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.

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?

This was such a good time! Not only do you receive a unique and fun Planetarium show by a very…read moreknowledgeable host. You also get to go to the roof to see the stars and planets after the show. We went to Ancient Sky Lore, which was narrated by someone who worked at the Planetarium. He was very knowledgeable and kept us entertained for the entire hour. After the show, we got to go to the roof to look through their super high-powered telescope. On the way up there was so much to look at! A life-sized periodic table of elements, aquatic animals, a pendulum, and more. This is a great way to spend a few hours. My only recommendation would be to put an age limit on who could attend the later shows. We had two toddlers there who were talking or crying a lot of the show and sound carries in the planetarium. It was very appropriate for children but not children that young they were confused and bored.

I came here for the first time with my husband and in laws for one of the public shows! We reserved…read moretickets online for a 7pm Saturday show, and we're glad we did. Our show was completely full! We saw the "To the Moon and Back" production, which was awesome! It's a great experience for both kids and adults. After the show we went up to the telescope on the roof where James educated us on Mars the moon in several other planets! We will definitely be back again! If you've never been, we highly recommend visiting!

Amazing find in Columbia to learn about history that's more centralised around South Carolina's…read morerich military heritage! There is a huge emphasis on the Confederate side when it comes to their civil war exhibits and it is truly unique to learn and see this part of American history! Also they have exhibits for Revolutionary War, Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, Vietnam, and the global war on terror; Not as exhaustive as the civil war exhibits but still very awesome to see! I would definitely come back!!

I love museums but confess I have trouble loving this one. It just reminds too much of all the…read moredeaths and struggles of the Civil War with problems we are still forced to confront today. However, we must maintain history and for that purpose the Confederate Relic Room and Museum does a decent enough job of it. Surprisingly the museum has all kinds of drawings of Confederate naval ships which naval operations were far more extensive than I had thought and are near completely overlooked within the museums of Gettysburg. They also have a gun, saber, sword and uniform collection, the labeling of some of which I would question such as what is clearly a sabre being as a sword. The pride of the museum however seems to be its flag collection. Indeed it is said to have the most inclusive battle flag collection of any museum within the United States, though however, it is focused mostly upon the regiments & etc. of South Carolina. Though I can't exactly say I'm a fan of it, as a museum it is unique with well set up displays; hence Four Stars.

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.

This may have been my favorite place we stopped on our Charleston field trip! I feel like I…read morelearned so much it was very cool!! We started the tour by listening to our guide tell us more about the Hunley we sat in a small room with lots of large photos. She made the information interesting for the adults as well as for the kids. After we finished we switched with the other group and went to view the submarine and the artifacts found with it. It was awesome! Next, we ventured to the gift shop, of course! My kiddo picked out a lovely snow globe and an adorable stuffed bear. This is a must visit if you're in Charleston!!

I didn't really know what to except but am pleasantly surprised. Nice educational exhibit with some…read moresprinkling of videos and talks. You can actually see the Hunley, too at the back of the building. Driving there you may think that you're in the wrong place but then you see the entrance. They have a nice gift shop too!

We took advantage of the CoolPASS offered by Experience Columbia, SC getting us access to the…read moreEdVenture Children's Museum, South Carolina State Museum, and the Riverbanks Zoo & Gardens and thoroughly enjoyed the weekend! The EdVenture Children's Museum shares the parking lot with the State Museum but if you have a young one - the children's museum can be an all day excursion due to the vast activities, hand-on learning and fun that is available in this massive space. Clean spaces and helpful staff. A great stop to add if you are passing through or to even plan a family trip around! Highly recommend! Affordable entry prices and annual memberships available if you are a local!

This is a cute place geared towards the little ones. There is plenty of space and parking and the…read moreprice is low to get in. I wish some of the things weren't messed up, broken or closed. I think it will be great when the Dino part is open. My kids really loved the arts and crafts upstairs. I really enjoyed the planes but things are broken and need updated. I am glad I went and I think if you're in the area you should visit but I wouldn't go out of my way to visit

Went over to their Palmetto Shooting Complex for a little fun at the 3D Archery Range!…read more I had a great time. If you plan to only use the Practice Range, you don't really need a cart. They are not too far off of the road. 10, 20, 30, 40, & 50 yards positions. However, if you want to shoot at the one of their 20 3D Stations, you'll want to get a cart. Those targets include deer, bears, hogs, cougars, and turkeys! That place is fun!

Worth the tiny price of admission. This is the National headquarters of Turkey hunters and clubs…read moreacross the USA in the sleepy little historical town of Edgefield SC. Just 30 min ride from Augusta, and you step into a Town not a city, jam packed with history. Gift shop, super fun for kids and all ages. There are displays of all sub-species of turkeys, some I'll bet you've never seen and did not know even existed stuffed and in dioramas of their Natural Habitat. Displays of National prize winning art from framed art to hand-carved turkey calls and beautiful hand made knives. Talking animatronics and videos tell the story. And some of the most beautiful taxidermy I've ever seen including a 7 ft tall cougar leaping to snag himself a turkey! Gotta go back soon. Then eat lunch at Bob's Cafe in Town of Edgefield. It's the best Southern Cooking in the CSRA. The Old Edgefield Grille is good too, though pricey, in a gorgeous old mansion. But the Best handmade hamburger is at The Billiard Parlor on the Courthouse Town Square. Freakin awesome.

The Old Mart Museum -- History, Not "His-Story"…read more When we toured the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, we were offered the chance to double down on history -- prepay access to the Old Slave Mart Museum just a few blocks away. We took it. But first? Food. Because nothing says "processing 18th-century imprisonment" like realizing your blood sugar is tanking. After regrouping and refueling, we made our way to the Old Mart Museum. The lesson takes place upstairs -- smaller space, more intimate setting. No theatrics. No dramatics. Just truth. Our guide -- well-groomed, composed, clear-spoken -- absolutely killed it. No sensationalism. No softening. Just facts delivered with gravity. What he described was horrific. Human beings cataloged. Sold. Families separated. Lives reduced to transactions. It was hard to hear. But it was history -- not HIS-story. There's a difference. This wasn't about personal interpretation or modern spin. It was documented record. It was accountability. It was context. Charleston is beautiful. Charming. Architectural eye candy. But layered beneath that beauty is commerce that once depended on human suffering. And standing in that upstairs room, listening quietly, you feel that weight. We walked out quieter than we walked in. Some stops on this trip were fun. Some were adventurous. This one was necessary.

This is a very small museum, it's in the actual building where they sold slaves in the 1800s. They…read morehaven't remodeled it a lot so you're walking on the actual floor and you can see the actual walls as they were back in the day. It is only seven dollars a person. The displays are very good. There's a lot to read, and there are some artifacts. A very tiny bookstore at the beginning with well curated selection.

Probably the quirkiest place we have visited! Really out in he country outside Bishopsville SC…read more Looked on TripAdvisor for things to do. We were in the area for the Darlington NASCAR race, camping at Lee State Park. No one there . Door unlocked and we turned the lights on . Very small but extremely interesting.

Doesn't look like much when you pull up. It's quite small, but fascinating. The Button King's son…read moremet us inside after we were able to browse for a few minutes. He was very welcoming and made our visit extra enjoyable. This place is definitely worth the stop and be sure to watch the videos of The Button King's interview's--especially his appearance on The Johnny Carson show. My daughter age 3 and son age 12 equally enjoyed it and it was small enough to be able to let my daughter roam free while still under my supervision.