American Military Museum. American Military Museum, 360 Concord St. Open Mon.-Sat. from 10a.m.-6p.m. & Sun. from 1p.m.-5p.m. Admission: $7/Adults, $5/Seniors (55+)/Veterans and Spouse/Drilling NG/Res/Spouse, $3/Student 13-18 or any current student with ID; $2/Children 6-12; FREE/Active Duty & Spouses. For more info, call (843) 577-7000 and visit www.americanmilitarymuseum.org.
Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture at the College of Charleston. Offers tours of the building and museum galleries. 125 Bull St. Mon.-Fri. at 10:30am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 3:30pm; Sat. 12:30p.m., 1:30p.m., 2:30p.m., 3:30p.m. Admission: FREE. For more info, call (843) 953-7609 or visit www.cofc.edu/avery.
Boone Hall Plantation. Presentations that cannot be found on any other plantations in the area are part of what helps make Boone Hall unique. However, these shows are seasonal so check in advance for performance dates and times. Boone Hall Plantation, 1235 Long Point Rd. Admission: $17.50/Adults, $15/Seniors/Military/AAA members, $7.50/Children 6-12; FREE/Children 5 and under. For more info, call (843) 884-4371 and visit www.boonehallplantation.com.
Cabbage Row, self-led tour. The section of Church Street used as the inspiration for “Catfish Row” in the Dubose Heyward story, “Porgy.” This story was the basis for Gershwin’s opera “Porgy and Bess,” which is a fictionalized glimpse of black life during the 1920’s. The character “Porgy” was based on an actual Charlestonian, Samuel Smalls. Church St. at Tradd St. Admission: FREE. For more info, call (800) 868-8118.
Charles Pinckney National Historic Site. Charles Pinckney, a principal author and signer of the U.S. Constitution, owned seven plantations. Enslaved Africans and African-Americans on Lowcountry plantations developed a unique culture known collectively today as “Gullah.” Gullah people made significant contributions not only to the Lowcountry plantation system but also to American culture in general. Charles Pinckney National Historic Site, 1254 Long Point Rd. Mt. Pleasant. Open daily from 9a.m.-5p.m. Admission: FREE. For more info, call (843) 881-5516 and visit www.nps.gov/chpi.
Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site. Cannons boom. Muskets bark. Interpretive rangers in 17th century dress tend heirloom crops. They’re all part of the “new” Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site. Here a group of English settlers landed in 1670 and established what would become the birthplace of the Carolinas colony, the plantation system of the American South, and one of the continent’s first major port cities. And here the story is still told. Charles Towne Landing, 1500 Old Towne Rd. Open daily from 9a.m.-5p.m. Admission: $7.50/Adults, $3.75/SC Senior Citizens, $3.50/Students (6-15), FREE/Children 5 and under. For more info, call (843) 852-4200 and visit www.charlestownelanding.travel.
Charleston Art Tours presents The Charleston Fine Art Gallery Tour. Reserve your spot to see 6 to 8 of Charleston’s most exciting art galleries with a Charleston professional artist as your guide! Finish up your tour with champagne, sparkling water, and chocolates. Be enlightened and inspired! Ages 14+. Starts at the Charleston Art Tour office, 53 Broad St., Suite 201. 10a.m.-12p.m. or 2p.m.-4p.m. Admission: $49. For more info, call (843) 860-3327, email info@CharlestonArtTours.com, and visit www.CharlestonArtTours.com.
Charleston Art Tours presents The Charleston Renaissance Tour. Ticket includes entry to the Gibbes Museum, 6 galleries, small personal group of up to 8, champagne, chocolates and a gift bag. Ticket includes re-entry to the Gibbes Museum after the tour. Meet at Gibbes Museum, 135 Meeting St. Tues.-Sat. from 10a.m.-12:30p.m. Admission: $55. For more info, call (843) 860-3327, email info@charlestonarttours.com, and visit www.CharlestonArtTours.com.
Charleston City Hall Council Chamber. The 2nd oldest Council Chamber in continuous use in the U.S., contains 27 black walnut desks made in 1818. The two chandeliers, originally lit with gas, date back to 1850. Above the main floor is a Visitors’ Gallery encircled by a bowed cast iron railing. Exposed earthquake rods are incorporated into the design of the hand-painted tin paneled ceiling, the perimeter of which contains the original 1896 Thomas Edison light bulbs that burned in the room until 1983. The Chamber also serves as an art gallery displaying a priceless collection of original oil portraits of figures important to state and national history, including likenesses of four U.S. Presidents. Charleston City Hall, 80 Broad St. Open Mon.-Fri. from 8:30a.m.-5p.m. Admission: FREE. For more info, call (843) 724-3727 and visit www.charleston-sc.gov.
Charleston Museum. America’s first museum showcases cultural and natural history of South Carolina’s coastal region. Enjoy the rich variety of exhibited objects ranging from ancient fossils and an enormous whale skeleton to Civil War artifacts and historic Charleston silver. Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St. Mon.-Sat. 9a.m.-5p.m. & Sun. from 1p.m.-5p.m. Admission: $10/adults, $5/children 3-12, FREE/Children under 3. For more info, call (843) 722-2996 and visit www.charlestonmuseum.org.
Charleston Museum presents Kid Tours. Kid Tours is a series designed to highlight artifacts from our collection that have fascinated children for years. Kid Tours meet the first Wednesday of every month at 3:30 p.m. and include a craft project or activity. The Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St. 1st Wed. at 3:30p.m. Admission: FREE/members or with regular admission ($10/adults; $5/children 3-12; FREE/children under 3). For more info, call (843) 722-2996 and visit www.charlestonmuseum.org.
Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry. Through interactive, interdisciplinary, hands-on environments and experiences with the arts, sciences and humanities, children will develop creative thinking and problem solving skills, and a belief in their own potential. Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry, 25 Ann St. Open Tues.-Sat. from 9a.m.-5p.m. & Sun. from 1p.m.-5p.m. Admission: $7/Adults/Children, FREE/members & children under 1. For more info, call (843) 853-8962 and visit www.explorecml.org.
Confederate Museum. 188 Meeting St., corner of Meeting and Market St. Open Tues.- Sat. from 11a.m.-3:30p.m. Admission: $5/Adults/Teens, $3/Children 6-12, FREE/children under 6. Donations are always welcome. For more info, visit www.csa-scla.org and call (843) 723-1541.
Dock Street Theatre. 135 Church St. Open Mon.-Fri. from 9a.m.-5p.m. Admission: FREE. For more info, call (843) 720-3968 and visit www.charleston-sc.gov.
Drayton Hall. Built in 1738, it is the oldest and finest colonial plantation house in Charleston. It is the only plantation that survived the Civil War intact. It is noted for its hand-carved woodwork and plasterwork. Drayton Hall, 3380 Ashley River Rd. Open daily from 8:30a.m.-5p.m. Admission: $15/Adults; $8/Youth (12-18), $6/Children (6-11), FREE/Children 5 & under. For more info, call (843) 769-2605 and visit www.draytonhall.org.
Edmondston-Alston House presents Secessionists, Soldiers and Slaves: The Alston Family’s Civil War. A witness to history, the Edmondston-Alston is an important site in Charleston’s Civil War saga. It served as the site General Beauregard used to watch the Bombardment of Fort Sumter and a refuge for General Robert E. Lee during the Great Fire of 1861. Jan. 1, 2011-Dec. 31, 2015; Guided tours available Tues.-Sat. from 10a.m.-4p.m.; Sun. 1:30-4:30p.m. & Mon. from 1p.m.-4:30p.m. Closed Christmas Day. Edmondston-Alston House, 21 East Battery. For more info, call (843) 722-7171 and visit www.middletonplace.org/
Fort Sumter Harbor Cruise and Tour by Spiritline Cruises. Fort Sumter is the Island Fort where the Civil War began. Experience a narrated cruise through Charleston’s historic harbor out to Fort Sumter. Listen to historians as they talk about the fort’s pivotal role in the War Between the States. Visit the museum and gift shop during your trip, and then enjoy a one hour harbor tour before returning to shore. Ongoing, tours depart at various times daily from Liberty Square at Aquarium Wharf, 360 Concord St., Downtown Charleston and Patriots Point, 40 Patriots Point Rd., Mount Pleasant. Admission: $16/Adults, $14.50/Seniors, $10/Children (6-11); Free/Children under 6. For more info, call (800) 789-3678.
Fort Sumter Monument & Museum. The National Park Service presents tours of Fort Sumter, located on an island in Charleston harbor. The concession-operated ferry leaves from two locations: Liberty Square, 340 Concord St.and Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum, 40 Patriots Point Rd., Mt. Pleasant. For ferry departure times, visit the concessionaire’s website at www.fortsumtertours.com. For more info, call (843) 883-3123 and visit www.nps.gov/fosu/.
Gibbes Museum of Art presents Cell Phone Tours. Allowing visitors to access in-depth info about the museum’s collection and specific objects by using their personal cell phones. Visitors simply call a local Charleston number, (843) 303-9062, and follow the prompts. The Gibbes Museum of Art, 135 Meeting St. Open Tues.-Sat. from 10a.m.-5p.m. & Sun. from 1p.m.-5p.m. Admission: FREE with regular museum admission ($9/Adults, $7/Seniors- Students-Military, $5/Children ages 6-12, FREE/members and children under 6). For more info, call (843) 722-2706 or visit www.gibbesmuseum.org.
Hampton Plantation. Offers historic house museum tours, interpreting colonial architecture and rice plantation life. 1950 Rutledge Rd, McClellanville. Admission to the grounds is FREE; House admission: $4/adults, $2.50/SC seniors, $3/child or youth age 6-15. Grounds open daily from 9a.m.-6p.m. The mansion is open for tours Sat. through Tues. at 1p.m., 2p.m. & 3p.m. For more info, visit www.southcarolinaparks.com.
Heyward-Washington House and Joseph Manigault House. Charleston Museum presents tours of the historic Heyward-Washington House and Joseph Manigault House. Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St. Open Mon.-Sat. from 10a.m.-5p.m.; Sun. from 1-5p.m. The last tour each day is at 4:30p.m. Admission: $10/adults; $5/children 3-12; FREE/members. For more info, call (843) 722-2996 and visit www.charlestonmuseum.org.
The Hunley. On the night of February 17, 1864, the H.L. Hunley embarked on a dangerous mission that would forever mark her place in history. Eight men, led by Lt. George Dixon, entered an experimental vessel that was to become the first successful submarine in world history, with a mission to sink an enemy ship, the USS Housatonic. But minutes after her historic achievement, the Hunley and all hands onboard vanished into the sea without a trace. Warren Lasch Conservation Center, 1250 Supply St. (on the old Charleston Naval Base), North Charleston. Tours on Sat. from 10a.m.-5p.m. & Sun. from 12p.m.-5p.m. Admission: $12/adults, $10/seniors/military/members, FREE/children under 5. To purchase tickets, visit www.etix.com or call (877) 448-6539. For more info, call (843) 743-4865 ext. 10 and visit www.hunley.org.
Jack Thomson presents Charleston’s First Civil War Walking Tour. Stroll back in history with a published Civil War historian and licensed tour guide, Jack Thomson. He describes in vivid detail life on the streets of Confederate Charleston. Tours are enriched with remarkable collections of photos taken in Charleston during the War. Tours begin in the Mills House Hotel Lobby at 115 Meeting St. at 9a.m., Seven days a week. Admission: $20/Adults, FREE/Children 12 and under. For more info, visit www.civilwarwalk.com or call (843) 270-2417.
Joseph’s Charleston Adventure. An exciting and educational interactive walking tour based on “the official children’s book of Charleston.” Joseph’s Charleston Adventure was designed by a local teacher to engage children in the joy of learning about Charleston. The tour has four different levels, depending on the age/grade of the group – Preschool, Elementary, Middle School, & High School. At the beginning of the tour, students receive their own copy of the Interactive Walking Tour. The Tour is designed to be chaperoned by a teacher or adult and takes approximately two hours. The adventure begins at The Battery and ends just a couple of blocks from The City Market. For more info, call (843) 722-INFO.
Middleton Place. A carefully preserved 18th-century plantation that has survived revolution, Civil War, and earthquake. It was the home of four important generations of Middleton’s, beginning with Henry Middleton, President of the First Continental Congress; Arthur, a signer of the Declaration of Independence; Henry, Governor of South Carolina and an American Minister to Russia; and Williams, a signer of the Ordinance of Secession. Visitors are invited to tour the Gardens, the House Museum, and the Plantation Stableyards. Middleton Place, 4300 Ashley River Rd. Admission: $25-45/Adults; $5-30/Children. For more info, call (800) 782-3608 and visit www.middletonplace.org.
Middleton Place Foundation presents Secessionists, Soldiers and Slaves: the Middleton Family’s Civil War. Using personal letters, firsthand accounts and collections of the Middleton Place Foundation, the war will be viewed through the lens of the Middleton and Alston families as Secession and early war optimism turns slowly into defeat. Jan. 1, 2011- Dec. 31, 2015; Open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Christmas Day. Middleton Place, 4300 Ashley River Rd. Admission: $25/Adults; $15/Students (14+ with student ID); $10/Children (6-13); FREE/Children under 5. For more info, call (843) 566-6020 and visit www.middletonplace.org.
Nathaniel Russell House and Aiken-Rhett House. Historic Charleston Foundation offers tours of the historic Nathaniel Russell House and Aiken-Rhett House. Open Mon.-Sat. from 10a.m.-5p.m. & Sun. from 2p.m.-5p.m. Nathaniel Russell House, 51 Meeting St. and Aiken-Rhett House, 48 Elizabeth St. Admission: $10/one site, $16/both sites. Admission may be purchased at either site. For more info, call (843) 723-1159 and visit www.historiccharleston.org.
Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon. Owned by the South Carolina Society of the Daughters of American Revolution, the Old Exchange offers public tours of its three floors that highlight various aspects of Charleston history during the Colonial and Revolutionary eras and put into context the people and events of the period. Old Exchange Building, 122 East Bay St. Open daily Mon.-Fri. from 9a.m.-5p.m. Admission: $7/Adults, $3.50/Children ages 7-12, $3.50/Students, FREE/children 6 and under accompanied by an adult; group rates and other discounts available. For more info, call (843) 727-2165 and visit www.oldexchange.com.
Old Slave Mart Museum. Learn the story of Charleston’s role in this inter-state slave trade by focusing on the history of this particular building and site and the slave sales that occurred here. 6 Chalmers St. Open Mon.-Sat. from 9a.m.-5p.m. Admission: $7/Adults, $5/Seniors/Students/Children over 5, FREE/children 5 and under. For more info, call (843) 958-6467 and visit www.nps.gov/nr/travel/charleston/osm.htm.
Original Charleston Walks presents Gibbes Art Museum Discovery Tours. Learn of Charleston’s early emergence as one of America’s great artistic centers, the collapse of the arts as a result of the Civil War, and their eventual revival during the Charleston Renaissance of the 1920s and 30s. Be inspired by the same historic streets and sites as DuBose Heyward, Alice Ravenel, Huger Smith and Alfred Hutty. Guides offer biographical vignettes of the city’s key visual artists and writers, and give lively readings. Duration: 2 hours. For reservations and more info, call (800) 729-3420 and visit www.charlestonwalks.com.
Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum. Features the USS Yorktown, Planes & Flight Deck tours, USS Laffey, USS Clamagore, USS Ingham, Congressional Medal of Honor Museum, Vietnam Support Base, and the Cold War Memorial. Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum, 40 Patriot’s Point Rd, Mt. Pleasant. Admission: $16/Adults 12 and over, $13/Seniors and Active Duty Military with ID; $9/Children (6-11), FREE/Children under 6 with adult admission. Parking is $3/all day. Open daily from 9a.m.-6:30p.m. For more info, call (843) 881-5984 and visit www.patriotspoint.org.
Powder Magazine. South Carolina’s oldest public building, The Powder Magazine (circa 1713), served as an arsenal within the old walled city of Charleston. Interact with historians and see museum exhibits that relate to Charleston’s colonial and American Revolution history. The Powder Magazine, 79 Cumberland St. Open Mon.-Sat. from 10a.m.-4p.m. & Sun. from 1p.m.-4p.m. Admission: $2/Adults, $1/Children (6-12). For more info, call (843) 722-9350, email alan@powdermag.org and visit www.powdermag.org.
South Carolina Aquarium. Watch our otters get their breakfast, talk to scuba divers in the Great Ocean Tank to learn how we feed our sharks, and get up-close-and-personal to a snake, turtle, alligator and more. Educational programs offered daily. South Carolina Aquarium, 100 Aquarium Wharf. Open daily from 9a.m.-5p.m. Admission: $17.95/Adults, $16.95/Seniors (62+), $10.95/Children (2-11), FREE/Children under 2. For more info, call (843) 720-1990 and visit www.scaquarium.org.
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Tours of Museums & Cultural Institutions
