OPEN DAILY
Gift Shop & Ticket Sales:
9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
Guided House Tours:
10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m.
Explore Berkeley’s gardens, grounds, exhibits, river shore, and museum at your own pace
Grounds close at 5:00 p.m.
Upcoming Events
Children's Nature Hunt
June, July, & August 2024
During the summer months, bring the family to Berkeley and learn its amazing history, while searching for treasures along the river shore, gardens, and grounds. Children’s brochures and picnic area available. Nature hunt included with regular admission tickets.
Kid's Day
June 5, 19, & 29, 2024
Berkeley invites families to experience eighteenth-century history, explore the gardens and grounds, see our ninth president’s birthplace, and walk the same floors as our founding fathers. Colonial games and children’s activities are available from
10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
Admission is free for one child (age 16 and under) with one paying adult.
Admission tickets are purchased upon arrival.
Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony
July 4, 2024
Annual commemoration honoring Benjamin Harrison V, one of seven Virginia signers of the Declaration of Independence and eighteenth-century owner of Berkeley Plantation.
Ceremony included with regular admission tickets. Hosted by the Daughters of the American Revolution.
The ceremony begins at noon. Gardens, grounds, exhibits, and house open 9:30-4:30
Hauntings at Berkeley
July 12, 2024
Stories of Berkeley’s paranormal activities is a fun and entertaining historical tour for the entire family. Includes a guided tour through the 1726 mansion followed by a self-guided tour of Berkeley’s gardens and grounds. The tour begins at 7:00 p.m.
$19 per adult / $8.00 per child (ages 6-16) Reservations required.
Hauntings at Berkeley
July 26, 2024
Stories of Berkeley’s paranormal activities is a fun and entertaining historical tour for the entire family. Includes a guided tour through the 1726 mansion followed by a self-guided tour of Berkeley’s gardens and grounds. The tour begins at 7:00 p.m.
$19 per adult / $8.00 per child (ages 6-16) Reservations required.
Experience life as a Civil War Soldier
Tour Harrison’s Landing at Berkeley Plantation
During July and August of 1862, Berkeley was occupied by General George McClellan’s Union troops. Over 100,000 soldiers camped in the surrounding fields, and the entire U.S. Navy brought supplies and food between Hampton Roads and Harrison’s Landing. Berkeley’s manor house was used as a field hospital, bringing in the sick and wounded after the Seven Days Battles. While camped at Harrison’s Landing, General Daniel Butterfield, with the help of his bugler, O.W. Norton, created “Taps” to honor his men.
A special Civil War tour captures the stories of the soldiers while camped at Berkeley. An encampment with reenactors portraying the troops will be available throughout the day along with Jari Villanueva, Taps Bugler. Displays of relics and artifacts found on the property will be on display.
The Civil War tours will begin at 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 1:30 p.m. $19 per person. Reservations are recommended for this special tour.
Gardens, exhibits, encampment, and house open 9:30-4:30
Welcome to Berkeley Plantation
Step back in time to a bygone era and experience a genteel eighteenth-century lifestyle. Nowhere can you find a more unspoiled and tranquil environment. Our history begins in 1619 when settlers observed the first official Thanksgiving in America. Berkeley’s 1726 Georgian mansion is the birthplace of Benjamin Harrison V, signer of the Declaration of Independence and three times governor of Virginia. The estate is also the birthplace of William Henry Harrison, ninth president of the United States, and ancestral home of his grandson, Benjamin Harrison, the twenty-third president. During the Civil War, Berkeley was occupied by General George McClellan’s Union troops. While at Berkeley, General Daniel Butterfield composed the familiar tune “Taps,” first played by his bugler, O.W. Norton.
Berkeley’s mansion is furnished with a rare collection of eighteenth-century antiques, Chinese porcelain, and English silver. Costumed guides tell stories of the first Thanksgiving, the Harrisons, Civil War, and the present owners of Berkeley. Native American, Colonial, and Civil War artifacts, along with historical paintings and exhibits, can be explored in the eighteenth- century basement museum. The original kitchen dependency and reconstructed slave quarters tell the story of the enslaved workers that lived and worked at Berkeley. Grounds tours are at your own pace and include five terraces leading to the banks of the James River with benches along the way to sit and enjoy the views.
During the autumn season, pick a pumpkin and explore Berkeley’s corn maze. On the first Sunday in November, Berkeley celebrates the historic 1619 landing. In December, the plantation is decorated with traditional holiday decorations of fresh greenery from Berkeley’s gardens. Tours, gift shop, museum, exhibits, special events, and children’s activities make visiting Berkeley an educational and fun experience for the entire family.
A Virginia and National Historic Landmark
Photography:
Gary Smith Images
Historical Firsts Await
America’s First Thanksgiving (1619)
The Creation and First Playing of “Taps” (1862)