Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation
Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation
Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation
4.5
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
This beautiful plantation represents the history and culture of Georgia’s rice coast. In the early 1800s, William Brailsford of Charleston carved a rice plantation from marshes along the Altamaha River. The plantation and its inhabitants were part of the genteel low country society that developed during the antebellum period. While many factors made rice cultivation increasingly difficult in the years after the Civil War, the family continued to grow rice until 1913.The enterprising siblings of the fifth generation at Hofwyl-Broadfield resolved to start a dairy rather than sell their family home. The efforts of Gratz, Miriam and Ophelia Dent led to the preservation of their family legacy. Ophelia was the last heir to the rich traditions of her ancestors, and she left the plantation to the state of Georgia in 1973.A museum features silver from the family collection and a model of Hofwyl-Broadfield during its heyday. A brief film on the plantation’s history is shown before visitors walk a short trail to the antebellum home. A guided tour allows visitors to see the home as Ophelia kept it with family heirlooms, 18th and 19th century furniture and Cantonese china. A stop on the Colonial Coast Birding Trail, this is an excellent spot to look for herons, egrets, ibis and painted buntings. A nature trail that leads back to the Visitors Center along the edge of the marsh where rice once flourished.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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See what travelers are saying
- Stephen KCorpus Christi, Texas2,749 contributionsA little north of Jacksonville, worth a stop to this 1850’s rice plantation house and groundsA well-maintained State historic site to show a typical rice plantation home from the 1850’s. While you may tour on your own, it is worthwhile to go on a guided tour of the home. The tour guide pointed out that because of the owners’ seasonal residency, these rice plantation homes did nit resemble the grand mansions (a la “Gone With The Wind” style). The grounds and accessory building are very well preserved and include the quarters to house the enslaved workers. The tour guide was very informative; she used a black light to demonstrate the radioactive glassware.Visited February 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten February 27, 2024
- lorriep2018Earlville, New York12 contributionsGreat way to spend 2-3 hoursGreat history well maintained Ranger led tour. Cute gift shop. Nice trail bit muddy. The live oaks are impressive several state big trees on premisesVisited March 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten March 9, 2024
- Billie SAsheville, North Carolina7 contributionsGreat for those interested in historyThe whole property is a charming time capsule of old Georgia. We loved our tour of the house. The ancient trees on the property are amazing to see. That this huge property will remain undeveloped is a gift to nature.Visited April 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten April 11, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
630 reviews
Excellent
419
Very good
163
Average
37
Poor
6
Terrible
5
HotCookNYC
New York City, NY40 contributions
Dec 2021 • Family
We arrived 5 min past 1:00 pm not realizing that tours were available only once in an hour (no indication of this rule on parks website) At park’s “welcome center” we were told that we could not join the 1:00 pm tour and had to wait another 55 minutes for 2:00 pm tour. Unfortunately we were on a tight schedule so waiting 1 h was not an option. We could not see the grounds either without paying full admission price that should have included the tour of the main house. Effectively we had to leave without seeing anything thanks to some obstinate, miserable and grumpy state park employee. I guess $0 is better than $26. Go Georgia!
Written December 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rev_angie
Cherokee Village, AR164 contributions
Jan 2022 • Couples
The woman in the visitor center was wonderful as was the informative film and museum. However, our 1:00 tour of the plantation never happened. After waiting for 25 minutes, we gave up. If a tour is scheduled to start at 1:00, it should. People should not be kept waiting. We even called back to the visitor center and we’re told she would try to contact the woman who was probably still giving her 12:00 tour. We had to wait on the front porch in the cold wind. It was a waste of our time.
Written January 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
localherenow
Hendersonville, NC32 contributions
Mar 2021
If you love history, this is a must visit. Lovely grounds and the main house is intact complete with antique furniture. Our guide was very knowledgeable and receptive to questions, taking time to answer. This tour was a pleasure!
Written March 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Traveler
Saint Paul, MN152 contributions
Feb 2022 • Couples
We would recommend you stopping here for a tour.
The woman at the Visitor Center is very polite and friendly. She thinks that the slaves were lucky to live here. It was very difficult to hear this. She should keep those comments to herself. They were extremely racist.
Overall, the plantation is very historical. it has all original contents inside and is a beautiful, but long walk through the oak trees filled with Spanish Moss.
The woman at the Visitor Center is very polite and friendly. She thinks that the slaves were lucky to live here. It was very difficult to hear this. She should keep those comments to herself. They were extremely racist.
Overall, the plantation is very historical. it has all original contents inside and is a beautiful, but long walk through the oak trees filled with Spanish Moss.
Written February 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike L
Alabama Mountain Lakes, AL325 contributions
Oct 2020 • Couples
The trees on this property will amaze you. One is over 600 years old. The furniture in the home is beautiful. The staff is extremely nice. This is a great place to walk and get a snapshot of history and hear the story of a very unique family history.
Written October 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rebecca F
Cleveland, OH4 contributions
Feb 2020
The property is amazingly beautiful, and the live oaks are gorgeous. It is wonderful to see them undisturbed.
Miss Fay, our guide was an amazing storyteller and knew the history and people, both white and black. She was not in a hurry to get us in and out and took time to answer our questions and view the house. Truly fascinating how the family pulled the farm out of debt and cared for the blacks once they were freed.
Worth the time to visit.
Miss Fay, our guide was an amazing storyteller and knew the history and people, both white and black. She was not in a hurry to get us in and out and took time to answer our questions and view the house. Truly fascinating how the family pulled the farm out of debt and cared for the blacks once they were freed.
Worth the time to visit.
Written February 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SED960
Windermere, FL254 contributions
Jul 2021
I'm so glad I did some research and made a trip to see this on our trip to St Simons/Jekyll Island. You start at the visitor's center and see a short film, then make a walk through the absolutely stunning grounds (it is a bit of a walk for those with physical issues - my husband drove his electric scooter which was easier) up to the main house where there are tours on the hour. The guide was informative and the house is beautifully maintained. Definitely worth a visit. (Side note - bring bug spray - we got eaten alive on the walk up to the house!)
Written July 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephen K
Corpus Christi, TX2,749 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
A well-maintained State historic site to show a typical rice plantation home from the 1850’s. While you may tour on your own, it is worthwhile to go on a guided tour of the home. The tour guide pointed out that because of the owners’ seasonal residency, these rice plantation homes did nit resemble the grand mansions (a la “Gone With The Wind” style). The grounds and accessory building are very well preserved and include the quarters to house the enslaved workers. The tour guide was very informative; she used a black light to demonstrate the radioactive glassware.
Written February 27, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LowRider60
Greeneville, TN66 contributions
Feb 2021 • Couples
Did not know about this place until the night before we visited. Asked Trip Advisor for top 10 places to visit in Brunswick, GA. Once on property we found the ladies at the information center extremely helpful about the grounds and property. Make sure you see the film before visiting the house. The 10 minute walk through the live oaks to the house was a walk back in time. The house was filled with 5 generations of antiques original to the house. The ranger who had worked there for 25 years brought the family to life. Trip Advisor was correct, it’s worth seeing and spending some time there. The equipment shed, is truly interesting. Especially the hand crank Farmall tractor. Enjoy
Written February 17, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dewayne P
Elizabethtown, KY1,985 contributions
Jan 2022
I went with high expectations after having been to several other plantations in VA and LA. This was more of a farmhouse, but the property was beautiful. There are plenty of parking outside of the VC. The woman in the VC booking tours was polite. Tours are only on the top of the hour so be sure to plan around that, but you can walk the grounds while you are waiting. It was a neat glimpse into GA history, but nothing I would recommend going out of your way to see.
Written January 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Can you ride bicycles in this area??
Written April 9, 2021
Seems to me this visitor "harrykarry101" had an agenda to find something to complain about.
Written July 3, 2018
We are interested in visiting this plantation but want to know if it is "disability friendly. We need to be able to get around on a go-go scooter. Is that possible at this plantation.?
Written May 28, 2018
Yes it is. The house might not be but the rest of the building are
Written May 28, 2018
When was the main house of the plantation built?
Written December 11, 2017
Prior to the Civil War in the 1850's, though we cannot give an exact date.
Written December 12, 2017
Would the Christmas event be possible on a motored scooter type wheel chair?
Written November 26, 2017
The house has stairs but anywhere else you should be fine. Great program and staff who will be accommodating
Written December 2, 2017
Are there picnic tables? Looking for a place to stop on our road trip where we can stretch our legs and have a picnic.
Written October 19, 2017
You would only be allowed to stop and picnic by paying the entrance fee. I did go one day to just have a walk in the park area, only to be told I would have to pay entrance! Good luck!
Or try Mary Ross Park near downtown Brunswick. Very pleasant and on the river.
Written October 20, 2017
Can you hike there without a guided tour?
Written May 11, 2017
The guided tour is just of the interior of the plantation house. You are welcome to utilize hiking trails without taking the tour but the same admission fees apply.
Written May 13, 2017
The previous answers are correct. The visitor center and main floor of the house is wheel chair assessable. It is several hundred yards from one to the other with no real side walk. The ground is firm and one should be able to push a wheel chair there. The trees around the estate are huge, you really have to see them to believe how large they are.
Written April 12, 2016
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