Truly charming and historic - so it's a win win. I was amazed by the lovely decor and intricate…read morearchitectural details of this historic house. The tour was fascinating as it provided a glimpse into pre-war and post- war (civil) history and how it changed not only socio-economics but also lifestyles. I enjoyed learning about the detailed restoration process. Definitely worth an hour or so of your time while visiting Charleston SC.

Beautiful home with a rich history. Well worth the…read moreadmission price and I recommend the guided tour which is done on the hour.

Tourist trap! Do not go! This is not immersive at all. They have white screens displayed in a…read morebroken up oval with projectors. In the middle are little children's stools. This is budget if I've ever seen it. When we went, the air conditioning was not working so they set up a bunch of fans. In Charleston, SC fans will not cut it. It was probably 85 degrees and humid inside. Next, they had the overhead lights on. This is comparable to having lights on in a movie theater. When I asked if this was normal they told me that the repair workers for the AC needed them on but they are usually off. We were there for about 15 min and left. Most people literally came and left. There was a lot of disappointment. We asked for our money back and was handed a business card with an inoperable number. We emailed and they responded with some generic message about no refunds. They did not provide the service advertised. We were so disappointed. We've had friends that loved this that attended in TN & FL. They said it was immersive with swings in the middle and other pieces. This one literally had children's stools and that was it. DO NOT GO. THIS IS A COMPLETE MONEY GRAB!

AMAZING IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE! This is a must see event. A…read morenice Sunday afternoon stroll with the artist Van Gogh. They say every picture tells a story! Well they included interesting storyboards of his life which took you back in time to read about his struggles. It was very interesting. And the artwork OMG. It was a nice self-paced exhibit for those who don't like to walk much, you can take it slow and easy. I brought my Rollator just in case. It was nice to sit in front of the larger than life paintings. They did however have cushioned benches for a comfy perching area for people to sit and be AMAZED. The parking garage had plenty of handicap spaces with easy access to the exhibit. This is something you don't want to miss it's a once in a lifetime experience. I believe there's other showings to be around the US check on them you won't be sorry. GO GET IMMERSED WITH VAN GOGH.

This was such an enjoyable local activity to do for not a lot of money! The lights were great! We…read moredidn't get to stop in the village and explore, but it was a very nice drive.

We followed the directions I had written last year and it worked out perfectly! The park publishes…read morea calendar that is color coded red, yellow, and green to indicate how busy that day is expected and we chose a green day (Thursday Dec 11 which also happened to be my grandson's 2nd birthday). We arrived right at 5:30 and parked in lot B (lot A is for the mobility limited). We went to buy carousel tickets at the kettle corn stand (hot tip) but they told us that South Carolina Federal was handing them out for free! Only children need a ticket. Then we rode the carousel, headed to buy a train ticket and literally walked right on the train! Sweet! Next we bought an ornament, hot chocolate and cookies, then on to Smores. So fun!!

There are only five American aircraft carriers that have been converted into museum ships, and i…read morebelieve none predate the USS Yorktown. The ship is birthed just across the Cooper from downtown Charleston at Patriots Point. Admission wasn't terribly expensive, THOUGH PARKING ACTUALLY COST MORE. That's right, the parking situation is a ripoff, particularly for anyone who might stay on site over two hours. Yorktown is a large combat ship built in the middle of a war several decades ago, so there are certain things you should expect. First, there will be plenty of walking, not to mention lots of stairs. There is an elevator installed for those who might need it, but keep in mind that individuals with mobility challenges will not get to see much of the ship. Secondly, the "Fighting Lady" is old, so you're going to see damage, missing parts, etc. Third, only a few areas onboard are air conditioned, and while there are a few areas with installed fans or access to fresh breezes you're likely to find the tight quarters of this WWII era carrier a bit stifling. All that said, it's quite remarkable to walk through the compartments and corridors, to stand on the flight deck, to see the numerous aircraft and artifacts displayed, and to enjoy some pretty lovely views of the Holy City and the Ravenel Bridge. There are four unguided tour routes aboard the ship. Tour 2 is largely focused on the pilot ready room, the flight deck and the spaces above; this is where you'll get the best views from aboard the ship. Tours 1 and 3 are concentrated on what makes the ship and its crew function. Tour 4 is probably the least interesting in my opinion, though it contained some interesting information about American naval history. There's also a destroyer berthed at Patriots Point, the Laffey, but she's currently closed to visitors. It's pretty easy to see from the exterior that the ship is in need of significant maintenance work. It's easy to buy admission tickets online, but you'll still have to enter and exit the complex through the gift shop. Once you get to the aircraft carrier and its hangar deck, that's where you'll get a map at the info desk. The gentlemen I encountered there was pleasant and helpful, far more so than the folks at the rear of the gift shop who scanned the QR code from my ticket.

This is one of the best static naval displays. I've been in and really enjoyed the war planes as…read morewell. Would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in history. We also tremendously enjoyed the medal of honor museum.

If you are attending the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, it's important to realize there are 2…read moredifferent festivals. There's the well known Spoleto Festival, then there's also the Piccolo Festival held at the same time. The Piccolo Festival hosts art and artists that are more regional in scope, whereas the main festival is International. But there's lots to experience at the Piccolo Festival. I particularly like the Early Music performances, which were spectacular. There are also literary events, dance, music, plus a juried show.

Wow! It was neat to stumble across this display of art from all over the area. They had tons of…read morevendors food and art! I wish I would have seen schedule for performances. I saw a stage in the center... would have been great to catch performance.

The museum itself was beautiful. The exhibits were detailed, educational, and thoughtfully put…read moretogether. I really enjoyed learning about the history and culture that was presented. Although the museum is smaller than others we've visited, the quality of the exhibits was excellent. The confusing part was the admission policy. We arrived about an hour before closing and were told the museum was no longer admitting guests. We understood that and only asked to use the restroom. Once inside, another employee told us we could purchase tickets after all. That was confusing because we had just been told the museum was closed to new visitors. What made it even more confusing was paying full admission for only 30 to 45 minutes inside the museum. If the museum has a policy of not admitting guests during the final hour, that information should be clearly posted so visitors know before making the trip. If guests are going to be admitted during that last hour, they should be able to enjoy the museum without mixed messages or paying full price for a significantly shortened visit. The museum itself is worth seeing, but I believe the admission policy needs to be more consistent and transparent. History should be as accessible as possible, and visitors shouldn't leave confused about whether they're welcome to enter or not.

Wow! There's not much to say besides this experience was absolutely amazing!…read more Parking wasn't terrible, actually, and it's not too far from the aquarium. There's street parking and a few lots nearby. There's also a park across the street as well. The experience begins on the outside. From the half-statues to the imprints in the ground. Once through the security check, you go to the second floor. I learned it was elevated 13 ft off the ground to honor where grounds were like almost half of the nation's enslaved were brought to the US right in that very spot. It truly was so impactful standing in that spot reflecting on that. Once inside, the ticket counter is straight ahead, and there's a gift shop on the left and a coffee shop on the right. If you look closely or ask. They will tell you where to start. Also, they have maps as well. Every exhibit was absolutely beautiful and moving. I had chills for the majority of the experience, and to think how even though it feels like ancient history, it wasn't that long ago all of these things happened was just overwhelming. They have quiet rooms as well, which I thought was very thoughtful. On one side it's a set amount of exhibits, and on the other side it's like the American experience. It is one journey after another and truly could be broken up into a multiple-visit experience. They also have a room to explore family history and much more. The art was beautiful. I mean truly an incredible experience. My children enjoyed their time as well. They have coloring pages for the young kids, but that is all, but it's okay because I still enjoyed moving through that experience with them and introducing them to our history beyond books. I had a coffee and some chips for a snack. Everyone was so kind. The coffee was pretty good. I can't wait to go back. It is literally so much to take in, and that's in more ways than one. Some parts made me sad, but overall it made me so proud thinking and reading about the perseverance and determination, and through all the circumstances, the creativity, courage, commitment, wisdom, and culture throughout every journey. It is just so beautiful there. Connecting what they present with the stories that has been shared with me, I just cannot wait to return.

I'm giving this a generous 4 stars because I learned so much and I guess it's the next best thing…read moreto actually going to the Sistine Chapel. I visited the Boston exhibit. It was NOT like the images on the website. There's absolutely nothing above you. You don't go through some kind of tunnel. It's simply an array of high quality panels / reproductions. I downloaded the audio guide app but it did not work, so I simply read the descriptions next to the panels. Overall satisfied, though and I would recommend it.

None of the frescos are hung above you. We were looking forward to the tunnel we saw in every ad…read morefor this. This is an old mall store with frescos standing in front of old racks. It definitely takes away from Michelangelo's genius.

We very much enjoyed our visit to the Aiken-Rhett House. The guided tour was very well done, and…read moreour tour guide was knowledgeable and informative throughout the experience. We appreciated learning not only about the home and the family who lived in the home, but also about the enslaved people connected to the property and their lives. The preserved nature of the house provides an authentic experience. There were, however, a couple of distractions that took away from the experience. Early in the presentation, the tour guide was drinking a soda and repeatedly belched while speaking to the group, which felt somewhat unprofessional and made the presentation less enjoyable. We also did not care for the indigo art installation displayed throughout parts of the home. In our opinion, the artwork distracted from the preservation-focused experience that makes the house so interesting. Having modern art pieces placed among the furnishings made it harder to fully appreciate the rooms as historical spaces and also made it difficult to take clean photographs of the home itself. Overall, though, this was still a worthwhile visit, and we are glad we included it during our time in Charleston.

I absolutely loved this house and the three star rating has nothing to do with the preservation and…read moreI very much respect the opinion of others to leave the house as it was found but in MHO preservation also means to keep it in good repair as it was once kept in its original grandeur state or social importance. A few more years and the decay to the elements will bring this house to the ground. If you compare this house to the mansion in the Magnolia Plantation you can see what I mean, restoration doesn't necessarily mean modernizing the house with today's comforts like AC but actually preserve it so future generations can have an idea of how the house looked and functioned back in the years. It is not about the 16 dollar entrance fee but I would rather pay more to see what the house looked like in the splendor of the Chas boom rather than what it looked when the family moved out, moreover if the family was going through hard times and couldn't keep it up in good repair I am sure it was better than today and every day that goes by and for respect to the family the Charleston Museum owes some effort to make it look better not just show it as bad as it looks, just rain seeping through cracks and windows is little by little deteriorating it's appearance until some day it will be a parking lot. Our tour took almost two hours TMI