sotterley historic plantation

We visited the Sotterly Historic Plantation and what a wonderful experience. This plantation was in operation from 1910 until 1960 and you will see the farm from the owners eyesYou get your tickets to tour the home at the Gift Shop (near the parking lot). We walked over to the beautiful home and had a wonderful young male docent who took us on a tour of the home. The rooms are beautiful and the stairway a true work of art. After the tour, we had plenty of time to walk the grounds. First, we walked down to the river and saw the front of the home - what a stark contrast. We visited all the "outbuildings" and the garden. What a truly enjoyable experience to imagine yourself living there during those long ago days.

What a wonderful piece of history! You can almost imagine what life must have been like as you explore the house and grounds. The slave cabin was a real eye-opener.

Beautiful gardens of period herbs shrubs and flowers. The history of a plantation from both a planters viewpoint and the slave's as well buildings were well preserved and refurbished. The naration on the walk through is from the different views of those who worked and lived on the plantation through a period before even Mount Vernon to the mid 20th century,describing each owner and their contribution to keep the plantation working. A great look at the doings through American history.It is sometimes confusing to know which family was living at which period of time and what artifacts are from that period.

It is an old plantation in Southern Maryland. The public tour was nice, grounds are beautiful and well kept. Even has an old slave quarters showing the disparity between them and the owners. That part was informative but sad.

Well you missed NOTHING by not going to the Sotterley Wine fest.Grossly overpriced. 25 dollars PER person to get in. ($20.00 in advance) That got you a glassand a FEW, very few, tastings. Why, you ask, so few tasting with so many wineries? Well all the "premium wines"cost a dollar to taste. I guess Maryland has a law that wine sellers have to chargefor a tasting of wine that costs over 20.00 a bottle. So of course most ofthe wines we tasted were like drinking something you would wash out your paintbrushes with.The venue itself sucked...they cut down all the ancient trees thatsurrounded the old plantation because they were "afraid" after the stormSandy that they would fall on the house. WTF?? Those trees have been therefor 2 hundred years.So no shade, it was HOT and miserable.THEN to add insult to injury, you had to pay to PARK, and the food vendors were not selling water,one had to walk across a sweltering football sized field to get that!I will NEVER attend this event again.

This is an amazing place to visit. The special events are amazing and fun for the whole family. The tours really take you back to another time and allow you to see how people used to live. Weddings are beautiful... Really cant say enough about this place!

Always something going on at historical Sotterly! From wine tasting to reenactments of time past! Easy to go to and plenty of parking. Don't miss it!

Sotterley, the only Tidewater Plantation which remains open to the public in Maryland, is located in Northern St. Mary's County, MD, about an hour due south of DC and an hour southwest of Annapolis.As a resident of St. Mary's County, I bring visiting history-buff friends and family to Sotterley to enjoy the indoor docent-guided 60-minute standard house tour, specialty tours such as the “life-of-a-woman” and “life-of-a-slave,” self-guided outdoor tours, and the gardens. The docents seem to have a special way of finding a way to weave the interests of their guests into their tour stories, so I learn something new—about the building of the house, slave life on a plantation, how the current gardens were started, what women’s lives were like in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries-- each time I visit. Sotterley's Colonial Revival garden is meticulously designed and maintained by volunteer members (many are Maryland Master Gardeners). Flowerbeds are especially lovely in May and June (peony beds are gorgeous, and check out the companion plantings), but the fall beds also offer some great gardening design ideas. Because of its rural location, river front site, and the plentiful presence of flowers and food, Sotterley sports an amazing array of birds and butterflies. Be sure to bring binocs if birding is your thing. I’ve seen people sitting, open-jawed, in the gardens, their binoculars and books ignored in their laps while they watch the birds. Consider a picnic lunch on the grounds—and if you forget food and drinks, the gift shop offers drinks and snacks. I’ve watched young families picnicking on blankets, their small kids playing hide and seek or tag in the field in front of the turkey barn, and then later seen those same kids being carried, sound asleep, to the family car. Don’t fear summer heat when visiting Sotterley. Thanks to its location on the banks of the Patuxent, the Plantation usually benefits from a river breeze. Your walks through the grounds will include both sunny and shady areas, so wear a broad brimmed hat if the sun bothers you. Also, wear sturdy shoes for your visit: the terrain of this rural plantation setting can be rough (probably why wheelchairs and walkers are prohibited). Special events include May plant sale/exchange, Christmas tours, Ghost Tours, Wine Tasting Event, lots of others!Visited May 2013

Sotterley, the only Tidewater Plantation which remains open to the public in Maryland, is located in Northern St. Mary's County, MD, about an hour due south of DC and an hour southwest of Annapolis. (TripAdvisor lists Sotterley's location as Baltimore, which is incorrect).As a resident of St. Mary's County, I bring visiting history-buff friends and family to Sotterley to enjoy the indoor docent-guided 60-minute standard house tour, specialty tours such as the “life-of-a-woman” and “life-of-a-slave,” self-guided outdoor tours, and the gardens. The ppecial tours related to the War of 1812, which I thought would be boring, is fascinating: be sure to ask about the horse in the house and the sabre mark on the stairs. The docents seem to have a special way of finding a way to weave the interests of their guests into their tour stories, so I learn something new—about the building of the house, slave life on a plantation, how the current gardens were started, what women’s lives were like in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries-- each time I visit. As an avid gardener who understands the demands of large garden spaces, I find Sotterley's Colonial Revival garden to be meticulously designed and maintained, and no matter what the season, from spring to Christmas, always a delight. Sotterley’s Garden Guild volunteer members, many of whom are Maryland Master Gardeners, maintain the grounds with devotion, and thanks to them, you can enjoy the gardens year round. Be sure to get one of the free garden maps, which I’ve used for ideas for my own (much smaller) garden. Flowerbeds are especially lovely in May and June, but the fall beds also offer some great gardening design ideas. I particularly enjoy the peony beds and the various companion plantings in the larger beds. If you show up on Saturday mornings or Wednesdays during the spring and summer, you might just catch one of the garden volunteers in action. Since weeding often includes pulling self-seeded perennials not conducive to the bed’s design, don’t be afraid to ask if you can have the “weeds” you see being tossed! One of my guilty pleasures is the annual Sotterley plant sale and exchange held in May. Bring cash for quick sales and your own small shopping basket or cart to haul away your green goodies.Because of its rural location, river front site, and the plentiful presence of flowers and food, Sotterley sports an amazing array of birds and butterflies. Be sure to bring binocs if birding is your thing. I’ve seen people sitting, open-jawed, in the gardens, their binoculars and books ignored in their laps while they watch the birds. Consider a picnic lunch on the grounds—and if you forget food and drinks, I think the gift shop offers drinks and snacks. I’ve watched young families picnicking on blankets, their small kids playing hide and seek or tag in the field in front of the turkey barn, and then later seen those same kids being carried, sound asleep, to the family car. The memory makes me smile. Don’t fear summer heat when visiting Sotterley. Thanks to its location on the banks of the Patuxent, the Plantation usually benefits from a river breeze. Your walks through the grounds will include both sunny and shady areas, so wear a broad brimmed hat if the sun bothers you. Also, be sure to wear sturdy shoes for your visit, because the terrain of this rural plantation setting can be rough (probably why wheelchairs and walkers are prohibited). If you’re looking for special events, Sotterley has them. Besides the May plant sale, consider visiting for the Christmas season, when the Plantation hosts Christmas tours. They also have Ghost Tours (appropriate for little ones). If you want free tours of the house and gardens, consider a visit during the October Wine Tasting event. Cost for admission is 10 bucks for adults, 8 for senior citizens, kids over six are 5 bucks, and under six are free. Discounts for military, college students, AAA, and members of the national trust. Specialty tours can be arranged for both large and small groups. They also rent the garden areas and various buildings for small and large private events.

It's worth paying for the house tour. Our guide Alex was excellent and very knowledgeable. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit.

While on a recent visit to see my family in the area I decided to go check out this attraction as I had seen booklets on it at my hotel. I got there in between times of the main house tours and didnt want to wait so i went on the self guided tour of the grounds. It took me a few minutes to acclimate myself to the map we were given, as there aren't many signs on the property to show you the way, but once we figured that out it was an interesting tour. The buildings on the grounds give you an idea of life from that era in history and the views and the scenery are wonderful. The garden area was especially beautiful and it is a great spot to just stop and relax for a few minutes and take in the view and the beauty of it. I did peak in a few windows on the main house and the next time I am in the area I will go on the house tour as it looked to be very historic and fascinating.

I went for a special program, so the main house was not open for tours. I enjoyed the walking tour of the garden and grounds and the program that they were holding (The Choice). The docents were extremely knowledgable. They actually are people who work on the investigations of the all the histories associated with the estate. Not only it is all in excellent condition. The visitor center documents its transformation through its very long history. And it is fascinating all the lives that it testifies about. And it does not cost a thing to visit for a trails walk in its very pleasant surroundings. I would love to go again to complete the actual house tours and walk a little further into the property.

I go to Sotterley once a year for wine drinking contest and tie one on. Its a great time. You just walk around tasting the different wines until you get drunk and fall on the group. Don;t worry about passing out. The area is covered with nice soft grass. Is almost like having a bed everyone you go.You can even bring you dog if your into letting your dog get drunk.

We love seeing Santa here. Caution they lead you into a room to buy stuff after but skip this and head over to the really gift shop. there is something for everyone.

We attended a wedding reception at the plantation. This was a lovely location. We were in a tent to the left of the house in the garden. The location is not friendly for those that can not walk far or steadily. The bathroom requires walking down a hill of uneven ground. The site looks very unchanged over the last 100 years.