Attraction of the Week: Charleston, SC Historic Downtown District
Disclaimer: We are not paid to promote any restaurant, hotel, activity, product, or attraction. All opinions are subjective and based on our personal experience. Your experience may be different.
Charleston is home to one of the largest historic districts in the country. I love strolling around and taking in the history, cultural attractions, and amazing architecture. I first visited the city while living in Greenville. It was a quick roadtrip of just over 3 hours, and definitely worth the short drive. The city is easily accessible from many big cities in the Carolinas and Georgia.
Today, tourists come from all over the world to photograph the gorgeous colorful buildings, explore the various museums, and tour plantations & mansions. On any tour, you will learn more about the history of the state’s oldest (founded in 1670) and largest city (thanks to rapid growth, the city surpassed Columbia in 2017).
A trip here is an excellent bucket list contender for photographers and history buffs. I recommend at least a weekend to explore it all. After multiple visits, I have compiled my guide of the top things to do in the historic district. This is the main draw of vacationing here, but there are some great activities in the region too including beautiful beaches and parks.
Horse-drawn carriage tours
The historic district is pretty massive with so much to explore, particularly for enthusiastic history buffs. One of the best ways to cover numerous sites within a short time frame is by taking a carriage ride. There are numerous carriage companies, and not surprisingly, all are busy, all day long. Mike and I enjoyed our ride via Palmetto Carriage Works, which also happens to be the oldest in town.
Because the carriage rides are so popular, the city operates the tours on a lottery based system. Each tour guide randomly picks from 1 of 4 designated routes. This helps to cut down on traffic a bit and makes the tours more enjoyable for everyone. Sights of interest on your tour could include: historic churches, Rainbow Row, historic mansions, or lovely gardens. We were taken on the church tour and learned much about Charleston’s rich religious history. I love old architecture and I enjoyed learning more about each church. This tour worked out for us as we preferred to walk over to Rainbow Row to explore in more detail by ourselves.
The Holy City
Our tour focused mostly on the city’s beautiful old churches. Charleston is nicknamed “The Holy City,” due to the city’s long history of tolerance towards religious freedom and settlement by people of various religious denominations. The diversity of places of worship is impressive and includes over 400 options.
Highlights of our tour included:
- St. Michael’s (founded in 1750), the oldest church in Charleston.
- Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim (founded in 1749), the oldest synagogue still in use in the US.
Here are a few pics of the gorgeous churches we toured
Regardless of which tour you end up on based of luck of draw, you are going to want to explore more via a self-guided tour. Prepare for lots of walking and wear comfortable shoes!
King Street
Fans of Nicholas Spark’s classic The Notebook will definitely want to take a stroll down King Street. The American Theater is where Aly and Noah had their first date. The scene where they lie down on the road and watch the traffic lights (definitely not to be repeated today due to the immense traffic!) was also filmed down this street (at the intersection of King & Mary). I love this movie (although I don’t watch it that often because it is a real tearjerker) but I had to get my picture!
King Street is a gorgeous historic street. I love the old time architecture. We didn’t buy anything, but simply enjoyed a step back in time. The street is more than 300 years old, making it the second oldest in town after Meeting Street.
Today, most of the buildings now operate as restaurants or shops. From name brands, to antique shops, you will find just about everything here. We visited on a Sunday morning and enjoyed the entire street to ourselves. This town really clears out on Sundays! We barely saw any tourists at this time.
Museum Mile/Meeting Street
The city’s oldest street is home to 6 museums, a Revolutionary War powder magazine, beautiful old churches, 5 historic houses, and the Charleston City Market.
Attractions
- Charleston Museum : America’s first museum focuses on the history of the Lowcountry region.
- Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry: Features 9 hands on historical exhibits.
- The Powder Magazine: Established in 1713, The Powder Magazine is the city’s oldest building. Today, you can explore exhibits dedicated to Charleston’s Revolutionary War history.
- Gibbes Museum of Art: The South’s oldest museum building showcases American art, with a focus on the Lowcountry region.
- Old Slave Mart museum: This is the only remaining portion of Ryan’s Mart – where hundreds of slave auctions took place from 1856-1863.
Rainbow Row
Another must-see downtown is beautiful Rainbow Row aka Painters Row, a gorgeous strip of brightly colored rowhouses. I am sure you have seen this famous street in various media over the years, but it’s more exciting to see the colorful houses in person.
This is the premier site for photographers and anyone else who appreciates classic architecture. While many streets in the historic district feature brightly colored buildings, this row just seems to stand out just a little more. Seeing this iconic street was definitely my favorite thing to do.
The Battery
The Battery is a defensive seawall named for a civil war defense artillery battery at the site. It’s located along the southern tip of the Charleston peninsula, bordered by the Ashley and Cooper rivers. It’s a scenic place to enjoy the waterfront and lust after multi million dollar homes.
I found this a gorgeous area to take a refreshing stroll, especially after exploring historical sites for hours on end. Breathtaking mansions (some in the 16 million dollar range!) line the coast. A quaint park lined with trees and pretty fountains create a totally relaxing setting to take a breather.
The Charleston City Market
The Charleston City Market, located on Meeting St, was established in the 1790’s, and today, it is listed on the National Historic Register. Originally referred to as the Centre market, it was originally a place where nearby farms and plantations could sell beef and produce. Also, the space was used for social gatherings.
Today, you can shop for all sorts of unique specialty goods. Handmade crafts, souvenirs, gorgeous art, jewelry….you really cannot walk out of here without seeing something that spikes your interest. Notably, the Gullah sweetgrass baskets are one of the oldest African cultural products. Mike and I didn’t buy anything, but enjoyed taking in the local art scene. I recommend stopping by the City Market after your carriage ride as it is located just across the road.
Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit is located on-site or you can opt to visit the best seafood restaurant in town, Hanks (according to our tour guide). You can enjoy various lowcountry entrees and a raw bar at this local favorite which has been rated best seafood in town for over 2 decades now.
Old Charleston Jail & Ghost tours
If your visit falls around Halloween (or really anytime of the year), you may want to take a haunted tour of the Old Charleston Jail. The jail, which operated from 1802-1939, housed many infamous criminals including Lavinia Fisher and Civil War prisoners.
This creepy building has been the site of many paranormal sightings. Eerie sounds have been heard by many visitors, with some reporting doors slamming and chains being dragged on the floor. Various ghost hunting groups continue to explore the grounds with EVP monitors in hand. You may have seen the jail featured on popular TV programs like Ghost Adventures and Ghost Hunters. I am a big fan of Zak Bagans, so I recommend tuning into Season 6, Episode 9 to learn more. Even if you are not up for a scare, you can still take a regular history tour.
More info on Charleston Jail tours
Local dining options
This region is famous for its’ low country cuisine, whether it be Shrimp and Grits, She-Crab soup, or Fried Green Tomatoes. If you are a fan of seafood, you may want to check out Fleet Landing, Charleston Crab House, or Hanks which I mentioned earlier. Although Mike enjoys seafood, it wouldn’t be my first choice.
For anyone seeking something a bit off the beaten path, Gaulart & Maliclet French Cafe is a nice relaxing choice that we happened in my chance. Not nearly as busy as more popular restaurants in town, this cafe maintains a charming old fashioned ambiance. They offer a terrific lunch special, where you will get a soup, sandwich, and drink (coffee or tea) for under 20 bucks.
Everything was so fresh and delicious and we enjoyed the casual vibe and talking with locals. The vegetarian pizza baguette featuring broccoli, green peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, creamy mustard and melted cheese, served with a side of French onion was just delicious.
More Bucket List Ideas
If you are looking for more iconic things to do in the state, please take a look at my South Carolina Travel Guide. Savannah is another wonderful historic destination, and if you are beach lover, you will want to check out Hilton Head Island and Myrtle Beach. I also have a lot of guides on state parks, waterfalls, and historic attractions in The Upstate where I lived for 2 years. It’s a wonderful vacation destination if you are into nature & history!
