161 Best Sights in South Carolina, USA

A prime example of the wealth derived from chattel slavery, the Aiken-Rhett House is considered one of the best preserved town-house complexes in the country. Built in 1820 and virtually unaltered since 1858, it boasts original wallpaper, paint, and some furnishings. Two of the former owners, Governor Aiken and his wife Harriet, bought many of the chandeliers, sculptures, and paintings in Europe. The carriage house remains out back, along with a building that contained the kitchen, laundry, and housing for enslaved laborers, making this the most intact property to showcase urban life in pre–Civil War Charleston. Be sure to take the audio tour, as it vividly describes the surroundings, giving historical and family details throughout.

Part of the College of Charleston, this museum and archive was once a school for African Americans, training students for professional careers from approximately 1865 to 1954. The collections here focus on the civil rights movement, but also include artifacts from the era of chattel slavery, such as badges, manacles, and bills of sale, as well as other materials from throughout African American history. The free guided tours begin with a brief film.

One of the Grand Strand's most magnificent hidden treasures, the 9,100-acre Brookgreen Gardens is the oldest and largest sculpture garden in the United States, with more than 550 examples of figurative American sculpture by such artists as Frederic Remington and Daniel Chester French. Each sculpture is carefully set within garden rooms and outdoor galleries graced by sprawling live oak trees, colorful flowers, and peaceful ponds. The gardens are lush and full in spring and summer, and in winter splashes of color from winter-blooming shrubs are set off against the stark surroundings.

The property was purchased as a winter home for industrialist Archer Huntington and his wife, Anna Hyatt Huntington, in 1929, but they quickly decided to open it to the public as a sculpture garden and wildlife sanctuary. You'll find a Lowcountry zoo (including native red wolves, introduced in 2021), an aviary, a cypress swamp, nature trails, an education center, and a butterfly house. Summer concerts under the stars and the garden's breathtaking Night of a Thousand Candles during the Christmas season are Brookgreen traditions. The gardens are just beyond The Fighting Stallions, the Anna Hyatt Huntington sculpture alongside U.S. Route 17.

Maritime forests, barrier islands, salt marshes, beaches, and coastal waterways make up this 66,287-acre refuge established in 1932 as a migratory bird haven. The Sewee Visitor and Environmental Education Center has information and exhibits on the property and its trails, as well as an outdoor enclosure housing endangered red wolves. The refuge is aiding the recovery of the threatened loggerhead sea turtle, and a video details the work.

From the mainland refuge, you can take a $40 ferry ride to remote and wild Bulls Island to explore its boneyard beach and freshwater ponds teeming with alligators.

This off-the-radar gem of a park (and zoo) marks the site of the original 1670 settlement of Charles Towne, the first permanent European settlement in South Carolina. Begin with the visitor center's 12-room, interactive museum and exhibit hall that tells the history of the early settlers and their relationship with the Kiawah people who were here when they arrived. Be sure to visit the exhibits about the enslaved people and indentured servants who also arrived with the English. Kids will make a beeline for the Adventure, a full-size replica of the colonists' 17th-century tall ship that's docked on the creek running through the park. The grounds are threaded with 6 miles of paths through forest and marsh, including an Animal Forest zoo where you can see black bears, bobcats, pumas, and bison. All in all, there are 664 acres of gardens and forest, including an elegant live oak alley. Leashed dogs are allowed (although not in the Animal Forest), and rental bikes are available for $5 an hour.

Located on the grounds of the former Honey Horn Plantation, this interactive museum features a butterfly enclosure, programs for children, and guided walks of the 68-acre property that includes historic buildings and barns, marsh front boardwalks, and a wide variety of magnificent trees, such as live oaks, magnolias, and one of the state's largest Southern red cedars. As a Smithsonian Affiliate, the museum hosts a variety of temporary exhibits that focus on a range of interesting historic topics and artistic mediums. Animal tours, history tours, and kayak tours are also available and should be booked in advance. Informative and inspiring, the Coastal Discovery Museum lets visitors experience the Lowcountry up close.

The island's most popular public beach is a lot of fun, but during high season it can get very crowded. It has choreographed fountains that delight little children, bench swings, and beach umbrellas and chaise lounges for rent. If you have to go online, there's also Wi-Fi access. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; showers; toilets. Best for: partiers; swimming; windsurfing.

This attractive, expansive gallery contains art from the Kress Foundation collection of Renaissance and baroque treasures, sculpture, and decorative arts. There are prominent paintings by European and American masters, including a Monet and a Botticelli, as well as temporary exhibitions featuring world-famous works by artists like Salvador Dalí and M. C. Escher.

South Carolina's only national park is unlike any other—the park is the floodplain of the Congaree River, meaning that throughout the year, the majority of this bottomland forest is a true swamp. The wettest, hardest-to-reach areas survived centuries of logging, leaving towering cypress trees—some of the oldest and largest trees east of the Mississippi River—in the heart of the 27,000-acre park. Access varies by your ambition and tolerance for mud. A 2.6-mile loop via elevated boardwalk is handicap accessible and meanders through perennial swamp, higher pine uplands, and past Weston Lake. Longer trails total 22 miles, allowing for loops and overnight treks into the park, but bring extra socks and boots suitable for wading, especially on the fantastic but especially soggy Oakridge Trail. A potentially drier method of exploring the interior is by kayak or canoe. Local outfitters, including River Runner Outdoor Center and Carolina Outdoor Adventures, run three-hour kayak tours from the Cedar Creek Canoe Access. Or, coordinate a shuttle and canoe rental and paddle Cedar Creek one way, putting in at Bannister Bridge Canoe Access.

Bring binoculars and sharp ears—Congaree hosts a cacophony of birds and wildlife, including otters, wild boar, deer, and woodpeckers. The park also has two primitive campgrounds. Book in advance, especially during the two-week synchronized firefly season in May and June.

Apart from packaged snacks at the visitor center, there are no concessions in the park, and nearby restaurants are limited.

Explore the inky swamp waters of this natural area in a flat-bottom boat, or walk along paths lined with moss-draped cypress trees, azaleas, camellias, daffodils, wisteria, and dogwoods. You can marvel at the clouds of butterflies in the butterfly house, and see snakes and fish up close in the Swamparium. The swamp garden was created from what was once the freshwater reserve of the vast Dean Hall rice plantation. The site is about 24 miles north of Charleston via U.S. 52, between Goose Creek and Moncks Corner.

This 1,255-acre park includes a 1½-mile-long beachfront with some of the area's best shelling, marshland, and tidal rivers as well as a lush maritime forest with 7 miles of trails running through it. Trails are hard-packed shell sand, suitable for bikes and wheelchairs. The park's Environmental Learning Center features animal exhibits and a touch tank, and a small ranger station has fishing poles to lend and firewood for sale. Pets on leashes are allowed. This is an excellent jumping-off point for exploring the natural history of Edisto Island and the surrounding ACE Basin.

In this urban outdoor oasis, sloping green hills, giant boulders, and winding walkways offer great views of the Reedy River, but the best views of the waterfalls are along the architecturally ingenious Liberty Bridge. The Peace Center amphitheater hosts moonlight movies, Shakespeare plays, and open-air concerts during the year.

Charleston's most laid-back beach community fills up on weekends, so head out early to avoid traffic if you're visiting on a Saturday. A rebuild of the beloved Folly Beach Fishing Pier is still in development and set to debut in 2022, but the familiar Morris Island Lighthouse yet rises from the water at the northeast end of the island. Surfers flock to the Washout, a renowned and consistent surf break, and the southwest end of the island has lifeguards and amenities at the county park. Street parking is free, but to avoid a ticket, all four wheels have to be off the pavement. Stock up on snacks and sandwiches at Bert's Market on East Ashley Avenue or grab a taco with the locals at Chico Feo across the street. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers and toilets (at Washout, the pier, and the county park). Best for: surfing; swimming.

A part of the Fort Sumter National Monument, this is the site where Colonel William Moultrie's South Carolinians repelled a British assault in one of the first patriot victories of the Revolutionary War. Completed in 1809, the fort is the third fortress on this site on Sullivan's Island, 10 miles southeast of Charleston. Set across the street, the companion museum is an unsung hero. Although much is made of Fort Sumter, this smaller historical site is creatively designed, with figurines in various uniforms that make military history come alive. A 20-minute educational film that spans several major wars tells the colorful history of the fort. There's also an essential exhibit on Sullivan Island's role in the transatlantic slave trade.

Plan to spend the day bicycling through Sullivan's Island, where you'll find a cluster of century-old beach houses.

Set on a man-made island in Charleston's harbor, this is the hallowed spot where the Civil War began. On April 12, 1861, the first shot of the war was fired at the fort from Fort Johnson across the way. After a 34-hour battle, Union forces surrendered and Confederate troops occupied Fort Sumter, which became a symbol of Southern resistance. The Confederacy managed to hold it, despite almost continual bombardment, from August 1863 to February 1865. When it was finally evacuated, the fort was a heap of rubble. Today, the National Park Service oversees it, and rangers give interpretive talks. To reach the fort, take a private boat or one of the ferries that depart from Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant and downtown's Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center, which includes exhibitions on the period before, during, and after the Civil War. There are as many as seven trips daily to the fort between mid-March and mid-August, fewer the rest of the year.

You're greeted by a giant octopus constructed of recovered plastic trash at this hidden gem in a 1920s beach cottage on the southern cusp of Ocean Boulevard. The museum has a permanent collection of surf-, coastal-, and wildlife-themed works, plus an ever-changing eclectic array of sculptures and paintings that will open your eyes to the art community that thrives on the Grand Strand.

Housed in a beautiful Beaux Arts building with a soaring stained-glass cupola, this museum boasts a collection of 10,000 works, principally American with a local connection. A recent $11.5 million renovation expanded on-site studios, rotating exhibit spaces, and visiting artist programs. Permanent displays include a massive stick sculpture by Patrick Dougherty that visitors can step inside and life-size oil paintings from the 18th century. Different objects from the museum's permanent collection are on view in "The Charleston Story," offering a nice summary of the region's history. Leave time to sit for a spell in the tranquil Lenhardt Garden behind the building.

This Southern-focused gallery is home to American paintings dating from the colonial era, along with more-modern works by Andy Warhol, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Jasper Johns. It hosts the world's largest public collection of Andrew Wyeth watercolors.

The true star of Archibald Rutledge's home (he was the poet laureate of South Carolina for 39 years until his death in 1973) may not be his 18th-century plantation house but the centuries-old Washington Oak in the yard, a now-massive tree saved by the first president. The mansion's exterior has been restored; cutaway sections in the finely crafted interior show the changes made through the centuries. There are walking trails and picnic areas on the grounds. You can also learn more about the slaves that toiled on the plantation, as well as freed people who made their homes in the area after empancipation.

Located within the Sea Pines Resort, Harbour Town is a charming area centered on a circular marina that's filled with interesting shops and restaurants. Distinctive paths covered with white gravel and rows of red rocking chairs add to the small-town feel, while families are attracted to the large playground and live entertainment underneath the Liberty Oak during the summer. Stroll down the pier for excellent views of Daufuskie Island or catch one of the many vessels docked there and ready to set sail for adventure. Rising above it all is the landmark candy-cane-stripe Harbour Town Lighthouse, which visitors can climb to enjoy a view of Calibogue Sound. Summer nights are particularly lovely here, with a breeze coming off the water and music in the air; soak in the atmosphere with a drink at one of the welcoming outdoor bars and seating areas.

Located off Bay Street in downtown Beaufort, Waterfront Park represents the heart of this charming coastal town. It's a great place to stroll along the river walk and enjoy the hanging bench swings. Parents enjoy the spacious park where kids can run in the grass or play on the enclosed playground with views of the Richard V. Woods swing bridge that crosses the Beaufort River. Trendy restaurants and bars overlook these seven beautifully landscaped acres that also feature a pavilion, stage, and historical markers and lead into the marina.

This 107-acre outdoor museum complex and Revolutionary War historic site emphasizes the period surrounding the British occupation of 1780. Several structures dot the site, including the 1789 Craven House, the Blacksmith Shed, and the Kershaw House, a reconstruction of the circa-1770 home of Camden's founder, Joseph Kershaw, which also served as Cornwallis's headquarters; it's furnished with period pieces. A nature trail, fortifications, powder magazine, picnic area, and crafts shop are also here. Guided tours are available.

This state park located on a barrier island 18 miles southeast of Beaufort has 5,000 acres of rare maritime forest and 5 miles of public beaches—some which are dramatically eroding. The light sand beach decorated with driftwood and the subtropical vegetation is breathtaking; it almost feels like you're in Jurassic Park. You can kayak in the tranquil saltwater lagoon, stroll the 1,120-foot-long fishing pier, and go fishing or crabbing. For sweeping views, climb the 167 steps of the historic 1859 Hunting Island Lighthouse. Bikers and hikers can enjoy eight miles of trails. The nature center has exhibits, an aquarium, and tourist information. There is also a campground on the northern end that has 100 sites, but be sure to book in advance as these nearly oceanfront campsites fill up fast. Amenities: parking; toilets; grills. Best for: sunrise; swimming; walking.

This 2,500-acre former estate of Archer and Anna Huntington lies east of U.S. Route 17, across from Brookgreen Gardens. The park's focal point is Atalaya (circa 1933), their Moorish-style 30-room home. New in 2021 is a $1.2 million nature center, with live native animals, including an aquarium with rays and horseshoe crabs. There are nature trails, ample areas for biking (including a bicycle path from Huntington Beach to Litchfield Beach), fishing, picnic areas, bird-watching expeditions, a playground, concessions, and a campground.

Enjoy the fishing pier's "front-porch" swings, stroll along the waterside path, or relax in the gardens overlooking Charleston Harbor. The expansive lawn is perfect for picnics and family playtime. Two fountains can be found here: the oft-photographed Pineapple Fountain and the Vendue Fountain, which children love to run through on hot days.

This county park 28 miles southwest of Charleston has a wide beach at low tide, often ranked among the country's best. Stunningly beautiful Kiawah (named for the tribe that first called the area home) is one of the Southeast's largest barrier islands, with 10 miles of immaculate ocean beaches. You can walk safely for miles, shelling and beachcombing to your heart's content. The beach is complemented by the Kiawah River, with lagoons filled with birds and wildlife, and golden marshes that make the sunsets even more glorious. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: solitude; sunset; swimming; walking.