Shirley Plantation
Now this is a plantation. What does Shirley Plantation have to offer that no other plantation can? We tell the story of the Hill-Carter family, eye witnesses to eleven generations of American history. To this day, the eleventh generation continues to own, operate, and work this grand southern plantation.
Shirley Plantation is Virginia’s first plantation (1613) and one of the first economic engines of the new world. The chronicle of Shirley Plantation best exemplifies the period in our nation’s history between the settlement at Jamestown in 1607 and the movement towards American independence from Britain in 1776. The guided tour of the Great House features original family furnishings, silver, portraits, and hand-carved woodwork. Gardens and eight original Colonial outbuildings are included on the self-guided grounds tour.
Today, Shirley continues to be a working plantation, a private family home, a growing business, a National Historic Landmark and a direct link between the past and the present. Special programs, events and exhibits throughout the year.
Hours: Open 7 days a week all year. Closed to the public on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Hours of operation are from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Tours run continuously all day. Last guided house tour begins at 4:30 p.m. and entrance gate closes at 4:30 p.m. Grounds and gardens close at 5:00 p.m.
Admission: Required.
Contact Information
Location from Williamsburg: take Route 5 (John Tyler Memorial Highway) approximately 35 miles west toward Richmond.
(800) 232-1613 or (804) 829-5121
