Are you searching for the Best Places to Visit in South Carolina? Are you thinking of a trip to the South and wondering what to explore in South Carolina? We’ve got you covered.
The beautiful State of South Carolina borders Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and the Atlantic Ocean. You’ll discover beautiful beaches, national forests, bustling cities, charming villages, and lots of Southern beauty within its borders.
Coastline destinations are a top choice for many tourists. However, South Carolina is also a paradise for nature lovers. When you are planning your vacation to South Carolina, Palmetto State, be sure to look over this list of top destinations to explore to visit in South Carolina:
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Columbia
Columbia is one of the best places to visit in South Carolina. Many visitors stop to discover Columbia as the capital city of South Carolina and its largest city.
The two main attractions to Columbia are Fort Jackson, an Army base, which is known as Fort Jackson, and the sprawling campus of the University of South Carolina.
If you’re looking for the history and architecture that dates back to the Civil War, then check out the Hampton-Preston Mansion and Gardens. The mansion was constructed in 1818. This architectural masterpiece is gorgeous, and it is possible to visit the interior to observe the original furnishings.
If you’re looking to purchase some items to take home, Five Points is an incredible shopping destination in Columbia filled with shops of the independent kind and boutiques.
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South Carolina State Museum
The South Carolina State Museum is located within the Columbia Mills Building in downtown Columbia which was the first electronic mill for textiles.
It’s a cutting-edge location filled with exhibits and showcases about natural history, art sciences, culture, contemporary lifestyles, and the latest technology in the region; it opened in 1988. It’s also the largest museum in the state which is fitting due to its name. It still has many of the original features of the textile mill.
This museum has four floors of exhibits, which showcase temporary and permanent exhibits. Four types of exhibits permit viewers to look at replicas, artifacts, and local art: natural history, culture, art, science, and technology.
Among the most enjoyable and well-known exhibits are the megalodon shark sculpture, life-size replicas of the Best Friend of Charleston, and the very first built entirely by an American locomotive.
Temporary exhibits are also themed to the state with pop culture exhibits. Modern exhibit designs allow displays to be equipped with interactive multimedia or other information. Additionally, there is an immersive theater equipped with air blasts, vibrating seats, and leg ticklers.
An observatory, a bookstore, a digital dome planetarium, and a shop for gifts are just a few of the additions to the myriad of ways to take advantage of one of the most popular South Carolina attractions!
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Charleston Historic District
If you’re searching for holiday destinations in South Carolina, the Charleston Historic District is a great location to begin. It’s so named because it is one of the city’s first established districts, yet it’s still among the most populated districts today!
More than 1400 structures, including churches and “single house” homes dating back to the 18th or 19th centuries, comprise the entire area.
The vibe is incredibly at ease, and something enchanting about the antebellum era whimsy persists.
As a National Historic Landmark, the neighborhood is full of attractions that comprise many of the most important attractions to see in South Carolina.
A carriage ride will take visitors around and lead them to the top tourist spots while providing information about the city’s history. Walking streets make it easy to explore. This is very beneficial as there’s plenty to do that it’ll fill the entire weekend!
The most notable historic structures to visit within the Charleston Historic District are the 1808 Nathaniel Russell House, St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, the Cathedral of St. Luke, and St. Paul, the Charleston County Courthouse, the Old Exchange Building, and the Aiken-Rhett House.
You can also stroll around Meeting Street and Broad Street along with King Street to enjoy a combination of historical and contemporary but charming food and retail stores.
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South Carolina Plantation Gardens
A large portion of the state’s more than 2,000 plantations are open to the public, and the ones located around Charleston are particularly praised for their beautiful gardens. Magnolia Plantation is one of America’s oldest open-access gardens.
They were established in the early 1700s and first opened to the public in 1870. They’re unique in that they’re America’s most grand romantic-style garden. Middleton Place sits over America’s oldest gardens. The home is completely furnished in its traditional style.
Boone Hall Plantation, located near Mt. Pleasant, is among the oldest plantations in America that are still functioning farms. It’s best recognized for its beautiful three-quarter-mile Avenue of Oaks. It is possible to see a glimpse of the 18th century’s original artistry in the decorative design inside Drayton Hall, the oldest undisturbed plantation home in America accessible for tours.
In addition to displaying how family members of the owners lived, the plantations also have exhibits, tours, programs, and tours about the lives of enslaved people that made this plantation life possible in the 18th, 17th, and 19th centuries.
Tours with guides of Middleton Place feature discussions that don’t just solely on the Middleton family but also about the freedmen and enslaved persons who were their servants. Current archaeological research in Drayton Hall continues to recover artifacts that offer insight into the lives of these people who did not document.
The Magnolia Cabin Project preserves former slave homes that are the center of an hour-long program about African-American history. It focuses on not just the lives of enslaved people and their subsequent contribution to maintaining and protecting the estate’s beautiful gardens.
Boone Hall features a live presentation of the distinctive Gullah culture that enslaved Africans developed. The people who descend from the Gullah people share the history of the Gullah culture through storytelling and songs.
Hilton Head Island
Hilton Head Island is one of the best places to visit in South Carolina. Although Hilton Head Island doesn’t have the extravagant stage shows of The Grand Strand in Myrtle Beach, This beach town in the low country is a great place to relax and enjoy the peace of crowds.
There are many activities to enjoy in this town with excellent shopping, dining out, and golf courses, as well as the stunning beaches that are wide and sand-like. One of the most popular spots within South Carolina for bicycling, Hilton Head has miles of smooth, well-marked trails with stunning scenery and signs to highlight essential landmarks and interesting facts.
It is possible to ride along the beach at low tide because most bicycle rental firms now provide bikes with wide tires that can handle well on the hard, packed sand.
In certain areas, especially on the shores of the Intracoastal Waterway, you might be fortunate enough to see an opportunity to see dolphins swimming in the surf just far away. Wildlife enthusiasts can also see unique and widespread wildlife and marine life up close in this Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge.
Be sure to go to the Sea Pines Resort area on the island’s south side. Fascinating is Harbour Town, notable for its lighthouse and marina. Make sure you pay the small admission fee. It’s worth it for the stunning water views over Dafuskie Island.
Huntington Beach State Park
If you’re searching for fun activities throughout South Carolina that involve nature and the amazing outdoors, then look at Huntington Beach State Park.
It is a stunning coastline natural preserve known for its bird watching and bird-watching destination. It extends over three miles of land area and is home to many nature-related programs. More than 300 birds can be found on Huntington Beach State Park grounds.
There’s also a freshwater lake in which you can see alligators, programs that allow you to meet endangered species such as turtles with loggerheads, and a Nature Center that showcases live animals and provides historical details.
You could even go out along the trails to look at the rare local flora! If nature-based attractions aren’t your thing, you can still experience a fascinating aspect of South Carolina’s past by exploring the Atalaya Castle. In this location, the Huntingtons themselves resided.
The Atalaya Visitor Center is home to fascinating exhibits. The “castle” home is available for visitors to explore and relive. Also, the beach area is ideal for rest and rest!
Greenville
Although the state of South Carolina has a historic traditionalism, Greenville is an innovative, contemporary alternative. Greenville is frequently described as the melting point that is the fusion of South Carolina’s Old South and the New South. It also is home to a diverse and vibrant cultural landscape.
During your time in Greenville, you can tour your options at the Greenville County Museum of Art or see a touring Broadway production at the Peace Center Theater. Do not leave without taking the time to explore Falls Park in the heart of the Reedy, beautiful park in the city.
It is home to an impressive waterfall. This park truly is the center of Greenville and was the place where the city was born itself.
Beaufort
Beaufort is one of the best places to visit in South Carolina. Beaufort, a beach town Beaufort is located on the Intra-Coastal Waterway, and its history dates from the Spanish exploration in the 16th century in the beginning. At present, Beaufort is known for its architectural heritage and Southern appeal.
An excellent place to start is Beaufort History Museum. Beaufort History Museum, or you can see what an antebellum-era mansion could have looked like through an excursion through the John Mark Verdier House. Explore the Beaufort Historic District to admire more of the town’s architectural beauty, and then go to one of the many charming cafes to sip a cup of tea sweet to cool off.
Myrtle Beach
Over 14 million people visit Myrtle Beach annually, and it is not difficult to understand why. The famous beach destination boasts stunning beaches, clear blue waters, and bright white sand. Sunset and sunrise offer stunning images that are hard to duplicate.
What truly makes Myrtle Beach apart is that it offers a variety of major attractions close to the Beach. The mini golf course, Ripley’s Aquarium, and numerous dinner theater performances offer fun in the sunshine. In the evening, the most popular spot to visit is Broadway at the Beach, the vast array of bars and eateries that will always have things to do.
Middleton Place
Middleton Place is one of the best places to visit in South Carolina. Middleton Place is one of the most gardens in the United States, so it’s not surprising that it’s among the best ten spots in South Carolina.
An old plantation was established in 1755 and offered a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the 18th and 19th centuries in these 65 acres of gorgeous gardens.
Middleton Place is also a National Historic Landmark, though only one of the mansion’s original structures remains. This area is filled with some of the original real furniture and is a sort of museum that you can explore.
Portraits, porcelain, and other rare items make the fascinating find. The gardens are designed in the traditional French style and are filled with magnolias, camellias, Azaleas, and many other beautiful flowers.
Car tours are offered to take you around the beautiful estate. It is also possible to visit the Plantation Stableyards, where you can see breeders of the past, as well as The Middle Place Restaurant, which serves delicious food.
Conclusion
All destinations are awesome! According to my opinion, Columbia is the best to start. I hope you have enjoyed our list about Best Places to Visit in South Carolina.
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