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!
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.