With an expert guide, enjoy a 90-minute walking tour to uncover the best of Magnolia Cemetery’s history, mystery, and spirits. Hear startling stories such as the unsolved murdered socialite, an outraged politician that ordered his butler’s execution, and scandalous tragedies that are never told in history books. Originally a 1790’s rice plantation, Magnolia Cemetery was founded in 1849 on the banks of the Cooper River in Downtown Charleston. Home to 35,000 permanent residents, including authors and poets, artists, Confederate generals and soldiers, prominent politicians, bootleggers, prostitutes, and socialites. Magnolia Cemetery served as a Confederate encampment to defend the city from the Union bombardment during the Civil War. Over 2,000 Confederate soldiers lay at rest in Magnolia, including the eight-man Hunley crew, eighty-four soldiers who fought in the battle at Gettysburg, and six confederate generals.