rose hill mansion

Tours are by appointment only. Call to make a reservation and to see when they are scheduled. The week we were here they only had 2 tours for the week. Don't shy at the $25 tour price. We thought it was worth it. This is not a museum, but a house that is lived in. The owners have done a remarkable job at renovating this plantation and probably spent a fortune doing it. How great it is that they shared this with us. THANK YOU!!

Cynthia (one of the docents) is the great grand-daughter of the former inhabitants of this old plantation. The current owners live here and open up their home for people to come and see & learn. Big highlight of our current visit to Hilton Head. They even have wine!!!!!Take a couple hours and go enjoy this tour.

I think we picked the best mansion to visit. Privately owned, full of history, and guests are welcomed. Received with a glass of wine, toured through 6 or more rooms filled with lots of historic articles, and information from the guides. Finished tour with sweets and refreshments; and welcomed to wonder the rooms/grounds and photograph whatever we'd like.

"Now that you are here, you are family," docent begins. And we were treated as such. After paying $25 pp for the visit (which isn't much), we were then offered a glass of wine from local grapes for $5. Great, another nickle and dime place, or so I thought. I bought the glass, which was very liberally poured, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Our hostess offered to top our glasses as we began the tour with glass in hand.Visiting 6 to 7 rooms on the lower floors of this private home was fantastic. The history, artifacts, beautiful decorations were all wonderful. The house has had a fascinating history and it was told well by the great, great, great grand daughter of the original owner. We also had a new docent who did a fabulous job.After the tour we were offered "tea" and visited with the current owner and restorer of the house. Lovely lady. We were invited several times to wander the house and gardens, and stay as long as you like. We rocked on the front porch for a spell.Lovely couple of hours of true Southern Hospitality!!

My husband and I were looking to go to a local plantation house while in the area and Rose Hill was really the only one around. It ended up working out great and we loved the experience! They served wine during the tour and at the end their are treats and punch to enjoy while you wander around the house and property on your own. We even met the current owner of the home who came down at the end of the tour to answer questions and mingle. One word of advise is that you must book your tour ahead of time. They do not accept walk ups so be sure to call at least a day in advance to reserve your tour.

My husband and I recently toured the beautiful and historical Rose Hill mansion. From start to finish - we were so impressed with the gracious southern hospitality, knowledge and professionalism of our lovely hostess Cynthia - a direct descendant of the original owners. The home is stunning - and the tour was very interesting and informative! We took advantage of their offer of purchasing a (very generous pour!) glass of wine to sip and enjoy thru-out the tour! They provided delicious desserts/snacks, tea and punch after the tour - where you could walk with snacks and drinks in hand back thru the first floor and examine each room in more detail - at your leisure. They also have a charming gift shop with an eclectic and fun mix of various gifts and souvenirs. Our hostess went above and beyond - we were never rushed - you could spend as much time as you liked... and we truly enjoyed visiting with Cynthia - as well as with her fiance. Definitely one of the highlights of our trip to the Hilton Head area! Well worth the visit! Thank you for your kindness and sweet southern hospitality, Cynthia! We truly enjoyed meeting you! Warm Regards - Michelle and Charles - Chicago

This beautiful home was completely resorted after a devastating fire. The guides are very knowledgeable about the home and its past.. Be sure to look at the book which contains pictures of the fire to truly appreciate what the current owners have done to restore the property. There was an historical vintage wine offered for purchase ( a bargain at $5 a glass)at the start of the tour. They allow you to enjoy your wine as you go on the tour. At the conclusion of the tour, you are offered a variety of cakes, cookies ,jams ,tea , punch and lemonade as refreshments. A bonus the day we toured, the current owner greeted us at the conclusion of our tour, very gracious.

One of the best tours we took while staying in Hilton Head. Tour was lead by relitive of the original owner. She shared with us a lot of history of the home and the contents of the home from a southern point of view. We were told to go ahead and sit on the chairs as we were guest. There were no ropes to stand behind and no orders to keep our hands in our pockets.We were told we could that as many pictures as we wanted. After the tour the homeowner joined us for tea and deserts and answered any questions she was asked and we were allowed to wander around the house and grounds as long as we wanted

Our group of five visited Rose Hill Mansion on our recent stay at Hilton Head. The hour and a half wonderful tour was give by a granddaughter of the original owners of the plantation, and the new owners join all of their guests at the end of the tour for tea and desserts in the mansions dining room. We even had a glass of local wine to carry along during the tour! A visit to Rose Hill Mansion is a must for all that enjoy Civil War history.

Had the opportunity to visit this beautiful home, lovingly restored by its current and talented owners. Hubby and I really enjoyed the warm reception and historical information about the house, the local area, and how it survived burning during the Civil War from one of the Kirk family descendants (Cynthia). We enjoyed a lovely tea after the tour, hosted by the current Mistress of the house whose talent has restored the home to its former grandeur. The grounds are also lovely and worth a linger!

Absolutely beautiful southern plantation mansion. Cynthia gave us such a informative tour of Rose Hill. I was so surprised that one of the owners was at the home to greet us as well as talk and share with us after the tour. The delicious scones, pastries and savory items offered and so beautifully displayed in the grand dinning room table was such an elegant touch. Truly wonderful southern hospitality at its best. This was my first trip visiting South Carolina and I will always have such fond memories of my visit to Rose Hill.

We've been coming to Hilton Head Island for more than 40 years. Finally visited Rose Hill Plantation House and were delighted with the warm welcome from one of the Kirk family descendants (Cynthia) and the current owner. She has clearly lavished extraordinary time, effort and money on restoring what is a unique plantation home; what is wonderful is that while furnishings may not be original to the home, which suffered great depradations due to fire and neglect, the integrity of the building has been completely restored, and the links to history are profound and tangible. The connection to the past through the family makes the visit both poignant and informative. The period furniture in a house that is also a home evoke the era of its ascendancy and the relics from the ante-bellum and post Civil War periods are very special indeed. If you're a "purist" this may not be the place for you,but to see the fabric of this home so lovingly restored and in pristine condition is a marvelous experience for anyone who would like to feel the past and imagine what it might have been like to live in such a house in times past. Absolutely recommend the visit for the warmth of welcome, the outstanding local wine on offer and the piece de resistance - a bountiful "high tea" at the end of the tour!

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour led by Cynthia, one of the descendants of Rose Hill owners when it was a plantation. I hadn't done my homework, though, so I was surprised that the early-Victorian style mansion had been rebuilt after a 1987 fire and that very few of the furnishings were from the ante-bellum, civil war or Reconstruction days. Fascinating to learn of the twists and turns of ownership over the centuries. Huge wealth in the early 1800s from Carolina Gold (rice) and Sea Isle (now extinct) cotton, followed by devastation after the Civil War. And then some more ups and downs. We had two tour leaders, each of whom was wonderful, but they repeated each others's stories. The owner (who wasn't available today) apparently focuses on the rebuilding which would be interesting, but I am glad that our guides talked about slavery and the hardships of life in this area in the last half of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. I do think the $25 price is a bit steep, and wine is additional....Still, definitely worth a side trip from Hilton Head.

I just recently visited the Rose Hill Mansion with a friend and we were very impressed. The pictures do not do it justice. The furnishings are beautiful and the history behind them are very interesting. One of the plantation's ancestors gave us the tour, which added a very personal touch to the plantation's history. However, we were really pleasantly surprised when the owner joined the tour to answer questions and meet the "guests". This is their actual residence and we were so impressed at their generosity and graciousness to open their home to the public. It truly makes for a unique experience. Also the wine and refreshments were excellent and added to the entire experience. A truly must see!! Well worth the trip!

After all the time we had lived in Bluffton, we had never visited this place. We were very pleasantly surprised at what we found. A must visit for anyone who loves this part of history.