Historic Charleston Region

Avery Research Center - Located on the site of the former Avery Normal Institute. Founded in 1865, the Avery Normal Institute was a nationally-recognized African-American educational institution that trained young adults in professional careers and leaderships roles for nearly 100 years.

Bohicket Boat: Adventure & Tour Co. - Offers dolphin-watching tours, sunset cruises, ACE Basin adventures, shelling shuttles to remote barrier islands, sailing charters and kayak tours & rentals.

Carolina Ice Palace - South Carolina's Ultimate Family Entertainment Complex, the Carolina Ice Palace was designed to be a year-round family playground for recreational skating, league hockey, figure skating, extreme sports, virtual reality and video games. Inside you will find 100,000 square feet of excitement packed into every inch of the state-of-the-art facility!

Splash Island Waterpark - Visitors will find Splash Island Waterpark tucked deep within the tropical vegetation of Mount Pleasant Palmetto Islands County Park. This seasonal family water attraction provides hours of fun and recreation.

Waterfront Park - This park is an eight-acre linear park and pier along the Charleston Harbor entry. The park masterfully combines spectacular fountains, spacious lawns, intimate garden "rooms", walking and jogging path and a long pier with picnic tables and wooden swings.

Charleston Museum - America's first museum, The Charleston Museum was founded in 1773. The Museum preserves and interprets the cultural and natural history of Charleston and the South Carolina coastal region. Objects of historic, archaeological, scientific and ethnological interest illustrate the importance of this area.

Irvin-House Vinyards - Nestled in between the majestic live oaks on Charleston's back porch of Wadmalaw Island, this 48 acre winery and vineyard has something for everyone. Irvin-House Vineyards is the only domestic winery in Charleston.

Morris Island Lighthouse - Stands all alone about 300 yards off shore from the island of Folly Beach. It can be viewed from the northeast end of Folly Island and from the bridge coming on to Folly Beach.

Gibbes Museum of Art - Built in 1905, the Gibbes Museum of Art represents a long and impressive tradition of cultural leadership in historic Charleston, providing residents and visitors access to a distinguished collection and an active, year-round schedule of exciting exhibitions, programs and events.

Magnolia Plantation & Gardens - Features the country's oldest garden and a reconstruction era plantation house. The garden features the Barbados Tropical Garden, a nature train tour, a petting zoo, wildlife observation tower, nature trails, wildlife art gallery, rental bikes, canoes, an 18th century herb garden, a Biblical garden, topiary garden, horticultural maze and antebellum cabin.

Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon - Completed in 1771 during Charles Town’s Golden Age. The building quickly became the commercial, political and social center of the most prosperous of Britain’s thirteen American colonies. The Provost Dungeon was used as a prison by the British during the Revolution.

Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum - Located on historic Charleston Harbor, Patriots Point is home to USS YORKTOWN (CV-10), the Fighting Lady. The first USS YORKTOWN (CV-5) sank at the battle of Midway on June 7, 1942. On board the decks of this famous World War II aircraft carrier, you can relive a momentous time in America's history.

Fort Sumter Tours - An authorized National Park Service concessioner. They provide the only commercial boat transportation to Fort Sumter, the island fort where the Civil War began.

Boone Hall Plantation - Visitors can catch a glimpse of a way of life that is only a memory of a time when the South lived by agriculture alone, and the great plantations were the back-bone of the agrarian economy. Today the plantation thrives, producing commercial crops, serving as the backdrop for major motion pictures, and sponsoring events that entertain and benefit visitors and residents of the area.

Charelston County Parks - Improves the quality of life in Charleston County by offering a diverse system of park facilities, programs, and services. The county's park system presently includes over 4,586 acres with emphasis on passive activities, the environment, and beach access.

The Old Slave Mart Museum - Recounts the story of Charleston's role in this inter-state slave trade by focusing on the history of this particular building and site and the slave sales that occurred here.

Rainbow Row - Named for 14 private homes which mirror the colors of the rainbow, this section dates from 1740 and was Charleston's waterfront district during the 18th century.

Charleston Stage at the Dock - South Carolina's largest professional theatre company and resides at The Historic Dock Street Theatre. Charleston Stage offers popular Broadway musicals, award winning dramas and world premiere original works.

Drayton Hall - Completed in 1742, the historic plantation house stands majestically on a 630-acre site and is one of the finest examples or Georgian-Palladian architecture in America. Through seven generations of Drayton family ownership, the plantation house has remained in nearly original condition and offers an opportunity to experience history.

Frankie's Fun Park - A 14-acre family oriented amusement center. Attractions include three go-cart tracks, bumper boats, batting cages, three 18-hole mini-golf courses, laser tag, an arcade and a pizza restaurant!

Nathaniel Russell House - Completed in 1808, the townhouse of Nathaniel and Sarah Russell is recognized as one of America's most important neoclassical dwellings. Set amid spacious gardens, the house contains graceful interiors with elaborate plasterwork ornamentation, geometrically shaped rooms and a magnificent free-flying staircase. Furnished with period antiques and works of art.

Middleton Place - A National Historic Landmark and a carefully preserved 18th-century plantation that has survived revolution, Civil War, and earthquake. It was the home of many generations of Middletons. Middleton Place encompasses the Gardens, the House Museum, and the Plantation Stableyards.

South Carolina Aquarium - From coastal saltmarshes, Piedmont rivers, and rushing mountain streams to the still depths of the Atlantic Ocean, explore South Carolina's fascinatingly diverse aquatic habitats and get to know the five thousand magical creatures--from colorful song birds to mysterious sharks; graceful rays to playful otters--that live in them.