Rainbow Row

Charleston

　　With its 13 candy-colored houses, this stretch of Georgian row houses on lower E Bay St is one of the most photographed areas in Charleston. The structures date back to 1730, when they served as merchant stores on the wharf, a sketchy part of town at the time. Starting in...

Blue Bicycle Books

Charleston

　　Excellent new-and-used bookstore with a great selection on Southern history and culture. ...

Battery & White Point Garden

Charleston

　　The Battery is the southern tip of the Charleston Peninsula, buffered by a seawall. Stroll past cannons and statues of military heroes in the gardens, then walk the promenade and look for Fort Sumter. ...

South Carolina Aquarium

Charleston

　　A showcase of South Carolina's wildlife, with creatures hailing from the mountain forest, piedmont, salt marsh, coastal and undersea habitats. Although the facility is rather small in comparison with some of the country's more prominent aquariums, there are plenty of fish and other creatures. Noteworthy residents include otters, rattlesnakes, sharks...

Ordinary

Charleston

　　Inside a cavernous 1927 bank building, this buzzy seafood hall and oyster bar feels like the best party in town. The menu is short, but the savory fare is prepared with finesse – from the oyster sliders to the lobster rolls to the nightly fish dishes. ...

FIG

Charleston

　　FIG is a longtime foodie favorite, and it's easy to see why: welcoming staff, efficient but unrushed service and top-notch, sustainably sourced nouvelle Southern fare from James Beard Award–winner Mike Lata. The six nightly changing dishes embrace what's fresh from the sea and local farms and mills. FIG stands for...

Rooftop at the Vendue

Charleston

　　This rooftop bar has sweet views of downtown and the crowds to prove it. Enjoy craft cocktails, and live music on Sundays from 2pm to 5pm. ...

Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon

Charleston

　　Kids love the creepy dungeon, used as a prison for American patriots held by the British during the Revolutionary War. The cramped space sits beneath a stately Georgian Palladian customs house completed in 1771. Costumed guides lead the dungeon tours. Exhibits about the city are displayed on the upper floors....

Nathaniel Russell House

Charleston

　　A spectacular, self-supporting spiral staircase is the highlight at this 1808 Federal-style house, built by a Rhode Islander, known in Charleston as 'King of the Yankees.' A meticulous ongoing restoration honors the home to the finest details, such as the 1000 sheets of 22-karat gold leaf in the withdrawing room....

Edmund's Oast

Charleston

　　Occupying a gutted former hardware store in gentrifying NoMo, Charleston's highest-brow brewpub got a fancy new executive chef, Bob Cook, in 2017. The new grub: Southern faves such as salt chicken skins, hanger steaks and hot-and-sour tilefish. The drink pairings: 64 taps (eight devoted to cocktails, meads and sherries, and...

Gaulart & Maliclet

Charleston

　　Ooh la la. Locals crowd around the shared tables at this tiny spot, known as 'Fast & French,' to nibble on Gallic cheeses and sausages, fondues or nightly specials ($21 to $24) that include bread, soup, a main dish and wine. ...

Revelry Brewery

Charleston

　　Probably the hippest of the Northern Peninsula breweries. It's hard to beat knocking back a few artfully crafted cold ones on Revelry's fairy-lit and fire-pit-heated rooftop, which affords expansive views all the way to the cable-stayed Ravenel Bridge. The downstairs bar, seemingly owned by the brewery's black Lab, is a...

Charleston Museum

Charleston

　　Founded in 1773, this is the country's oldest museum. It's helpful and informative if you're looking for historical background before strolling through the Historic District. Exhibits spotlight various periods of Charleston's long and storied history. 　　Artifacts include a whale skeleton, slave tags and the 'secession table' used for the signing...

Calhoun Mansion

Charleston

　　If you've ever wondered what the wealthiest, fanciest, most well-traveled hoarder's house might look like, visit the Calhoun Mansion. With 35 rooms and 24,000 sq ft, this Gilded Age, Italianate manor is Charleston's largest single family residence, and nearly every inch of it brims with the eccentric homeowner's collected furnishings,...

Middleton Place

Charleston

　　Designed in 1741, this plantation's vast gardens are the oldest in the US. Countless slaves spent years terracing the land and digging the precise geometric canals for the owner, wealthy South Carolina politician Henry Middleton. The bewitching grounds are a mix of classic formal French gardens and romantic woodland, bounded...

Drayton Hall

Charleston

　　This 1738 Palladian brick mansion is the country's oldest preserved plantation house open to the public. Yep, it's older than the nation. Drayton Hall was the only structure of its kind on the Ashley River to survive the Revolutionary and Civil Wars and the great earthquake of 1886. Tours enlighten...

Magnolia Plantation

Charleston

　　This 500-acre plantation, which has been owned by the Drayton family since 1676, features a tram tour, a petting zoo and a guided house tour. At the reconstructed slave cabins, the Slavery to Freedom Tour traces the African American experience at the plantation. The most popular attraction, an Audubon Swamp...

Heyward-Washington House

Charleston

　　As the name hints, this 1772 Georgian-style town house is kind of a big deal because George Washington rented it for a week, and visitors can stand in what was likely his bedroom. The owner, Thomas Heyward, Jr, was one of South Carolina's four signers of the Declaration of Independence,...

Old Slave Mart Museum

Charleston

　　Formerly called Ryan's Mart, this building once housed an open-air market that auctioned African American men, women and children in the mid-1800s, the largest of 40 or so similar auction houses. South Carolina's shameful past is unraveled in text-heavy exhibits illuminating the slave experience; the few artifacts, such as leg...

Guardians of Charleston Harbor

Charleston

　　The first shots of the Civil War rang out at Fort Sumter, on a pentagon-shaped island in the harbor. A Confederate stronghold, this fort was shelled to bits by Union forces from 1863 to 1865. A few original guns and fortifications give a feel for the momentous history here. 　　The...

Aiken-Rhett House

Charleston

　　The only surviving urban town-house complex, this 1820 abode gives a fascinating glimpse into antebellum life on a 45-minute self-guided audio tour. The role of slaves is emphasized, and visitors wander into their dorm-style quarters behind the house before moving on to the lifestyle of the rich and famous. 　　The...