Charleston Things To Do

This nearly 70,000-square-foot facility showcases South Carolina's native aquatic life, from alligators in the Coastal Plain gallery to sharks in the two-story ocean tank.

Clip-clop around the city in an old-fashioned buggy pulled by an enormous Percheron, draft horse while a guide expounds on three centuries of Charleston history. Classic Carriage is one of several popular horse tour operators in town.

The grandest of the Ashley River Road plantations, this 18th-century estate features a large collection of antique furniture and art, massive, landscaped gardens, and an equestrian center with riding trails.

Captured pirates, including the famed Stede Bonnet, were once held in the dungeon of this former customs house. Employees dressed 18th-century garb add to the historical atmosphere.

The Civil War began with shots fired at Fort Sumter, a Confederate stronghold on an island in Charleston Harbor (it was eventually, mostly destroyed by Union troops). Popular boat tours leave from Aquarium Wharf several times a day. 

African men, women, and children were once auctioned off as slaves to plantation owners inside this building. Originally built in 1859, the building was recently reopened by the city as a museum of slavery.