If you have an interest in history, your first destination should be the Fort Sumter National Monument. This monument memorializes the site of the engagement that launched the Civil War, which took place on April 12 and 13, 1861. Today, Fort Sumter is administered by the U.S. National Park Service and can be accessed via 30-minute ferry ride from Charleston proper. Visit the on-site museum and take a ranger-led tour to learn about the fort’s history, ranging from its construction to the events leading up to the famous battle. The next stop on your history tour is the Citadel, Charleston’s historic military academy. Visit for a tour of the campus, the Citadel museum and sporting events. If you visit on a Friday during the academic year, make sure not to miss the Citadel’s weekly parade, which locals refer to as the best free show in Charleston.
Whether you are a prospective student, a parent or just passing through, the Citadel campus is open to the public year round. The Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is one of the oldest plantations in the South and one of the most visited attractions in Charleston. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the plantation features 70 acres of beautiful, fragrant gardens. Visitors can also enjoy a nature train ride, a marsh boat tour, a wildlife area and even a petting zoo. Built in 1738, Drayton Hall is the oldest American plantation house currently open to the public. The house is preserved exactly as it was, offering guests an authentic look back into history. After your guided house tour, take a relaxing stroll down one of the two scenic trails on the premises that run along the Ashley River. Opened in 1773, the Charleston Museum is often referred to as America’s first museum. The museum introduces visitors to the rich heritage of Charleston and the surrounding South Carolina Low Country through collections related to natural and local history as well as culture.
For a 20th-century historical experience, head to Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum in the Charleston Harbor to see the USS Yorktown Aircraft Carrier. Here, visitors can take a tour of one of the largest and most decorated warships from World War II and experience what life was like for sailors living aboard the ship during wartime. Charleston Harbor is also home to the South Carolina Aquarium. Visitors can view jellyfish, sea turtles, sharks and much more up close across 60 exhibits. The aquarium’s signature attraction is its two-story Great Ocean Tank, made up of 300 sea creatures swimming through 385,000 gallons of salt water.
If you’re interested in the performing arts, make sure to plan a visit during the Spoleto Festival USA. Held for 17 days each spring, the festival consists of more than 120 performances featuring a mix of dance, theater, opera, visual arts and many other forms of music. This popular festival draws almost 100,000 visitors to Charleston every year and fills almost every entertainment venue in town. Even if you visited all of these sites, you would only be scratching the surface of what Charleston has to offer.
With so much to do, it is important to stay somewhere you can relax at the end of the day. So when you are choosing a hotel in Charleston, SC, be sure to book with Choice Hotels to fully enjoy the historical hub of South Carolina.