Great for a day trip. The museum has a gallery of lots of artifacts and displays for viewing on a…read moreself guided tour. They also have a few rail cars that you can walk through. During the summer they have open-air train rides on Saturdays. I noticed that they also have some special seasonal events and evening train rides with dinner served at a banquet hall.

Finally went to Winnsboro to check off another site for South Carolina. I actually really love…read moretrains stations and the history. I picked the open car due to Covid and wanted some fresh air. Tickets can be easily purchased online for approx $15 depending on the car you choose. The bathrooms were clean and the customer service was good. Once you check in they give you a ticket, just wait outside until your party is called for seating. They did a good job at social distancing and have things in place to keep everyone 6ft apart. They do have some free train books inside, I grabbed one for my memories. The Blue Granite Express train ride was only 10 miles round trip, but it was just enough to see a few sites via train. The staff are all volunteers except the office staff. Once you get on the staff gives you all the history about the train and the sites along the way. I actually learned quite abit about Winnsboro on this adventure. Education is a valuable tool for all, especially your children! Check the website out and support them, they have themed train rides and host parties thru out the yr. Enjoy!

We took advantage of the CoolPASS offered by Experience Columbia, SC getting us access to the South…read moreCarolina State Museum, EdVenture Children's Museum, and the Riverbanks Zoo & Gardens and thoroughly enjoyed the weekend! Great dollar value if you're interested in all locations mentioned. The museum was easy to find and offered plenty of parking in a lot shared with the EdVenture Children's Museum. They had many exhibits that our 7 & 12 year old enjoyed but they thoroughly enjoyed the second floor galleries with the dinosaur exhibit and the habitat exhibits. Staff was very friendly and helpful when fielding our questions. They also enjoyed seeing the the history of SC through the years represented through artifacts and the changes from the colony, war, and industrialization of the city with mills and the railroad. They also have a planetarium and a 4D shows offered throughout the day. Highly recommend adding this to your itinerary if you are in the Columbia area! The selection of exhibits were fun to see and educational.

My family had such a wonderful time at the museum. We loved the mix of science and history. We…read morereally enjoyed the natural history and telescope exhibits. My son really enjoyed an old theater where you could see vintage cartoons. And one area you could see a picture of what the building looked like when it was a factory. They have a nice gift shop and a café. If you do not want to leave to eat lunch. We left and came back for lunch and there was still plenty of parking. We would definitely come back to the museum and see the war part that we didn't get a chance to see.

super interesting museum and the staff were beyond friendly and knowledgeable! Learned alot about…read morehow cotton is made and harvested and they also have a nice small military museum next door to check out

I totally agree with what was said about the owner and displays…read more From the time we paid to get in, he was educating us about cotton. I really can't believe how well everything was laid out, pictures, information and more. We spent a little more than an hour in the museum. Then he took us into the large room where he spoke to us about all the displays from the different wars. There was a map on the wall from Nam and I showed my wife where i was. I discussed with the owner and he told us some stories about the vets that go there. They raise money to help vets and have meals there. My wife and I bought a couple of things from their store. Plenty of parking for all sizes of RV's and I would recommend going here even with children. Look up and see a Cessna crop duster hanging from the ceiling. If you are a vet or not make sure you see his displays and hear his stories.

Had my daughter's birthday party here. So fun! She said it the best birthday yet! Definitely it out!read more

They just had my detailed, FACTUAL original review (and one owners unprofessional, snooty…read moreresponses) removed for being too truthful I guess. Here's a shorter version... cute photo opps, but do NOT waste your money on their birthday packages. It's average at best, contrary to one of the owners being an "event planner". Go take your pics and celebrate your event elsewhere as it is not worth the money they charge for what you get. Is that better?

My sister and I loved our tour with Historic Columbia. We visited the Hampton-Preston house. The…read morestaff was very friendly and honored my sister's student discount even though she didn't have her ID with her. Our tour guide is a current history PhD student at USC. She was very knowledgeable and clearly had a passion for history. The tour group was small and intimate, allowing us to ask as many questions as we desired. I would love to go back sometime and do one of the three other tours. Highly recommend this group!

Perhaps I'm biased, but I love Historic Columbia and so should you. The houses are beautiful and…read morewell-loved, the tour guides are knowledgable and friendly, and the gift shop has something for everyone. They are in the process of updating and adding more landscaping which makes the surroundings of Robert Mills and Hampton Preston even lovelier. They also are out there doing good for the historical community and are very involved in helping preserve the history of Columbia. Finally, they are creative - they do historic happy hour tours, neighborhood walking tours, spooky nighttime graveyard walks, and awesome fundraising events. This is really an organization to be aware of and get involved with.

My sisters and I had fun exploring the museum! We didn't know the second floor was up for…read morerenovations until sometime mid January so we got to explore the first floor only. It was still fun and interesting to catch out. The staff were kind and informative as well!

A great art museum in Columbia SC. We went to see the French painters exhibition…read more The exhibition was well worth the trip.

We went awhile back to see Charlotte and were sorely disappointed. Hearing of her death today…read morereminded me I had forgotten to write a review. This location is privately run and not for educational purposes. More like going to a friends house to see their pets. Please consider going to an aquarium run by scientists for educational purposes.

I want to say this has been one of the highlights of my family trip. When your 16 yo his 17 yo best…read morefriend and wife all agree on this fact it says something. As adults we have this tendency to say "if I knew then what I knew now, I'd have paid more attention in school!" Well here's your chance. This tiny aquarium will impart more knowledge in a short visit than you probably take in most months if you take advantage of it. The interns and owner (a former teacher) are committed to answering questions. The things they are studying and sharing are amazing. If you go in and you want to learn and ask questions this will be an experience you won't forget. Think of the best science teacher you ever had, having an opportunity to show the world what she loves to talk about... and that is what you have here. Do yourself a favor, go, enjoy and learn!!

The museum is small but cute. Best for children 2 - 4 years old. Most of the front desk staff are…read morewelcoming. But the staff in the back must not have children. I'm not sure that they even like children. When my older children were little, I used to bring them and that staff would interact with the kids and parents. Most of this staff just sits on side, ignoring children and adults. There is one lady, Miss Wendy that all of my kids love, but she's not there very much. They had an event this weekend and I am glad that we went in the afternoon. My friend got turned away in the morning only an hour after they opened. She said that staff very rudely told her that she should have gotten there earlier. Her children were heartbroken. They did have some people, mainly teenagers with volunteer name tags who were very nice. My little adored the older gentleman who played with him. They had the upstairs set up really cute with a Winnie-the-Pooh exhibit. But unfortunately, they said that it would only be there for that day. They had friendly teens in that space playing with the kids. Admission is not worth it, but their membership is a good value because it includes other museums.

It's ok. I'll leave it at that. It's a lot smaller than I expected and there really wasn't too much…read moreto do. I think the best age for this museum is under 3. My 4 year old got bored pretty quickly. There also just wasn't a lot to do. There is a dress up area, but it only had a few items, same with the kitchen and pirate ship. I have to agree with another reviewer that the staff wasn't friendly. They were more concerned with everything getting cleaned up. iI's a children's museum - there's supposed to be a level of mess, but when a kid puts a doll at the table and then goes to the kitchen area and you put the doll back, maybe think "was that kid getting food to play feed the doll?"and not assume they were leaving it. Also, parents - there's an overpriced gift/toy section in the front that you can't avoid. Bright side - there's some fun lunch and treat spots close by.

This is one of Augusta's most rewarding museums, a place that manages to tell a 12,000‑year story…read morewithout ever feeling overwhelming. The Augusta Museum of History is the city's oldest historical institution, founded in 1937 and now the only accredited museum in the Central Savannah River Area, which gives it a level of curatorial depth you can feel as you move from room to room. The museum's signature exhibition, Augusta's Story, begins with the region's earliest Indigenous cultures, including artifacts from the Stallings Island people, and then moves through the Colonial Era, the antebellum period, the Civil War, and the city's twentieth century reinventions. You see everything from slave‑made pottery to a 12‑pounder bronze Napoleon cannon tube and an 1869 steam fire engine tied to the devastating 1916 fire that reshaped parts of the city. It's a rare chance to see Augusta's full arc laid out in a way that feels comprehensive. The museum also excels at capturing the city's cultural identity. The James Brown gallery is a highlight, celebrating the life and global influence of the "Godfather of Soul" with photographs, stage pieces, and biographical context that show how deeply he shaped Augusta's modern identity. Several media options to watch him performing and to hear other leading figures discuss his influence. The golf and Masters Tournament section offers a thoughtful look at how the sport became intertwined with the city's reputation, and the medical history exhibit includes an impressive wall of antique medicine bottles that gives you a sense of how local healthcare evolved over generations. One of the most enjoyable parts of the visit is the Transportation Corridor, which brings Augusta's mobility story to life with a 1914 steam locomotive, a 1917 steam trolley, a reconstructed 1930s gas station, and a range of early vehicles. Walking through the restored streetcar and stepping into the rail car for photos adds a tactile, playful element that balances the more traditional exhibits. Upstairs, the museum's radio history exhibit traces the rise of WBBQ, one of Augusta's most influential stations, including a "then and now" section installed for its 60th anniversary. There are also exhibits on local law enforcement and firefighting, as well as a gallery of regional legends that highlights entertainers, athletes, writers, and other notable Augustans. The entire museum is comfortably explored in about two hours, which makes it an easy and rewarding stop whether you're spending a full day downtown or pairing it with the Morris Museum of Art or the Riverwalk. It's the kind of place that leaves you with a clearer sense of Augusta's character, from its earliest settlements to the voices and industries that shaped the city you see today. Don't miss it. [Review 203 of 2026 - 904 in Georgia - 25392 overall]

We were in town for the weekend and decided to pay this place a visit. The admission price was…read moreonly a dollar so you really can't go wrong with that price. The first floor has a pretty extensive history of the city and was very interesting. The second floor has about five other sections including golf, James Brown, medical, and locals.

This was a great experience!! Great tour with a ton of history and information about the history of…read moreDime Museums, circus life and sideshows. Highly recommend if you are in the area. It is literally a "one of a kind" attraction.

Cannot recommend this place enough!! Worth every penny…read more Peter was an amazing guide & talked after with us after our tour and gave us so much good information. If you need something to do in Augusta, make your appointment and GO.