Heyward-Washington House

The tour is self-guided. When you pay your admission you can sign out an audio player which will play narrations describing the rooms and some of their contents. The house is interesting but I enjoyed the grounds and garden more.

This was a very good find if you are downtown Charleston. It's a 45 minute , self guided tour and very interesting. The history and furniture was fantastic. Only $15 , highly recommend.

TL;DR: Highly recommend visiting the Heyward-Washington House. This beautifully preserved 18th-century home offers a self-paced audio tour in two versions—one focused on historical context and the other on the house and its artifacts. Plan for at least 45 minutes per tour, or 60–75 minutes if you listen to the optional extra content (worth it!). There is a great admission package that also includes entry to the Charleston Museum and the 19th-century Joseph Manigault House. I suggest visiting the Charleston Museum and Joseph Manigault House on the same day, and saving the Heyward-Washington House for another day to fully enjoy the experience. --- The Heyward-Washington House is a beautiful, history-rich 18th-century home with a remarkably immersive self-paced audio tour. The curators have done an outstanding job recreating the feel of the original space, including featuring one original piece of furniture that once belonged in the house. Visitors can choose between two themed audio tours: - History-focused tour – Provides deep historical context of the house, the people that lived there, and its era. - House/Artifacts-focused tour – Explores the building, furnishings, and material culture. A single tour takes a minimum of 45 minutes, not including the optional extra tidbits that you can select from. These bonus stories and details are highly engaging and well worth the time, adding about 15–30 minutes. Unfortunately, I only had time for one tour, but would gladly return to do the other. Estimated Time Commitments: - One audio tour: ~45 minutes - One audio tour + most/all extra tidbits: ~60–75 minutes - Two tours: roughly double the above times Pricing & Ticket Value: The ticket can be purchased as part of a package deal granting access to three historic sites: the Charleston Museum, the Heyward-Washington House (18th century), and the Joseph Manigault House (19th century). The flexibility to visit on separate days makes it easy to plan. For the best experience, I recommend visiting the Charleston Museum and Joseph Manigault House on the same day, and dedicating another day to the Heyward-Washington House so you can explore without feeling rushed.

Very cool house!!! We had a great time and I highly recommend visiting. When we were done, I elected to take the kids out and let my better half turn in the devices they give you to use during the self-guided tour, due to more staff showing up with very obvious life choices that I don’t agree with. Glad to see the home and see the history of our country!! Very, very cool!!!

In 1791, the city of Charleston rented Heyward's home for President George Washington's weeklong stay in the city. The association with America's first president has persisted ever since. Built in 1772, the Heyward-Washington House earned its moniker for two men who figured prominently in its history, Thomas Heyward Jr. and President George Washington. Heyward, a Revolutionary War officer and South Carolina delegate to the Continental Congress in 1776 is best known for contributing his signature to the Declaration of Independence. The architecture of the three-story red brick double reflects the Georgian style that spread widely through English colonies for its order and symmetry.

George Washington stayed at this house during his tour of the new country after the Revolution. It's a self-guided audio tour. They give you an audio device with a small speaker. Hold the device near a sensor in each room and it starts playing while you hold it to your ear like a cell phone. At the end of each recording you are presented with 2 or 3 options to hear more about a specific aspect of that room. There are also knowledgeable attendants around. We spent about 2 hours there, but I like to read and listen to everything. If you just wanted the highlights, you could do it in 45 mins. If you like history, you'll enjoy this tour.

Nice historic home presented in a self guided format. 2 story options are available so they have thought through the presentation well. Must see tge garden which is large for inner city and lovely. Super helpful staff. Parking is an issue however.

The tour was a self guided tour - you get a audio player to hold up to your ear as a cell phone. The backyard garden was beautiful - we really enjoyed that area. Cool place to learn some history.