Plum Orchard — Attraction in Cumberland Island

Plum Orchard is an incredibly preserved Gilded Age mansion once owned by the Carnegie family. Once you step onto the grounds, you fall in love; from the live oak trees draped in Spanish moss to palm trees and ferns. This place is special.

Our wonderful docent took us on a full tour, showing us each floor, including the basement, indoor swimming pool, squash court, and servant quarters. We were absolutely blown away by the beautiful decor, furnishings, and wealth.

From what we understand, it can be difficult to arrive as most folks have to bike or walk far to get here on the island. We anchored our sailboat in the river outside the home and parked our dinghy at the dock.

Tours are free; check the NPS website to confirm tour times and be sure there isn't open game hunting during your visit (tours are suspended for a few days during hunts for obvious reasons). As the home is on the Cumberland Island National Seashore, visitors should pay $15/person to access the island. Info on how to pay was posted on a sign next...

A trip to the glamorous past of the rich and famous. This nicely preserved mansion is now owned by the National Park Service. Very cool tours of the property are led by volunteer docents. Our guide, Ms. Sherrill, transported our group to the golden times of the house in a fascinating one hour tour. It was worth every ounce of sweat spent hiking to the property. Plan on spending a little time picnicking outside on one of the many picnic tables available. You might, as we did, see feral horses, armadillos, deer, many species of birds, and watching the water lap the shoreline. Potable water is available out of many spigots around the house. Restroom facilities are open even during non-tour times. Tours times are at 11am, 1pm and 2pm. Do not hesitate to make the trek here....

Amazing mansion with even more amazing views. The Carnegie family was wealthy beyond belief for their time and had no opposition to showing it. The volunteer guide, Bill, was excellent and well-informed despite being there for 5 days at that time. See original Tiffany lamps, power generators from companies still existing today, an early ice maker and unique architectural designs to maximize cooling of the house in hot summer weather. The super-wealthy certainly lived like royalty back then.

To get there, you can either sign up for the van tour, or take the ferry and walk 6.5 miles (or take your bicycle or rent one on the island). I'd highly recommend taking your own bicycle and reserving seat/bicycle space on the ferry well in advance as space is limited on the...