Charleston
The only surviving urban town-house complex, this 1820 abode gives a fascinating glimpse into antebellum life on a 45-minute self-guided audio tour. The…
Must-see attractions in South Carolina
Guardians of Charleston Harbor
Charleston
The first shots of the Civil War rang out at Fort Sumter, on a pentagon-shaped island in the harbor. A Confederate stronghold, this fort was shelled to…
Charleston
Formerly called Ryan's Mart, this building once housed an open-air market that auctioned African American men, women and children in the mid-1800s, the…
South Carolina
These magical gardens, 16 miles south of Myrtle Beach on Hwy 17S, are home to the largest collection of American sculpture in the country, set amid more…
Charleston
As the name hints, this 1772 Georgian-style town house is kind of a big deal because George Washington rented it for a week, and visitors can stand in…
South Carolina
The Upcountry's marquee natural attraction is Table Rock Mountain, a 3124ft-high mountain with a striking granite face. The 7.2-mile round-trip hike to…
Charleston
This 500-acre plantation, which has been owned by the Drayton family since 1676, is a veritable theme park. Enjoy a tram tour, a petting zoo and a guided…
South Carolina
Inky-black water, dyed with tannic acid leached from decaying plant matter. Bone-white cypress stumps like the femurs of long-dead giants. Spanish moss as…
Charleston
This 1738 Palladian brick mansion is the country's oldest preserved plantation house open to the public. Yep, it's older than the nation. Drayton Hall was…
Charleston
Designed in 1741, this plantation's vast gardens are the oldest in the US. Countless slaves spent years terracing the land and digging the precise…
Charleston
If you've ever wondered what the wealthiest, fanciest, most well-traveled hoarder's house might look like, visit the Calhoun Mansion. With 35 rooms and 24…
Charleston
A spectacular, self-supporting spiral staircase is the highlight at this 1808 Federal-style house, built by a Rhode Islander, known in Charleston as 'King…
South Carolina
Considered one of America's top zoos, Riverbanks regularly wins awards for design, animal care and breeding of endangered species. Popular exhibits…
Charleston
In the yard of the Nathaniel Russell House sits a fine specimen of a super-Charlestonian porch furnishing – the joggling board. It consists of a 16ft…
South Carolina
An 3.5-acre organic, sustainable farm just southeast of Columbia. Produce, herbs, flowers and mushrooms are all grown here, and there is also got a farm…
Charleston
With its 13 candy-colored houses, this stretch of Georgian row houses on lower E Bay St is one of the most photographed areas in Charleston. The…
Charleston
Spread over a few city blocks at the center of Charleston's downtown, this university was founded in 1770 and is the oldest in the state. The campus is…
Charleston
Charleston's most frequented park is 10 acres of green space in the middle of downtown, bordering on King, Calhoun, Meeting and Tobacco Sts. It's the home…
Charleston
A big, awesome park that locals love for its arboreal and floral displays, fitness trail and large swaths of open space, often utilized for things like…
Kings Mountain National Military Park
South Carolina
As Major Patrick Ferguson learned on the summit of Kings Mountain, threatening American patriots isn't a good idea. In the fall of 1780, General Lord…
South Carolina
Sometimes you want to earn your stunning view – with a 10-mile hike or an all-day bike ride. Other times you just want to step out of your car, walk 30…
South Carolina
The highlight of this alluring, 622-acre park is the crystal-clear, spring-fed Lake Jocassee, which was artificially created in the early 70s, when the…
South Carolina
On January 17, 1781, American commander Daniel Morgan executed a brilliant tactical maneuver – the double envelopment – against a larger, better-equipped…
Charleston
Charles Edmondston built this Federal-style home in 1825 for a mere $25,000, and fell on hard times in 1837, forcing him to sell it to Charles Alston for …
Hagood Mill Historic Site & Folklore Center
South Carolina
You’ll find more than a historic mill at this streamside site in Pickens County. Several hundred petroglyphs have been discovered in the Upcountry, and…
Charleston
A showcase of South Carolina's wildlife, with creatures hailing from the mountain forest, piedmont, salt marsh, coastal and undersea habitats. Although…
South Carolina
The self-guided tour inside the World of Energy at the Oconee Nuclear Station provides a pretty darn interesting look at electricity and how it has been…
Charleston
St Michael's is the oldest church in town, dating back to 1752, and its beloved bells have been announcing the time and various events, including…
Charleston
Founded in 1773, this is the country's oldest museum. It's helpful and informative if you're looking for historical background before strolling through…
Museum of the Cherokee in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina's only museum dedicated solely to Cherokee history is contained in a small white-brick building in the northwestern corner of the state…
South Carolina
Escape the madness to this relatively undeveloped mile of coastline 3 miles south of central Myrtle Beach. There's also a nice boardwalk, a nature center,…
Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon
Charleston
Kids love the creepy dungeon, used as a prison for American patriots held by the British during the Revolutionary War. The cramped space sits beneath a…
South Carolina
Robert Mills is best known for designing the Washington Monument, and he's also the architect of this Classical Revival town house. The restored, stately…
Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum
Charleston
An outpost of the world's largest private collection of important original manuscripts and documents, housed in a former Methodist church built in 1856…
South Carolina
One of South Carolina's most impressive collections of European and American art, the CMA was undergoing a $5- million permanent gallery expansion at the…
Charleston
This three-story Federal-style house from 1803 was once the showpiece of a French Huguenot rice planter. There's a tiny neoclassical gate temple in the…
South Carolina
The 187ft-high SkyWheel overlooks the 1.2-mile coastal boardwalk. One ticket includes four revolutions in an enclosed glass gondola; the whole thing lasts…
Charleston
Houses a decent collection of American and Southern works. The contemporary collection includes works by local artists, with Lowcountry life as a…
Charleston
A neighborhood favorite, this contemporary-art gallery displays mostly abstract and nonobjective work of artists from the East Coast with some connection…
Charleston
The Battery is the southern tip of the Charleston Peninsula, buffered by a seawall. Stroll past cannons and statues of military heroes in the gardens,…
