Charleston Things To Do

Things To Do

Spend your day hopping from one historical site to another, shopping for traditional lowcountryhandicrafts, or biking on the beach. Many sites are packed in the southern tip of the peninsula, though the plantations are further afield.

Smart Splurge    Great Value
South Carolina Aquarium
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.
100 Aquarium Wharf; Charleston, SC; 843-720-1990; www.scaquarium.org
Tags: family | wildlife
Classic Carriage Tours great value
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.
10 Guignard St.; Charleston, SC; 843-853-3747; www.classiccarriage.com
Tags: family | trendy | outdoors | history | great value | editor pick
Middleton Place Plantation smart splurge
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.
4300 Ashley River Rd.; Charleston, SC; 843-556-6020; www.middletonplace.org
Tags: architecture | smart splurge | outdoors | history | art | editor pick
The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon
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.
122 East Bay St.; Charleston, SC; 843-727-2165; www.oldexchange.com
Tags: family | architecture | culture | history
Fort Sumter
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. 
Liberty Square on Aquarium Wharf; Charleston, SC; 843-883-3123; www.nps.gov/fosu
Tags: outdoors | history
Old Slave Mart Museum
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.
6 Chalmers St.; Charleston, SC; 843-958-6467; www.nps.gov/history/nR/travel/charleston/osm.htm
Tags: culture | new | history
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