Charleston’s attractiveness is clear, since it is consistently ranked a top travel destination. Visitors come for the Lowcountry cuisine and fresh seafood, as well as the city’s historic beauty and the sun-drenched Atlantic beaches. Charleston’s strategic location on the point of a peninsula, as well as its large harbor, made it a vital port city for the country and a logistical bastion during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Fortunately, much of Charleston’s rich and varied history has been preserved for today’s travelers.
Historic Homes
Take in the gorgeous architecture of Charleston’s historic homes, such as the downtown Joseph Manigault House, whose preservation prompted the formation of the Preservation Society of Charleston, the country’s oldest community-based preservation organization. Many similar homes in the historic district south of Broad Street are open to the public for tours. In the Historic District, you’ll find a variety of Charleston apartments. Swimming pools and Wi-Fi are among the best amenities for spending time with the people who matter most in an apartment.
Southern Plantations
Southern plantations with spectacular vistas and Lowcountry flora and animals can be found not far from the city. Programs and exhibitions at estates such as Magnolia Plantation, Middleton Place, and Boone Hall Plantation provide insight into life for both rich families and enslaved Africans who suffered the brunt of Charleston’s economic prosperity.
The City Market
Stop through the Charleston City Market to round out your history tour. In the late 1700s, farms and plantations sold food and beef from the Greek revival-style edifice. Local artists and craft workers, including Gullah Sweetgrass basket weavers, are among the sellers today. A stroll around the quaint market is a must-do on every trip to Charleston. The charm of modern-day Charleston stems from its historic past, yet there are hundreds of years of history beckoning you to plan your own expedition down every cobblestone street.
Walking Tour
Charleston’s carriage excursions and ghost tours are popular, but smaller groups on more concentrated, topic-specific tours allow history buffs to ask comprehensive questions. When guests wish to delve deeper into a topic, the city’s many qualified guides are delighted. Broad Street Biz offers an eye-opening tour of the huge earthquake that devastated the city on August 31, 1886, and Bulldog Tours gives visitors entrance to the Old City Jail, a creepy 215-year-old structure tucked away in the Harleston Village district. You can try to escape it, but the candy-colored houses on Rainbow Row, the cannons at the Battery, the church graveyards, and the moss-covered walls of the College of Charleston all bear witness to Charleston’s history. Even those who are just passing through for a few days can’t help but be captivated by the stories that have built this amazing and historic city.