This is a perfect activity to do when the weather outside is too hot, too cold, or rainy. We came here on a hot August day. We got there at 3pm which was 2 hours before they closed, and could've easily spent another hour or two if time allowed. There is a changing exhibit space that is currently for the America 250. The main part of the museum covers the history of Charleston, a natural history section, and items from around the world section. read more

The Charleston Museum - A copy of the declaration printed in Charleston - Museums Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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

The Charleston Museum - I can't believe how big these were. The cannon ball in front was over 12 inches in diameter! - Museums Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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I've not been here since 2014! Not only is this America's first established museum, not the building itself, but the establishment of a historical museum, as well stocked with a ton of Charlestonian and South Carolina in history and artifacts. It is well worth the visit and highly recommend.! read more

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Really enjoyed this museum. Came here on a chilly day when visiting Charleston. Could have included more videos but throughly enjoyed it. read more

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First class museum. Hope trump leaves it alone. Cover ALL southern histories very well. Proud histories , & some not. Wonderfully set outs. Would comer again read more

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I'm a museum fan, so if I get the chance to go to the country's oldest museum, I'll give it a look (previously skeptical that it was the oldest). Most of the exhibits cover colonial history as well as the 19th century, including the Civil War. You get a lot of good education on Charleston and the surrounding area. The museum had exhibits of natural history all the way to contemporary times. I had to snicker slightly to see that some of the exhibits have a significant amount of items from the New England area. At $15, the admission isn't ridiculous. Additionally, you can purchase package deals for admission to a couple other museums; one across the street (I read that it was boring, so I skipped) and the other the Heyward-Washington House. I actually walked all the way to the latter after the trip to this museum. There are signs of age in the museum, but that might give some folks a sense of charm. The exterior and the interior resemble a school built in the 70's. You can cover the entire space in about 90 minutes. I walked to the museum, but there seems to be street parking around and a pay lot across the street. read more

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America's oldest museum apparently. Unlike a lot of things to do in Charleston, this one is exclusive. It gave a great overall of the specific history of Charleston and the surrounding area while giving a nod to the US as a whole. To no surprise, there was a large focus on the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. There was also a reflection on the founding of Charleston. There was even a small portion dedicated to natural history. Is it the best museum I've every visited. No, by far. That being said, it was a good way to spend an hour or two to get to know the city. Its uniquely Charleston and something you probably won't catch elsewhere. So, why not make a visit if you have the time? read more

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I hadn't visited the Charleston Museum in about 15 years, but I had a chance to return when I was in Charleston last weekend. The museum isn't large and it feels a bit dated, but it's a good opportunity to learn about Charleston's history. The signs in the museum direct you to experience the museum in a certain route - the museum is a square, but it puts the history a little out of order (moving from the city's modern era to the natural history gallery was a little strange). It was a rainy day, so the museum was quite crowded with people visiting to escape the weather, making it a little hard to enjoy (it was hard to get up to most of the plaques and information in the first two galleries we explored). But the museum has some very interesting artifacts and is a great way to learn about Charleston during your visit. I wouldn't say it's a must visit (there are a lot of ways to learn about Charleston's history while exploring the city), but it's a decent stop if you're hoping for a comprehensive historical stop. read more

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What a fun little museum! This place packs a lot of information into a moderately sized space and covers much of South Carolina's history from the early indigenous days to the Revolution and Civil War. There is also a wonderful exhibit on Natural History, full of bones, skeletons, and various fossils that all tie back to the state. While we didn't have small children with us, we did stop in to check out the special kids exhibit (Kidstory) that features multiple hands-on mini exhibits. There were a variety of activities for children to do to get them interested in and involved with the history. Staff were friendly and welcoming. Admission to the museum Is priced well, and, if you're looking to knock a few places off your list in one day, you can purchase multi-site tickets and tour other affiliated properties for an even better deal. We purchased tickets online and the process was seamless. All we had to do was give our last name at the front desk to receive our tickets. Our tickets allowed us all day access so we could come and go if necessary. If parking in the museum lot (located behind the museum), be sure to have someone at the front desk validate your parking before leaving for the day. There is also parking located across the street from the museum at the visitors center -- this is important to note as the museum lot isn't large. There is a small gift shop located next to the front desk containing a variety of items. The space is handicap accessible with entrance ramps, elevators, and ADA accessible bathrooms. read more

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The museum is "fine." As expected, the museum focused on Charleston through the colonial, revolutionary war, and civil war eras. I definitely did learn several new things about the founding of Charleston, and the planters/slavers who made their generational fortunes here. It was interesting to see the museum acknowledge how it used to be - nothing local about Charleston, instead focusing on artifacts and reproductions from around the world, such as Egypt. That's the way all museums used to be when I was young, so glad to see they've gotten away from that to instead focus on their local history which is much more engaging. That being said, I don't think I need to go again, unless I had a free pass. I like the house museums in Charleston much better than this standalone natural history museum. read more

We love enjoying and exploring Charleston and always try to do something different with our kids. The Charleston Museum we hadn't explored just yet and I am so glad we decided on this. It was full of history that is beautifully displayed and a Charleston must in my opinion! Our kids enjoyed the museum as well especially the children's area. This is a great place full of Charleston history. If you are local and haven't visited you absolutely should! It is also a great spot for any tourist wanting to learn about the unique culture and history of the area! read more

The Charleston Museum - Museums Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

The employees are very helpful about the museum, the package tours, and the bus/trolley system. The museum is well organized and the lighting low. There is a lot of reading. read more

The women who worked at the front desk were sweet and helpful. Nice AC and I enjoy my time there so much that I made a video about my experience there. Episode 5: City market, Pineapple fountain, Rainbow Row, Charleston museum https://youtu.be/Vo_4s1_wMV8 read more

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It's like 3 museums in one with history, natural history, and a textile museum. There's even a small kids section too. I found the history section most fascinating. I think the curators of the museum did a good job in presenting the history 'as is'. Did you know there was an earthquake in Charleston? The natural history section was also awesome. The giant sloth fossil was scary and it's amazing how mighty a sloth could be. I spent about an hour and a half here and avoided a passing rain storm. It took about 20m to walk here from the French quarter but it was well worth the walk and the $15 fee. read more

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BURR! Bring a coverup of some sort. It was freezing inside! My family spent about two hours wandering around the two floors of The Charleston Museum. There was a lot to see, read and take pictures of. I understand that the exhibits change from time to time but what we saw this past September 2024 was amazing. We really enjoyed the different areas and left feeling like we attended story time of all things related to Charleston. There is a lot of history crammed into this small city and this museum does a great job of bringing it to life. Please note that their are two epic children zones for those who visit with little ones. read more

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City museums have the unique opportunity to be the official story teller of the town, but along with the duty to present the history, they also have the responsibility to educate. The Charleston Museum does a great job in many areas: from the cruel hunting of the whale to the ruthless oppression of slaves, to the first gun fire of Civil War... great details were given to these events. Artifacts from photos, garments, to weaponry help paint the pictures. But they could do a better job in education - from animal and nature protection/preservation to anti racism - a lot of opportunities are hidden in the history. The exhibits could have been more provocative and audience-engaging; instead I found them a bit plain and dull. True to the history, nevertheless, but not enough to complete with museums that stage a more vivid presentation with stronger voice and audience participation. The natural history part of the museum did a better job. Maybe it's easier to be apolitical and focus on science? Overall an okay museum. Though most exhibits are passive, they are nicely designed with good amount of information. Hanging their directors photos on the wall seemed a bit odd. I'm sure the directors worked very hard; museums are tough to run these days. But would the visitors really care? Since it's the only city museum in town, it is, nonetheless, a great source of knowledge for those who are curious about the city. read more

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I really enjoyed this museum! It's my first time in Charleston, and I wanted to learn more about the history of Charleston. This museum had great exhibits about the city's history with the pre-colonial, Revolutionary War & Civil War eras. Also, they had a natural history section where you could learn more about the wildlife that's found in the Lowcountry, as well as shells, rocks, & prehistoric creatures. That was interesting to see, especially the bird displays that offer you a digital screen where you can hear their mating calls. In general, I really enjoyed learning about the city. I think they did a great job with displaying the information & making it interesting for the visitors. Definitely recommend it if you want to learn more about the city! read more

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OK museum. Took me and my 3 kids about an hour to go through, without reading much of the stuff. Focus very specifically on local history. Cost $39 for me and the kids (ages 16, 12, and 10). For extra, you can tour some of the nearby historic houses, the rates for that seemed pretty high to be honest. There is a very small "kid zone" here with a few random things for younger kids to play with for a few minutes, play dress up, etc. Worth a trip for adults interested in local history, otherwise skip, and definitely not a place to return to again. J.Ja read more

This museum is a rare jewel! My husband and I spent almost 3 hours here on a rainy Saturday morning and learned so much about Charleston history and culture. There is a lot of military history related to both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, but also interesting exhibits about rice plantations and other aspects of Charleston economy. It doesn't shy away from hard truths about slavery, treatment of Native Americans, etc. and several exhibits highlight prominent African Americans during the Civil War and Reconstruction. Highly recommend! read more

In my opinion, this is more of an adult museum vs kids. Not much that kids will be occupied looking at for an extended period. However, we as adults with no kids in the group loved it! There is a lot here! A lot to look at and read. There is a historical section, which is nice to read through in a historic town, and a geological section, which was interesting as well. $15 per person to enter, expect to spend at least 2 hours if you plan to look at everything and read read more

We had a great time at the museum. It is across the street from the visitors center. They have a great kids area. My done loved dressing up and playing checkers. They have historical and natural history exhibits. I enjoyed seeing the ancient ground sloth. Next time we would get combo tickets for the houses. read more

The Charleston Museum - Museums Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

EVERYTHING LOOKS FAKE!!! You don't know if you're looking at a historical artifact or a cheap museum replica. The "gun wall" was full of fake guns being help up by screws in drywall. If it's real, they've done horrible reconditioning work. All the displays look very cheap and unclean. It's also very boring, there isn't any theme just a mixture of random stuff. Waaaay too much reading and nothing interesting to look at. read more

I took my mom out for a belated birthday trip to the south. Unfortunately parking is a total mess in downtown Charleston and she can't walk long distances like she used to. She also doesn't do too well in the heat so our options of doing stuff in the downtown area were minimal. We spotted the museum and decided to walk in. Very nice climate controlled environment once you step inside. There are many facets to the museum and it gives a great history on the city. Highly recommend for anyone looking to get indoors and learn a little bit! Mom also loved it! read more

Absolutely worth a few hours to tour. This museum has a solid design to walk you through the political history, natural history, ancient history, and self history of Charleston. It helps put each era into context with a good amount of detail on events and impact with personal artifacts to deepen the story. The price is very reasonable and while the temporary exhibits may be a bit sparse, they do show a lesser seen aspect of everyday life in Charleston. It's across the street from the main visitors center and is a stop on the free Carta green shuttle bus. Kids may not appreciate the full museum, but the dinosaur and specific kid activities areas will definitely have their attention. read more

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Since I love history, this place rocks! Took a date there in January, and it's a good thing to do in the colder months.

It's a bit of a tired old-looking building, and not in a pretty historic way. However, I found plenty of aesthetically pleasing and interesting stuff inside Charleston's museum. The exhibits are basically just a ring around the top floor of a building that fits on one city block (hey, I grew up on Smithsonians, I'm spoiled). They stuff a lot in there, though. From some pretty interesting stuff on colonial farming, to the obligatory Civil War section, to a set of fossils, including one of a bird double the size of an albatross. The history of Charleston is fascinating, and while I'm no expert, the museum seemed to offer a relatively down-the-middle take on it. And it's a weird niche that contemporary Charleston lives in; at once seemingly a culturally vibrant and upscale destination city for much of the South, but one that most Americans couldn't find on a map. I for one enjoyed getting to know the city a little better. Someone was giving a virtual tour, a sign of our times, but there were only a few other people inside, plenty of room to breathe. The option was offered to leave and return with your ticket, which I did not do, but might have under different circumstances. I would also note that you can buy tickets to one of two historic houses in combination with the ticket here, which again I did not do for lack of time, but which seems worth exploring. read more

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This was a great place to go to learn about the history of Charleston. It mostly covered its settlement to Civil Rights era and didn't have a lot of modern info. Staff was very friendly. Adult admission $15 read more

Fabulous. Has so much history, interesting artifacts and fun kids' area that's good for adults, too. I really enjoyed my two hours there. I purchased the three stop ticket, which included two historic houses. The Heyward-Washington House that President Washington stayed in for several days is a mile down the street, which I walked to. Jude gave a wonderful tour. This included a garden, and slave quarters with kitchen. The Manigault House is across the street from the museum. Both home owners had many plantations. Their furniture was beautiful. Now, in the museum there is an elevator. Restrooms are on both floors. The historic houses do not have elevators to the second floors. read more

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The Charleston Museum was supposedly the first museum in the US, and it focused on the history of the early city. The curators had made the most of the space by packing in several exhibits into one floor of pieces. There was a lot to see, but there was also a lot to read...There were plaques for even the smallest components of each exhibit, and there was no way to read everything. It gave us something to do to pass san hour or two during a weekday afternoon, though. read more

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Keeping Charleston's history for many, many years...... You can smell the history Love this Museum..... first visited in the 1960s read more

This was my first stop after breakfast upon arrival in Charleston. It was...cute. I learned about...well...slavery. I don't have to visit again, not because it wasn't informative, there just wasn't enough history involved. read more

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Free parking in Zone 72! Validation at the kiosk inside. Modest exhibits but you have to see slave Dave's impressive pottery and just for kicks the mule's booties among many, many other items. read more

Admission was only $12/adult, so we gladly stumbled into the exhibits due to the promise of sweet, sweet air-conditioning on a summer afternoon where the heat index soared over 100 degrees. What we found was an oddly curated museum experience which provided ~1 hour of exhibits to meander through. The storytelling of the city of Charleston is indisputably thorough, however the unreliable narration and inconsistent perspective throughout the exhibits were confusing at times. The verbiage and tidbits about the massive amount of slave labor used to contribute to Charleston's agricultural success set an almost revisionist tone for many of the exhibits, leaving a sour taste in our mouths. I was personally disappointed to only find detailed mention of the Gullah Geechee people and culture on a single plaque in the children's section -- A missed opportunity to showcase a culturally significant group of people unique to the SC/GA islands area, in my opinion. The small chamber pot exhibit in the women's restroom was my favorite hidden gem. read more

The Charleston Museum - Museums Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

This museum, supposedly the first one in North America, was a fanatic visit. The museum has all kinds of authentic artifacts and archaeological finds dating back hundreds and thousands of years. They had some excellent pieces from the revolutionary and civil wars. There was a lot of great Charleston history as well. There was parking on site. You have to pay on a phone application, and they validate your parking inside. The museum was a quick hour and a half experience. I'd count on 2-3 hours if you really want to read the exhibits and take everything in. I'd definitely return if I'm in Charleston again. read more

This was the 2nd thing we did after arriving in Charleston- the first was going to the visitor center a block away. John had already researched and was determined to buy the three set tickets that gain you admission to the Charleston Museum (first museum in the US), the Hayward-Washington House (first house museum in the US) and the Joseph Manigault House. The main museum is 2 floors and have a vast assortment of exhibits. I enjoyed the Historic Bathing Suits exhibit and had an in depth conversation with the docent about how some of the clothing had adapted and some things haven't changed. There was a mens bathing suit with a zippered pocket- but womens clothing in general does not have pockets or full size pockets. I also thoroughly enjoyed the natural history gallery- they have the largest flying bird complete skeleton in the world and it was uncovered when building the airport! I found that very ironic and fitting. You can't miss the whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling as you enter! So much to learn going through that gallery. The Lowcountry exhibit had relics from Native Americans in the region up through colonists. The armory had weaponry dating back to 1750! Exhibits for the revolutionary war and the civil war. The Early Days collection features items from around the world including an Egyptian Mummy, Greek and Roman artifacts. I couldn't help the selfies- too much fun. I have never seen so much silver on exhibit anywhere- the Charleston Silver collection is definitely extensive. Look for the section of women craftsman. I also loved the art on display- original to newly created pastels. Fabulous! Then add in the two house tours! So much to explore- we had the same docent for both houses because we split up each on a different day. Jean was a wonderful tour guide and an excellent story teller. Special thank you to the staff at those houses for taking extra precautions to clean between tours and sending parties in different directions to help with social distancing. read more

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Extremely unfriendly and unhelpful employee at visitor desk - where you purchase tickets. We asked a question about parking and she literally said "I'm not going to answer your question "!!!! A gentleman in a wheelchair was behind us with his group. She was rude and kept repeating herself and informed him that tour of homes was not wheelchair friendly. Just kept saying , with a laugh, "The old homes don't have elevators ". Museum pretty mediocre. Save your money read more

I always enjoy going to the museum. When you purchase your ticket they also give you an opportunity to purchase tickets to some of the historic houses to tour. The employees are polite and friendly. The museum has an easy to follow layout and has a lot of artifacts and information. They have also added a few items since I was here last. read more

We visited this museum on a rainy day, this is a great activity for inclement weather in Charleston. This is a nice place to learn more about this history of this city or the South. They really have a little bit of everything here. You can try on historical costumes, look at quilts, silver pieces, instruments and so much more. There was a sizable section dedicated to animals as well. I was surprised to see a mummy too! They did have a small kids section in this museum, but overall this place is more adult oriented. We ran out of time here since we had booked a van tour for after our visit to the museum. This facility is bigger than it looks. They do have a small gift shop as you enter. We opted to buy combo tickets that allowed us to visit this museum and two of the historical houses. read more

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Located in the Wraggborough neighborhood near charming but less-traveled Wragg Square, the museum consists of a large main structure built in 1980 and two historic homes. As one of America's oldest museums, established in 1773 and predating the country's independence, certainly their specialties include exceptionally preserved Charleston silverware and furniture, textiles and ceramics from early South Carolina, and weaponry from the 1800s. For a small museum, the collection of skeletal remains of prehistoric animals, and the extensive presentation of taxidermied animals of South Carolina past and present, are all pretty impressive. For an extra fee, admission can be purchased to the adjacent Joseph Mangault House and the Heyward-Washington House 1.1 miles away. read more

The first museum in the US didn't disappoint. When you enter, you'll be able to roam the museum on a self-guided tour through the formation of Charleston, Revolutionary War, Secession, Civil War, agriculture, plantations, slavery, and, piracy, artifacts, fauna and flora, and even prehistoric times. When I get to a new city, I find walking tours and museums the best way to really get to know a city. On this trip, we're doing both. Don't knock a good ghost tour, though; they tend to be great story tellers of a city's history. But I digress. This is a great museum and I highly recommend it if you're in the area. There are enough items of interest for children, too. read more