Hobcaw Barony

22 Hobcaw Rd, Georgetown, SC 29440
Hobcaw Barony

Step back in time and experience a unique slice of South Carolina history, culture and nature at Hobcaw Barony.

Located in historic Georgetown, South Carolina, about 30 miles south of Myrtle Beach, this former rice and indigo plantation has been preserved to serve as an educational center about Colonial era life in the South.

After changing hands several times following the turbulent Civil War and Reconstruction, Hobcaw Barony became the Southern playground estate of Wall Street magnate Bernard Baruch in the early 20th century. With the descendants of freed slaves still living on the 16,000-acre property, Baruch employed them to build housing, schools and other work on the estate.

The abundance of nature on the Waccamaw Neck river system that flows into the sea served as the perfect hunting grounds and fishing holes for Baruch and his powerful circle of friends. Prominent figures such as U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill were among the rich and famous to spend valuable vacation time at the estate.

But it was daughter Belle Baruch who fell in love with Hobcaw Barony and ensured that it was serve as a snapshot frozen in time by designating it for conservation in her trust following her death in 1964. More than a half century later, Hobcaw Barony welcomes students, teachers and tourists for a hands-on learning experience.

Visitors can tour the Hobcaw House, the massive antebellum manor that was the primary residence of the Baruch family, and Bellefield Plantation, where Belle built her home and horse stables on the property. The tour also includes former slave cabins and villages, the abandoned rice fields and farming areas, and the surrounding wetlands and woodlands of pristine beachfront, salt marshes, tidal creeks and maritime forests.

The guided tours also explore the natural beauty of the Waccamaw Neck, the convergence of five inland rivers before they flow into nearby Winyah Bay. The Hobcaw Barony Discovery Center features a wealth of information about native flora and fauna, offering educational programs to school students and other groups. Reservations are suggested and guests are asked to arrive 15 minutes prior to their scheduled tour start.

Hobcaw Barony

22 Hobcaw Rd, Georgetown, SC 29440


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What to Know

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Attraction Types

  • Museums
  • Parks
  • Outdoor

Dining

Price Range: < $10 per person