Nathaniel Russell House

We were told by our tour (that we did around the city) that this was her favorite house to tour if you're in the area. We only had time to see one so this is the one we chose. We loved the option to do an audio tour in your own time. What an amazing, well-maintained, beautiful home. Definitely go to the back of the house to the slave quarters that they are in the middle of renovating. It's very interesting. The garden next to the house is also worth walking through.

My sister and I took the tour of this gorgeous old home. I highly recommend taking the tour as you learn a lot about the history of the home, the family, the architecture and furniture. The grand spiral staircase alone was worth the price of admission.

My wife and I visited the Nathaniel Russel House during a Valentine's Day getaway to Charleston. The house is a restored facility, which means that it is brought back to its past glory and looks much as it would have when in use in bygone days. A good example of a preserved house is the Aiken-Rhett House. That house is intentionally kept in a the same state in which it was found, prevented from further decay but not "fancied up." Both styles of museums are valuable and we were happy to have toured both. The Nathaniel Russel House offers a self-guided tour that takes about 45 minutes to complete. Devices with headphones are distributed at the hospitality lobby, and the house is easy to navigate. The story is told of the wealthy owners as well as the enslaved persons who worked the property. We found the experience to be well worth our time and are glad that museums such as these exist to tell the truth of our nation's complicated past.

An interesting historical home tour. We did a guided tour with Cheryl, and enjoyed her storytelling approach to guiding us through the home. The guided tours begin at the top of the hour, and they also offer an option to listen to their recorded guide with headphones. Very friendly people, nice way to spend 45min to an hour.

What a gem! Great historical tour of well restored Charleston home. The attention to detail is incredible! The garden is exquisite and the floating staircase is a modern and historic marvel!

Fantastic tour of a beautiful historic home!!! Can't wait until they get the kitchen area restored to pay omage to the slaves who worked there.

Wonderful tour! Very informative and a fantastic guide. The house is amazing and has a ton of history. The historical society is doing amazing work trying to restore it all.

Very historic home built in the early 1800's. The tour guides were excellent and gave you an amazing glimpse into life in Charleston two centuries ago. I'm so glad we toured the home!

This was our first tour of a home built during 1808. They offered a waking tie with a docent OR an audio headset (we chose headset) It was almost completely restored. They are still researching the archeological aspects of the upstairs slave quarters (not accessible) and the laundry area (accessible but still being restored). The amazing architectural feat was the 3 story circular staircase that was built without underneath support. There is a cut-away under one stair tread where you can see the construction. Highly recommend this tour! Save your receipt and you can get a discount to tour Aiken-Rhett home (I think you can purchase both at the same time - either way you save money)

Had a personal tour from "Ms. Harriett." Was recommended by a walking tour guide that we had earlier in the day and glad we took the time to go. Amazing glimpse into what life was like for the rich and famous on the south side of Broad Street! House is amazing!

Randomly stopped here to rest while on a walk. It was cute and nice to walk around. The self guided tour was helpful. I wouldn't go out of the way to visit but if you have time it's a nice stop.

Our interest was piqued while on a historical walking tour of Charleston. The way the house was described made hubby & I want to go especially to see the three level spiral staircase. After our tour concluded hubby & I made our way back. We purchased tickets and got an audio. The audio was confusing as the house layout was tight. What room? And the narrative was too long winded for the rooms being described. I was disillusioned and turned it off completely. The biggest disappointment was not being able to go up to the third floor. It was purposely closed off as to avoid wear and tear. So much for ooh and aah of the showcase spiral staircase. And the rooms design - rectangle and square. Yawn. The house has been restored and it's very opulent. Hubby and I went through it in no time. Boring.

Dont want to post all the pics because this is one of those houses you HAVE to see- i loved our tour guide she was the sweetest! Its a beautiful home and def transports you back in time A must see- and they let you take pics!!!! You can purchase the Aiken Rhett tickets here too which I highly recommend because you get a discount! If your in Charleston dont miss this house! About an hr long and worth it

Came here during a trip to Charleston. If you're looking to do a tour of a historic home, I highly recommend this one! There's an audioguide you listen to in the form of an iphone, and the tour takes about 1-1.5h. They also have options to do the tour with a guide at different times of the day. I learned a lot not only about the house's history, but also Charleston's history during my visit here.

I would recommend doing the tour with a tour guide, it was really informative and included in the price of the admission ticket. There is also a tour with head phones. They let you take pictures throughout the house. The coolest part of this tour is the restoration they have done throughout the house to ensure that everything matches as close to the original house as possible. Our tour guide explained they had to go through almost 20 layers of paint to get to the original color. The ticket to this tour also gets you half priced admission to the William aikens house.

There are 2 ways to tour the house.... 1) self guided, audio tour - where you can rent a headset w/ recorder 2) with a docent (tour guide) We opted for the tour guide. I always find it more enjoyable to have a live person tell stories and describe things on a tour. Plus, you can ask questions. It's more interactive. I enjoyed this tour because: * The rooms, decor, furniture and architecture have been beautifully maintained. * The floating staircase is a marvel. Way ahead of its time. I wish there was more like this built today. * The garden was peaceful and beautifully manicured. * There is a current excavation for artifacts, etc... happening in the kitchen area that you can see up close. * Gives you an idea of what life was like for "the rich" back then...

Interesting tour. Beautiful home. Very interesting audio tour. Definitely worth visiting along with its sister property.

We didn't think they gave guided tours anymore except for larger groups... but we arrived right when they opened and got a FABULOUS guide named Joe. The house is super-beautiful even without a live guide, but with Joe, we learned so much fascinating stuff about the house, its conservation/restoration, and its owner, including Mr. Russell's extensive involvement in the slave trade (yikes). I liked it that Joe didn't get too bogged down in family minutiae. I wish they had guides like him at the Aiken-Rhett house, which we went to later on, and which only has a weak acoustiguide. Thank you, Joe!

Disappointing. My friend and I are here for a girls trip. We really enjoy and love history. This is one of the reasons that we decided to spend the weekend in Charleston. We got a few recommendations that we should go and visit the Nathaniel Russell house. We arrived seven minutes early, while it was raining, they open the doors at 10 AM. The first tour begins at 10 AM. They open the doors about one minute before 10 o'clock, and let us in to purchase a ticket. You are asked to place all big purses and jackets in a locker section located in the back of the house by the restrooms. While we were purchasing tickets, there was an issue with the computers so this day with cash only. Thank goodness we had cash on us, so just a heads up be sure to keep the cash with you our cashiers name was Randi. After the tour when we asked questions, our guide was not available, so we asked Randi. She was quite nice when we originally got there, but after the tour she seemed a little snappy and annoyed that we still had questions about the house. Our tour guides name was Glenna. My friend and I were the only two people on the tour, until about 15 minutes after 10 to other people showed up. Glen seemed a little put off that two people join the tour later. When the tour begin we felt as though we did not get a good representation of who Mr. Russell was, so we asked a few questions. Glenna, annoyingly/politely Told us that she was going to get to that and we needed to wait. I felt as though when we were walking through most of the rooms there was not a lot of history of the family, but history of the time period. The tour was extremely hard to follow and it did not seem as though questions were welcomed. I felt as though we started off on the wrong foot from the moment that we arrived seven minutes early. I found this a little disheartening because we are both in our early 30s and feel as though a lot of people our age do not appreciate historical things as such. I would prefer to have done the audio tour, if I would have known that the guided tour would have gone like this. Sidenote, when we arrived at the house there was a large miscommunication on what type of tour my friend and I wanted to take. We both eagerly stated that we enjoyed guided tours and historical things, but there was a miscommunication and they thought we wanted the audio. I politely said oh no we enjoy one on one interaction, so we can ask questions. Glenna, repeatedly told me that I specifically asked for audio tour and that was what we were going to be given. I got quite annoyed at this point and politely, in my most Louisiana southern lady voice, said to Glenna, " there clearly has been a miscommunication and we do not want the audio I am certain that I said guided. We appreciate you being so cooperative with this." All in all, go to the house, but do the audio tour.

The Nathaniel Russell House is a historic house at 51 Meeting Street in Charleston. It was built by slave trader and wealthy merchant Nathaniel Russell in 1808. It is recognized as one of America's most important Neoclassical houses. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973. This house was recommended to us by our Free Tours on Foot guide. The house is in the French Quarter off Meeting Stree. One can choose between a self-guided audio tour or a tour given by a guide. We chose the guided tour as it was pretty much starting when we arrived. The rooms were not excessively roped off so we could view and photograph the detailed architectural and decor features and period furniture. The large oval staircase is the centerpiece of the house. Some of the molded and wood crown molding was incredible.The grounds and the entire house were beautiful. Certainly worth the visit.

One of many historic homes in the downtown Charleston area, but reputedly one of the best and I can see why. The craftsmanship of the restoration/ rehabilitation shows unbelievable attention to detail. The docents leading the tours and stationed within the house provided invaluable information. Easily accessible off Meeting Street, this home was one of the highlights on our visit of historic Charleston. One can choose between a self-guided audio tour or a tour given by a guide (unless I have time constraints, my experiences have shown me that human guides provide a more enjoyable, personal tour), we chose the later. The rooms were not excessively roped off so we could view the detailed architectural and decor features. The large oval staircase is the centerpiece of the house and deservably so. Only 2 of the 3 floors were available for viewing with only 1 bedroom shown (as other parts of the house had not been restored). The grounds, while smallish, were well maintained. Tip: Discounts were provided if you purchased tix for this house in conjunction with tix to the Aiken-Rhett House. That house is an excellent example of a building undergoing preservation (vs. restoration).

The Nathaniel Russel house is a beautiful home to tour. The volunteers and tour guides were great. The gardens were beautiful and the 3 story staircase is astonishing. A bonus is that if you are wanting to tour the Aiken Rhett home you get a discount by showing your tour receipt from the Nathaniel House.

Beautiful and well preserved home with gorgeous gardens. We had a personal tour guide followed by a reception on the premises afterwards. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and encouraged us to ask questions. He really gave us a feel for what it was like living in the house way back when. It's a great site to visit if you are into seeing beautiful ornate homes with lots of history.

This was a great stop in Charleston. The furnishings and things aren't super memorable but the staircase is amazing! It sounds like an amazing engineering feat, freestanding circular stairs. But when you see it, it's just astonishing! Truly amazing especially considering the age of the home. All the math was done long hand, no computer or graphing calculator to figure it out for you. It was worth the price of admission to see it and we will definitely be back with friends/adult children to see the house again.

Conveniently located in the French Quarter, I took the guided tour of this house and was very impressed with this house. The tour starts off in a few plain rooms down stairs with some exhibits about the house and the enslaved people associated with the house. I thought these exhibits were well done. Moving upstairs there is a fantastic free-flying staircase in the center of the house with very elegant rooms throughout the house. Each room we saw had wonderful details and our guide answered all of the questions I could think of.

The house was absolutely beautiful. There are many interesting architectural details and the house has been adjusted so that some of those details can be seen quite well while maintaining the overall beauty of the structures. For example, they've created a little window in the stairs so that visitors can view the actual construction of the steps. The tour guide was quite knowledgeable and excellent and patient in answering questions, despite my father's pestering.

Very great tour guide, she was informative and polite. Construction is being done in some areas so I'm sure it will just become an even more interesting location to visit in the upcoming year. The foundation has put great efforts into restoring the rooms to their most original state, including time pieces and replications of previous decor. Suggest seeing this house before seeing the finale: the Aiken house.

Whenever I travel to a new city, whether it be for business or pleasure, I always trust in Yelp to show me the best local attractions. So while in Charleston, SC a few months ago, Yelp pointed me in the direction of the Nathaniel Russell House. The Nathaniel Russell House is a 9,600 square feet historic house located at 51 Meeting Street in Charleston, SC. It was built by merchant Nathaniel Russell in 1808, and is considered one of America's most important Neoclassical houses. It was built in the Federal style, which was popular between 1780-1830. I'm no architect, but trust me when I say it's a cool house / museum and is worth the price of admission. The house was constructed of Carolina gray brick and was built to emphasize the height of the house. This impressive height is definitely appreciated when you are standing just outside the brick and wrought iron fence from the sidewalk and you are cranking your neck upwards. The house is decorated/preserved/restored to its original grandeur and is as lavish as any mansion on St. Charles Avenue. Upon entering, your eyes are immediately drawn to the cantilevered spiral staircase, that ascends to the third floor. There is elaborate plaster moldings covered with 24-karat gold leaf everywhere. In the rear of the house is the two-story slave quarters that housed many of the estimated 18 slaves that were at the Nathaniel Russell House. The Historic Charleston Foundation purchased the National Historic Landmark in 1955 and the house and grounds are meticulously maintained. The Nathaniel Russell House is open, Mon-Sat, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun, 2-5 p.m. (last tour begins at 4:30 p.m.). Tickets are $12 adults; $5 children 6-16; under six free. The only disappointment is that NO interior pictures are allowed. However, I purchased a book in the gift shop and now have an affordable copy of all the highlights of this marvelous structure.

Great place to learn the history and the whole society semantics in the Carolinas! Loved the tour and the options to hear while watching the iPod for the tour!

The Nathaniel Russell House was recommended to us if you are a fan of engineering / architecture. It is pretty amazing house and I imagine different from other Charlestonian homes. The rooms in front of the house are rectangular, rooms in the center of the house are oval shaped and the back of the house, the rooms are square. The center of the house a spiral staircase is free standing but not in use. It is gorgeous and impressive. Clearly, the house belonged to a "merchant elite" who did not hesitate in showing off. Opulent would be a word. The interpretative tour guide spoke of the family and mentioned interesting tidbits here and there. Our guide did not speak much about the architecture or engineering either, which was a bit disappointing. (learned about the architecture from a walking tour.) There was more focus on the interiors and restoration of the rooms. Not a lot said about the enslaved help - other than that they existed and did take care of the family.

The tour promises to get you "Inside The Lives of Charleston's Merchant Elite". It's half true. They do deliver on telling the story of the renovation, what it was like to live in the house back in the day, and stories about the family. What they left out was the story of the people that held up the lives of the Merchant Elite. The Slaves. 18 in all were needed to support the house. There was no mention of the others who lived and worked in the house until the very end when one of the women in our group asked if they had slaves. Thats when we learned they had 18 slaves to take care of the family and the house. I left with the feeling that the foundation overvalues the house and the contributions of the wonderful family and by omission undervalues the contributions and experiences of those 18 slaves. This foundation is dismissing their moral obligation to raise awareness and share a balanced story that would take tourist into the lives of the Charleston's Merchant Elite.

We visited this house on Friday, Feb 26th... I purchased the Essential Charleston Passport (Enthusiast level) which allowed us to see all of 5 houses, 3 museums, and either Drayton Hall or Middleton Place plantations... This house was our second stop, and it is definitely a SHOW house meant to awe and amaze. It it obvious that it was built, decorated, and furnished in such a way as to show off the family's wealth and power. FULL of optical illusions and classical architecture, it was very fun to wander. As par of the Charleston Heritage Society group of properties, this tour was not guided by a human being but by an audio tour available through my app. The ladies who were working here were ensuring limited numbers of groups, and they were spacing the groups out so that no two groups occupied the same room at the same time. Masks were worn, and social distancing was strictly adhered to. I think it was so funny that the most epic feature of the house (the grand spiral staircase) was one of the ONE places of the house no guests could touch/walk on! We were given the back staircase to access other floors. For some reason, that just cracked me up, but I TOTALLY get it! The former kitchens and slave quarters of the house are currently undergoing a period of both excavations and preservation, but the best part is that you still get to walk through it via the planks and railings at the end of your tour. I was VERY impressed. PS - take a moment to linger in the courtyard and gardens after you're done in the house... they left an impression... really a stunning place to spend an hour!

My wife and I visited on a quiet weekday during the off season. We were offered a tour with a guide or a self guided tour with the headsets. The next tour wasn't starting for another 25 minutes so we opted for the self-guided tour. It was the same price either way. Unfortunately, we weren't able to see the slave quarters, kitchen, or the laundry because it was all under construction. However, it was still worth the trip. The home was nicely preserved with period pieces and we learned about the family history and their role in Charleston. The home was located in the historic part of Charleston and easily walkable from downtown.

We visited the Nathanial Russell House after our Free Tours By Foot guide, Scott, recommended it. We arrived a little before they opened at 10am and were able to stroll through the beautiful gardens and nearby old graveyard before they unlocked the doors to the house. Once inside, we took a guided tour which was detailed and interesting. The house has very many intricate details that are fascinating to both see and learn about. However, if you have kiddos, this would not be a tour that they would enjoy. I would recommend this House your if you are seeking a relaxing tour where you can sit back and appreciate beautiful sights!

The Nathaniel Russell House on Meeting Street in Charleston is a beautiful historic house and garden area. The architecture of the house and the preservation of the house is great. When given the opportunity to take a tour of the property the docents are very knowledgeable and able to answer all of the questions that you have. This house is a memorable experience.

Though my Monday morning routine starts with Aqua-Logix at LTP Swim Club, I was hard pressed to decline when our next door neighbors asked if we wanted to join them for a tour of the Nathaniel Russell House located at 51 Meeting Street. "Sure!" I replied, followed by my usual question when thinking about going downtown, "What's the parking situation at 9:30 A.M.?" Well, rather than taking our chances to secure street parking, I opted (I was the driver) to park in the Charleston County Municipal Parking Garage on Queen Street as surely, we'd have no problem so early in the day. While it may come as no surprise to you ... I was wrong ... the entire garage was full except for a few remaining outside spots on the roof. After finally finding a spot that I could get my car into (don't you hate when someone parks over the lines and takes up two spots?) we proceeded down many flights of stairs (there's no elevator on Level 9) and enjoyed our brisk, .3 mile walk to the House. I knew that each docent-led tour is limited to 15 at a time. Several people were already queing up outside the closed Tour Ticket entrance when we arrived at 9:50. Due to the temperature, a kind member of the staff opened the door to let us in before 10:00 which was a good thing because I needed to visit the 'little girl's room' ... which was immaculate, BTW. When purchasing the tickets ($12.00/each for the 30+ minute tour) we were advised that if we thought we might have any interest in touring the Rhett-Aiken House in the future, we should save and present our paid receipt(s) to receive a $6 discount on the $12.00 tour ticket price. This tour, limited to the first two of three floors, started off with the ground rules ... no touching and no pictures except in a small room off the gift shop. How disappointing; however, I should have anticipated this constraint due to the (what should have been obvious) limited scope of pictures that were posted on Yelp. Maxwell Mowry, our erudite and competent docent, was a fantastic guide who led us through the lives and lifestyles of the upper-class families who were fortunate enough to live in the stately, Federal-style ' town house' from the time it was completed in 1808, until its sale to the Charleston Historic Society in 1955. Classified as a restoration (as opposed to a preservation), the curators of this historic site have done a superb job to research, secure and present interior decor and home furnishings, including, but not limited to, wall, window and floor treatments, accessories, tableware and even paint colors true to the period. We all enjoyed the tour and look forward to our next glimpse into the history of this wonderful city that we now call home.

We took the last tour of the day. Our tour guide was very enthusiastic. She made the 45mn tour go by so quick. The house was beautiful with lots of architectural history. The spiral staircase was pretty cool. The 2nd floor with the living rooms and bedroom was the star of the show for me. I was enthralled with the large windows and the mirrors, the symmetry of the rooms, the paintings, the lavishness! I was glad that we were allowed to take pictures, just no flash. It was cool to hear about all the work they did to preserve the house to keep it as authentic as possible. This tour is great for anyone who is into history and architecture.

Not really having a plan for our short stay in Charleston, we decided to check out the Nathaniel Russell House to get a little dosage of history. We learned not only about the family and the time period, but also what is involved in preserving and restoring the various artifacts and room furnishings. Especially fascinating was the floating spiral staircase design. No surprise that we would not be taking said staircase. Instead, we did our floor traversal via the much more cramped servant passageways. I'm definitely not a history buff, but I found the tour to be interesting and informative. The guide was excellent, but I think I still expected a little more out of this visit. That's more a statement about me than the house and the tour. It's certainly a worthwhile option for some Charleston history.

- nice tour, lasting about 45 minutes - tour didnt feel like 45 minutes - got last tour of the day, didn't feel rushed - for an added bonus, u get pass to Aiken-Rhett use, usable any time

Toured the Nathaniel Russell House while visiting Charleston. The house is a historic relic of Charleston's heyday. We toured two of the three floors; the third floor was the personal quarters of the family and hasn't yet been restored. The three story, free-standing circular staircase is an architectural and engineering marvel and is worth the price of admission. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and provided many insights into how the house was built, how the family lived and how the house was used. My only complaint was that the tour guide tended to begin the discussion before all the tour participants had gathered. If you're in Charleston and interested in learning about its history, a tour of the Nathaniel Russell House is worthwhile.

Beautiful home and grounds! Loads of history. We took the self-guided audio tour and I heartily recommend this. You go at your own pace, can listen to many, many 'extras', repeat things you want (skip ones you don't) and can wander at will (where permissible). I think it's an excellent value.

I enjoy getting a taste of local history when I visit a new place. What really sold me on this experience was it being labeled a must see for architects. I work in city planning so I was very curious! I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it is a tiny home and thankfully they provide tours. I think being walked around and hearing about the hipster compared to wandering and reading was more helpful and filled the time. Our guide was knowledgeable about the family history, walked us through the rooms and gave us the perfect vantage points for photo ops. Yes, that staircase is amazing! The symmetry of the rooms and the home is amazing! Just being able to look up at a massive free standing staircase is a marvel especially in thinking of the time it was made. You can't walk up those stairs anymore and thankfully they did install an elevator, I was with a senior with bad knees so I was worried how she would get up and down during the tour. It was also interesting to see how they have resorted the upstairs rooms to be period appropriate. The circular sitting room is another marvel and all the mirrors are beautiful! Seeing a before and after really makes me appreciate the work the team does there to preserve history. A must see!

We were able to park and get to the house right before it closed so we could make the last tour. The admission price is only for tours and does not allow for free wandering. The tour was quite detailed and our guide answered all of our questions. You can spend some time at the stairwell as well as some of the rooms with the curved walls and matching doors. The period pieces were in good shape and they admitted those that had been fixed up as well as identifying the layout of the room at the time. The tour feels quite quick and since we were the last tour, we were not allowed to spend much time in the last room which had some historical information before we were told the house was closed.

A very interesting historic home with an outstanding staircase and some artwork. Our docent Sherri was fantastic bringing the life of the Russells alive. She was funny and charming and kept the attention of the whole group. It's a great place to visit.

This restored and preserved mansion is MAGNIFICENT. The furniture pieces are not original but rather true to the period. The floating staircase is quite amazing. During our tour, we learned that all the wood in the house is pine and painted to either look like marble or a more expensive type of wood. The front door is fabulous and this house is included on architectural tours and people in our group wanted to know what type of wood it was. The guide knew it was painted but did not know it was pine. She appreciated that tidbit. The tour includes all the rooms on the first and second floors. Learning how each room was utilized by the owners gave us great insight into how life was lived and enjoyed at that time in history. The family history is also covered and we were surprised to learn that currently, there are no paintings of Mrs. Russell. Their 2 daughters, sons-in-law, and Mr. Russell and the family tree are available to read in the detached house that served as a kitchen and slave quarters.

A really beautiful home on the way out to the Battery. This is what happens when people in a neighborhood care enough to preserve and restore a historic home. Worth seeing for the freestanding staircase, the lavish and well-decorated rooms, and the time-warp feeling you'll have as these rooms transport you back to antebellum Charleston.

This exquisitely restored, 200-year-old mansion just a couple blocks north of the Battery is one of Charleston's true historic treasures. Our tour of the gardens and interior rooms took under an hour, and was very informative. Architecture buffs will appreciate the floating staircase, as well as the artistic details in the woodwork and mantelpieces. This home truly offers a window back in time to Charleston's glory days and a glimpse of the lifestyle of one of its wealthiest residents. Well worth the visit!

As an architecture buff, I love touring old homes. And this is one of the best I've had a chance to visit. The Nathaniel Russell House is striking on the outside with it's beautiful brick facade and quaint park-like gardens, but it's the inside of this place that really shines and is totally worth the price of admission if you're into architecture or history or just enjoy seeing pretty things built for rich people. The work done to restore this home is superb and thank goodness for it, as there are some real gems to see here. Most notably that incredible cantilevered staircase. How'd they build such a thing back in the early 1800s? Who knows, but it's just as impressive as everyone says.

Tour guide and ticket/gift shop staff were very friendly. Our tour guide (I think her name was Glenna) was very knowledgable and seemed to enjoy her job. We decided to only do the tour of this house, as opposed to the Aiken-Rhett house (or opposed to do both), due to time. We also were more interested that day in seeing how the house would have looked back in the day, as a sort of recreation (restoration). And they did that very well, as the guide explained, they have done extensive work to restore the house to it's original features as best as possible, and where not possible, they have estimated colors/materials/textures/patterns. I did feel we got a good view into the past and how these people would have lived. The tour is about 45 minutes. They provide free lockers for your bags. The surrounding garden is also beautiful.

If you have some time to spare while visiting Charleston, or if you are a local looking for something different to do on the weekend, I recommend swinging by this home. The $12 per person tour is well worth it, as you get to spend about 30 minutes learning the history of the home with your tour guide. Mr. Mowry, you truly are something special. Thank you for sharing your knowledge of the home and it's inhabitants with us! As most historical properties in Charleston, this property is classified as a restoration, not a preservation like Drayton Hall. Thus, there is furniture in the home, and the walls have been painted what they believe to be the original colors. They are even currently in the process of having carpet woven in England and shipped over to be put in one of the upstairs rooms. It is really neat to hear about the museum curators and how much research and time is put in to figure out what the home used to look like, and how to recreate it. The spiral staircase is what everyone thinks is the star of the show, but to me, it is the painting on the landing of the 2nd story that is the true star..

We stopped in with about 45 minutes to spare. Tours run on the hour and we got there about 10 past the hour. We were happy with the decision to do the audio tour. It was easily the best audio tour we have taken! Appreciated how the house told the whole story and the hard history of the enslaved people working there. Kudos to the Nathaniel Russel House for not whitewashing the history! Would definitely go back.

A beautiful home that is tastefully restored. A guided tour allowed vistors to view what life was like in Charleston during the 19th century. The rooms contain furniture that is period appropriate but was not owned by Nathaniel Russell himself. The Grand Spiral Staircase is truly an architectural wonder!

Ignore the reviews that clearly don't appreciate the historic value and educational benefits of touring a beautifully restored home like this one. The attention to detail is amazing as well as our very well versed guide (Sheri) Don't miss this wonderful home and a chance to learn about one of Charleston's richest loyalists.

I was disappointed with this tour. The guide was very soft spoken and difficult to hear. It was also difficult to see the items in the rooms because there were too many people in our group. We only saw a few rooms, no kitchen, laundry, or slave quarters. (The kitchen and laundry are used as the ticket office and gift shop.) The upstairs drawing room, painted in a soft peachy-pink color, includes a piano forte and harp. This was my favorite room of the tour and the only one that really stands out in my memory. The garden is nice, but you can stroll through it without a ticket. Skip this house and go to Aiken-Rhett instead.

If you like touring houses to gawk at how the other half (used to) live, the Nathanial Russel House offers a nice balance of lavishness and taste. I was particularly struck by the oval dining room and extensive use of trompe l'oeil. If you're looking more for historical detail, this is also a good destination, with a meticulous Empire period restoration. There's a side garden you can visit without buying a ticket. It's beautiful, elegant and calm - a perfect place to sit for a few minutes as you're walking around the historic district.

Of the two mansions/houses we toured, this was my favorite. Even though the tour guides say they're not 100% correct on some of the staging of the rooms, they did their best to recreate what would have been in place when the house was occupied. I felt you got a lot more history with this tour as compared to the Calhoun Mansion. This one seemed to have a lot more natural light coming into the house as well; I love natural light lighting up a room. Granted there wasn't as much 'stuff' in this house so I'm sure that helped, but it definitely seemed to have more windows. You really get to admire this house more for the architecture; especially as you learn when/how it was built. Sometimes more is more, but sometimes less is still more.

My mom and I took a really beautiful walk from the Battery to the Russell House and decided to take the tour starting 5 minutes after we arrived on a lark. It was such a beautiful home and the tour was led by an informative and engaging guide. I'll admit the tour probably isn't for everyone - if you appreciate architecture, history or design you'll most definitely have a great time. If you bore easily or need something more exciting to occupy your time... maybe take a pass. It was about a 45 minute walk around a house. You look at some rooms. Learn the history behind the rooms and the city. That's it. And I loved it! It was a great way to understand the history of Charleston as told through one particular historic home - the way it was built, what happened within its walls, and what happened to to the people who occupied it.

It was our final tourist visit in the area. It was pretty satisfactory. For the cost, there weren't too many rooms, but it really did give the feel that you were back in a house from 1808. Very interesting with a very intriguing staircase. Our tour guide was very good and seemed to have a vested interest in the success and revitalization/success of the house. He was very informative and it made for an interesting tour.