Tour the South's Best Historic Homes

Where: Charlottesville, Virginia

When to go: Open daily; $24 for admission, including a house tour and a day pass to the grounds and visitor center; monticello.org

Inspiring ideas: Thomas Jefferson’s salon-style art groupings, displays of natural curiosities, and cozy built-in beds are just a few of the design innovations.

Where: Charleston, South Carolina

When to go: Open daily; $10 for admission, which includes a guided tour; historiccharleston.org

Inspiring ideas: The three-story cantilever staircase and daringly colorful paint combinations (including a turquoise-and-red dining room) feel just as fresh today as they did more than 200 years ago.

Where: Atlanta, Georgia

When to go: Open daily; $16.50 for admission, with tours scheduled upon arrival; atlantahistorycenter.com

Inspiring ideas: The Neoclassic architecture coupled with the chic black-and-white marble entry floor continues to set the standard for gracious Southern style.

Where: Key West, Florida

When to go: Open daily; $13 for admission, which includes a guided tour; hemingwayhome.com

Inspiring idea: At Hemingway’s Florida home, formal antiques collected on world travels are lightened up when placed in breezy, tropical-colored rooms. 

When to go: Open daily; admission prices vary; biltmore.com

Inspiring ideas: Acres of cultivated gardens designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and 250 rooms full of antiques and art offer a wealth of design inspiration. George Vanderbilt, who built the home in 1895, described it as his “little mountain escape.” It’s as close to touring a European castle as you can get without leaving North Carolina.

Where: Mount Vernon, Virginia

When to go: Open daily; $17 for admission; mountvernon.org

Inspiring idea: George Washington had the wood exterior carved to look like cut stone—a clever way to make a humble material appear more impressive.

When to go: Open daily except on major holidays; $15 for admission, includes tours by guides dressed in period attire; sanfranciscoplantation.org

Inspiring idea: The family who built the plantation was one of the first to bring Europe’s more lavish decorating style to the South using an abundance of extravagant patterns and elaborate faux finishes throughout.

Where: Port Gibson, Mississippi

When to go: The ruins are open daily; admission is free; to learn more, visit nps.gov and search for “Windsor Ruins.”

Inspiring idea: The powerful scale and rhythm of the remaining columns make a striking architectural statement.

Where: New Orleans

When to go: Open Tuesday through Sunday and closed on major holidays; $10 for admission; longuevue.com

Inspiring idea: The home’s designer Ellen Biddle Shipman and original owner Edith Stern arranged formal antiques and modern art in a comfortable, more casual way. 

When to go: Open Tuesday through Sunday and closed on major holidays; $18 for admission, which includes a guided tour; flaglermuseum.us

Inspiring idea: Wealthy businessman Henry Flagler commissioned renowned architects John Carrere and Thomas Hastings to build this winter retreat as a wedding present for his new wife. The magnificent Grand Hall features large bronze doors, a stunning painted ceiling, and an impressive double staircase.

When to go: Open Tuesday through Sunday; $15 for admission, including tour; pebblehill.com

Inspiring Ideas: This classic plantation has breezy, colorful interiors with chic chinoiserie elements that feel au courant.