Archibald Smith Plantation Home
Archibald Smith Plantation Home
4.5
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
About
Hidden among the trees in historic Roswell, Georgia, sits a graceful home constructed by one of Roswell’s founding families, the Smiths. In 1838, the Smith family and 30 of their slaves left two struggling plantations along the Georgia coast to make a new start with 300 acres of cotton farmland north of the Roswell Square. Their home, built by slave labor in 1845, was preserved by three generations of the Smith family and is now open to the public as a museum. Three generations of the Smith family lived in the home and saved many of their belongings. For over 160 years, Smith Plantation stood the test of time as all around it the small mill village of Roswell transformed into a bustling metropolitan suburb. The home has since become one of the best examples of vernacular architecture, as well as cultural and historical interpretation, found in the region.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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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.
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4.5
204 reviews
Excellent
150
Very good
49
Average
3
Poor
2
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bhlraven1916
Atlanta, GA1,536 contributions
Aug 2020 • Solo
The main house is closed for renovation. You are allowed to walk the grounds and view all the other buildings and homes. Very well maintained and plenty of parking.
Written August 16, 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.
clarjm
Gainesville, FL28 contributions
Apr 2019 • Solo
My tour began when Amy open the front door of this beautiful home and invited me in. She was dressed like a southern belle which I found to be fascinating. She knew every detail of the home and family who lived there. It truly made my day! So much better than the free cell phone tour. I was able to ask questions and not feel rushed.
Written April 8, 2019
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.
Dana
26 contributions
Jan 2019 • Family
Hidden behind Roswell’s impressive City Hall lies this preserved plantation. Tours are given every hour and our docent was knowledgeable and pleasant. We learned much more than we would have exploring the house on our own. An enormous amount of artifacts from the original family remain. Of particular interest was the cook of the home in the 1940’s and on, Mamie Cotton. It was ironic (and refreshing) to find an African American woman came to solely reside and preside over a plantation once served by slavery. I visited with my 5 and 9 year-old children and we thoroughly enjoyed the tour and the ability to explore the outbuildings on our own.
Written January 9, 2019
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.
Czhaot
San Francisco, CA8 contributions
Jul 2016 • Couples
I was in Roswell for my sister's wedding. My parents were with me and on the recommendation of the wonderful Roswell Visitor Center we visited all three houses in the Trilogy.
Bulloch and Barrington are close to each other, Archibald Smith Plantation is further away so be careful to drive.
This is a more Common old Southern house, not so grand as Bulloch Hall or Barrington Hall and did not look like a plantation much. It had many interesting buildings outside from the original farm which was nice to look at while waiting for the tour. (If you arrive late they will not let you in.) The yard is also well groomed.
The house all belonged to the Smith family because they were afraid to throw things away, so you get to see many original items from the 1800s to the 1950s! My parents liked the kitchen from the 1950s which they said looked like something from tv. I liked the old piano and old trunk found in the attic from the civil War.
The tour guide spoke very fast which was not good for my parents who are older Chinese and do not speak good English. I translated for them but the tour guide did not give me much time and she seemed impatient to keep going so I had to shorten translations. I also did not like how she made the original plantation builder a nice slave owner. He wanted to free his slaves but never did......who cares? He still kept them!
Bulloch and Barrington are close to each other, Archibald Smith Plantation is further away so be careful to drive.
This is a more Common old Southern house, not so grand as Bulloch Hall or Barrington Hall and did not look like a plantation much. It had many interesting buildings outside from the original farm which was nice to look at while waiting for the tour. (If you arrive late they will not let you in.) The yard is also well groomed.
The house all belonged to the Smith family because they were afraid to throw things away, so you get to see many original items from the 1800s to the 1950s! My parents liked the kitchen from the 1950s which they said looked like something from tv. I liked the old piano and old trunk found in the attic from the civil War.
The tour guide spoke very fast which was not good for my parents who are older Chinese and do not speak good English. I translated for them but the tour guide did not give me much time and she seemed impatient to keep going so I had to shorten translations. I also did not like how she made the original plantation builder a nice slave owner. He wanted to free his slaves but never did......who cares? He still kept them!
Written August 1, 2016
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.
Stony54
Firestone, CO26 contributions
Sep 2019 • Couples
This is an exceptional tour and our tour guide made it even better. Amy led the tour. She is there each Monday and is worth waiting for.
Written September 23, 2019
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.
Schwartz-Family77096
Houston, TX80 contributions
Aug 2019
We did an hour plus tour with a docent who was incredibly well versed in the history of the home as well as all the family members. After recently been disappointed at a "plantation" home in Spartanburg SC, this was truly a refreshing change. So interesting and so intriguing, it will bring you back in time to this family and their lives during the early 1800's.
I would consider this to be a do not miss for the Atlanta area. This is run by the local town of Roswell and they maintain it as well. Great family story that ends with their last descendants dying in the 1960s.
All original family owned furnishings and pictures are on display. Found it so worthy of taking the time to listen and learn. Do not miss this!
I would consider this to be a do not miss for the Atlanta area. This is run by the local town of Roswell and they maintain it as well. Great family story that ends with their last descendants dying in the 1960s.
All original family owned furnishings and pictures are on display. Found it so worthy of taking the time to listen and learn. Do not miss this!
Written August 19, 2019
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.
KLRF1
Waxhaw, NC88 contributions
Apr 2019 • Solo
I bought the combo ticket for all three historic homes is Roswell. This was my second favorite. I especially enjoyed that the furnishing and such where authentic and had ties to the family. They gave a nice family history ... not too much, just enough. Outside area was also nice with numerous outbuildings.
Written May 19, 2019
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.
Oceanbluegreen
O'Fallon, MO31 contributions
Sep 2018 • Couples
We did the three house tour. Each house was unique and we are glad we did not just visit one. You might be able to do all three in a day, but we did one in the afternoon and then the other two the next day. We could not say one tour or house history was better than the other. At each house the docent was very knowledgeable and answered our questions and enjoyed sharing the history of the house. My husband really wanted to see a grand plantation house (Tara?) but these were provided a very good glimpse of the past.
Written January 22, 2019
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.
Patricia G
Roswell, GA5 contributions
Dec 2018 • Family
Our tour guide, Amy, greeted us at the door with a wonderful smile and a colonial dress complete with a hoop skirt.
We began our tour with an introduction to the Smiths. Amy brought them alive w her descriptions. After meeting the generations of
Smiths that called this home we toured the various rooms in the home learning interesting and educational facts about life on this plantation. Amy was particularly adept at engaging our 9 yr old grandson throughout the tour comparing and contrasting life back then with today’s technology.
As we departed, she graciously took our picture in front of the home to complete our memory.
We began our tour with an introduction to the Smiths. Amy brought them alive w her descriptions. After meeting the generations of
Smiths that called this home we toured the various rooms in the home learning interesting and educational facts about life on this plantation. Amy was particularly adept at engaging our 9 yr old grandson throughout the tour comparing and contrasting life back then with today’s technology.
As we departed, she graciously took our picture in front of the home to complete our memory.
Written December 3, 2018
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.
wildirishrose1
Orlando, FL59 contributions
Aug 2018 • Couples
This pre-civil war home is truly a story of a family and what they went through during 3 generations. Our tour guide, April, brought the Smith family to life as we moved from room to room and heard their story.
Written August 17, 2018
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.
It will definitely depend on the handicap. There is a walkway that is dirt and gravel, stairs to enter building as well as dirt trails around the plantation. Inside tours are also going to be challenging if you have a difficult time maneuvering as there are stairs, and some narrow areas.
Written February 6, 2018
Sorry I am so late.. adults $8.00, seniors 65 & up $7.00 , children 6-18 $6.00
Written November 16, 2016
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