12 minute read
See + Do
See + Do
Charleston is known for her rich history, picturesque scenery and culinary excellence. Many experienced touring companies are ready to show you a great time.
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How to use this magazine: You’ll find each type of tour and attraction categorized for easy reference. Many listings include a map grid locator. Find the grid location, then reference the maps on pages 40 through 44.
WHETHER YOU’RE A HISTORY BUFF, WATER ENTHUSIAST OR SIMPLY ENJOY STROLLING THE COBBLESTONE STREETS OF CHARLESTON YOU’LL FIND PLENTY OF WAYS TO EXPLORE THE HOLY CITY. See a plantation home, tour the harbor, take a carriage ride or visit a museum.
Barrier Island Eco-Tours
50 41st Ave • Isle of Palms Marina • (Map: N:6) 843-886-5000 • nature-tours.com • Naturalist guided boat excursions to Capers Island Preserve. Travel the salt marsh creeks, see dolphins and wildlife up close, explore the “boneyard beach” and walk inland trails. Morning and sunset eco-tours, creek fishing, crabbing, kayaking and beach-side cookouts.
Charleston Harbor Tours
Charleston Maritime Center. • 10 Wharfside St., Charleston • (Map: J:5/6) • 843-722-1112 charlestonharbortours.com • Board the Carolina Belle for Charleston’s top-rated harbor tour. This 90-minute tour is live narrated by the Captain and covers over 75 points of interest and 300 years of history. See Fort Sumter, Fort Johnson, Fort Moultrie, Castle Pinckney, The Battery, The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, dolphins, pelicans and much more! Offering great combination packages with other popular attractions saving you time and money! Fully stocked bar and snack bar with items for purchase on board. Call or go online for schedule and tickets or see our ad on page 2.
Charleston Water Taxi
Downtown: Maritime Center • 10 Wharfside St. (Map: K:5/6) • Mount Pleasant: Charleston Harbor Marina at Patriots Point • (Map: O:2) Waterfront Park Pier • (Map J:8) • 843-330-2989 charlestonwatertaxi.com • The water taxi runs on a continuous loop around Charleston Harbor between Patriots Point (USS Yorktown) and downtown Charleston with pick-up/ drop-off points at the Maritime Center and Waterfront Park.
Isle of Palms Marina
50 41st Ave • Isle of Palms • (Map: O:6) 843-886-0209 • iopmarina.net • Your one stop shop for all your island needs. Book a boat tour, fishing charter, harbor or dolphin cruise or go jetskiing, rent a boat or stop into our ship store for all your grocery and beer needs.
Nature Adventures
1 Shrimpboat Ln. • Mount Pleasant (Map O:2) • 843-568-3222 kayakcharlestonsc.com Our focus is on creating experiences! Take a guided kayak or stand-up paddleboard tour or rent the equipment. Located on picturesque Shem Creek where dolphins and wildlife are all around to experience up-close.
TRAVELER Tidbit
Visit Charleston’s historic City Hall at 80 Broad St. It was constructed in the early 1800s.
Tidalwave Watersports
69 41st Ave • Isle of Palms (Map: N:6) tidalwavewatersports.com • 843-886-8456 Tidalwave offers the ultimate in parasailing, waverunning, wakeboarding, waterskiing, and boat riding in the Charleston area.
Sandlapper Water Tours
Tour depart from the Maritime Center (by S.C. Aquarium) • 10 Wharfside St. • Charleston (Map K:4) • 843-849-8687 • sandlappertours.com Relax and have fun on the water with one of their nature tours, history tours, sunset cruises or on the "Haunted Harbor Ghost & Pirate Tour". Mention "Traveler" for $3 off adult and $2 off child tickets.
Schooner Pride –Charleston’s Tall Ship
360 Concord St. • Charleston • (Map: J:5) 843-722-1112 • schoonerpride.com • Board this beautiful, 49 passenger sailing vessel for a unique and breathtaking excursion on Charleston Harbor. Each 2-hour sail is unique as the Pride sails with the wind and tides, but you are sure to have an experience you won’t forget. Rated as one of the top 10 things to do in Charleston and one of the top Sunset Sails in North America, the Pride is a great way to get out on the water! Beer, wine, champagne, sodas and water available for purchase on board. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED, go online or call for tickets.
SpiritLine Charleston Harbor Tour
843-722-BOAT(2628) • spiritlinecruises.com Enjoy a 90-minute tour of Charleston’s harbor with 75+ points of interest narrated by City of Charleston licensed tour guides. Discounted Land & Sea Combo Tours available: include either a 90-minute Gray Line City Tour or a 60- minute Old South Carriage Tour. Tours depart Aquarium Wharf in downtown Charleston and Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant
CARRIAGE TOURS
Palmetto Carriage Works
8 Guignard St. • (Map: H:7) • 843-723-8145 palmettocarriage.com • Departs from The Big Red Barn every 15 to 20 minutes, rain or shine, beginning at 9 a.m. Tours are one hour long, covering about 25 blocks of residential and historic districts. Guides are city licensed. See our ad on the inside front cover.
TRAVELER Tidbit
The Shag has been the official state dance since 1984. It's thought to have started in the 1920s in Myrtle Beach.
Celebrating 350 Years of Charleston
This year, the City of Charleston celebrates its 350th anniversary. Unfortunately, many of the in-person events were canceled or put on hold because of COVID-19. But the city has hosted several virtual events that can be viewed online at charleston350.org.
Key highlights from Charleston’s founding:
• English colonists arrived from Barbados in April 1670 at Albemarle Point, a site between the Ashley and Cooper rivers where the first settlement was established.
• This settlement would become the birthplace of “Carolina,” a territory in the New World chartered by King Charles II.
• The City of Charleston is a direct descendant of the community founded at Albemarle Point, a site that would become a public state park in 1970 known as Charles Towne Landing during the state’s tricentennial.
• In 1680, the seat of government moved across the Ashley River to the peninsula, where present-day downtown Charleston is located.
East Bay Deli
334 East Bay St. • Charleston • (Map: I:5) 843-216-5473 • 1120 Oakland Market Rd., Mount Pleasant • (Map: L:5) • 843-216-5473 9135 University Blvd. • North Charleston 843-553-7374 • 4405 Dorchester Rd., North Charleston • (Map: W:4) • 843-747-1235 New York-style deli using only quality products like Certified Angus Beef. The varied menu comes with many options: soups, chili, both hearty and heart-healthy sandwiches, wraps, giant spuds and desserts.
DRINK + NIGHTLIFE
Deep Water Vineyard
6775 Bears Bluff Rd. • Wadmalaw Island (Area Map) • 843-559-6867 deepwatervineyard.com Open: Tue - Sat 10 am - 5 pm • After indulging in a tasting at Charleston's only winery, stay and relax. There are animals, a garden, outdoor games and 50 acres to explore. It's a full day of fun for the whole family.
Charleston’s history as a player in the domestic slave-trading system is detailed at the Old Slave Mart Museum, located at 6 Chalmers St. in downtown Charleston. This museum highlights the city’s role in inter-state slave trade after the 1808 ban on international slave trade.
TRAVELER Tidbit Look up! Charleston porch ceilings are often painted "haint blue," which, according to Gullah culture, wards off sinister spirits.
10 Wharfside St. • (Map J:5/6) • Boone Hall 1235 Longpoint Rd. • (Map: L:4) charlestonharbortours.com • Save time and money by booking this top-rated combo tour! Enjoy a 90-minute, live-narrated Charleston Harbor Tour and admission to Boone Hall Plantation, Charleston’s most-photographed and best-to-visit plantation according to USA Today 10Best! May be taken on separate days.
Charleston Harbor Tours & Bulldog Tours Ghost or Walking Tour Combo
Harbor Tours • 10 Wharfside St. • (Map J:5/6). Bulldog Tours • 18 Anson St. • (Map H:7) charlestonharbortours.com• Enjoy the top-rated, live-narrated harbor history tour with Charleston Harbor Tours and choose from one of 3 great walking tours with Charleston’s best walking tour company! Choose from the Ghost & Graveyard Walking Tour, Haunted Jail Tour or Charleston Strolls History Tour.
TRAVELER Tidbit
Actor Bill Murray is a co-owner of the local minor league baseball team, Charleston RiverDogs. Charleston Harbor Tours & Palmetto Carriage Combo
Charleston Harbor Tours • Charleston Maritime Center, 10 Wharfside St. • (Map :J:5/6) Palmetto Carriage Works • Big Red Barn, 8 Guignard St. • 843-722-1112 • (Map: H:7) CharlestonHarborTours.com PalmettoCarriage.com • Join two of Charleston’s most reputable tour companies for the most popular combination tour. This is a great way to save time and money and get a great overview of the Holy City. Book tickets in advance and you can save $6 on adult tickets. You can even split the tours up over different days. Book online or call for tickets.
Gray Line & Fort Sumter Tour Combo
843-722-BOAT(2628) • fortsumtertours.com, graylineofcharleston.com • Save $4 per person! Enjoy a comprehensive tour of Charleston’s historic district and take the only boat tour to Fort Sumter. Licensed and experienced tour guides lead a 90-minute exploration of Charleston’s rich history on air-conditioned mini-buses. The Gray Line tour features 100+ points of interest with a stop at the Battery. Tours depart every 30 minutes from the Charleston Visitor’s Center, 375 Meeting St. Free hotel pickup in historic district.
Tour Pass Charleston & Savannah
tourpass.com • Admission included for over 40 of Charleston's top tours, attractions and historic sites. Choose a 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 day pass and instantly receive the Mobile Pass to begin attractions. Purchased online only. Smartphone required.
FINE DINING
Middleton Place Restaurant
4300 Ashley River Rd. • Charleston • (area map) 843-556-6020 • middletonplace.org Savor Lowcountry cuisine while taking in views of America’s oldest landscaped gardens. For lunch, visitors enjoy a three-course, prix fixe menu. Lunch served daily. Dinner guests pay no admission after 5 p.m. and can stroll through the gardens prior to dinner service, which begins at 6 p.m.
Gray Line of Charleston
graylineofcharleston.com • 843-722-4444 Explore 300 years of history with experienced, licensed tour guides onboard our mini-buses. Gray Line offers a comprehensive tour of Charleston’s Historic District with 100+ points of interest and a stop at Charleston’s Battery. Take our 90 minute tour or add a visit to a fully restored antebellum home. Land & Sea Combo includes either a visit to Fort Sumter or a 90-minute tour of the harbor. Tours depart every 30 minutes from the Charleston Visitor’s Center, 375 Meeting St. Free hotel pickup in historic district.
TRAVELER Tidbit
Take an art walk and admire the work of some incredible local artists. Visit charlestongalleryassociation.com to download a free map of some 40 downtown Charleston galleries.
Audubon Center at Beidler Forest
336 Sanctuary Rd. • 843-462-2150 beidlerforest.com • Francis Beidler Forest contains the largest stand of virgin bald cypress and tupelo gum swamp forest left in the world. See 1,000-year-old trees and native wildlife; walk the 1.75-mile boardwalk into the swamp. Tues.- Sun. 9 a.m-5 p.m. Harleyville, S.C.
Edmondston-Alston House
21 East Battery • Charleston • 843-722-7171 edmondstonalston.com • Circa 1828; a gracious example of early 19th-century elegance, style and comfort. The only historic house downtown with a view of Charleston Harbor. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sunday & Monday 1-4:30 p.m. Tickets: $12/adult, $11/military, $8/student, 5 & under free. Combo tickets available with Middleton Place plantation.
TRAVELER Tidbit
Did you catch the Netflix series "Outer Banks"? It was filmed right here in Charleston. Fort Sumter Tours
843-722-BOAT(2628) • fortsumtertours.com Walk in the footsteps of Civil War soldiers as you visit this National Historic Site. Cost includes tour of Charleston harbor onboard the boat plus an hour to explore the fort. The National Park Service maintains the Civil War era fortifications as well as restrooms, a gift shop and the Fort Sumter Museum. Fort Sumter Tours is an authorized concessionaire of the National Park Service and the only tour that stops at historic Fort Sumter. Tours depart Liberty Square in downtown Charleston (handicapped accessible) and Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant
North Charleston/American LaFrance Fire Museum
4975 Centre Point Dr • North Charleston (Map: KK:5) • 843-740-5550 northcharlestonfiremuseum.org The Fire Museum, located adjacent to Tanger Outlet Center, is home to the largest collection of fully restored American LaFrance fire trucks and antique fire equipment in the country. It is a wonderful museum for the firefighter in all of us. Great demonstration for kids and people of all ages.
Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum
40 Patriots Point Rd. • Mount Pleasant (Map: O:2) • 843-884-2727 • patriotspoint.org Walk in the steps of heroes at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum, home of the USS Yorktown, and South Carolina's unique attraction. With fresh exhibits, educational programming and other one-of-a-kind events, Patriots Point is the only Charleston-area historic attraction that offers exciting new experiences all year long. See ad for $3 off coupon.
Take a blast to the past at Pitt Street Pharmacy in Mount Pleasant’s Old Village. Stop in for lunch at the Soda Fountain and order a famous grilled cheese sandwich or cool off with ice cream and milkshakes. Located at 111 Pitt St., the pharmacy also was a filming location for “The Notebook” and was featured on “Drive-Ins & Soda Shops” and Alton Brown’s “Feasting on Asphalt.” Boone Hall Plantation
1235 Long Point Rd. • Mount Pleasant (Map: L:4) • 843-884-4371 boonehallplantation.com • One of America’s oldest plantations with more than 320 years of history. Located 8 miles north of Charleston. The “Avenue of Oaks,” nine original slave cabins, house tours and shows included in admission. Mon.-Sat. 8:30 a.m.-6:30p.m.; Sun. 1-5 p.m.
Middleton Place
National Historic Landmark • 4300 Ashley River Rd. (Highway 61) • Charleston • (area map) 843-556-6020 • middletonplace.org • An 18th-century rice plantation and National Historic Landmark comprising 65 acres of America’s oldest landscaped gardens. See the house museum, craftspeople in the stable yards or take an African-American focused tour. Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
SHOPPING
Terrace Oaks Antique Mall
2037 Maybank Highway • James Island (area map) • 843-795-9689 • Mon-Sat. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. • terraceoaksantiques.com A leader in the Charleston area for multidealer antique shops since 1988. The 10,000-squarefoot, climate-controlled shop houses 90+ booths with all different tastes and styles. When it comes to antiques, they have just about anything your heart desires.
