Planning a trip to my beautiful hometown of Charleston, SC? First of all, great choice! Second, here are the historical attractions you should definitely check out while you’re here!
So many people have asked me what tours a local would recommend because they assume most of the well-known tours are tourist traps… While in some instances that is the case (and I will let you know which instances in this article), Charleston is one of the few places where the tourist activities are honestly awesome, even for locals. There are some that are overrated, but you may be surprised to hear some of the things I recommend are pretty well known and easily found on a list of things to do in Charleston.
This article would be way to long if I gave all my Charleston tips in one sitting, so…
Here are the Dos and Don’ts for History Tours:
DO
Take a carriage tour. I know this seems like the most cliché tourist thing to do. I know it seems like it’s for kids. However, I promise you, you will not be disappointed. Take the Old South tour located on Anson Street. Their tours are slightly different every time as they are done by certified history buffs who literally just have a wealth of knowledge about the city and take you to the locations they want to talk about. There are several different routes and each one has their own stories and knowledge. You can ask detailed questions. I mean it’s literally like having your own private historian showing you around the city, but with the added fun of being on a horse-drawn carriage.
The carriage aspect also makes it ideal for families, as the adults can listen to the fascinating history while the kids can enjoy the fun of a carriage ride.
It’s also an awesome way to explore the city on those hot South Carolina summer days as you just get to sit back and relax in a shaded carriage.
The carriage tours are a great way to start your trip as they give you a great overview of the city and show you all the places you may want to check out on the rest of your trip.
DON’T
Waste money on a bus/driving tour. Look if you’re 70+ years old and can barely walk, then sure, a bus tour might be the way to go, but Charleston is one of the most walkable cities on the east coast and walking or biking (or golf cart, as preferred by locals) really is the way to see it.
It does get hot in Charleston, but the peninsula has a pleasant ocean breeze at all times, cooling temperatures to about 5 degrees less than the mainland. There are also endless air-conditioned bars and restaurants to duck into at any given time.
DO
Patriot’s Point, Fort Sumter
Patriot’s Point first of all is going to bring you over the incredible Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, which is a site to see in of itself. The bridge is a little under 3 miles long, the 3rd longest cable bridge in North America, and is a pretty incredible site. Even locals are still in awe every time they drive over it. There is also an awesome walking path over the entire thing, which is great for a run, stroll, or bike ride if you’re in the mood. Driving through it does the trick for me, though.
Second, Patriot’s Point often has events, music, etc. going on, which is awesome.
Third, the tour is awesome. They have a battleship tour and a submarine tour chock full of naval history. Charleston is a huge naval city being an important and strategically placed port city on the Atlantic Ocean.
Fort Sumter is a very well-known military history spot that is always first on every history buff’s list when they get into town. It is definitely worth the hype.
A large ferry with amazing views and cocktails takes you from downtown out to the island on which it’s located. They run every hour and you can only stay on the fort for an hour because there is only one ferry back and forth. The ferry itself is awesome. The ocean cools you off in the heat of the summer, you get to see the peninsula and surrounding areas from a different perspective. They also give you a lot of basic history on the loud speaker throughout the trip over and back, which is pretty neat.
Upon arrival, a park ranger and historian gives a brief overview of the history to the whole group and then you are free to wander the fort. There are historians stationed throughout the fort to answer questions.
My only complaint is that it’s a lot to pack into an hour.
DON’T
Don’t get me wrong, Fort Moultry is a an awesome place and gorgeous location. I recommend checking it out if you’re planning to do a beach day and do other things on Sullivan’s Island, but it isn’t worth the trip purely for the history and I definitely wouldn’t recommend paying for a tour. It’s a pretty small fort with nothing more than a few signs to read. It’s also insanely muddy most of the year being right on the beach. There really just isn’t much to see.
The coolest part of Fort Moultry is actually the material used in the original construction of the fort that actually helped to protect it in battle. The original fort was made from flimsy palm trees which obviously have not lasted 200 years, so the fort is not even in its original form.
Fort Moultry has a very interesting history but most of the tours in town will tell you the history without having to pay for a separate tour. It’s absolutely worth checking out the location, but don’t waste money on the tour and have something else planned in the area when you go see it.
Sullivan’s Island has amazing restaurants, gorgeous beaches, beautiful mansions and gorgeous marshes to kayak/paddleboard/boat. Learn more about the activities in Sullivan’s Island1 throughout the rest of this article.
DO
Boone Hall Plantation, Magnolia Plantation
Boone Hall is by far the most impressive plantation and gardens in the Charleston area. It’s a bit of a drive from the peninsula, but absolutely worth it. The scenery alone is enough to make the trip, with a perfectly preserved picturesque old-south driveway lined with a canopy of mossy Live Oak trees leading you into the plantation.
This is definitely a day trip. Once you are there, multiple activities are available to you. The main house tour is a must and gives you the history of the families that lived there and provides details about the incredible architecture.
While you wait for your tour, you can check out the old slave quarters. There are incredibly interesting history talks throughout the day and each house has an exhibit inside.
The Gullah Geechee presentation is an awesome addition to your day as well. It is given by a woman Gullah ancestry and she provides an equally entertaining and information-packed show demonstrating the rich history and culture of enslaved African Americans that worked on plantations before the Civil War.
Finally, the bus tour through the grounds is an amazing way to end the day. They drive you around the entirety of the massive gardens, farms, and trails at the plantation, giving you the history and an array of interesting facts and information along the way. There are gorgeous views every foot of the journey as well. So after a long day of touring, sit back and relax on the bus tour.
Fun facts: The plantation house was used in the filming of The Notebook and is also the site of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ wedding, among many other grand weddings. It really is gorgeous y’all.
Magnolia Plantation & Gardens is my second favorite plantation in the area. It is located off the beautiful Ashley River Road in the part of town known as West Ashley. Ashley River Road is a designated National Scenic Byway by the National Scenic Byway Association and is ranked in the top 50 most beautiful drives in the United States. So, needless to say, the drive to the plantation is awesome in of itself.
Magnolia Plantations have a very walkable but beautiful garden and an awesome and affordable history tour of the home, as well as a remarkable view of the Ashley River, which is the river in Charleston. Like, literally everything in town is named after it, including the people. It’s where West Ashley gets its name. The river flows out into the ocean separating the peninsula from West Ashley and it is a beautiful monster.
Aside from the history tour at the plantation, there is also a “natural zoo” located on the grounds which is actually one of the coolest things I’ve seen on a plantation. I will give more information about this later in the article.2
DON’T
Drayton Hall Plantation
Drayton Hall Plantation is probably the least impressive and interesting plantation in the area. My family and I wasted a day here and I’m trying to save you from the same fate. The grounds are pretty. That’s about it.
They do not have guided tours at all and have everyone walk around listening to essentially a (poor quality) podcast recording on their phones. This is incredibly annoying as when it is busy, groups come up behind you playing the recording at a different spot and no one can hear anything. It’s not great for hearing in general. Everyone has to listen from one phone’s speaker… unless I guess you each brought headphones and can individually listen and like… not interact or speak to each other the whole time. Paying good money for this was absurd to me.
The recording is over an hour long and drones on and on with very little actual history about the place itself. The history on the recording is more of a general overview of plantation and Civil-War-era US history, telling you to “imagine that this was what this room was used for” and you’re left wondering the entire time if they’re going to give you any information about the actual place you are in.
The house itself is also in a state of near dilapidation as apparently the owner refuses to let them update or fix anything from the original home (or rather its original state when she began ownership). It’s an empty house with no furniture or even wallpaper, and the owner won’t allow any modern amenities such as air conditioning, so in the winter it’s freezing cold and in the summer it’s unbearably hot. Not to mention, this makes the hour long podcast “tour” even more boring because there is literally nothing to look at the whole time.
Just don’t do it. There are far better plantation tours than this one.
DO
Adult Ghost Tour from Ghost City Tours
Ghost City Tours gives an adult-only ghost tour called “Death and Depravity” that is literally one of the best history tours I’ve been on in the city.
I know a ghost tour sounds silly and childish, but this really isn’t a ghost tour. It is a nighttime walking tour of the city about the darker history of Charleston. The guide gives real historical accounts of corruption, illegal activity and the interesting ways that some of the ghost stories came about in Charleston, SC.
It’s packed with history with a fun, spooky vibe.
DON’T
Any other ghost tour…
In my opinion, the other ghost tours are a bit of a waste of time and money. I could see how they might be fun for children, but honestly younger children might get scared and older children will undoubtedly think they’re cheesy and lame. They’re entertaining to watch but there’s no real history told and it ends up being more of a theatrical performance than anything else.
So if you’re into that, then try another ghost tour. I’ll admit I haven’t done every single one in the city, as there’s a pretty high volume, so you may very well discover one that’s amazing.
Those are all the history Dos and Don’ts to make the best of your trip to Charleston, SC. Plan a trip to the cutest little historical coastal town on the east coast, and check out my other Charleston travel tip articles to plan the rest of your trip! Charleston also has some of the best restaurants in the nation, beautiful beaches and other nature activities, a great music scene, and so much more! 3