Behind the serpentine brick wall, through an allee of ancient Live Oaks, 14 acres of stunningly beautiful nature awaits. Hopelands is a garden masterpiece which delights the eye, the mind and fills the heart. Follow its curving brick walkways towards the former winter colony home, Rye Patch, that sits on 10 more acres of history and tranquility.
The Gardens is a partnership between the City of Aiken, Friends of Hopelands and Rye Patch along with the Iselin and Mills Foundations. The Friends guide (and share in the expense) the City with projects of restoration, preservation and development so that these properties can be appreciated by everyone in the community as well as visitors to the City.
Happily, admission is free to all visitors. Mrs. Hope Goddard Iselin willed her “Hopelands” to the City of Aiken upon her death in April of 1970, and she hoped the gardens would provide “a quiet and peaceful haven for the benefit, pleasure and refreshment” of all who entered.