Trip Planner: USA / Virginia / Charles City / Berkeley Plantation

Berkeley Plantation, Charles City

4.5

#1 of 7 in Things to do in Charles City

Battlefield · Historic Site

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Berkeley Plantation, one of the first plantations in America, comprises about 1,000 acres (400 ha) on the banks of the James River on State Route 5 in Charles City County, Virginia. Berkeley Plantation was originally called Berkeley Hundred, named after the Berkeley Company of England. In 1726, it became the ancestral home of the Harrison family of Virginia, after Benjamin Harrison IV located there and built one of the first three-story brick mansions in Virginia. It is the home to two presidents of the United States: William Henry Harrison, and his grandson Benjamin Harrison. It is now a museum property, open to the public.

Among the many American "firsts" that occurred at Berkeley Plantation are:

In 1619 settlers celebrated the first annual Thanksgiving celebration after landing at Berkeley Hundred.

In 1862 the Army bugle call "Taps" was first played, by bugler Oliver W. Norton; the melody was written at Harrison's Landing, the plantation's old wharf, by Norton and General Daniel Butterfield.

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Berkeley Plantation reviews

TripAdvisor traveler rating

494 reviews

Google

4.7

By szuzyq

Crystal was a magnificent guide with a lot of knowledge & a wonderful sense of humor! I would recommend this plantation, along with visiting Shirley & Sherwood Forest !

Crystal was a magnificent guide with a lot of knowledge & a wonderful sense of humor! I would recommend this plantation, along with visiting Shirley & Sherwood Forest ! more »
By W8LT3R

During a couples’ trip to Williamsburg my wife and I visited the Berkeley Plantation in Charles City, VA. This area of Virginia has many Plantations, but Berkeley is advertised as the most historic...

During a couples’ trip to Williamsburg my wife and I visited the Berkeley Plantation in Charles City, VA. This area of Virginia has many Plantations, but Berkeley is advertised as the most historic... more »
By dawnw968

The tour guide provided lots of information. I didn't know the amount of history at this location. To stand in the room where the first 10 presidents sat around talking and drinking was surreal...

The tour guide provided lots of information. I didn't know the amount of history at this location. To stand in the room where the first 10 presidents sat around talking and drinking was surreal... more »

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Google

By Joshua Ray Ogletree

This place was amazing!!! Love the history and the architecture is amazing!!! The tour guide was great, and extremely knowledgeable!! This place is amazing, and we’ll worth the visit! Even after this first visit, there is so much more to see! This is a must visit for those that have interest in history!! The current owners and their ancestors have done a wonderful job of preserving the history, and presenting it to the public.

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By Becky O'Brien

It was absolutely amazing. I'm really into history so we paid for the tour. I went with my Dad&my 15yr old daughter. Shane was our tour guide&my Dad was beyond impressed. We spent a few hours enjoying the property&walking around. The tour is well worth it.

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By Tammy

Good tour though guide had dry or bored humor. Could tell he had given tour thousands of times. But extremely knowledgeable and interesting post tour, one on one. We arrived in time for last tour of the day so very little time to explore on our own the grounds and extras. Happy with what we had time for! End of season, last week open.

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By Shloime Eckstein

The plantation and grounds with it's many gardens are visibly stunning. The tour of the main house and surroundings was absolutely fantastic. The house has a lot of historical facts and anecdotes, the guide was amazing with facts, fun and the thought provoking in one tour. Highly recommended!

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By Naomi Sinclair

A beautiful plantation with a homey, welcoming atmosphere. There is plenty to see so expect to spend at least a couple of hours here. The walk down to the river is well worth it. Our tour guide was phenomenal! This was my 2nd visit to Berkeley and I would love to go again!

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