Charleston Visitor Center
375 Meeting Street
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 853-8000
Population
80414
Time Zone
Eastern
Latitude/Longitude
32.77° /-79.93°
Today's Forecast
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HIGH: 77
LOW: 52
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Charleston is important in American history for its roles in both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. This beautifully preserved antebellum city welcomes visitors with true Southern hospitality, offering a variety of activities that reflect its long and significant past. From its Historic District, to its plantation estates, to its beaches, the Charleston area is rich in unique cultural experiences for Low Country guests.
Charleston SC Hotels
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The Charleston Historic District, which covers much of the peninsula, is a good place to start exploring the city. Lovingly preserved landmarks can be seen from horse drawn carriage tours, boat tours, walking tours, house tours, or simply by wandering the narrow 300-year old streets. Among the house museums you won’t want to miss are the Calhoun Mansion and the Edmonston-Alston House, both examples of elegant architecture. The Heyward-Washington House Museum is the city’s only 18th century house that still has its original separate kitchen, carriage house, and “necessary” in the courtyard. The Nathaniel Russell House (1808) and the Joseph Manigault House (1803) are two other popular landmark destinations. You’ll also want to visit the southern tip of the peninsula, where waves lap against the Battery, as stately mansions stand watch just across the street.
Fort Sumter, site of the beginning of the Civil War, can be seen across the water. The Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center, primary departure point for the fort ferry, is nearby. More recent military history can be explored at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Mt. Pleasant, on the opposite shore of the harbor.
While in the downtown area, visit the South Carolina Aquarium overlooking Charleston harbor. Exhibits here follow the course of the state's marine environments, starting with mountain streams and ending up amid the crashing ocean's waves. The collections at the Gibbes Museum of Art include American artwork from the 1700s to the present, with many scenes of Charleston and portraits of important South Carolinians. Over 300 years ago, the first permanent English settlement in the Carolinas was established at Charles Towne Landing. The state park is a living history museum, where you can see costumed interpreters demonstrating life in the fortification, visit a habitat populated with animals that the settlers would have encountered, and watch the recreation of a 17th-century coastal trading vessel.
Along Ashley River Road, take time to explore some of the plantation properties. Drayton Hall (1742) survived both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. An architectural time capsule with most of its original features, it has never been modernized with plumbing, central heat, gas, or electricity. The 17th century estate of Magnolia Plantation is most famous for its expansive gardens, boasting one of the oldest and largest collections of camellias and azaleas in the country. Legend has it that the sweeping terraces, walks, and artificial lakes of Middleton Place took 100 slaves a decade to complete. In addition to the gardens, the house museum, stableyards, and a freeman’s dwelling are open to visitors.
Spectator sports are also a good bet in Charleston. The Family Circle Tennis Center, a state-of-the-art facility that opened in 2001, hosts events throughout the year including the Family Circle Cup, one of the nation's premier professional women's tennis tournaments. Baseball fans can catch the Riverdogs, the South Atlantic League single-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, downtown at "The Joe" (Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park). The Charleston Battery play USL First Division soccer at Blackbaud Stadium. And the Stringrays play ECHL ice hockey at North Charleston Coliseum.
For relaxation and beachcombing, head out to one of the islands just outside the city. Folly Beach is a casual beach community with cottages strewn along the dunes and good seafood restaurants. Isle of Palms boasts wide empty beaches reached by access paths. Various amenities, including parking, changing areas and restrooms, are found at the three beaches operated by the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission: Kiawah Beachwalker Park on the west end of Kiawah Island; Isle of Palms County Park on 14th Avenue between Palm Boulevard and Ocean Boulevard; and Folly Beach County Park on the west end of Folly Beach.
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