berkeley plantation

One of only two James River plantations open for tour, it's a must see. The home was the site of first Thanksgiving even predating the Massachusetts Pilgrims. It is the former home of Benjamin Harrison V, a signer of the Declarations of Independence and both Presidents William Henry Harrison and his great-grandson Benjamin Harrison; one of only two US houses which are ancestral homes to two Presidents. It was here that "Taps" was composed when the property was occupied by the Union Army during the Civil War.The home is still a private home occupied by the Jamieson family who saved the property from extreme neglect starting in the 1930s. Accordingly only the first floor is open for tour but definitely worth a stop. The grounds would be particularly appealing during Spring and Summer.Don't miss the small but interesting basement museum.

We took a tour of Berkeley because for what ever reason, we never had before, despite passing it almost everyday going to work. When our tour time came we met the guide, who was dressed in a snuggie and what was supposed to be 18th century attire, which it was not at all. The thing about wearing a costume, especially in a historic setting is that you have to go all the way, otherwise it just looks silly and is distracting. The guide informed us that if we were here to learn about history we might want to wait for the next guide... now.... really.... it's a historic house, why else would someone come there? We learned about the tree that has been struck by lightning several times and killed several people, I think perhaps, you might wish to cut that tree down. We were told that there never were shutters on the house, and the shutterdogs that are on the house now were put in recently... then... we learned that Benjamin Harrison was leaning out of the window to close the shutters as a storm was coming and was struck and killed... YOU JUST TOLD US THERE WERE NO SHUTTERS ON THE HOUSE! We learned an interesting fact about the Union army while they were on the property, apparently it rose HUNDREDS of degrees. The inside of the house is nice, somewhat restored. Being a historian amongst a group of other historians on the tour, we were all crawling in our skin in the last room of the house. The guide picked up a book and told us that this is the only original book left in the house, she then proceeded to tap her fingernails on it while telling us a story about electrical wiring being added. The gardens are nice, there is a "Shrine" to the first thanksgiving. I don't know that that is necessary, the thing is, a day of thanksgiving was a common occurrence, so no, the first thanksgiving as we know it was not at Berkeley, nor was it in Plymouth, it was in 1863.... They do have a nice area dedicated to Taps, which was actually written there. I'm just going to assume that we just had an odd guide and normally it's better, so yes, please visit and learn, if nothing else, the gardens, and walking the grounds are worth it.

Given the rich history of the region and Berkeley Plantation itself, we were very disappointed by our experience. Taps was composed on the site and the very first Thanksgiving Celebration in the colonies took place at Berkeley Plantation. The grounds, common areas and the great house were not very well maintained. The exhibits in the basement and in the outbuilding looked tired and worn. The restrooms were terrible. Not the kind of legacy Benjamin Harrison, a signer of the Declaration of Independence deserves.

Grounds are lovely, guide was informative, very much a sense of Early America. The furnishings were not original to the home due to the fact that the home was ransacked by Arnold when he can to arrest Harrison. One of the many facts I knew nothing about!

worth going to! would recommend this plantation to anyone. love the history and all the surrounding plantations

We toured in December, but it was a sunny temperate day. To get the most out of your visit, I'd recommend going on a day you want to be outside for awhile. You can walk the grounds down to the James River, see a memorial site of the creation of "Taps" with a recorded talk that ends with Taps being played. It echos across the property and is very moving. Also a memorial to the first "Thanksgiving" where settlers landed almost a year before the Pilgrims and gave Thanks for their safe passage to the new world. In December the grounds are not very pretty, I imagine Garden Week in the Spring is fabulous. Imagine thousands of troops encamped along the river, being reviewed by Abraham Lincoln, George Washington being a guest at this home, Benjamin Harrison (Declaration of Independence signer) living here....the home is still used by the current owner Malcolm Jameson and his extended family (not the Scotch/whiskey family) so your tour is only the first floor and the basement where you view a short film about the home and history. There is also a small museum which they encourage you to come back and visit after the house tour. Original period furnishings, not from the Harrison family, but bought from other plantations etc. that are appropriate to the house. Our guide was excellent....she's been there for 4 years or so, originally from Cheyenne WY but I don't remember her name. Very knowledgeable, willing to answer all questions, and took her time with our group of about 20. AAA , senior, military etc lower the $11 price tag... Small gift shop. On a nice day, a good destination. 2 good restaurants in Charles City within 10 miles to get lunch or dinner too

This is one of two James River plantations where the house is routinely open so merits a visit. Nice grounds too.

My friend and I visited Berkeley Plantation the same afternoon as Shirley, and both were fascinating; visiting both on the same trip illuminated a lot about the history of the area, and they are different enough to enable both to stand out. Our visit was greatly enhanced by a wonderful guide, whose name I believe was Gordon. He knows so much about the people of the plantation, the house, and the history of the area, and enthusiastically shares his love of the plantation and the history. He was a truly outstanding guide. I hope to come back in the spring or summer to tour the beautiful grounds in all their glory. Berkeley is not to be missed, what a great way to learn about American history.

Berkeley was the home of one president and the ancestral home of another as well the home of a signer of the Declaration of Independence. See the Civil War cannonball stuck in the wall. This plantation is one of many located along route 5 near Charles City and one of the most accessible. The pieces shown are authentic but not to the since Benedict Arnold burned most of the contents. This was the home of the first Thanksgiving in the Colonies. They have a great Civil War exhibit in the basement along with several others. The grounds are beautiful as is the view of the James River. The guides are friendly and impart their knowledge on the their tours. Don' t miss this place.

The plantation is well kept and the staff is very informative. On the banks of the James River I could just close my eyes and imagine the first Thanksgiving dinner happening. Also, Taps was written at this site. Easy to get to from Richmond or Williamsburg. A must see for history buffs.

The guide gave a great historical tour. Berkeley Plantation was the home of Benjamin Harrison V, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and his grandson William Henry Harrison, the 8th president, who did in office after 30 days. William Henry Harrison's grandson, Benjamin, was the 23rd president. So there is a lot of history in the house, although The younger Benjamin did not live there. Also, I was surpised to find out that the first Thanksgiving was held on these grounds over a year before the one at Plymouth Riock. You can see the site where it was celebrated by walking down to the river. The grounds are beautiful. The home tour is only covers the first floor of the main house, but includes a small museum in the basement. The plantation was also occupied by a large force of Union soldiers during the Civil War.

The grounds and house tour was fun and informative. I liked the basement museum the most! The artwork was fabulous and really depicts the history of the house well.

My wife and I toured Berkeley Plantation on Sunday, November 16, 2014. We arrived at 11:00am and we were one of three cars in the parking lot. Entered the gift shop which is where you purchase tickets for the house tour ($11PP). Our tour started at 11:30 and lasted for about 45 minutes. It started with the tour guide giving a brief history of the property and telling us about the house rules and our itinerary for the tour. The only rules of note were: no photography in the house, and if you don’t own it, don’t touch it.The tour starts in the basement of the main house where we watched a short film about the plantation’s history and it’s significants in, and to, American history. After the film we moved up to the main house and tour the rooms on the first floor. The owners still live on the second floor, so we’re not allowed up there. The rooms were interesting. After the guided tour was over, we walked around the grounds. The grounds were the best part of the tour!! Both my wife and I agree that we’ll have to return in April to see what the grounds looks like in Spring.A visit to Berkeley Plantation is well worth the drive. I’d recommend to anyone.

We enjoyed our tour of the Berkeley Planation and really learned a lot about the history of this plantation, but more than that, we enjoyed walking around the grounds and down to the James River. It was so very beautiful!

My wife and I attended the First Thanksgiving Festival on November 2nd. Admission onto the grounds was free, though there was a $5 parking charge. The 'Thanksgiving in a cup' fare was surprisingly good, especially for festival food. Everything was well done. Chickahominy tribal dancers and period activities were most enjoyable.