Make the Most of Your Festival of Houses and Gardens Experience

First, pat yourself on the back! Through your ticket purchase, you’re not only enjoying the historic buildings of Charleston, you’re helping to preserve them. Thank you for supporting the preservation initiatives of Historic Charleston Foundation.Then, decide on your Level of Festival . . .Dip Your Toe!On most days during the Festival (29 out of 39 to be exact), there is a house and garden or a Glorious Gardens tour. This is what you’re here to see! Each house and garden tour includes approximately six private houses, gardens and historic buildings that are rarely open to the public. You may notice that each tour is named after a central street. The properties on tour will be located on and around that street. For example, there’s a Meeting Street Tour, a King Street Tour, etc. Most of these tours take place in the afternoon from 2-5 p.m., although the Church Street Tour is in the evening from 5:30-8:30 p.m. All of the properties on a given tour will be open for the entire three hours of the tour, and you may visit those properties in any order. We do recommend that you start on time so you’ll get to see everything! Trained docents (guides) at each property will greet you, show you around and tell you about the property. The Glorious Gardens tours are very similar, except they include about six private gardens (instead of houses and gardens). These tours are perfect for those of you with green thumbs, or just garden admirers. The Glorious Gardens tours also end with a glass of wine in the beautiful garden of the Nathaniel Russell House Museum. Bonus!Up to Your Knees! Add a second house and garden tour or Glorious Gardens tour (one of each is nice), then put the cherry on top with a Food for Thought luncheon lecture. The luncheon lectures are perfect because they end at 1 p.m., so you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy an afternoon tour. While all of the topics are Charleston-themed, we’ve made sure to schedule garden speakers on the same days as Glorious Gardens tours. A perfect outing for your Garden Club! Or . . . March is Women’s History Month, so you could celebrate by learning about women’s fashions during the period of the American Revolution from expert Jean Hutchinson on March 18, the amazing Grimké Sisters on March 25, or the incredible life of Eliza Lucas Pinckney from popular author Natasha Boyd on March 30.You’re in to your chin! We have you covered from morning until night. Start your day the right way with a Morning History Walk led by a charming and knowledgeable local certified guide. These walks are among our most highly rated events by guests, and they truly give you the Charleston history overview.In the evening, you will be re-energized by a Gullah Spirituals Concert at the Circular Congregational Church. Each concert is presented by the Spiritually Yours, a cappella singers. They will make you want to stand up, stomp your feet, clap your hands, sing out loud, and maybe do a little dance. We’re not saying that this is required, just that the desire will be there. Resist if you can.Go Ahead, Take a Deep Dive! Wine tastings. Need I say more? We have a hit on our hands and it is called, Wine by the Water. Bring your camera to snap a few photos of Charleston Harbor and High Battery before the very fun tasting begins. For some fun at our two house museums, head to Rosé and Roses at the Nathaniel Russell House and Spirits and Spirituals at the Aiken-Rhett House.PS. (Not) For Gardeners Only! Each and every Tuesday morning during the Festival we will hold a container gardening demonstration in the garden of the Nathaniel Russell House Museum appropriately titled Charleston’s Over-the-Top Pots. Still can’t get enough? Our most exclusive garden program ever is called Garden Splendor, and the name fits. By the way, we also have an Architectural Splendor tour.Which experience will you choose? We recommend you live large and take a deep dive into the Festival of Houses and Gardens in 2020. After all, it's Charleston's 350th birthday, and you only live once!Purchase tickets.