This is a nice very old town dating back to the early 1700s. There's a lot of good local…read morerestaurants to try, a few museums and the old train depot from the 1870s is still here. Highlight one of the restaurants here in this town is music man, barbecue and the Barony, both local and family owned restaurants.

This is a beautiful museum and a great admission price. The workers were very friendly and helpful…read more I was amazed that the museum offers portable chairs for you to use while exploring. How thoughtful and unique! I was amazed at the beauty of many of the items. There's a lot to read. Nice to explore on these hot August days in Charleston!

You have to come here when you visit Charleston. Oldest museum in the United States. I love the…read moreHunley submarine outside. I liked how you followed a course through the place... rather than a bunch of stuff in one big room...

Cool place to go spend some time. They have a nice planetarium show which my son loved. We love to…read morelook at the Megalodon mouth and the Mastodon. They always have different shows or exhibits that come through. I was overjoyed at the Disney Costumes exhibit that came at the end of last year! We have gone to the Children's museum across the street to let the kids get some energy out, then gone to the State museum so they can be a little calmer and more focused. Great to do on rainy or super hot days so being inside is still fun.

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.

This place is beautiful, even though the history behind it is so dark…read more The Spanish moss trees all over the property are incredibly beautiful. The property is located next to the Santee River. We got to enter the slave quarters, and to think so many lived in such a tight spot is heartbreaking. Our tour guide gave us a tour inside the main house. The cellar was pretty creepy. Definitely wouldn't tour this place at night, ha! No words can explain the history there. You have to experience it for yourself.

We went for the wine on the river. It was amazing. Super cool charcuterie board. They had gluten…read morefree crackers for me. The wine was also very good. The plantation is adorable. It is truly a hidden gem. The manager even drove us to town to help us get a Lyft back to our hotel. If you have not visited this gem you are missing out

Stopped in at this advertise low country visitor center which is about a half mile off the…read moreinterstate 95 exit. This house that doubles as a visitor center is a better option for a short bathroom break than the gas stations off the exit. Upon entering, you are greeted by a volunteer who will give you a quick outline of the property and tell you where the bathrooms are. There is enough room for two persons in the very clean and well attended bathrooms. They also sell low country items like gumbo mix, grits, and other assorted sundries. They also sell Knick knacks like post cards, ornaments and travel games. I would recommend giving a small donation of a couple of dollars if you use the facilities. It is not expected but the staff are kind and everything is well maintained. Recommend the stop.

Nice visitor's center with a gift shop and extremely clean restrooms. There's an outdoor seating…read morearea out back and a pet walk next to the parking area. They even had a pet bowl filled with water on the front porch.

Stopped at the Gullah Museum and had a great time. It's self guided and very informational…read more Recommend.

What a wonderful experience! An impactful museum created and curated by local historians. If you…read morehave any interest regional history and culture, do yourself a favor and visit. No fee but they welcome donations!

Well done! A plethora of civic and local knowledge is living here. The displays are really readable…read moreand the flow through is up to your pace. There are some nice change of pace factoids included. The galleries are quaint though. It's best to come during the weekday, very little people viewing. I loved the "seek-n-find" portion of the tour. The inclusion of the local history and influence of Florence is well preserved here. Both floors showcase many different aspects of the industrial might of South Carolina.

Free admission . Closed on Mondays . Large objects are not allowed in the galleries like large…read morebags, parcels, backpacks and umbrellas. Free lockers are available to store large belongings. Mobility accessible with both stairs and an elevator. My DAR chapter took a field trip to Florence County Museum because of their Revolutionary War gallery . The museum seems fairly new and modern . It offers two floors of galleries , exhibits and displays . The museum also offers interactive activities for both kids and adults like a museum scavenger hunt and activities in the museum courtyard. On the day we visited I was able to use indigo to dye a small planter and then plant a tomato seed in the planter . Nice , clean bathrooms and free parking . Plan to spend at least an hour or so here depending on how much you read and any activities you do .

The small museum and dungeon tour is worth the experience. It gives you a good overview of early…read moreCharleston's history while also covering the darker history of the dungeon. They also offered a multi-museum pass that included the Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon, the Slave Mart Museum, and the Powder Magazine, which was well worth the price.

Fact: Provost Dungeon is older than our country!…read more The British originally owned it and used it as a commercial exchange and customs house. Also used as a post office, prison, and city hall, it is currently a museum. In addition, in 1788 South Carolina approved the US Constitution here. Yet another testament to the rich history of Charleston, Old Exchange, and Provost Dungeon a fascinating places to visit. Built in 1771, it has changed roles countless times: it was a British dungeon during the American Revolution, an elegant hall during George Washington's 1791 visit to Charleston, and a meeting place for the ratification of the Constitution, In 1780 the British occupied Charleston for two years and housed many prisoners in one large cell in this basement making it a provost, or dungeon. Because of the awful conditions here, disease was rampant due to crowding, and no bathroom facilities. Under these conditions, many people died while in prison here. This prison held all types of people, including American and British soldiers, private citizens, and slaves. The first and second floor of the building is home to a museum dedicated to the other uses of the Exchange Building. Fee: Admission to this historic building is only $12 for adults. For a small fee, a guided tour through the lower level and you can learn a lot from the guide.

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.

A must see while in Charleston. Admission is cheap. There is an upstairs and downstairs area, it is…read morevery small. I did have a baby stroller with me and they offered to assist me upstairs. I learned a lot as did my daughter. It was very informative and heartbreaking. Nonetheless a must.