Latta Place Historic Site

Spent about an hour here walking around the different aviaries. Lots of interesting and rare birds you would not normally see. I would recommend bringing some water on a warm day, as you'll be walking around for at least an hour or so. There is also a gift shop with souvenirs, as well as different drinks to buy.

Great hiking, biking, horse riding trails along the water with a kayak boat let in. Have seen a lot of folks fishing here. Nice area for a picnic.

Easy drop off for kayaks enough parking if you come Early. Beautiful place to relax and enjoy a day in the sun. You can swim or just go fishing.

The house tour was very interesting; the tour guide was very knowledgeable about the history of the plantation. Getting to walk through the parlor and bed chambers of the house and explore the grounds was a great experience! It made me feel what life was like in the 1800s. Something unique and fun was seeing the plantation animals. There were sheep just grazing on grass right next to you. There were turkeys, chickens, pigs, a cow, a horse and mule near the barn and fields. Highly recommend visiting for some local history!

This is a wonderful nature preserve with beautiful long and well maintained hiking trails. I typically take my dogs for a hike and let them cool off in the crisp cool water of mountain island lake. The cove trail seems to be the least travelled. If you are looking for a wonderful spot to catch the sunset with the backdrop over the lake, I recommend taking Buzzard rock trail to the overlook.

I come here often and I always get to enjoy the nature trails as well as the fishing grounds. I've attended numerous birthday party events for the little ones. They have a field big enough for festivities to take place. Overall a great park hands down!

Awesome place to visit. A window into the past. Walk or ride horses over miles of paths. Or check out the buildings, house, kitchen farmhouse, barn Raptor house. Some of these have a separate entrance fee. Just so much to see and do. Nearly 1500 acres of woods, farmland and nature trails to enjoy.

Very well-maintained and well-preserved plantation and grounds. Very friendly staff and tour guides. Prices are expensive for paid tours. The plantation house tour, though informative, was too short for the cost. Otherwise, everything was great and recommended for those who've never been to an authentuc, early 1800's plantation and late-1700's cabin.

The entrance fee to walk around independently is $5 but there isn't much to see except some buildings with animals that is like visiting a small farm. The buildings that are meant to appear as being refurbished appropriate to the era when the plantation was functioning are minimal, three small single room buildings. Not worth the price. I did not do the guided tour that was $9 to tour the single plantation home for 45 minutes which seemed like a really long tour for the small plantation house. Might be a good tour for school children but wasn't worthwhile for an adult. Plenty of onsite parking on a quiet weekday visit.

We went to see the war reenactment over Labor Day weekend 2016 - such a blast! They had tons of people dressed in times clothing, tents set up for selling items, wooden fires going, barns and houses were open to the public to view & they had a battle! The battle was the best part - with guns and canons going off (can get pretty loud) as well as men on horses! Best tip about this place: go when there is a war reenactment, no need to show up too early, its easy to get a spot and see everything.

This is a wonderful historic site with an excellent historical interpreter in the person of Ian Campbell. He presents history in an accurate, non-PC way. It's too bad the woke crowd, including the Charlotte mayor, don't appreciate accurate presentation of history.

Great place to visit all year round. I've been there twice and looking forward to going back.

Took a bunch of out of towners who wanted to check out a Civil War era place to Latta Plantation. Located in the Latta Nature Reserve in Huntersville, the plantation consists of a visitors' center, plantation house, farm, and other assorted buildings. There are a couple of very friendly animals roaming around the farm area and the people who work there are really nice and informative. A Civil War Infantry demonstration was going on the day we went, that was neat, got to learn about how the Confederate infantry lived and operated. Great place to take the kids or people who like Civil War Era history. Admission is $6 for adults and $5 with student ID.

I just got back from Christmas at Latta Plantation. I took my 12-year-old twin boys. We toured the small nature center first (minor point if interest), and then paid our $17 to see the Plantation. The Visitor Center had a movie running in the exhibit area that lasted over an hour. It was about Harriet Tubman helping free the slaves, and had a Christmas theme. We caught parts of it on the way in and out... It was really a bit slooow for this sort of place. The Visitor Center exhibits explain a lot about the folks who lived there a long time ago, and they display some of their relics. You can also grab some refreshments and souvenirs, if interested. The large house is fully decorated, and we took a tour that showed us how folks lived back then. It was moderately elegant, but life was still hard. There was a weaver working upstairs, and museum workers in each room showed us some of the features of the house. A kitchen out back was fully functional, with a demonstration of brick fireplace cooking going on. There are sheep, cows, pigs, goats, and horses here. A slave cabin is set up, so you can see how the slaves lived at the time. This is a small plantation, so don't expect anything lavish. But do expect to find a museum-like experience that does give an honest portrayal of liffe in the pre-civil war era.

We ventured off for a family outing one day and really enjoyed ourselves. We weren't sure what to expect but the tour of the house was very eye opening. They explained in great detail about the home and how it was used and the way life was back then. They ask that you do not take any pictures in the home. On our visit, there were a lot of people but it was not overly crowded. When we went back to the slave quarters, they even had people back their portraying the life and it was interesting. The slaves literally slept on dirty and rocks in between some walls. They had some animals on the farm, a big ole pig and such. My son had a good time and we would definitely come back. They offer different events at the plantation and it's great getting that historic information and seeing it come to life.

My daughter first took horseback riding lessons here over 15 years ago. We found it to be a solid and affordable place for her as a beginner. The instructor that she had at the time was very patient and kind to kids as well as the horses. He was able to teach her all the basics and gave her a good foundation for her later training. Later on, we ended up moving to a stable much closer to home that offered more challenges for her as well as more opportunities for competition -especially in the hunter-jumper arena. However, we have have been back to Latta many times for her to compete in dressage shows and have also come back for trail rides. If you are interested in a trail ride or beginner lessons, they have some really gentle horses. The facilities are nice for horse and rider alike.

The company I work for has volunteer programs and I decided this year to help out keeping this great little historical establishing in good working order by volunteering my time to clean up, dust off, and weed a large portion of the grounds. The staff were very nice and helpful in making sure all my fellow corporate co-workers knew what they were doing and when to do it. I've also visited this area for little hikes and really like area.

This review is for the Halloween Haunted Trail event ONLY! The Latta Plantation runs this event the Friday and Saturday before Halloween only. We arrived at around 7:45pm and we didn't start the trail walk until 9:00pm. The walk itself took about 10-15 minutes to get through. The experience was part historical reenactment and part haunted house. They took us in small groups between 10-15 with a guide in the front and in the back. They were the only ones with flashlights. There were a few roots that you need to watch out for. The little kids were pretty freaked out. The event itself was pretty cheesy but it was all put on by volunteers and the proceeds all benefit the preservation of the Plantation. The event promised to have OMB pouring on site but they backed out the day of. No fault of Latta Plantation but it would have made the 1+ plus wait more bearable.

HISTORIC LATTA PLANTATION Come check out this historica plantation if you're into old history about how farm life and slavery was back in the days in North Carolina. Small quaint houses and animals adorn this quiet farmstead. Luckily for me, today, there was a WWII reenactment happening this weekend. On the night of July 9th, 1943, the Allied invasion of Sicily , codenamed Operation Husky, commenced. This proved to be a very important WWII campaign which incorporated both amphibious and airborne operations. The Battle For Sicily consisted of 6 hard weeks of land combat pushing the Axis Army into Italy. This kicked off the Italian Campaign which would last until the end of the war in Europe. The Allied Army was made up of soldiers from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Newfoundland, and the Free French - a total of 160,000 personnel. The Axis Army was made up of soldiers fro Italy and Germany - a total of 290,000 personnel. Here, in this reenactment, German soldiers take over a plantation and battle both US and British armed forces, where they are defeated when they get attacked on both sides. Even with a German halftrack, the battle is lost for the Germans!

This place is great for the whole family. Admission was $8.00 because they were having a special holiday program. The grounds were just like it was back in the 1800's. The houses and cabins are in excellent shape. The gift shop was nice and the civil reenactment was nice to watch. This place is perfect for a great history lesson.

I'm in heaven in Latta Plantation Park! Green, leafy, quiet, lengthy (or short - your call!) Hills, & coves & horses & paddle boards...etc, etc, etc... You'll feel comfortable with your hiking sticks or without them. Trails for all levels.

I've been to Latta plenty of times since we moved here, either to go hiking at the Nature Center or checking out the birds at the Raptor Center. With my parents and nephew in town I figured it was time to finally check out the plantation house that is also on the property. The plantation area consists of an old 1800s house along with other supporting out-buildings and a small livestock area. Things were a bit different with it being Memorial Day, as the usual guided tour of the main house was replaced by re-enactors stationed within each room. They were pretty informative and either discussed the house or time period in general or gave an explanation of the task they were performing (weaving, pulling cotton, spooling yarn, etc.) There were also a few re-enactors outside who were doing additional demonstrations. My nephew really enjoyed listening to the guy who was tanning animal hides, and he also enjoyed panning for gold and participating in military drilling. There was also a small corral where you can look at pigs, goats, horses and chickens. It's fun for a first-time visit, but the novelty of taking in an 1800s plantation house is worn after one trip. There isn't all that much to do, and there happened to be more during my trip since it was a holiday weekend. I would recommend checking their website before planning a visiting and waiting for a weekend where they had some extra activities going on.

Great place to see some local history. The Latta plantation area has also the Raptor Center, Equestrian Center... It's a good place to visit!

I came here in October and ended up going on the "Ghost Tales in the Dark" tour. Pretty much, you get a candlelit tour of the plantation at night. And your tour guide gives a history lesson on the house and plantation, as well as shares some ghost stories that either they/coworkers have experienced. If you come at night, it can be a little scary getting here. Once you turn off the main street, you're driving down a dark road with nature on both sides of you. Since we were already in a spooky spirit, it kind of felt like we were in a horror movie, hehe. Once you arrive at the plantation though, you just park and walk into their little gift shop. After everyone arrives, you watch a little video about the history of the place, including paranormal history. After that, your tour starts. You walk over to the house, and tour the house, from downstairs to upstairs. Then, you walk outside to the outdoor kitchen, and then to a workmen's shed. Then you walk past an old log cabin, and then get led back to the main gift shop. The tour guide we had a was a very informative old lady. She told us a lot of history, and I learned new things. At one point of the tour, I did get a little lightheaded, and felt a little weird, and it was near an area where the tour guide said that she also has had weird feelings. What's even weirder is that on our back home, my dad was telling me that he got lightheaded in a certain area, and when I asked him where, it was the same place I had gotten the same feeling! It was kinda spooky finding that out, but then kind of cool. The tour was about ~$10 and I think it was worth it. I got a little spook, and learned a good history lesson. And I visited a historic plantation. If you're visiting the area, and are looking for something interesting and different to do, I suggest coming here. No matter what time of year. But if you happen to come during October, then you'll just get an added bonus of hearing some ghost stories along the way too.

Went here last weekend with the girls for the "Bark In the Park" event at Rural Hill. We had an absolutely wonderful day. Afterward, we decided to head over to Latta Plantation. The grounds are so beautiful. We decided to be adventurous and have a picnic! We found some covered pavillions outside that came equiped with benches for eating. There are also bbq stations free for anyone to use. We did not venture inside to ask about hiking trails but I have been here once on my own and did some fantastic trails. They also have a large section of this plantation dedicated to horseback riding. I believe if you go inside the building, someone would be able to explain the options of adventure that are available to you.

I've visited once for horseback riding and once for a picnic. Grounds- well kept- absolutely beautiful, perfect for a day hike or a picnic. We saw several girlscout/boyscout groups here so it's kid-friendly. As mentioned by other reviewers there are picnic tables and covered pavilions. The horse farm area is nicely kept and the animals all look very happy and healthy. Service- They have assisted trail rides and dinners. I would love to give the trail dinner a try- how fun would that be at sunset? I had a groupon or livingsocial coupon so my trail ride was only $12 - but even full price was in the $20 range and not too bad. I think the dinners were a bit more as expected. Our trail guide was friendly and nice- my only complaint was while saddling up one of the younger guys was smoking away- not exactly my idea of getting some fresh air. I will definitely visit this area again- one could easily spend a day here!

Took the guided house tour on a Friday morning. The four of us were the only people taking the tour, which was really nice because we had all of our questions answered and were able to spend a good bit of time in the main Latta house. The grounds are really beautiful and after your house tour you can walk around and see the animals and smaller houses on the plantation. This is definitely a must for anyone from Charlotte or visiting Charlotte.

We have lived in Charlotte for four years and have visited the nature center and many of the trails, but never took the guided tour of the Latta house or grounds. We had family come from out of town who wanted to do something Charlotte related and immediately asked if they would be interested in going here. I am so glad we did, it was amazing. Our tour guide, Michael, was outstanding. We learned so much about the history of the home and its' residents along with the history of the property. The grounds are extremely well kept and the animals are as well, it was impressive. We will definitely be back to visit and attend the special events that are held there.

Creepy to think that at one point in history - on the same land upon which one stands at the moment -- people were held captive and required to provide all types of dirty work in downright nasty conditions. Yet the Latta tour guide explains the historical perspective of the situation and the contextual understanding reveals that perhaps of all plantations, this particular one may not have been the worst in treating its slaves. All folks of every race and nationality should venture here for an illuminating snapshot into the history of one of the most dishonorable times this country has ever faced. Thank you Latta for the reminder the darkest of historical events must be showcased for all to see.

This place is HUGE and boasts something for everyone. Nature trails? Check. Horseback riding? Check. Raptor center? Yep. Guided tours, educational sessions, family events, wildlife education (a bit too hands in w/the snakes for me, thankuveddymuch!), picnics and seasonal events. Latta also has civil war history and is centrally located. A must see for locals and visitors alike.

I really like this place! I've been to the Raptor center, equestrian center for a bday party and we visited the plantation for the annual Easter egg hunt. My kids really enjoyed it so looking forward to it again next year. I often see half off depot deals for the horse back riding.

We stopped by here while vacationing in Charlotte. Worth the $7 for the admission. Great history lesson for all ages. A little to hard to find at first because it is so deep into the woods. shows what life was life was like back in the 1800's. I would recommend this as a family trip because you get a greater appreciation for what you have now. You also will be happy to see just how far this country has come when it comes to equality. The gift shop is nice as wel. We bought a couple of cook books with recipes from the time.

It is a terrible place if you want to take kid to egg hunting. Each kid cost 8 bucks and 15 eggs per kids and all there is is stickers. Come on. Where is the candy.

Spent the morning walking and enjoying the outdoors. This place is clean, quiet and peaceful. Really enjoyable. Gave it a 4/5 because many of the trails had lots of horse droppings that were a pain to navigate around.

As reviewers before have said, the horse facilities are a great jumping off point (no pun intended). I know many people who started their equestrain careers at the facilities located on Latta Plantation. The preserve is an overall great place for outdoors and horsing around! http://parksincharlotte.com/1_13_Latta-Plantation-Nature-Preserve.html