Top Things to do in Charleston

Charleston is one of the oldest cities in the USA, having been founded in 1670. The history of this great city is on full display with its cobblestone streets and antebellum houses. Aside from its rich history it’s also full of interesting things to do.

We recently spend a few day exploring this beautiful town over Memorial day weekend and had so much fun. We made a list of things you should make sure you check out on your next visit.

Gadsdenboro Park

This pretty little park sits right on Charleston Harbor north of the historic downtown area. Since it’s outside of the busy tourist area of town it’s the perfect place to take a break, play, stretch out and relax. Enjoy a picnic on its large open field while the kids play on the playground. There’s a few swing benches around the exterior that are perfect for enjoying the breeze. Walk down the dock to the water to get a great view of the Arthur J. Ravnal. Once you’re ready to resume exploring you can catch a water taxi across the Harbor or visit the nearby South Carolina Aquarium.

Rainbow Row

Right in the middle of town you will find this quaint row of 13 colorful houses. It is the longest cluster of Georgian row houses in the United States. You can find the houses at 79-107 East Bay Street. These row houses were built in 1740 and were originally used by merchants who would run their business out of the first floor and live on the top floors. The houses became as rainbow row when a couple purchased a section of the the entire row in 1931.

In an effort to make the area look nicer they painted their houses various pastel colors. Soon, after many of the other residents on the street decided to follow suit and paint their homes pastel colors. While the row makes for a great picture background each house on the row has its own unique story, so make sure you take some time to read the plaques on each house.

Charleston Harbor Speed Boat Adventures

This was on of our favorite adventures. You get to take the wheel and captain your own speed boat around the harbor. There is a speaker in the boat so you can hear your guide tell you about all the sights. The guide gives you a quick lesson on driving the boat and then you’re off on your adventure. The tour lasts about 2 hours and is full of information about the city. We also saw some dolphins swimming along side us at one point.

Joe Riley Waterfront Park

This is a beautiful park in the historic downtown area of Charleston. It run right along the harbor and is home to the iconic Pineapple fountain. In addition to the fountain is a handful of equally as beautiful fountains. There’s lot’s of green space to sit and enjoy the view of the water. There’s lots of nearby restaurants and ice cream shops to grab a treat while you explore.

Edmondston-Alston House

You can find this house right along the harbor at the south end of Joe Riley Waterfront Park. it is mixed in with other beautiful private residences. The Edmondston-Alston House is rich with American History. It was constructed in 1825 and is said that General P.T. Beauregard stood on the piazza and witnessed the first bombs hitting Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. With those bombs came the beginning of the Civil War. Eight months later the house gave refuge to General Robert E. Lee on the same night a huge fire ravaged much of the city of Charleston. This remarkable house not only withstood the Civil War, but also the earthquake of 1886 and numerous hurricanes. It is now a museum open for tours daily. It houses many items belonging to the original family.

Supernatural Walking Tour of Charleston

Ghost tours are one of my favorite things to do in old cities with tons of history. It’s a fun way to learn about a lot of the old buildings mixed with stories about the people who lived and died within those walls. This tour was more on the historical side than the spooky ghost side, but was still fascinating. Charleston is rich with history that helped build our nation and Geordie did a great job of bringing the stories to life.

Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon

This building was once right on the edge of the bay and right behind the original wall that protected the city. You can see part of that original wall from 1701 in the dungeon. Over the years the building has been a commercial exchange, custom house, post office, city hall, military headquarters, and now a museum. The tour of the dungeon is led by guides in colonial dress and is fascinating hearing about all the history that took place. After the tour be sure to explore the top two floors of the building where the Constitution was ratified and George Washington was once entertained.

Arthur Ravenal Jr. Bridge

This cable style bridge crosses over the Cooper River connecting Charleston to Mount Pleasant. The bridge is party of U.S. Route 17 and spans 1,546 ft housing eight lanes. It’s the third largest cable-stayed bridge in the Western Hemisphere. It’s is named after the South Carolina Senator who was prolific in creating partnerships to help fund the building of the bridge.

The bridge is a pretty cool sight you can see it from anywhere along the harbor in Charleston. You also get a close up look when going under the bridge on the speed boat harbor tour.The suspension cables also make for a pretty cool sight when driving across the bridge.

Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum

Located across the Arthur Ravenal Jr. Bridge in Mt. Pleasant this museum was opened in 1976 and consists of three war time ships. The USS Yorktown air craft carrier which also displays 29 aircraft on board from WWII to present. The USS Laffey, a sumner-class destroyer from WWII that earned the name “the ship that would not die” for its exploits during D-Day and the battle of Okinawa. It withstood one of the most unrelenting kamikaze attacks in history. The final ship in the fleet is the USS Clamagore, a submarine from the Cold War.

The tours of these ships are very informative and well done. They do a really great job of telling the story of life on the ships. It’s a very humbling experience visiting these ships, because I am 110% sure I could not do what these men did.

Angel Oak Tree

This is a free and quick stop you can make on your way in or out of Charleston. It’s about 20 minutes south of the city. It’s a small quaint little park built around the tree. There’s a playground and small country store. The huge Angel Oak is the star though with it’s branches sweeping to the ground and back up to the sky. The tree is over 500 years old and a beautiful sight.

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