Walking Tour of Mepkin Abbey with the Director of Archaeology at Drayton Hall

Join Drayton Hall’s staff for a guided tour of Mepkin Abbey, site of the former plantation seat of Henry Laurens, patriot and statesmen during the American Revolution. Now a Trappist monastery, visitors will be treated to a private tour of the abbey, followed by an exploration of the grounds which include the new Meditation Garden of Truth and Reconciliation, the Laurens family cemetery, and conclude with a picnic lunch in a Loutrel Briggs-designed landscape overlooking the East branch of the Cooper River.

Participants should plan on arriving at Mepkin Abbey at 11:15am, and our 45-minute tour of the monastery will begin at 11:30am. Please be advised that there will be significant amount of walking and standing, so do plan accordingly. For those who wish to join for lunch after the grounds portion of the visit, chairs or picnic blankets are suggested, and an option to pre-purchase a boxed lunch will be provided upon registration.

Mepkin Abbey is located on the fringes of the Francis Marion National Forest, and cell reception can be intermittent; do consult a map before setting out. When you arrive, follow the tree-lined drive to the gift shop where we will check-in. Parking is limited at the gift shop lot, so please park in the grass behind the store – this will be your second left immediately after you pass the store.

Register