This Southern city keeps visitors busy with its historical landmarks, outstanding architecture, fine art, and modern attractions.
Baker’s Dozen
By Lowell & Kaye Christie, F47246
March 2008
The natives of Charleston, South Carolina, claim their town is the cultural capital of the South, a living museum with a huge variety of things to see and do. We agree. Visitors to Charleston can tour 18th-century homes and plantations; parks, museums, and historic churches; and a large and very impressive city market. Art lovers will want to visit one, or many, of the city’s art galleries. They certainly testify to Charleston’s appreciation for the visual arts.
1. Classic Carriage Tours. With so much to explore, how do you decide where to start? And when do you get to sit down? Classic Carriage Tours allows you to relax and enjoy yourself while horses do the trotting from one highlight to another. It’s not every day you can ride in a horse-drawn carriage while your tour guide introduces you to the charms of a city.
2. Gibbes Museum Of Art. Back in 1858, the Carolina Art Association helped to found the Gibbes Museum, which opened its doors to the public in 1905. The Gibbes houses an outstanding collection of more than 10,000 works of fine art, focused mostly on American artists with Southern connections. In addition to its permanent collection, the Gibbes produces more than a dozen special exhibitions annually.
3. Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site. Imagine standing precisely where colonists established the area’s first European settlement in 1670. You can’t actually travel into the past, but at the Animal Forest zoo you’ll encounter some of the 665 animal species that early settlers would have seen. You’ll also view archaeologists at work to uncover the history of resident American Indians, extending back several thousand years. Scheduled programs introduce visitors to many cultural activities, with agricultural, African-American, and women’s themes.
4. Drayton Hall Plantation. Perhaps you would like to tour a plantation while you’re in the neighborhood; here’s one we found particularly memorable. Drayton Hall, near Charleston, is considered one of the finest examples of Georgian-Palladian architecture in North America. The house was built for John Drayton, beginning in 1738 and completed four years later. The plantation house stands on a 630-acre site that was financed by agriculture, primarily the growing of indigo and rice. Drayton Hall is the only plantation house in the area to survive both the American Revolution and the Civil War.
5. Summerville “” “Flowertown In The Pines.” The nearby historic village of Summerville was established as an escape for plantation owners fleeing the mosquito-laden marshes of home. Today’s visitors come to explore the historic downtown area. Summerville contains more than 700 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, including neighborhoods of Victorian homes, delightful parks, and gardens.
6. Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum. At the foot of the Ravenel Bridge lie four museum ships: the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown, the Coast Guard Secretary-class cutter USCG Ingham; the destroyer USS Laffey; and the submarine USS Clamagore. Yorktown contains numerous exhibits, among them the Congressional Medal of Honor museum, which contains biographies of all medal recipients. In addition, 25 naval aircraft are on display.
7. South Carolina Aquarium. The South Carolina Aquarium sits at the edge of Charleston’s historic district and offers one of the best views in town of the Charleston Harbor. A 15,000-gallon exhibit shows off many of the colorful fish from the reef habitats along the South Carolina coast. Walk inside the 2,500-square-foot Saltmarsh Aviary and get a close-up look at coastal plants, birds, and marine life.
8. Heyward-Washington House. Charleston is best known for the Civil War period, but this structure dates from a much earlier era. Rice planter Daniel Heyward built this townhouse for his son in 1772. The son, Thomas Heyward, was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. In 1791 the city of Charleston rented the home for President George Washington’s use during a weeklong stay. Inside you’ll find an excellent collection of locally made furniture.
9. Joseph Manigault House. This three-story brick townhouse, called one of Charleston’s most graceful historic structures, is an exceptional example of Adam-style or Federal architecture. Built in 1803, it displays the lifestyles of the affluent owners and the slaves who worked there. Many of the rooms have been restored and filled with an outstanding collection of American, English, and French pieces from the early 19th century.
10. Cypress Gardens. Cypress Gardens covers approximately 80 acres of open swamp with stands of bald cypress and swamp tupelo. View the depths of the Cypress Swamp from flat-bottomed boats or stroll along the nature trails. Then enjoy the fluttering of butterflies and birds in a 2,500-square-foot enclosure. The gardens also include a freshwater aquarium and a reptile center.
11. Fort Sumter National Monument. On April 12, 1861, the Confederate Army opened fire on Fort Sumter with cannons, starting the American Civil War. This Civil War fort requires a short ferry trip to the middle of Charleston Harbor. Before boarding the ferry, be sure to visit the Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center and check out the interpretive exhibits.
12. Boone Hall Plantation And Gardens. Called “America’s Most Photographed Plantation,” Boone Hall’s land has been producing crops for more than 300 years. This plantation was used in the filming of the ABC-TV mini-series “North and South.” The plantation includes a large farmhouse, a number of original slave cabins, and the historic “Avenue of Oaks.” In season, the plantation has pick-your-own fields where you can join in the harvest.
13. The Charleston Museum. This museum was established in 1773 by the Charleston Library Society and is considered America’s first museum. Its collection contains materials starting from the earliest settlements, and a separate gallery called “Charleston Silver,” an early silver collection that includes George Washington’s christening cup.