Things to Do in Charleston

Top things to do in Charleston

  • Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park. Accessible only by ferry across Charleston Harbor, Fort Sumter is where the first shots of the Civil War were fired in April 1861. A narrated boat ride and ranger-led tours bring the weight of that moment vividly to life.
  • Rainbow Row. Thirteen pastel-painted Georgian row houses along East Bay Street form one of the most photographed streetscapes in the United States, dating to the 18th and 19th centuries. The candy-colored facades trace back to a 1931 restoration movement that sparked Charleston's historic preservation legacy.
  • International African American Museum. Opened in 2023 on the site of Gadsden's Wharf — where roughly 40 percent of all enslaved Africans brought to North America first set foot on American soil — this landmark museum explores African American history, culture, and legacy with extraordinary depth and care.
  • Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. One of the oldest plantations in the South, continuously operated since 1679, Magnolia offers more than six miles of walking trails, a 13-acre Audubon Swamp Garden on a scenic boardwalk, and daily tours that honestly reckon with the history of slavery on the property.
  • Historic Charleston City Market. Open since 1807 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the City Market stretches across four city blocks and is the place to watch Gullah Geechee artisans weave intricate sweetgrass baskets — a tradition brought from West Africa and passed down across generations.
  • The Battery and White Point Garden. At the southern tip of the peninsula, this five-acre public park hugs a Civil War-era seawall promenade lined with antebellum cannons, giant live oaks draped in Spanish moss, and unobstructed harbor views stretching all the way to Fort Sumter.
  • Aiken-Rhett House Museum. The most intact antebellum townhouse complex in the country, this circa-1820 mansion includes original slave quarters left in their evolved, unrestored state — a rare and sobering window into urban plantation life. The self-guided audio tour is managed by Historic Charleston Foundation.
  • Spoleto Festival USA. Founded in 1977, this world-class 17-day performing arts festival fills Charleston every late May and early June with more than 150 performances of opera, dance, theater, jazz, and classical music — transforming the entire city into an outdoor stage.

Top-rated tours & activities in Charleston

  • Charleston historical walking tour with a Professor of History at The CitadelCharleston historical walking tour with a Professor of History at The Citadel — 5.0★ (1,483 reviews)
  • Pirates of Charleston: Pirate Adventures and River cruisesPirates of Charleston: Pirate Adventures and River cruises — 5.0★ (350 reviews)
  • Folly Beach Dolphin Viewing Boat Excursion and Estuary TourFolly Beach Dolphin Viewing Boat Excursion and Estuary Tour — 5.0★ (190 reviews)
  • Private Tour! Capture the best of Charleston with a multi-location photoshoot.Private Tour! Capture the best of Charleston with a multi-location photoshoot. — 5.0★ (36 reviews)
  • Undiscovered Charleston: Half Day Food, Wine & History Tour with Cooking ClassUndiscovered Charleston: Half Day Food, Wine & History Tour with Cooking Class — 5.0★ (985 reviews)
  • Private Sailing Charter with Captain, BYOBPrivate Sailing Charter with Captain, BYOB — 5.0★ (87 reviews)
  • Folly Beach Eco Boat Excursion and Morris Island Drop OffFolly Beach Eco Boat Excursion and Morris Island Drop Off — 5.0★ (60 reviews)
  • Charleston Nightmares and Nightcaps Ghost Walking TourCharleston Nightmares and Nightcaps Ghost Walking Tour — 5.0★ (18 reviews)