With Charleston's many historic sites and attractions, hundreds of wonderful and unusual restaurants, and its unique shopping opportunities, it is impossible to describe everything there is to see and do in the Charleston Lowcountry. As you begin your own journey to discovering Charleston, you won't want to miss these attractions…
Berkeley County
In Berkeley County, adventure and discovery go hand in hand. Whether your interest is in history, outdoor recreation, local cuisine, or the natural sciences, Berkeley County offers a wide range of experiences for both children and adults. Just 30 minutes outside of Charleston, Berkeley County is easily accessible from Interstate 26 and Interstate 95.
Visit the Old Santee Canal Park, a commemoration of South Carolina's beautiful natural resources and a testimony to the tremendous historical significance of the Santee Canal, America's first true canal. Opened in 1800, the canal was an engineering marvel and revolutionized how goods and crops were transported from the upstate to Charleston Harbor. The park has several miles of nature and hiking trails, and carefully placed observation areas allow visitors to discover the natural wonders and wildlife of the area, but the highlight of the park is the Interpretive Center. Here visitors can see working models of the canal's lock system, displays that reach back in time to 4,000 B.C. and the earliest inhabitants of the area to the Civil War.
Also located at the park is the Berkeley Museum, which covers 12,000 years of the region's history. Exhibits and artifacts focus on Gen. Francis Marion (The Swamp Fox), the first American inhabitants, colonial life, the Civil War, rural electrification, and more.
Historical sites are scattered throughout Berkeley County. St. Stephen Episcopal Church, Pineville Chapel, and Strawberry Chapel are some of the oldest and still used church buildings in Berkeley County. Others lie in ruins like Biggin Church outside Moncks Corner. Visit Civil War sites, or Revolutionary War sites, tombs and grave markers of famous South Carolinians like Francis Marion, The Swamp Fox.
Mepkin Abbey, a community of Trappist monks established in 1949 on the site of a rice plantation, is open to the public. The abbey, which offers beautiful views of the Cooper River, has landscaping and architecture that encourages contemplation and reflection. Individual or group tours give insight into the monastic life and the sculpted gardens of this former plantation. Don't miss "Christmas Around The World," a special exhibit of nativity sets from around the world, on display the weekend before and the weekend of Thanksgiving annually.
Cypress Gardens guests are invited to wander garden paths filled with blooming azaleas, daffodils, summer roses, wisteria, camellias, blooming dogwood, and more, depending on the season. The black water swamp can be enjoyed via rambling nature trails or from flat-bottom boats. Discover the church "ruins" left from the making of the film The Patriot starring Mel Gibson. A butterfly greenhouse, a freshwater aquarium, and a reptile center display wildlife indigenous to the Lowcountry, as well as some exotic species. Cypress Gardens offers various educational programs for school groups, adult programs, and a seasonal calendar of special events throughout the year.
For those who enjoy the adventure of outdoor recreation, Berkeley County has lakes, rivers, and national forest land to explore. Both the Swamp Fox Passage and the Lake Moultrie Passage of the Palmetto Trail run through Berkeley County on its way "from the mountains to the sea." There are numerous fish camps and lake tours available from which you can try to catch "the big one" and beat the many state- and world-record fish caught in Berkeley County waters.
Don't miss the famous St. Stephens Fish Lift. The only fish lift in the state and the Southeast, it allows migratory fish like American shad and bluejack herring to move upstream from the Santee River and pass around a dam to Lakes Moultrie and Marion to reach their historic spawning areas. Visitors have a close-up, underwater view of the fish as they pass by a glass window.
There are lots of things to do, see and discover in Berkeley County. It's always an adventure. For more information, please call the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce at (800) 882-0337 or visit the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce's website at www.bcoc.com.
Charleston County Parks One of the most diverse recreational areas in the Southeast, the Charleston Lowcountry offers an endless variety of outdoor experiences. Take a stroll through a canopy of hardwoods, kayak through the still waters of a lagoon, tie bait to a string and catch a crab, relax and enjoy a beautiful sunset, zoom down a 200-foot water slide, picnic under live oaks, dance to live music at an outdoor concert… countless opportunities await. And you can discover all of this at your Charleston County Parks!
The Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission (CCPRC) represents one of the most unique park and recreation agencies in the state of South Carolina. Founded in 1968, CCPRC has grown to include more than 5,000 acres of parkland. The massive park system includes three land parks, three beach parks, a landmark fishing pier, three waterparks, 19 boat landings, an interpretive center, equestrian center, and marina. In addition, CCPRC offers many recreational services - festivals, camps, classes, programs, a climbing wall, cottages, campgrounds, and much, much more.
No matter what your style of recreation, you'll find it at a Charleston County Park, where the staff is friendly and the sky's the limit for leisure opportunities. www.ccprc.com
Charleston IMAX® Theatre at Aquarium Wharf
THINK BIG and visit The Charleston IMAX® Theatre. The only 3D theatre in South Carolina offers films that entertain, educate and inspire on a screen five stories high and 77 feet wide. The 422-seat Charleston IMAX® Theatre features images of unsurpassed size, enhanced by a superb specially designed 12,000-watt sound system. You'll be astounded by the visuals on a screen wider than a professional basketball court.
The IMAX Experience® offers you the chance to go places you wouldn't ordinarily have an opportunity to go in your lifetime. Whether you explore the oceans' coral reefs, climb the world's highest mountain, sit behind the wheel of a NASCAR, or defy gravity on the International Space Station, these films provide audiences of all ages with a larger-than-life experience.
South Carolina's ultimate film experience is located at Charleston's premier waterfront destination with a million-dollar view, Fountain Walk, and is just a few steps from the South Carolina Aquarium and the Fort Sumter Educational Visitor Center. With dining, shopping, entertainment, and breathtaking views of the harbor and the new Cooper River Bridge, the one-stop destination has something fun and exciting for everyone in your family or group. Combination ticketing offers great savings. A trip to Aquarium Wharf is the perfect addition to any memorable Charleston vacation or getaway.
The Charleston IMAX® Theatre, located at 360 Concord St. in downtown Charleston, is open daily. For films, showtimes, or more information, call (843) 725-IMAX (4629) or visit www.charlestonimax.com.
The Charleston Museum The Charleston Museum, America's First Museum, was founded in 1773. Its mission is to preserve and interpret the cultural and natural history of Charleston and the South Carolina Lowcountry. Visitors are invited to explore this rich, varied history at the Museum and its two National Historic Landmark houses.
The Museum's exhibitions are the best single introduction to this area. Augmented by special exhibitions treating specific topics in focused detail, permanent exhibitions engage visitors in the broad sweep of a diverse and vibrant regional heritage. Upcoming special exhibits include The Accessory en Vogue: Purses, Hats, Parasols, and Shoes from The Charleston Museum Collection (through January 4, 2005) and Sterling Faith: 300 Years of Charleston's Sacred Silver (June 1-October 31, 2004).
Besides its extensive collections, the Museum preserves historic and natural properties. A pioneer in community historic preservation, the Museum acquired the Heyward-Washington House (1773) in 1929. The townhome of Thomas Heyward, Jr., Revolutionary patriot and signer of the Declaration of Independence, it was also George Washington's temporary residence during his Southern Tour of 1791. It became Charleston's first historic house museum. The Museum obtained the Joseph Manigault House (1803) in 1933. The dwelling of an important South Carolina rice planter, this is an excellent example of Adam-style architecture. Both houses are National Historic Landmarks. Also part of the Museum properties is the Dill Sanctuary, a 580-acre wildlife refuge rich in archeological and historical features, including three earthen batteries employed in the Civil War defenses of Charleston.
The Charleston Museum offers a wide variety of programs for children and adults. Kids and families will enjoy the monthly Second Saturday with rotating themes and crafts. After-school classes and toddler days are a fun way to learn about Charleston history. For adults, programs range from lectures to week-long symposia and workshops.
Cobblestone Tours
Join Cobblestone Tours for the most unique and exciting experience in historic Charleston. Cobblestone offers a variety of walking tours and on-site tours, including The Ghost & Dungeon Tour, The Haunted Jail Tour, The Ghost & Graveyard Tour, The Dark Side of Charleston, and The Battery Walking Tour.
The Ghost & Dungeon Tour was featured on The Travel Channel's "America's Most Haunted Places" and is the only tour in Charleston that has access to a pre-Revolutionary Dungeon. You will explore the Holy City's streets, cemeteries, back alleyways, historic districts and churches.
The Haunted Jail Tour promises a visit to the scariest place you have ever ventured. Built in 1802 and in use until 1939, the old city jail is the centerpiece of Charleston's violent history. The jail is a must-see for any visitor willing to get off the beaten path and discover Charleston's creepiest historical landmark.
The Ghost & Graveyard Tour is the only ghost tour with access to a historic graveyard. You will visit Charleston's oldest graveyard to hear fun and chilling stories of ghosts, haunted houses, pirates, voodoo, and Lowcountry superstitions.
The Dark Side of Charleston is Charleston's only R rated tour. It is for mature audiences only. This tour takes an uncensored look at Charleston's true history, a history full of corruption, crime, torture, scandal, and sordid affairs.
The Battery Walking Tour is Cobblestone's only daytime tour. You will meander through back alleyways and cobblestone streets, stroll along the prestigious Battery with one of Charleston's most respected native tour guides. This tour is considered by locals to be "The Most Comprehensive and Entertaining Tour in Charleston."
Join Cobblestone Tours' personable, experienced and fully-licensed tour guides on any of these 1 1/2 hour walking tours and on-site adventures. Their tours and tour guides have been featured on The Travel Channel, and in USA TODAY, Southern Living, Travel Magazine, and The New York Times.
Reservations are required. For more information and to make reservations, please call (843) 722-TOUR. You may also visit their office, which is conveniently located in the heart of the historic district at 40 N. Market St., in the Rainbow Market.
Drayton Hall
Drayton Hall was begun in 1738 and completed after four years of construction by European and African-American craftsmen. Today, its Georgian-Palladian architecture represents the oldest surviving example of its kind in the American South. Still without running water, electric lighting, or central heating, the preservation of the house extends to its guests a sense of timelessness and continuity. Its mere existence proves its strength against the tests of time and change, disuse and nature.
Drayton Hall is the only plantation house on the Ashley River to survive the Revolutionary and Civil Wars intact. After seven generations, two great wars, and numerous hurricanes and earthquakes, the main house of this National Historic Landmark remains in nearly original condition. The entire site serves as an eloquent testimony to America's heritage.
In June 2002, Drayton Hall reopened its second floor great hall and two side rooms to the public after more than a decade. As part of a half-million dollar renovation project, "Preserving a Treasure: Conservation for Drayton Hall's Fourth Century," conservators removed the fiberglass pedestrian bridge that spanned the upstairs great hall, which was necessary to ensure stability of the first-floor great hall plaster ceiling that dates to the 1850s. With the stabilization of the great hall ceiling complete and an innovative design in place to allow for traffic on the floor above, Drayton Hall can again entertain visitors on all three floors of the house.
Drayton Hall is located at 3380 Ashley River Rd. It is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., November-February, and until 4 p.m., March-April. www.draytonhall.com
Edmondston-Alston House The stately Edmondston-Alston House was built in 1825 on Charleston's High Battery and is one of the city's most splendid dwellings. A witness of many dramatic events in Charleston's history, the Edmondston-Alston House is a classic example of the city's changing and sophisticated taste in architecture and decorative arts.
The Edmondston-Alston House is a repository of family treasures, including Alston family silver, furniture, books and paintings that remain in place much as they have been for more than a century and a half. There is an exquisite collection of prints and other artifacts collected on Alston family trips abroad. Guided tours of the house give visitors an insight into the lifestyle of merchant Charles Edmondston, who first built the house in 1825, and Georgetown County rice planter Charles Alston, who later bought the house in 1838.
The Edmondston-Alston House is located at 21 East Battery. Tours are available Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday-Monday from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Fort Sumter Tours/Spirit Line Cruises
There's no better way to experience historic Charleston than from the deck of a SpiritLine Cruise yacht. Discover how fresh sea air, extraordinary harbor views and the history of the Old South can turn your Charleston vacation into a memorable occasion.
Fort Sumter Tours is an authorized National Park Service concessionaire that provides the only commercial boat transportation to Fort Sumter, the island fort where the Civil War began. The two-hour-15-minute tour consists of approximately one hour at Fort Sumter, and a one-hour-15-minute cruise around Charleston's historic harbor.
Or join us for a Harbor Tour aboard the Spirit of Carolina, Charleston's premier passenger yacht, for a nonstop, narrated harbor tour. For one hour and 30 minutes, enjoy a leisurely cruise past the palatial homes of Charleston's famous Battery, the Cooper River Bridges, Waterfront Park, Patriots Point, Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie and our bustling seaport.
Fort Sumter Tours and Harbor Tours depart from two convenient locations: Liberty Square in downtown Charleston, or Mount Pleasant at the Patriots Point Maritime Museum.
The Spirit of Carolina also offers Charleston's most unique dining experience. Enjoy an unforgettable three-hour cruise and breathtaking views of Charleston Harbor, as you savor a three-course gourmet meal, table-side service, your favorite beverage and live entertainment.
The Spirit of Carolina Dinner Cruise departs from the Patriots Point Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant, a five-minute drive from downtown Charleston. There is ample free parking. Boarding begins at 6:30 p.m. and the dinner cruise departs at 7 p.m. and returns at 10 p.m. Reservations are required. Dress is "nice casual." High heel shoes are not recommended.
For more information or reservations for Fort Sumter Tours, Harbor Tours or the SpiritLine Dinner Cruise, please call (843) 722-BOAT (2628) or (800) 789-3678.
H. L. Hunley On the night of February 17, 1864, eight men, led by Lt. George Dixon, entered an experimental vessel that was to become the first submarine in world history to successfully sink an enemy ship. That night, the Hunley rammed her spar torpedo into the hull of the USS Housatonic. The Hunley signaled to shore that she had completed the attack and was on the way home, but instead, the Hunley and all hands onboard mysteriously vanished into the sea without a trace.
Lost at sea for over a century, the Hunley was located in 1995 and raised on August 8, 2000. She was brought to the Warren Lasch Conservation Center, a technological workplace designed to seek out and record the facts of the Hunley's journey into history. Visitors can now see this technological marvel during weekend tours in Charleston. Tour reservations should be made in advance by calling (877) 4HUNLEY (877-448-6539). Walk-up tickets are available on a first come, first serve basis.
Magnolia Plantation Since the Civil War, garden experts have acclaimed the Magnolia Plantation as one of the finest attractions in the world. Among this country's major gardens, Magnolia is now the oldest. Over three centuries of care by the Drayton family has culminated in the current achievement of year-round bloom.
A stately avenue of the oaks leads from the plantation's entrance on the Ashley River Road to the historic house. Inside, oriental rugs, fine porcelain and family heirlooms recall the elegance of an earlier era.
The original 1680s formal portion of the garden has survived as the heart of today's 50 acres of informal gardens. Its greatest glory is the collection of age-old camellias and azaleas. The Rev. John Grimke Drayton, owner during the Civil War era, introduced the Southern azalea to the U.S. at Magnolia.
The plantation's 500 acres now include the Audubon Swamp Garden, which allows visitors to catch a glimpse of alligators in the unique setting of a Southern swamp. Other favorites are the Barbados Tropical Garden, maze, biblical garden, petting zoo, gift shop and art gallery. Those who need to give their feet a rest can take the nature train or boat rides, which interpret the natural surroundings and the plantation's historical significance.
Four generations ago, the plantation inspired John Galsworthy to write, "I specialize in gardens and freely assert that none of the world is so beautiful as this." Charles Kuralt called it "my greatest Charleston pleasure." There is little that can approach the beauty of the gardens and the charm of this Ashley River plantation. It is a world all its own.
Middleton Place For more than 2 1/2 centuries Middleton Place has welcomed and enchanted visitors from all over the world. The 65 acres of landscaped terraces, shadowy allees, ornamental ponds and garden rooms laid out with precise symmetry and balance made Middleton Place the most unique and grand garden of its time. Today, as they did then, the gardens represent the Lowcountry's most spectacular expression of an 18th-century ideal - the triumphant marriage between man and nature.
America's oldest landscaped gardens, Middleton Place invites visitors to walk the same footpaths and enjoy the same vistas that from 1741 to 1865 inspired four important generations of the distinguished Middleton family.
The House Museum, built by Henry Middleton in 1755 as gentlemen's guest quarters, is the only surviving portion of the three-building residential complex that once stood overlooking the Ashley River. The House contains Middleton family furniture, paintings, books and documents dating from the 1740s through the 1880s. Guided tours of the house introduce visitors to the men, women and children who made Middleton Place their home for more than two centuries.
Located at 4300 Ashley River Road, Middleton Place is open daily at 9 a.m. www.middletonplace.org
Schooner Pride People of all walks of life enjoy the relaxing, yet exciting getaway aboard the Schooner Pride. There are no set courses for the Charleston Harbor Cruise. She sails with the wind and tides so every cruise is unique. Passengers who wish to help work the sails are encouraged to participate. The captain and crew are always willing to point out the historic sites and wildlife in the harbor. Sea sickness is rare on a sailing ship because the sails steady the vessel, so sailing aboard the Pride is a great adventure for just about anyone.
The Schooner Pride sails from Aquarium Wharf in downtown Charleston. The Pride's schedule for public harbor cruises varies, so please call ahead for sailing times. The number is (843) 559-9686. www.schoonerpride.com
With just 300 members, many of them non-residents and no unaccompanied guests, you might feel as though you have the course to yourself. The Golf Club at Briar’s Creek was recently awarded the 2007 Golfweek Residential Course Of Distinction award.
Voted Best Seafood Restaurant...Charleston Courier and News. With both waterfront and deck dining, it is reported that Charleston Crab House is the perfect family spot. Famous for fresh local fish & seafood, steaks, pastas, chicken, salads and frozen tropical drinks. Southern seafood, sensible prices and a darn good time.
Luxury real estate sales on Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island, Johns Island, Wadmalaw and the surrounding Charleston area. One of Charleston area's leaders in luxury real estate sales and vacation rentals on Kiawah Island. Find the perfect luxury property for a seasonal vacation rental or year round South Carolina coastal living. Tel: (843) 768-0273