like what life was like in the mid 19th century.

This house is in the state in which it was found in the late 1900s. That means that nothing has been touched. It is a great audio tour. Through the audio you can use your imagination to see how it looked in the 1800s. Several pieces of original furniture survived. The art gallery is the only room with air conditioning, so go in the morning or on a cloudy day.

This historic house museum ($12pp) in Charleston's Historic District has an app you can download or iPods and earphones you can borrow for a compelling and easily operated self-guided tour. The tour provides important context on the lives of the urban enslaved and the politically powerful and wealthy family that lived here for several generations. The house is being preserved rather than conserved, which means it is not in pristine condition. But it helps to reveal layers of changes over time. Touring this house also helped me to experience first-hand the vital importance of verandas, windows, and tall ceilings for cooling houses and people in a hot humid climate.

Calling all history buffs! This is a MUST SEE. It is incredible how well parts of the house are maintained to its original state. Gives the viewer a “close to home” experience while learning about the Aiken-Rhett families, old-school Charleston, and the slave trade. One of the best local tours, hands down. Go visit!

House left in its original state - not everyones' taste but gave a good perspective of how it was many years ago. Good size and lots to listen to on the audio guide and read up on

The Aiken-Rhett house is a must see in Charleston. It is a great historical representation of life for the upper class at the time. The coolest thing about this house is that it has not been refurbished. They purposefully have worked to keep the original aspects of the house as is so it gives you a good idea of what it looked like in its original form. The house is not air-conditioned so keep that in mind if you plan to visit. We enjoyed our time immensely and highly recommend this house tour.

This was my favorite "house tour", it was very much original in ALL aspects, down to the furnishings. The tour assistants were wonderful. This was the only house we come across that was simply being preserved, and they are doing a heck of job at it. VERY interesting.......you wont be disappointed.

So informative to see an un-restored building....to see it as it was in the 19th century. Self-guided tour excellent, a rare opportunity to actually see and feel an early Charleston privileged way of life as well as how the slaves were living and treated. Well worth a visit!

If you only visit one house in Charleston, I would highly recommend you to visit this one. The house is preserved "as is", which means it hasn't been renovated, but you still see how Charleston's elites lived, and the tour does a great job of incorporating the lives and experiences of the enslaved (without whom this lifestyle wouldn't have been possible). For example, when you're in the library, the audio tour points out that while the family would have spent hours reading in that room, the window looks out over the yard where the enslaved people lived, and it was a crime to teach them how to read. This house and audio tour shows an important part of Charleston's history, and should be part of anyone's visit.

The Aiken-Rhett house is preserved, not restored. It provides a unique opportunity to view a house left in its original state. That being said, it requires considerable effort to imagine what it would have looked like in its heyday, given the absence of usual restored details. The audio tour is useful, and centers the tour on the lives of the enslaved people living in the house during the antebellum period. You can use your own phone and earbuds to listen to the tour (you will download the app).

Nice example of older home in Charleston. Audio tour is excellent providing stories both inside and outside in the back yard. Enough period things to give you a feeling for the grandeur that once was.

We really hoped to see this house, and their website says they're open until 5pm. We were leaving another location at 3:40 pm, and called to verify they were still going to be open when we arrived around 4pm. We were told no, we could only get in if we arrived by 3:55.

This house is frozen in time and you feel as if you are walking back through history. It was so interesting to walk through the slave quarters and each room with original furniture and wall coverings.

Compared to the Russell House, I respected how the Aiken-Rhett house was presented. I liked the preserved nature of it and I thought the audio tour gave sufficient information to get a feel of how it was to live there back in the day. Personally, if you only have time to do one of the two houses, I would pick this one.

This house museum has an excellent audio tour with many extras if you would like to learn more about a specific area. The enslaved quarters and kitchen are remarkably well-preserved. The areas are preserved but not restored, so don't expect a fancy interior that looks like it would have appeared in the house's heyday. Well worth the time and ticket--allow about two hours here.

Who needs to visit the Gilded Age mansions in Newport, Rhode Island, when you can marvel at the antebellum houses in Charleston, South Carolina? One of the best preserved townhouse complexes in the nation is the Aiken-Rhett House at 48 Elizabeth Street. Built in 1820, it is a unique survivor. The house and its period furnishings offer a compelling portrait of urban life in pre-Civil War Charleston as well of the life of a politician, governor, planter, industrialist and merchant. The house descended in the Aiken-Rhett family for 142 years until it was sold to the Charleston Museum and opened to the public in 1975. Talk about a time capsule. Take a self-paced audio tour that lasts about 45 minutes and get a feel for what life was like in Charleston in the 19th century. For example, the Aiken-Rhett house is one of the few residences in the city whose slave quarters have survived hurricanes and the wrecking ball. Every effort has been made to keep all of the house's original elements intact. See the kitchen, stable, laundry, living quarters with their original paint, floors and fixtures, even an art gallery, the only one of its kind in the city.

I'm having a hard time with this review. This was my second visit; I first visited this house in the late '80s (before Hurricane Hugo). The condition of the interior is not due simply to age, but damage from the Hurricane. It was depressing to see the change. But as a history buff, I still have to recommend a visit.

such rich, interesting history. I appreciated the self guided tour where I could take it all in on my own time.

Preservation vs. Restoration... we gain from both - Preservation in this case steers away from nostalgia, romanticism, fantasy and instead leaves the sense of change which is forever constant.

Be ready for your visit. It’s not enough to download the app for the listening tour; you must also be ready with earbuds or a headset (or borrow theirs). Our group found that using the app on our own phones did not work well as we kept losing connection, and it rapidly sucked battery charge. Just plan to use their iPods for the greatest ease.
Do download the app, though, in order to listen later to all of the special features. You can ask for a print script of the audio (something we didn’t know until afterwards).
It is interesting to see the house “preserved” instead of restored, and while I cannot imagine the cost of restoring it, the difference between family home and slave quarters seems less than it would have been, due to the poor condition of the house (especially plaster ceilings and walls).
This house makes an excellent, thoughtful conversation starter for people of all ages. I heartily recommend going.

A step back in time when you visit this home. Tip, wear cool clothing we visited on a warm day and definitely a little uncomfortable. Live and love Charleston

This is a fascinating look at what life was like back in the day, especially before the Civil War. The guided audio tour begins, right away, with the back of the main house where most of the household worked and lived - the enslaved. The kitchen, stables and living quarters are remarkably well preserved considering how old they are. Later, one makes one's way through the owners' house, room by room, where one could picture day-to-day life. The audio presentation was well done, making the visit rich in detail.

Self-guided audio tour a great history lesson/reminder. Property has been thru wars and hurricanes. Charleston Historical Society has done a great job "preserving" what they got 25 years ago; not a "restoration". Well worth the visit !

This was a cool experience to see a home that was preserved vs restored. They had audio guided tour which I always appreciate with “extras” if you wanted to dive deepen certain subjects. I appreciated that they told the whole story of the home including the oppressed enslaved on the property.

My only complaint is that the tour was a bit out of order and have some things closed or roped off or you had to walk through rooms to get to the right place. It didn’t follow the audio.

The Aiken-Rhett House is not restored like all the other antebellum mansions of Charleston and Savannah. Because (most of) the mansions and plantations in the South were destroyed by the Yankees during the Civil War, they have since been restored with furniture and decor representative of the era.

The Aiken-Rhett House, however, contains only the original furnishings and decor. Therefore, it is UNrestored, old, and crumbling. Nevertheless, it was my favorite mansion because it illustrated the authentic and functional use of each room and its decorative accoutrements. My imagination restored each room to its former glory, and it was exquisitely beautiful.

The house was built in 1820 and bought by William Aiken in 1827, an Irish immigrant who built a fortune as a merchant in wealthy Charleston. The home stayed in the family for 142 years, and contains many of the sculptures, art pieces, furnishings, and decor of the antebellum era, as well as those brought to the house from the family's tours in Europe. In its heyday, it was one of the most lavish houses in wealthy Charleston.

The house is open for self- guided audio tours. Admission is $12, but for $18, you can buy a combo ticket to tour both this house and Nathanial Russell House, which has been restored with replica furnishings and decor.

*NOTE: Covid has altered a few things:

1. Facemasks are required at all times on the property.

2. The number of people is restricted to one family group at a time, spaced 15 to 30 min apart.

3. The crowds were minimal because museums and sites are just starting to open up after having closed due to Covid restrictions.

** I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND touring first thing in the morning OR reserving a time slot and then returning later to tour as this and ALL Charleston sites will be soon be regularly inundated with hoards of people.

4. You need to use your own cell phone to hear the audio tour.
This means:

A. You must download the (free) Charleston Historical Society app. (Preferably ahead of time)

B. Unless you each listen to the audio on your own cell phone with earbuds, you will hear the audios of other groups in the background (or impatient/ inconsiderate groups who enter the room you are in and start their audio before yours has ended)

C. You must have enough battery power on your phone to play over an hour's worth of voice clips, around 25-40%, depending on your cell phone's internet speed and battery efficiency.

*I did not have enough battery charge after a long day of touring, so I simply went through the house taking pics, and then listened to the recordings later at my hotel while charging my phone.

* The website does state that Wi-Fi is available. I did not know that at the time as it was not mentioned to me.

The posted hours state 10-5, but they do not take any more groups after 4pm. I went at 3:30pm on a Saturday and practically had the place to myself, which surprised me because it was a Saturday, and because the Nathanial Russell House had an hour wait the previous Thursday.

If you have the time, I recommend touring both houses. That way, you can see the house and grounds in its original state here, but also see the shiny splendor of the restored Russell House and its amazing "floating" spiral staircase.

Unique approach to preserving. Gives a great insight into life pre and antebellum. Lots of history about enslaved people and aristocrats and how they lived.

Note: this is in original condition--nor updated or restored. Built about 1820.

If you go, take your own headphones and download the app. The iphones and cheap headphones they offer are problematic--don't work very well.

To follow the audio tour takes about 45 minutes. Remember, this is NOT air conditioned if you go in the heat of summer. But it gives you an idea of how tough life was.

A lot of history can still be seen in this house. I bet a second trip would allow us to see things we may have missed the first time. Allow plenty of time. The self-guided tour earphones gave a lot of details, and named names.

Toured this historic home right after we checked out the Nathaniel Russell House. Definitely do the combo package so that you can get a sense of a preservation vs. restoration tour. The Aiken-Rhett House is a PRESERVATION tour, and is such an interesting contrast to the Russell House. The Aiken-Rhett House also intentionally highlights the slave experience and is a must for an historical and educational perspective on our country’s unique history. Note: This is the most-preserved landmark in Charleston, so if you’re looking for something accurate to the time period, definitely do not pass this one up!

This is a wonderful example of preserved history. The content related to the enslaved urban people is a different perspective than the large rural plantations. I highly recommend putting Aiken-Rhett on a Charleston visit.

This house tour was very interesting and gave a glimpse into the slaves lives in old Charleston. It seemed that about half the tour was spent in slave quarters and explaining life in a home like this. The house is not restored to look like it would have when people lived there but preserves the current look of the house. We enjoyed the tour though by the end we were excited to end up in the art gallery which has air conditioning.

Amazing self guided audio tour that was very informative. I appreciated the fact that the house was in its original state and has not be restored.

The Aiken-Rhett House is an incredible piece of antebellum history that was a highlight of our first visit to Charleston. The self-guided audio tour allowed us to explore this preserved property at our own pace, and really absorb the gravity of what it must have been like for the enslaved people that lived and worked here. The staff was friendly and helpful, and the home and grounds are full of interesting exhibits and things to look at - it really transports you back in time. Plan to give yourself at least an hour to take in everything this unique piece of Charleston history has to offer.

While we appreciated seeing the difference between homes that had been restored versus preserved while in Charleston, the fact that the Aiken Rhett House was so dilapidated was quite depressing. The accoustiguide was too wordy and too much time was spent in spaces that were dark. The addition of local contemporary art to the mix, on exhibit presumably to brighten dark spaces, was not good at all - ruined my appreciation for the original architectural features of the house that the curators had bothered to preserve. I would not return.

Leave lots of time for strolling. Make sure to take advantage of tours. Lunch was crowded at lunchtime. So if you can wait a bit, very lovely place to dine.

This property is preserved but not restored to its previous glory and that makes it unique and very worthwhile. The audio for the self guided tour is very well done—don’t skip any part of it. Very even handed presentation of the stories of slaves and masters—it functioned as a town home of people who owned a large rice plantation. This property teaches a story which needs to be heard. The huge porches or piazzas in the house are amazingly comfortable and pleasant.

Several people suggested that the Aiken-Rhett House was important to visit because the slave quarters and work yard have been preserved along with the main house. Unlike the Nathaniel Russell House that is fully restored, the Aiken-Rhett House has been preserved as is, which provides an interesting look at before and after when visiting the two homes. Very importantly, and a credit to those who manage this museum, the role and lives of the enslaved are emphasized here. During the audio tour, we learned of individual enslaved persons, saw their rooms, and learned of their specific tasks and skills. This museum house is fascinating on several levels: the decisions made in preserving rather than restoring, and a fuller accounting of ALL those, owners and enslaved, who lived here.

I enjoyed this self guided hour tour. The house is preserved and not restored. So you can see the historical perspective throughout the main house as well as the enslaved quarters. The tour was very informative, and self guided so you could go at your own pace. I definitely recommend this site and tour.

I was so very impressed with the forward thinking collaboration between this historic house museum and Fletcher Williams. The creativity, art and relevance to bigger issues shined and really made this institution stand out among the crowd. I'm impressed that they had the courage to deal with the difficult history rather than be silent.

The choice to “preserve” vs. “restore” this historic home means the visitor is left viewing hurricane-damaged wallpaper scraps in uncared-for rooms with rat-chewed settees ... a waste of both time and money. The wi-fi based tour was wordy and un-engaging. Least favorite activity of our week in Charleston.

The preservation of this house is great to see, and astonishing despite the hot and humid climate here! Tour was educational and could be as fast or slow as we wanted, as it is a self-guided audio tour. Enjoyable couple of hours.

I can’t recommend this tour enough. We have been in Charleston for days and participated in many tours/activities and the Aiken-Rhett House was by far the most moving/inspirational tour we have done. Please take the time out to experience this amazing tour, you won’t be disappointed.

This was amazing. The full picture of life during the time presented, including the quarters of persons who were enslaved, is featured here. Interesting concept of “preserved as found”, which was new to us. Highly recommend.

It has not been restored, it is very much a 200 plus year old house. Not sure how letting it remain in this condition shows how people lived then, but this is what they have decided to do. Bring headphones, they are very insistent that you use the app. They have large foam headphones for visitors, but why would you want that on your head with the Delta varient raging.

This home has not been restored or renovated. It is exactly how time has treated it. Not fancy but definitely gives you a sense of how life was there. Plenty of areas to see for such a small property.

It was so interesting to see this PRESERVED home (rather than Restored). The home has been kept AS-IT-WAS-FOUND. We really enjoyed our audio tour that educated us about the families that lived in the home.

The staff is very friendly, and the audio tour is very well done and very interesting. The house provides a great feel into the early time period of Charleston as a major city in the slaveholding south.

It was interesting. Staff weren't overly helpful. Place was amazing. Had issues with the iPhone but would recommend doing this. I would recommend seeing this property

This amazing preserved home is a must see and an excellent tour (along with a Pineapple bus tour) to learn about the rich history of Charleston.

The house itself, as every reviewer has mentioned, is not restored, but at least it is preserved and not destroyed in the name of progress. That being said, it is still an excellent house to visit because you can walk though the slave quarters and get a glimpse of how difficult life must have been for the slaves, that is, in addition to what we all already know about the unimaginable hardships that they endured. Also, the audio tour is exceptional and provides endless details about the time and the place.

This was an amazing piece of history! Unlike the other historic houses, this house has not been restored and allows you to experience what it would be like to find an abandoned house. The best part was the self guided audio tour that shared many stories and historical information. We arrived at 4:00, which only gave us one hour which was NOT enough time if you enjoy history.

Very interesting tour. I recommend downloading the app prior to visiting and bring your own headphones. The house is really interesting because it is being preserved in its existing state rather than being remodeled/recreated.

Very interesting historical site. Definitely do the audio tour - best in good weather as you will be both indoors and outdoors. Parked in visitor center and used the shuttle afterwards to explore town.

Highly recommended. This house is the only one with existing slave quarters, carriage houses and kitchens to visit. Well narrated guided headpiece will explain in detail and guide you around the house. Gallery contains original works of art in a temperature controlled setting.

Although the tour is audio, it is thorough and tells a lot of history of the wealthy family that lived here and the evolution of the house through the years as it was remodeled with the times. The history of the slaves who are tied to this house is awesome information although most of the slave history has been lost. This house is portrayed as an example of preservation versus restoration and it is in a state of slow deterioration. If you tour this non-airconditioned house in the summer, by the time you get to the end of the 45 minute tour, you will love the Art gallery as it is in an air conditioned room. Aahhhhh... If you are around, this one is better toured in the cooler months but make sure you have a bottle of water for each member of your party to enjoy the tour in the summer.

This is an amazing house all the better for its raw presentation with multiple layers of history visible. The rear workyard where the enslaved worked and lived are a moving survival. One of the best historic houses I have ever visited.

Self guided tour was well done and informative. So sad to see the damage from hurricane Hugo. Slave quarters were part of the tour.

Very enjoyable experience. Had initially hoped for a docent to provide a tour, but ‘settled’ for the audio narration. In retrospect, the tour provided either by downloading the audio tour to your smart phone, or using the headset provided by the staff, was one of the best, if not the best, audio tour my wife and I have ever taken. Instructions were clear, narration was informative and combined both historical facts with lots of information about both the Aiken family and the enslaved who lived in proximity to one another. The contrast between the opulence of the main house and the slave quarters was striking. Very well done.

Saw this house while riding my bike. Paid the fee with an option to see another house that’s renovated at a future date. This house is preserved. Lots of interesting things to see from the stables, slave quarters, upstairs and first floor.
Gift shop available.

I am so glad we went to see the house. It was easy to find and everyone was so nice there. The experience was made great by the use of an app that walked us through the house. I would highly recommend.

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 very much.

We had a docent led tour and what a plethora of knowledge she had. This house is in its original condition. It was amazing hearing all the stories of the family. Please tip your docents if you happen to get a tour from them. So worth it.

To our family, the Aiken Rhett house was a highlight of our time in Charleston. The audio tour covers many aspects of personal family history of the people of the home, as well as stories about what servant/slave life would have been. The audio tour includes several stops in the servant quarters. It also includes much information about the preservation of the home.

In reading some of the negative reviews, some people are disappointed that the house and buildings are in "disrepair." The house is preserved as it was found in 1995, so some treasures are visible that would not be if the home had been restored to mimic an appearance to match a period in time. For example, the original wallpaper is still visible in several rooms. It is faded and peeling, but it shows the original opulence that the family's home was decorated in.

Note: this museum is not air conditioned and gets hot on a hot day.

So absolutely glad we were able to tour this amazing & gigantic house. We all really enjoyed how the house had been preserved and not restored. It was literally like stepping back into time. It was easy to appreciated the work and money that went into making this preservation a reality. Being able to walk all around the house, grounds & enslaved quarters really made it more real. We took the self guided tour and it took us about 1 hr. Definitely could have spent more time however. If you only have time to tour 1 house this is it. We bought tickets on the official website and got both the Nathaniel Russell house and the Aiken Rhett house as a combo and saved money.

Came on Monday and there was something special going on and they were not allowing regular tours. Came back today at 3pm and sign on door says closed due to weather forecast (rain). I looked at website before we came both times and they do not have a message saying it is closed. Should give it 0 for poor customer service. If you are going to close please post it on website.

Loved the fact that this is a self-guided tour. It was very easy to follow. Bought the combo ticket so we were able to tour the Nathaniel Russell home as well. There were some hiccups with the app at the Nathaniel Russell home. It kept crashing, but there were employees throughout the house that were very helpful. Be sure to download the app first AND bring headphones (as requested) out of courtesy of others. It can be annoying when you're trying to listen to the speaker through your headphones and someone else is listening without headphones.

This was the best house tour we did on our trip. They start you with the history of the house and in the slaves quarters which really makes you understand upon whose shoulders everything was built (and built by). This made during the house much more meaningful by putting everything in context.

I didn't know what to expect at this house, my first stop on my trip to Charleston. I'd never been in a preservation house before. I must say, I was blown away by the tour. It's an audio self-guided tour, with a lot of information and history about the Aiken/Rhett families and the enslaved who lived and worked there. The stories of the enslaved, usually who remain nameless, have names and family history that is told as you go thru their living and working quarters. The house itself is amazingly well preserved for having survived wars, earthquakes and namely Hurricane Hugo. Kudos to the preservationists! Use your imagination as you walk thru the rooms and the audio describes the grand balls that were held there, going up & down those stairs in huge gowns, or those backstairs with trays of food. I was struck by the remaining lighting fixtures-three types of lighting in one hallway (oil, gas, and electric) and the wiring for the bell system to summon an enslaved 'servant' is still visible on the back of the house.
I bought a combination ticket for Aiken-Rhett and the Nathaniel Russel house. I would highly recommend this, as it saves money and you get to see the two types of houses, one a preservation and the other a restoration.
The staff I encountered at Aiken-Rhett were all very nice and helpful. I would visit again if I were to return to Charleston.

This was one of three historic homes we visited on a recent 2-night trip to Charleston. While we enjoyed the Edmonston-Alston House and Nathaniel Russell house more, this one is worth seeing as well. It's being preserved in an "as-is" state, while means peeling wallpaper and very sparse furnishings. Hurricane Hugo did a number on this house when it blew through Charleston in 1989 and the damage is still evident today. The tour focuses a lot on the lives of enslaved people at the house and you will get to go through the buildings where the enslaved slept, cooked, did laundry, etc.

This was the only historical home tour that we went on in Charleston, so I can't compare it to others like the Nathaniel Russell House or any of the plantations. From what I understand, those places are restored - not preserved as this house is. I found that to be really interesting, and it's why we chose this house to visit. I loved seeing authentic glimpses of the house's glory days. I was especially interested in learning about what life there was like for the enslaved people. Overall it was a great audiotour that allowed you to go at your own pace. We didn't download the app or anything - just used the ipods and headphones there, and it was perfectly fine.

Most interesting thing about Aiken-Rhett House is that it is NOT fixed up. In places you can see the "bones" of the house, in others you can see changes through the years.

I enjoyed visiting a preserved house - it was really interesting to see the house in its "natural" state. Don't expect an elegant tour - but the narration is well done.

Excellent self guarded tour. I loved that everything was preserved and not restored. I knew how slaves were bought and sold and treated but seeing it in the environment in which it happened made it even more real and very sad.

Very interesting tour through this house. I do question the preservation in place, as it is described. On one hand I can understand not disturbing certain artifacts, as restoration may cause more damage. But in the Aikens house, it almost seems like a cost effective excuse not to restore things to their former glory, especially in the main house. Slave quarters and history was impressive.

This house is being preserved, not restored, so expect more of a history lesson in the life of the time. Frankly, we were quite disappointed that there was another exhibition of handmade quilts spread out throughout the building! The quilts were beautiful in their own right, but they were distracting and often blocked the view of the room or its furnishings!

We visited one plantation and three other homes while in Charleston. This was our favorite. It is done with an audio guide. Mine stopped part way through, but the staff helped get me back on track. It is not restored , but has the best access to the stables, outbuildings, porches, and rooms. I do hope they will do preservation and maybe limited restoration.

We very much enjoyed this house tour, It is as it was back in the day. Not refurbished or how they think it was. I do think they need to fix a couple of things just because I thought it was unsafe to leave it that way. But you can see how wealthy this family was and the opulence that they lived.

This was my favorite house to tour! They spent time on the slave quarters and what their lives were like, as well as the main house. It was fascinating seeing both sides. I really enjoyed the tour. Due to COVID, you download an app and listen at your own pace. It was really well done! Bring your own headphones, it really helps not to hear others phones playing while you are trying to listen to yours.

My wife and I have visited Charleston before but this was our first tour of this house. Wow! To step through the door is like stepping back in time. We have never taken a tour like this before where preservation and conservation are so well coupled. When you walk through this house, you feel an overwhelming sense of time and history. If you tore this house, make plans to stay for a while. You won't be disappointed.

Great tour. Use of headphones and on your own pace. Staff great. Gift shop had good merchandise. Make sure you download before you go.

If you like completely redone, decked out, frozen in time historical houses this is not the tour for you. That is why I loved it. This self guided audio tour gives you a houses that is being preserved, not restored. Think Egyptian mummies. They are leaving it the way the got it, in all its state of disrepair and aging. This makes for a tour that shows what aging does to a house just like the rest of us. I really like how it exposed the layers of change the house has gone through in being modernized then falling into disrepair again. Only one room is climate controlled to protect their art collection and I had an issue with that. I wish the art had been labeled so I could see who painted the works. My other complaint is the length of the audio tour. It was very, very, very thorough. I would have liked to have been able to just read about some things and moved on instead of listening through the complete commentary, hence my 4 out of 5 stars.

This tour is well worth your time and money. Your can buy a combo ticket with the Nathanial Russell house and save a bit. This house is "preserved" rather than restored so it has a different look but the historical value to really cool. The recorded tour takes you through the entire house and slave quarters. Absolutely loved the tour and the stories. Do it!

I visited this museum with three other people, and we enjoyed it immensely. The self-guided tours allowed us each to go at our own pace which was so nice. I love that this House is preserved and not restored - an important distinction as all of the other house museums we visited on this trip were restored.
We arrived at 4pm, but unfortunately 1 hour is NOT enough time to do the entire tour and enjoy.

I had my reservations about visiting this site because it's "preserved" not "restored". I couldn't be more pleased! The audio tour was so good, it didn't matter! I liked being able to take my time and really immerse myself in the history instead of being shuffled through each room on a traditional house tour. This is a big, grand house! Definitely my favorite house in Charleston.

WE toured here October 2, 2019. It was a great tour. Our tour guide was very educated on the history of this historical place. Be sure & take time to tour it. It is beautiful.

This is such an amazing property. It is a preservation project, so it is in the state in which it was acquired and not restored. But, despite that, it is an incredibly fascinating and impressive home.

My husband was a little hesitant to go on this tour and I couldn't get him to leave! Wonderful history and the home is HUGE. It's amazing to see how these people lived in these days compared to today. You can tell this home was beyond elaborate in its day.

The home is preserved not restored. Very different experience from other mansion tours in Charleston. From the creaking floors, to peeling paint and wallpaper you can imagine what a grand home this was in it's time. Also tour the outside buildings where the slaves worked and carried on with their household duties.

This house is a must see! Esp if you enjoy non-renovated homes. This tour is self-guided with auto. You can go at your own pace and you will see all of the house, which is a rare thing. The cost is $12 and is definitely well worth the money. I enjoyed this house much more than some of the other, more advertised plantation homes in Charleston.

See this and the Nathaniel Russell houses to understand preservation vs. restorations. Aiken-Rhett is preserved as it was when purchased. It is not restored to any period, so some features are not "pretty" but they are very interesting. The tour includes good information about life as an enslaved person.

Extremely interesting, impressive, imposing house left completely undisturbed and intact from it's original last occupancy. Not much furniture, but a fascinating peek into the lifestyle of the Charleston's rich and famous of a long bygone era. I have been to many historic homes throughout the south but this one, in it's state of untouched disrepair has a haunting (not necessarily haunted athough who knows) presence, as if you have mistakenly wandered into an abandoned mansion. The house has apparenty withstood earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, wars and occupations and is still intact. I have also visited other plantations that seem to be dwarfed by this place. Sort of eerie to wander through the gigantic empty rooms which used to be alive with color, light and riches, all on the backs of slaves, I might add.

Fantastic trip back in time .The house was wonderful all the people that worked there were nice as could be . Plenty of people to answer questions

Close to the visitor's centre. Audio guide was excellent. Easy to follow and find your way. Property bigger than I had anticipated but it was wonderful. Chairs and benches available throughout to help those who need a rest.

We visit this home every time we come to Charleston because the history is so interesting. The house is preserved rather restored which really feels so authentic. It's a must see when visiting this historic city!

We had visited this house in the past and it was a tour lead by a docent. This time, the tour was a recorded tour. It was excellent and helpful as it was possible to start and stop the narrative as wanted. It also allowed for staying in one place if there was more that you wanted to explore. It is fascinating that this home is being preserved as it was when it was donated. Great visit!

Did the self-guided tour. This house is being preserved "as is" unlike some of the other historic houses in Charleston. If you only have time for seeing 1 historic home - I would recommend the Heyward-Washington House instead.

It's a self paced audio tour which lets you take your time at any point you find particularly interesting. The preservation distinction is explained well. The history is explained in personal terms as well as in context to the time and the city. The story told includes the atrocity of slavery and the accomplishments of the few that managed to have their history recorded. Very well done.

The Aiken-Rhett house is close to the Charleston museum and worth a few hours of time. I enjoyed the audio tour, especially the section about the lives of the slaves. The house itself was significantly damaged when taken over by the Historic Charleston Foundation and then sustained more damage during Hurricane Hugo. The Foundation has decided to preserve the house rather than restore, but although I enjoyed the audio of the house, I found the house itself rather depressing, I am definitely a fan of restoration. If you have limited time, I would suggest going to the Manigault house or the Heywood Washington house, both restored and beautiful.

This a really well done audio tour of around 45 mins (with optional additional segments) that gives proper weight to the slave quarters as well as to the wealthy owners of the main house. It's a good idea to do this as well as the Nathanial Russell House, as that one is restored to how it would have originally looked, whereas the Aiken-Rhett House is preserved as it was found; both are interesting for different reasons. I was really surprised to read other reviewers criticising the attention given to the enslaved peoples' history - I think anything less would be an insult and would completely overlook how the original inhabitants were able to accumulate all their wealth. Well worth doing if you're in Charleston!

We had a one hour self guided tour with the audio headset and it was great! Very well done with lots of information on the home and the slaves. There are a few pieces of furniture inside and some art work in the gallery. They are preserving the house instead of restoring it, which would cost a bundle! We thoroughly enjoyed seeing it.

This was a wonderful self guided tour, you can download the tour on your phone or use their ipods. It shows the life of the enslaved who worked and lived there with the juxtaposition of their masters opulence. This is real Charleston history.

This place is truly amazing. It really wowed us to see so much history preserved as it was and how it was it really put it all in to prespective on how things were.

This house / compound is not restored, but don’t let that deter you from a visit. It’s a educational, self guided tour that I felt does a good job reviewing the history of the people and the home. I think you’ll be impressed at how big the house is. Worth a visit and I’d recommend.

This was our second visit to this house. It is a beautiful old structure. My headset did not work the first part of the tour, so I missed all the information about the slave quarters and gardens, carriage house, stable, etc. The guide did give me another headset, so I enjoyed the rest of the tour. Enjoyable.

Well worth a visit. We did the audio self guide and it was really informative. They haven’t tried to restore the house to a particular time frame but more left it as is and tell the story of its history including the life of slaves on the estate. Would really recommend this attraction. So interesting

We parked at the Visitor Center Garage on Mary Street and went to the nearby Aiken-Rhett House Museum. This mansion is unique: it has never been restored but, thanks to the painstaking preservation efforts, survived the wars, unrests, hurricanes, frequent change of ownership… and miraculously retained its original beauty (well, it is faded beauty of course). The contrast of the shocking poverty in the slaves quarters and the luxuries of the owners’ residence tells you a tragic story of slavery in the South. To make their mansion even more impressive, the Aiken family brought home European furnishings, paintings and sculptures… all of them are in dilapidated but original shape.

The self-guided tour is very informative.

If you have time for only one historic house then make it this one.

Conserved rather than restored, it gives the visitor a vision of Charles Towne life before the end of the Civil War. Coming from Bath, England, a city partially built on profits from the slave trade, the formal house was familiar to us. After all, such splendour can be seen all over Bath to this day. On the other hand the slave quarters and their lives brought you up sharp. The fact that slave descendants lived in the same squalor in the 1960’s that their predecessors had to endure a century earlier was hard to comprehend. In addition, I had always thought that the slave owners had a benevolent attitude towards their assets if only to get them to work more productively. Again, the knowledge that one of their slave girls died of malnutrition when only seven years old casts a new light on affairs.

I defy anyone to come out of this building with the same attitude that they went in.

Was a little disappointed that the house is not "restored". The "preserved" look is not very appealing. However, the self-guided tour was a very nice way to see the property.

This place was confusing. Didn’t realize it was to highlight the Slave quarters but the house was horribly shabby. There was no perspective to the contrast. The slave quarters were in better shape than the house. It was a dump ond overpriced. Total waste of time - The staff was pleasant and the audio tour was good.

This house was in a preserved state, not restored, interesting to see it that way. Gorgeous architecture, lots of history. Fascinating to see how these people lived.

This house was preserved in the state it was in (disrepair) instead of restored to a specific time period. They give you an audio tour that they say takes 45 minutes but it took us more than 75 mins and we were almost late to our next event. It was interesting though and lots of information about the enslaved people living there which was a nice contrast to historic homes that gloss over that aspect.

A self-guided tour using headphones. It was very interesting, as we walk through the preserved house and slave quarters. We really enjoyed how the tour immersed us in the everyday life of the people and how they lived on the property. The aspect of this tour that stood out to us was the slave quarters and how they lived. Very interesting.

This was our first stop during our Charleston visit. it is a 5 minute walk from the Visitor Center. The house is preserved and not refurbished. You are given an audio guide which explains each part of the house. The tour was excellent and informative. Provides good contrast to Nathaniel Russell House. Keep your coat if it is chilly as you will spend a good portion of the tour outside on the grounds.

This home is very interesting! It has been kept in a preserved, not renovated condition. That means that they have tried to keep the original condition of the building and have not redone it. The original wall coverings and flooring are still visible even if they are peeling. Some original furniture is also included. It is also fascinating to see the slave quarters. Although their housing was very primitive, the slaves of this wealthy city family were not as crowded as plantation slaves and were afforded individual fireplaces. That is not something I had considered before. We visited as part of a tour group and had a private tour guide. I would be interested to hear the audio tour. It was well worth our time to visit.

Although a visit to the house gives you a good overview of life during the time period, the house has not been restored. It is interesting to hear the stories through the audio guide, but we were a little disappointed that the inside was left in its original state. That being said, it is interesting to see if you plan on going to another house that has been restored as it gives you a good comparison. If you have limited time, skip this one.

This house is preserved but unrestored, offering a very interesting look at its era. Much different than seeing a property as it would have looked at a particular point in its history. Would highly recommend.

This large house with its associated slave and work quarters has been "preserved", but not "restored", so there is none of the glitz and finery which characterized it at its height, but it preserves a fascinating look at its essential, sometimes crumbling, features. The excellent audio tour included in the admission price gives more and franker attention to the enslaved people who served its owners than other sites, while also discussing the history of the family which owned it (and them).

A truly authentic, evocative experience. The house is preserved but not restored, meaning visitors get a real sense of an indentured person’s life, the residents’ world of privilege, and the passage of time. The audio tour also does a nice job of weaving these elements together. Maybe my favourite Charleston attraction.

Extremely well done audio tour. Very thoughtful in how we started with the enslaved people’s quarters, kitchen, laundry room, stables before moving into the house. All 6 in our party thoroughly enjoyed it. Audio tour is via an app to your phone, so bring your earphones! They do have sets to borrow there as well. Length is about 75-90 minutes, so plan accordingly (I think the webpage or this one says 45 min, and we were rushed at the end!)

Great audio tour. Loved the idea of preservation rather than restoration. Explanation of slave life felt accurate and got correct focus.

Cute gift shop and nice people working there.

Amazing home to get the vibe of historical Charleston. We've toured other historical properties in different locations, but this really told a story. The audio tour was very good! It had a lot of options for additional learning that we didn't have time to listen to. My only negative comment it the lack of places to sit during the tour. I have back issues and it was giving me fits by the end of the visit.

Awesome tour. It’s audio guided. Not restored but that’s what I was looking for. I wanted to see unrestored slave quarters and this was the location aside from Boone hall.

What a great user friendly tour. Upon entering, you are loaned a set of headphones for your interactive tour. Scan the barcode on your phone and you hear the facts as you progress from room to room. This house is well preserved. The staff are very knowledgeable and very friendly. Great tour!

Everything here is as it was left, extensive mansion, grounds, slave quarters, stables, and all preserved without restoration, so you are in the spaces that seem to have just been deserted. Amazing and authentic experience.

A town full of history, many old churches and cemeteries, sites and good place to eat. Using the free on and off bus was a great find.

This tour is perfectly executed. This self guided audio tour gives visitors the option of utilizing their cellphone or the property’s iPods to listen to one of the best narrated history tours we’ve ever heard. The history is well described as are nuances about the house.

There is a lot to see here and take your time and learn about this house and all the history behind it. You will not be disappointed.

We loved the history and the tour, especially the docents. Everyone was so nice. We would note that wifi was spotty and made it difficult to hear the tour on our phones. We were told to use our data when their wifi was spotty, but I wasn't sure if I had unlimited so didn't try that. It was also not air conditioned and in July during a heat wave, that was difficult. It is a preserved house, not a restored house. It's strength is the information on the lives of the enslaved. It also showed how basic life really was in that time period,even when imagining it in top condition. Bathtubs were new. No indoor plumbing. You know these things, but to "see" it is different.

Absolutely fabulous self-guided tour through a famous mansion that has never been restored but has all of the furnishings in place. This is the only "urban" plantation and a wonderful complement to Magnolia and Middleton place. well worth your time!

So much history and so interesting! It goes into great detail all this house has survived over the years. You can see the many layers of paint and wallpaper and imagine what it was like back than. You hear how they lived and what their social life was like. Worth a visit if you are in Charleston!

While you will hear a lot of history about the house, its contributions to US history, the residents and their way of life in Charleston, I thought it was little creepy. This was recommended by another tour guide as one of his favorites because it has not been redone. Can you even say it has been preserved? I'm not so sure. My husband LOVED it. He would say it was his favorite part of our trip as he loves history. If you are going to go here you have to expect that it is not pretty, but it is powerful and educational.

This is a unique early 1800’s house that is not restored. Definitely go to this house while you are touring around Charleston. It’s not air conditioned - perfect to actually experience what it was like over 200 years ago! Original furniture, although in major disrepair, adds charm as well as the wall paper that is peeling off the walls. We purchased the combo ticket for this historic home as well as the Nathaniel Russell House, which is restored and air conditioned. Both were great to see!

DO not come here looking to see a grand house with all the furnishings and rooms as they may have looked 200 years ago. There are a number of extremely good exhibits, especially the kitchen and slave quarters as well as the coach house. however the house is being conserved and damage from hurricane Hugo and the cracks from the earth quake can be seen throughout the house. The self guided tour allows you to wander at you own pace. Remember that there is no air conditioning and the interior of the house can be very hot. The library with the art collection is air conditioned. The one person who was 'on duty' to guide you was rather surly and was not able to answer any questions.

My husband and I visited this home and were amazed at the fact it has so much original detail! Walking up those steps to the rooms the slaves lived in can totally put your mind back in time. Great place to see!

Very interesting & informative. You go at your own pace w/ the audio tour. The staff are all very helpful. This is the first house tour I’ve taken that’s been “preserved as found” & it definitely added to the charm & beauty.

Great tour! It was self guided; however, we learned so much. It's amazing to think what this house withstood over the years with the hurricanes and how hard they try to preserve so we can learn how it really was back then. It is about 1 mile north of the Market Street so easy to access if you are staying in the downtown area.

Well worth taking the time to see this property .
Enjoyed our visit . Gave an excellent overview of how life would have been for both enslaved people and their owners . Recommended.

The place is really neat but I'd like to tell you what to expect. When you walk in you got to cash register to purchase tickets. They offer you iPods that give you a self paced tour. My problem is nothing is marked and alot of times I felt lost. I do appreciate the history and how they basically preserved this house for the most part in its original state. House is HOT. They do provide little fans throughout House. I think this would be much better if they could offer s guided tour. Thank you.

I was so disappointed that it was closed after basically hoofing it over there. I really wanted to show my husband this wonderful museum piece. The website on both Google & Trip Advisor said OPEN to 5 pm. I rang the bell and a man who spoke broken English said it's closed. I did read the sign on the door and it said last tour at 11:30 am. Would have been nice to know that before I walked way over there. But, I did have a nice walk looking at homes and The College of Charleston.

We did the audio tour of this house after having completed a guided tour of the Nathaniel Russell house, so we got in at a discounted cost. An entirely different experience, as this house is in a cindition of mimimal restoration. Peeling paint, worn and torn wall paper should not disappoint. The tour starts with the slave quarters, then the outside court yard working area, and finely the house. The audio brings to life the property, but sometimes gets a little long-winded; no problem, because you can fast forward as desired. The rooms are huge, yet sparsley furnished if at all. This tour requires walking stairs and I did not notice any elevator. Located a block from the visitor center and a distance from the main hisotric district. Do both houses if possible to compare.

The home has been left as it once was. Loved seeing the original woodwork & architecture from the time when the home was built. Great to imagine how anyone lived there without air conditioning. Very interesting & sad at the same time imagining who lived there & how people were treated. Would highly recommend the self walking tour!

We bought the combo tickets for the Aiken-Rhett House and the Nathaniel Russell House. Due to the COVID issue, both tours are self-guided tours downloaded via an app on your phone. Unfortunately, although the intention is a good one, it has to be one of the most problematic ideas currently established. During the walk thru the house, you might find yourself wanting to listen to the same recording someone else already has begun in the same area, hence, you then can't continue until the other party ends their turn. Either that, or find yourself already listening in one area, when someone else comes in and rudely starts their own recording preventing you from listening to your own. Aside from that dilemma, this house was interesting to walk thru. Compared to other mansions visited in the same city, this one concentrated more on its preservation vs restoration. That's why some of the other reviews confuse the issue as a house not being taken care of. In its heyday, it is obvious it was a grand house for its time. I thought it was genius that the second floor, which served for entertaining mostly, already had pocket doors between the two main rooms allowing the area to be expanded even further. The large verandas were also impressive in size which welcomed a nice view. If you get to listen to the recordings in its entirety, you'll find they will be full of interesting facts.

Visiting the Aiken-Rhett House was a definite highlight of our trip to Charleston. The historic mansion and slave quarters were "preserved as found", i.e., kept in the neglected-looking state from when it was donated. (Of course, it is carefully conserved despite its appearance.) So walking through these abandoned rooms and listening to the fantastic free audio tour describing what life used to be like there was just an amazing experience. I learned a lot about the lives of both the house owners and the enslaved people who lived there, and was just fascinated by the whole thing. Totally different than the usual visit to a fully restored house museum. And really enjoyed being able to tour at my own pace. Highly recommend!

A look back into Charleston's aristocratic history and a home that in its time was ans still is an awesome sight to see!

I really liked the "preserved as found" concept instead of restoring the home. Very interesting. I was a little leery of the audio tour, but it worked great and was very easy to do.

I like to tour old houses and plantations. This house is unique because it's preserved, not restored. Most houses you tour have been made to look like they did in the height of their use (restored), but this one looks like it did when the property was purchased by the current owners. The current owners maintain the property for safety, but you get to tour what looks like ruins. The paint is peeling, the wallpaper is falling off, there are holes in the wall, the foundation creeks, there are smoke stains on the brick and the furniture is tattered and worn. But it's like you stepped back into time and you're immersed in daily life in the early 1800s. The narrator on the audio guide is spectacular. Her voice is crisp and clear and she does an excellent job painting a picture of life back in this time period as you get to know the people that lived here. This house is one of my favorites that I have toured.

Also, if you want to see a restored house, you get a discount to the Nathaniel Russell house by touring this one. It's also a good experience.

My favorite types of museums or historical sights to visit tend to be rougher, less curated, and untouched. The Aiken-Rhett home fit that bill perfectly because it belonged to the same family for so many years without much remodeling. I know many decisions were deliberately made by the Charleston Museum to preserve the home as it was rather than restore it and it was brilliant because it felt so much like we stepped back in time.

There weren't many furnishings in the home but what was there had been there forever. Sometimes homes that are restored but filled with period antiques that were not owned by the family seem less authentic.

The most important distinction for us between the Aiken-Rhett House and other homes offered for tours were the intact slave quarters, kitchen, laundry, and stables. in most cases those quarters have been sold, connected, or sold off.

The only knock on this tour was that it was only available as a self tour with a pre recorded narration. It was very thorough but I think I would have preferred the tour from a knowledgeable guide.

Spent a long weekend in Charleston, SC and took the audio tour of the Aiken Rhett House which was built in 1820. It was the single best thing we did the entire weekend. The audio tour guided you through the courtyard, slave quarters and the house in great detail. It's like a time capsule since the home has been preserved as opposed to renovated. Very reasonably priced too. A must see.

I went on nearly all the historic home tours during my stay and I would say this was #1 for me. Really in-depth and interesting. Some people probably won't like that it hadn't been restored and wasn't glitzy but it was fine by me. The tour takes you throughout the entire house and also the quarters of the slaves.

We loved our visit to this preserved house. We saw the Nathaniel-Russell House first, and definitely recommend seeing both to compare a restored to a preserved house. The audio guide was very helpful and we appreciated all the information and views into the lives of those enslaved.

The house was the former home of Governor William Aiken who was one of the largest slaveholders in South Carolina. Unlike the Nathaniel Russell House or the Edmonston Allston House, the Aiken Rhett House is in the process of being preserved, as opposed to being restored. The furniture is old and falling apart and the paint on the walls is cracking off, but I think this is one of the neat things about the house. It was haunting to walk through, particularly visiting the former quarters of the enslaved. Instead of a guided tour, there is a comprehensive audio tour which includes commentary by a history professor at the College of Charleston and one of the preservationists of the house. N.B. There is no air conditioning at the Edmonston Allston House so a visit earlier in the morning is probably best.

Loved this house! It was HUGE and had a lot of house and grounds to cover which I loved! I think it would be a little too boring for young kids but was great for two adults! You can either download the app on your phone or they provide a device to you listen to the tour through out the house and it was VERY well done. We did the combo tickets so we paid $18 for both the Aiken-Rhett house and the Nathanial Russell house. I found it definitely worth it!

As is.....very interesting to see this period home that has been left the way it was found (as opposed to a restored home). The self guided audio tour is COVID compatible and easy to use. The tour did address the lives of the enslaved workers who lived here as well, which I deeply appreciated. Right in town, so very accessible.

I knew places not so popular, I like the historic center.
On another occasion I also visited the port region.
Apart from the historic part, nearby have beaches, in case the visit is in the summer.

This place has a lot of interesting history, so that made it enjoyable. The big thing about here, it is preserved, and not restored. You may be disappointed if you are looking to see the grandeur of the past at this place. It has been preserved as it is, so that is different then most places that you may visit. You can learn a lot here.

In the summer, go in the AM, as this "preserved" home is not air-conditioned. Great presentation on slavery in the city (vs. on a plantation).

I am not one to pay money to look at other people’s furniture, at least in this case there was not going to be a lot of it. But I lost interest in this tour as soon as we entered the house.

I really did not want to listen to tedious discussions of paint or restoration versus whatever. I came to see how they lived - a domestic point of view, particularly as it pertained to the lives of the slaves.

But I was chastised, by a volunteer for not following the correct order of rooms, and lost interest in the entire place. Ah, audio tour?

One thing that has struck me, given the call to take down statues of confederate soldier slave owners, is why the proceeds of all these tours of plantations and houses like this (this lot owned 800slaves) are not used to better the lives of black people today. Should be a ‘slave’ tax.

My husband and I visited this house on 10/10. This was my husband’s favorite house out of all we visited. This is a house that has been preserved not restored . The rooms have character and you can see what they had once been. The slave quarters and carriage house have also survived and are interesting.

My husband and I went to the Aiken-Rhett tour expecting to experience a typical, restored southern estate home, and we were blown away by how unusual and unique the experience was. This was truly a step back in time where you can experience the home as it was when the original inhabitants lived there. I also loved that you could physically enter the preserved living and working areas of the enslaved residents. The experience is very similar to the tenement museum in NYC. I would NOT recommend for young children, probably not enough to hold their interest here.

I loved how this home was "preserved" and not "restored." Lots to learn here. Plenty of places to see restorations but not a lot of "preserved" buildings around.

My family visited this historic site after learning about it from a brochure, and it was nothing like what we expected. First, the house is grand with very tall ceilings on all three floors and wonderfully large outside porches. What was especially unique was the slave quarters and kitchen room behind main building. The shocking thing to us was how run down the inside of the house was, with peeling paint and wallpaper on the walls along with damaged floors and walls. It seemed like the past owners just let the inside of the house go. However, we learned that this was not the case, as all the interior damage was caused by hurricane Hugo in 1989 where the roof was torn off the house and rain water soaked the inside walls and floors. A real tragedy for such a historic home.

The self guided tour consisted of using a supplied iPod with headphones and walking from room to room after each narration. The total tour took about 45-60 mins. Note, that to help preserve the house it is not air conditioned, which made for a hot and sticky tour of the grounds and house during the month of August.

Well worth the cost of entry! The house is incredible, the staff are very knowledgeable about its history, and the overall story is intriguing. I loved that the tour started with the kitchen and slave quarters to assure the visitors that they understand truly how a house of this kind was maintained and run. It was a humbling as well as insightful experience, and one I would most definitely recommend to others.

This was an amazing visit. I appreciate the “as-is” preservation that is being followed at the Aiken-Rhett home. You are really stepping back in history when you visit the house.

While the house itself is incredible in size and style, what really stood out to me was the curators’ decision to begin the tour focused on the enslaved community that was the foundation of the home. Walking through the enslaved people’s living quarters, the kitchen they worked in and the outdoor space they were watched and kept in. It was honor to remember those who were enslaved in this way.

With the information of the enslaved being the initial part of the tour, I felt it allowed the house to come to life. You could truly imagine the day to day life as well as the grand events that took place in the magnificent house.

We visit Charleston several times a year and I wish we’d visited this house before. This is a must-see in Charleston.

This was our 2nd tour of the Aiken-Rhett House and once again it did not disappoint. It is so refreshing to visit a historic home that has not been restored. Everything is original to the time period when Governor Aiken and his family lived in the home. It is also great to have audio guides in lieu of an actual tour guide so that you can spend as much time in a room as needed and listen to information about the family and the period customs. I would definitely recommend seeing this home while in historic Charleston SC.

Everything here is preserved rather than restored. In other words, it is now as it was then, with the obvious wear and tear from age as well as surviving hurricanes. Everything from the main home to the slave quarters is relatively untouched. Like stepping back into time.

Part of a combo ticket. It's not clear to wait outside until they for you - or at which door. The docent knew her facts and provided interesting information. It has changed some since the last time I was there. It is disappointing that so little of the home is on display. The "yard" has historical items to view.

Old junk, they call a museum. Everything is falling apart and meant to be kept like that. Men find a Pub and if you have to let the Ladies have this one.

It’s ok. self touring. House is neat, cool stuff and nice to hear about its history. Maple staircase is an interesting room.

Really great sight and tour! The audio tour was very informative and did a good job describing the lives of both the governor’s family and those of the people that he owned. The museum staff was friendly and helpful. If you see one house in Charleston, see this one.

We did the self guided tour and it was really interesting. The house has three distinctive periods in architectural design and is just beautiful! The story of this powerful southern family was really interesting.

Little disappointed that the house is being "preserved" rather than restored. It a self guided tour via an iPod so no chance to ask questions. A few interesting points, but we found more information was given about the slaves that lived there rather than all the people who had lived there. Wish the tour was a little more well rounded.

This home is frozen at 1850 hours or so, and no lipstick on her. So if you’re after Pretty and Polished, move along. We found it to be an interesting expository informing us “In Charleston’s earlier development, here’s what it was like for the upper 1%. Here’s what it was like to be owned by them,” complete with actual non-climate controlled surroundings. Yes, it helps to have an imagination. This family owned a rice plantation, several homes, 59 rental properties and over 800 slaves to keep it all operating. The house has survived a civil war, occupation, hurricanes, floods and personal tragedy, punctuated by great privilege and glittering parties.

As a severely hearing-impaired person, I so much appreciated the wifi-connected , professional audio guide with first-class features to rewind, stop, etc. THANK YOU.

The unique thing about the Aiken Rhett house is that it is unrestored. The mixture of antebellum house and slave quarters leads to a better understanding of how
Closely the masters and the slaves lives together day in and out. The main house and rooms are preserved in the condition in which the family left them once the house was vacated. One exception is the art collection which is small but impressive The story of the family, the slaves and house are well told with the self guided audio tour. Well worth your time to go there.

Though in disrepair the Aiken-Rhett House shows its stately beauty well. The house appears turned ninety degrees from its grand balconies to where you actually enter and head downstairs to get instructions and download their app on your smartphone or get kitted with one of their handheld devices along with headphones (we were there pre-Covid. Off you go to learn about history or the era. The slaves quarters are stunning in their bareness. And to learn that one gentleman lived above the carriage house until really not that long ago! The ingenuity of the system to alert the staff but at the same time the latrine the slaves used in the compound were juxtapositions. Some things are still hard to fathom, like having the staff carry hot water up 3 flights of stairs to fill a bath. Again, despite the run-down condition of the A-R House one can tell how ornate the house must have been. Compared to the Nathaniel Russell House which itself is wonderful, you get to explore so much more of the A-R House. The balconies are immense but not really accessible. It would be stunning to see the A-R House brought back to its glory and I mean the entire compound.

Great self guided tour. One of the things we liked was that the furniture was for the most part authentic and not reproductions like other historic homes. Brutally hot day; it really makes you appreciate air conditioning! Reasonably priced.

Bravo to the historical foundation for respecting the heritage and history of this home by not polishing it up and erasing every experience the walls have seen. Real, moving, fascinating.

This historic house even has the dependencies still intact in a manner you can "feel" the activities of the kitchen, wash house and all the slaves who were living above these activities. The stables too are still intact.

I can’t even understand what the bad reviewers are thinking. Did you not understand that this is a non-restored house? That’s the point, folks. It’s going to be non air conditioned; it’s going to be less than pristine. But what a great house it is, and the recorded narration device works perfectly for anyone who is paying attention and not having a hissy fit for being there, ha ha. Great information, great tour. Husband and I both very glad we visited!

Great tour guide! Learned so much. We forget that they had to eat dinner before it got dark. No electric lights.
You also don’t realize that they did not have the indoor bathrooms, and plumbing that we have today. The tour gave us a better understanding on how the slave owners lived, and how the slaves (that did all of work) lived!

Definitely a must stop! One of my favorite historical visits while in Charleston! It was a very hot June day when we rolled in to the non air conditioned Aiken-Rhett House - but it was completely worth it to walk the grounds, enslaved quarters, home etc and learn about the lives of those that lived here. The home is preserved so it is not necessarily "pretty" like some of the other homes - but it is real and the tour focuses is much on the enslaved workers and the owners of the home. Hurricanes have taken their toll of some parts of the home but it was vey interesting to see how the house has changed over the years. Highly recommend the combo ticket purchase with the Nathaniel Russell House tour - they offer good contrast for your Charleston experience. Beautiful art gallery to check out at the end of the tour (air conditioned room too - so you will cool off on a hot day). Definitely visit this house!

The tour wasn’t what I expected. I had expected that “preservation” meant something other than ensuring that the building wasn’t actively falling down around me. The group that holds the property doesn’t intend to restore it but just keep it from getting worse. Consequently old wall paper was tacked up on the wall with push pins, paint was actively peeling off the walls, the area where you pay was in a cellar storage area and no furniture ( if there was furniture) had any beauty to it anymore …if it even had fabric on it at all. But more than this, I really doubted the historical accuracy of much of what the tour guide told us. Much of the tour was aimed more at stirring emotion with comments of things like …”the 11 year old enslaved child had a child…so who do you think that Daddy would’ve been? “ With an allusion to the thought that it was probably a slave owner but no mention of documents or proof. Also the comment that there was a 6 year old enslaved child who had a documentation of death that alluded to dying of starvation and , hence, that she had been starved. Again no proof of this ( lots of other conditions cause malabsorption and hence can cause death) Also a comment about how one room in enslaved quarters had no fireplace …although it looked like there had been a mantle there. The assumption was made that probably an enslaved person had painted a mantle outline on the wall so they could feel better about being enslaved. ( despite the fact that the other rooms in a similar location had fireplaces and again, no expressed research had been done into the previous modifications made by past owners) My experience with slavery has been minimal as a child born in the 70s in the North. However, I don’t trust that I got a very good accounting of the real story here. But rather, an angry accounting of someone who shouldn’t make up historical details to fit an ill-defined picture.

An unusual opportunity to see a house that is preserved, not restored. The self-guided experience is thoughtfully presented, staring with the story of the enslved people and ending in the formal rooms of the mansion. We used our own iphones from the downloaded app hoping to not deal with any bandwidth problems since there were a lot of people in the house with us. Even so, there were times that we couldn't get the room we wanted to load on the app and so gave up and moved on to the next room. I would check with the folks at the main desk to figure out if the web version is more reliable since the interpretation was so good you really won't want to miss any of it.

My husband and I loved touring this house! The staff were nice and helpful with our questions. I love that the place has been left unrestored and gives that authentic vibe. It’s easy to get lost in the history especially with the audible guide provided. I could have stayed for hours! Highly recommend if you love history and antiques!

I had heard that the Aiken/Rhett House was a truly worthwhile and moving experience and they were absolutely correct. The tour was audio and it not only explained the history of the Aiken Family it also give you a sobering glimpse into the awful hardships the slaves that ran the house faced on a daily basis. People working they were excellent and knowledgeable. Highly recommend stopping at this gem.