Charleston, South Carolina

Prepare to marvel at one of Charleston's most exceptional examples of a 'double house,' a true architectural masterpiece! This isn't just any old building; the Miles Brewton House is a National Historic Landmark, built…

Get ready to step into a vibrant marketplace that has thrived since the 1790s! This isn't just any market; it's a living piece of Charleston's history, offering local crafts and goods for centuries. Originally known as…

Ever wondered where the magic of 'Porgy and Bess' truly began? You're just two miles from the very house where Dubose Heyward penned the novel that inspired it all! This modest two-story structure at 76 Church Street,…

Welcome to Charleston's French Quarter, a charming district whose very name whispers tales of French Huguenot resilience! This isn't just pretty architecture; it’s a living testament to a vibrant community. Starting in…

Step back in time at this historic tavern, once a hub of political and social activity in colonial Charleston. Imagine the clinking glasses and animated chatter inside McCrady's Tavern, established in 1788. Its Long…

Look out your window, because you're about to pass the oldest public building still standing in the entire former Province of Carolina! Completed in 1713, this sturdy stone structure was Charleston's Powder Magazine.…

Look at this building! Designed by the famous Robert Mills, this hospital once cared for sailors from around the world, and is now a National Historic Landmark. It's a real Charleston gem. Built between 1831 and 1833,…

America's oldest public market since the 1790s. Sweetgrass baskets woven by Gullah artisans.

Pull over, history buffs! You're about to visit the birthplace of Reform Judaism in the United States. Founded in 1749, Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, or K.K. Beth Elohim, was established as a Holy Congregation House of God…

Look at this beauty! You're about to pass one of the finest examples of classical Georgian architecture in the entire nation. This grand house, built around 1772, was the home of William Gibbes. He was a prominent…

Oldest AME church in the South, co-founded by Denmark Vesey, site of the 2015 shooting that killed nine worshippers.

From the waterfront here, Charleston spent June 28, 1776 listening to the guns out at the harbor mouth and waiting to learn whether the city would fall. It did not. At nightfall the battered British fleet pulled back…

Historic market operating since the 1800s, famous for Gullah Geechee sweetgrass basket weavers.

Imagine living in a city simmering with the secret dreams of freedom. This area is linked to Denmark Vesey, a man who dared to plot a massive slave rebellion in 1822. Though the exact location of Vesey’s home is…

Admire the elegance of this National Historic Landmark, a brick house built in 1800 for a wealthy merchant. This stunning example of Adamesque architecture stands as a testament to Charleston's prosperous past. Keep an…

Prepare to be transported back in time as you enter the Charleston Historic District, a place where history whispers from every cobblestone and grand facade. In 1931, Charleston took a bold step, creating the nation's…

Known as 'Mother Emanuel,' this church stands as a powerful symbol of resilience and faith in the face of racial injustice. Founded in 1817, it's the oldest African Methodist Episcopal church in the South. Mother…

This spot stands as a reminder of the anxieties that gripped the antebellum South. The South Carolina State Arsenal, sometimes called "The Old Citadel," was built starting in 1829 in response to fears sparked by the…

Ever wonder where a nation-altering idea took root? This is it. Robert Barnwell Rhett, a fervent advocate for Southern secession, lived right here. Rhett championed states' rights and was a leading voice pushing South…

Imagine being at the forefront of a transportation revolution! This area was once a hub for one of the earliest and most ambitious railroads in America. William Aiken, a prominent Charleston businessman, spearheaded the…

Ever wonder what a Charleston millionaire's mansion looked like back in the early 1800s? You're about to see it! This stunning home, the Joseph Manigault House, is a true architectural gem. Built in 1803, it was…

Right here, on this very spot, the seeds of the Civil War were sown. In December 1860, South Carolina seceded from the Union, and the Charleston Arsenal became a prime target. Constructed between 1825 and 1832, the…

Ever wonder where some of Charleston's earliest Jewish settlers found their final resting place? You're near the Coming Street Cemetery, established in 1762 by Sephardi Jews. Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, a local synagogue,…

This unassuming little fort played a role in both the War of 1812 and the Civil War, even serving as a POW camp. Built in 1810, Castle Pinckney was strategically positioned in Charleston Harbor. During the Civil War,…

Ever wondered what it was like inside a Cold War submarine? You're about to pass the former home of the USS Clamagore, a vessel that once patrolled the depths! Built in 1945 for the United States Navy, the Clamagore was…

That massive grey ship you see looming in the harbor? That's the USS Yorktown, a World War II aircraft carrier with a legendary story. Initially named Bonhomme Richard, she was renamed Yorktown after the original…

Prepare to be amazed by a ship nicknamed "The Ship That Would Not Die!" The USS Laffey, a World War II destroyer, survived a brutal kamikaze attack that would have sunk many other ships. The Laffey was commissioned in…

Pull over here for a second; this unassuming spot was ground zero for South Carolina's involvement in the Revolutionary War. On 1775, before the Declaration of Independence, South Carolina patriots, acting on their own…

Prepare to enter a city of ghosts, a haunting collection of 23 cemeteries, each whispering secrets of Charleston's past. This district, laid out between 1849 and 1956, showcases a fascinating evolution of funerary art…

Confederate batteries fired on this federal fort on April 12, 1861, starting the Civil War.

Here, in 1861, the first shots of the American Civil War rang out, changing the course of American history. Fort Sumter, still incomplete, was garrisoned by a small U.S. Army force. Confederate forces, demanding its…

Imagine stepping back in time to the very spot where English colonists first dared to build a permanent home in the Carolinas. This is Charles Towne Landing. In 1970, South Carolina commemorated its tricentennial by…

Ever wonder what stood between Charleston and Union invasion during the Civil War? You're driving right by it! Fort Pemberton was Charleston’s last line of defense on western James Island. Confederate strategists knew…

Palmetto log fort that repelled a British fleet in 1776, giving South Carolina its palmetto flag.

In the middle of the bombardment a British shot cut down the fort's flagstaff, and the blue flag with its white crescent tumbled off the wall and down outside the fort. To the men watching, a fallen flag looked like a…

Look out at the water here, because this stretch of channel is where the Royal Navy came undone. Admiral Sir Peter Parker brought his warships in close to pound the fort, and when that did not work, three of his…

From the Revolutionary War to the Civil War, this spot played a crucial role in defending Charleston. Fort Moultrie, originally Fort Sullivan, on Sullivan's Island, was first built in 1776 from palmetto logs. It was…

You are standing where the United States may have been saved by a tree. On June 28, 1776, this was Fort Sullivan, a half-finished square of palmetto logs stacked twenty feet high in a double wall and packed with sand in…

This quiet stretch of road saw fierce fighting during the Civil War, with Confederate forces successfully defending against a Union attack in 1862. It's a testament to raw courage and brutal sacrifice. Imagine the…

Ever wonder what stood guard over Charleston's shores in the early 1900s? Well, look to your left, because you're about to pass right by it. This concrete behemoth, Battery Gadsden, was built between 1903 and 1904 as a…

Ever wondered what protected Charleston Harbor from sea attacks over a century ago? You're driving right past a colossal concrete relic of America's coastal defense system: Battery Thomson. Built between 1906 and 1909,…

Somewhere beneath these waves lies the story of innovation, bravery, and ultimate sacrifice. This is the story of the H.L. Hunley. During the American Civil War, the Confederacy sought a technological edge. Horace…

From building warships to repairing submarines, this shipyard played a crucial role in American naval power for over a century. Established in 1901, the Charleston Naval Shipyard became a major shipbuilding and repair…

Look out at the water – that’s where the Morris Island Lighthouse stands, a lonely sentinel battling the relentless sea. The original lighthouse was built here in 1767. It was destroyed and rebuilt in 1857. The most…

The British never meant to win this battle with ships alone. While the fleet hammered the fort from the water, General Henry Clinton landed around 2,200 soldiers on Long Island, the barrier island just across this…

This unassuming building holds a powerful story of community and resilience. Built around 1915, it was the heart of the Seashore Farmers' Lodge No. 767. Imagine a time when African American farmers in coastal South…

Built in 1862, this artillery battery silently guarded Charleston's western approaches during the Civil War. This unassuming spot was once a critical piece of the Confederacy's defense of Charleston. It was established…

Ever wondered what protected Charleston from land attacks during the Civil War? Right here, you're driving past a silent sentinel of that conflict: Battery Wilkes. Built in 1862, this earthen redoubt was a crucial part…

Ever wonder what helped Neil Armstrong take that giant leap for mankind? You're looking at the spot where the soles of his Moon boots were made! This is the General Asbestos and Rubber Company Main Mill, or GARCO, a…

Ever wondered who helped write the very blueprint of our nation? Right here, on the grounds of Snee Farm, Charles Pinckney, a true Founding Father, shaped the U.S. Constitution itself. Born into a powerful South…

Dating back to 1706, this is the oldest surviving church building south of Virginia. You’re looking at a true colonial relic! When English colonists settled here in the late 17th century, they needed a spiritual center.…

Pull over for a sec; you're not going to believe the layers of history at Boone Hall. It's more than just a pretty face from 'The Notebook'. Boone Hall has been a working plantation for over 320 years. While the grand…

A 400-year-old Southern live oak with branches reaching 187 feet across. Older than America.

Ever wondered what an 18th-century plantation house really looked like? Drayton Hall is your chance to step back in time. It’s one of the oldest preserved plantation houses in America, offering a rare glimpse into life…

Drayton Hall is the oldest unrestored plantation house in America that's open to the public, and the fact that it survived at all is remarkable. Built in 1738 by John Drayton along the Ashley River, it's a…

Imagine a place where centuries of Southern history bloom alongside camellias and azaleas. That's Magnolia Plantation, dating back to 1679 when Thomas and Ann Drayton built their home and a small formal garden here.…

The gardens at Middleton Place took about a hundred enslaved workers nearly a decade to shape, starting in 1741. Henry Middleton wanted something that would rival the great estates of Europe, and what he got was…

Look closely at these old ruins, because they tell a story about the true cost of South Carolina's wealth. These are the Otranto Plantation Indigo Vats, where enslaved people were forced to process indigo, a plant that…

Step back in time at Middleton Place, home to America's oldest landscaped gardens and a window into colonial South Carolina. Begun in the 1730s by John Williams, the plantation was significantly expanded by his…

Ever wondered what an honest-to-goodness colonial ghost town looks like? You're about to find out! This isn't just a pretty park; it's the remains of Colonial Dorchester, a bustling town founded way back in 1697.…