The city of Charleston is full of history and hospitality! Stand on the grounds where the Civil War began. Get an up-close look at the first military submarine. Step onto the flight deck of a WWII aircraft carrier. Her military roots run deep and she has made it a point to preserve and share treasured artifacts from the armed forces. Use this page to find out what all there is available for you to do when your reunion takes place in Charleston SC!
Historic Boone Hall Plantation was used in the filming of the television mini-series “North and South.” It was the background setting for parts of “Gone With the Wind.” You can watch the ladies make their sweetgrass baskets, in addition to touring the lovely Georgian-style plantation.
What is today Charleston's City Hall, on the N.E. Corner, was erected in
1801 in Adamesque style to be the Charleston branch of the First Bank of
the United States. In 1818, the City purchased the building to be used
as City Hall. Throughout its many years, the structure has successfully
endured earthquake, hurricane, tornado and civil war shelling.
The Council Chamber within City Hall has the distinction of being the
second oldest Chamber in continuous use in the United States.
Through the years, the City has acquired many beautiful
paintings, busts and objects of art which have some special connection
with Charleston. Among the paintings is John Trumbull's famous portrait
of Georqe Washington and the rear end of a horse, commissioned by City
Council after the President's 1791 visit. The sword
presented to General Beauregard by the Ladies of New Orleans in
recognition of his capture of Ft. Sumter was bequeathed to the city and
is on display. It rests beneath the General's 1861 Portrait.
A bust of James L. Petigru is on display. Petigru was a
determined unionist who declared, "South Carolina was too small to be a
sovereign nation and too large for an insane asylum" in 1861 during the
Secession Convention. Despite his unionist views, the city honored him
with a bust after his death and he was very highly regarded. The
bulge in the iron railing of the balcony was designed to accommodate
hoop skirts.
During his 1863 visit to the City, Jefferson Davis
spoke to the people of Charleston from the front steps of City Hall. He
assured the people of Charleston that the South would fight until there
was nothing but ruins for they North to capture. The crowd chanted,
"Ruins! Ruins!" in response.
Drayton Hall is the only plantation house on the Ashley River to survive the Revolutionary and Civil Wars intact. After seven generations, two great wars, and numerous hurricanes and earthquakes, the main house of this National Historic Landmark remains in nearly original condition. The entire site serves as an eloquent testimony to America's heritage.
Drayton Hall is an accredited museum, although certainly not a typical one. The Drayton Hall encounter is more than an average southern plantation visit. Tour guides are professionals -- many with advanced degrees -- who enlighten visitors about the dynamics affecting Drayton Hall over time. "Connections: Africans, Americans, and Europeans," details the lives of African Americans -- before and after slavery -- who lived and worked at Drayton Hall and other Drayton properties and how they developed a special culture from the 18th to the 20th centuries.
Some of you may recall this is the fort that the Yankees secretly, and by night, reinforced. This overt action forced the Confederates to make a pre-emptive strike which marked the beginning of what some historians have called the “Civil War.” In Charleston it is known as the “War of Northern Aggression.” Once at the Fort, a ranger from the National Park Service will give you an informative introduction before you tour this famous bastion and its marvelous museum.
Leisurely ride through narrow streets and alleyways past carefully
restored 18th and 19th century homes and buildings. Your guide will
relate three hundred years of history to the accompaniment of horse’s
hooves clopping along the pavement. Taking a carriage tour
provides you with a leisurely journey, which allows you to relax and
enjoy all that you will discover and much more. These carriage tours are
a perfect way for you to experience an interesting tour that comes
complete with a guide who informs you about the many great sights that
you will see during your ride.
Besides offering the oldest major public garden in America, it is also America’s oldest man-made attraction, having been open to the public annually since the late 1860s. Considered by many experts to be "the most beautiful garden in the world" for over a century, its reputation today is enhanced by the fact that, from a purely springtime garden, it is now planted to offer the maximum color possible during every season.
Nature trains provide a 45-minute, 4-mile narrated ride via tram through the wildlife refuge outskirts of the Plantation’s 500 acres, noting the flora, fauna, and history. Several distinct gardens grace the grounds of Magnolia Plantation, including the Biblical Garden, Barbados Tropical Garden and a Horticultural Maze. Also accessed from Magnolia Plantation is the Audubon Swamp Garden (see below)
It is our goal to make history fun and entertaining for our visitors. Young and old alike seem drawn to the Provost Dungeon. Our experienced docents will lead you through its eerie confines, and our animatronic storytellers--the Deputy Collector, Mister Mate and Tom the Stockman--will entertain you with wonderful tales of pirates and patriots. You’ll be having so much fun, you may not want to leave!
By 1751, St. Philip’s had again proved too small for the increasing population, and another church as authorized by the General Assembly of the Province, to be built on the old site and to be known as St. Michael’s. The cornerstone was laid in 1752 and in 1761 the church was opened for services. Except for the addition of the sacristy in 1883 on the southeast corner, the structure of the building has been little changed.The large, long double-pew in the center of the church, No. 43, originally known as “The Governor’s Pew,” is the one in which President George Washington worshipped on Sunday afternoon, May 8, 1791. General Robert E. Lee also worshipped in the pew some seventy years later. The pews, of native cedar, are very much the same as they have always been except for the addition of ten, filling up what was once an aisle from the south door to a north door.
The pulpit is the original one, remarkable for its height and the massive sounding board supported by two Corinthian columns. Its prominence bears out the fact that at the time the Church was built, the center of interest in the service was the sermon, conflicting with the central place planned for the altar. The panel with the ΙΗΣ was taken as war booty following the War Between the States and then later voluntarily returned and replaced.
The clock and ring of eight bells were imported from England in 1764. The clock originally had only an hour hand for each face. In 1849, City Council asked permission to add a minute hand, which was granted. The Ainsworth-Thwaites clock was restored by Smith of Derby, London, England, in 1993. It is thought to be the oldest functioning colonial tower clock in the country.
Patriot's Point
is the world’s
largest Naval Maritime Museum. Tour the famous WW II aircraft carrier
USS YORKTOWN, visit Medal of Honor Museum on board. Also tour the
destroyer USS LAFFEY, a participant in the Normandy landings, the
submarine USS CLAMAGORE, and the Coast Guard Cutter Ingham. There is
also a model of a Navy Base like those used by Naval personnel in
Vietnam. Patriot's Point is also home to the Congressional Medal
of Honor Museum.
The Citadel had outgrown its campus on Marion Square, despite numerous building additions, and could accommodate only 325 students. In 1918, the City of Charleston gave the State of South Carolina one hundred seventy six acres on the banks of the Ashley River for a new campus. In 1922 the college moved to its current location.
Today, the picturesque campus contains
twenty-four major buildings. There is an enrollment of approximately
1,900 cadets and nineteen degree programs are offered. Women were
admitted into the Corps of Cadets in 1996.
Visitors to the campus can taking a riding tour around
the grounds, visit the Citadel Chapel, visit the Citadel Museum, see the
parade grounds, and much more.
The colony had to quickly establish homes, food and defenses to survive and create a successful colony. The Crop Garden, Fortified Area and the ADVENTURE ship will help to explain how this colony operated, lived and survived. The living History Department of Charles Towne landing helps our guests relate to the history of the original Charles Towne settlement from over 330 years ago. Our staff interpret, interact and enlighten our visitors to the way of life of the colonist from 1670 Charles Towne.
You can also visit Charles Towne Landing's natural habitat zoo. It is home to many species of animals that lived in South Carolina at the time of European settlement in 1670. Many of the species in the zoo continue to exist in South Carolina today. However, some species that you will encounter have vanished from South Carolina. Their presence in the zoo serves as a reminder of an important part of our natural heritage.
The H.L. Hunley submarine in the Warren Lasch
Conservation Center. The sub is resting in its support
slings in a 55,000-gallon treatment tank.
Eight men, led by Lt. George Dixon, entered an experimental vessel that was to become the first successful submarine in world history, with a mission to sink an enemy ship, the USS Housatonic. That night, the Hunley rammed her spar torpedo into the hull of the Housatonic. She then surfaced long enough for her crew to signal their comrades on the shore of Sullivan’s Island with a blue magnesium light,(or lantern) indicating a successful mission. The shore crew stoked their signal fires and anxiously awaited the Hunley's safe return. But minutes after her historic achievement, the Hunley and all hands onboard vanished into the sea without a trace.
That night history was made. At the same moment, a mystery was born. The Hunley became the first submarine ever to sink an enemy ship, a feat as important as the first airplane flown by the Wright brothers. But why had she suddenly disappeared? What caused her to sink? And would she ever be found?
Since the end of the War Between the States, explorers and treasure seekers have scoured the sea around the site of the fallen Housatonic, hoping to discover the Hunley and her crew. Early in the Twentieth Century, a reward of $100,000 was even offered by the great showman, P.T. Barnum to encourage mercenaries to find the lost vessel. But as the years passed by, the story of the Hunley remained shrouded in mystery with her secrets hidden and her resting place unknown for well over a century.
Once the H.L. Hunley was raised from her watery grave on August 8,
2000, she was immediately transported to the Warren Lasch Conservation
Center. As soon as the H.L. Hunley arrived at the Conservation Center,
she was placed in a large steel tank filled with 55,000 gallons of
chilled fresh water. This was done to minimize bacteria and corrosion
activity, to protect and stabilize the waterlogged submarine, and to
begin the process of desalination. Shortly thereafter, preparations for
the excavation of the interior of the hull could begin. Here, the
mysteries of how and why she met her tragic fate will be revealed and
the entire vessel will be conserved for posterity, as part of a
permanent museum display.
The H.L. Hunley is unique in that she is essentially a time capsule,
holding all the contents she held the night she sunk over a century ago
during one of the most famous naval battles of all time. The excavation
and analysis of the H.L. Hunley continues to provide many clues for
archaeologists, conservators, anthropologists, and historians as they
seek to understand the events that led to the loss of the H.L. Hunley
and her crew, events that also led to the dawn of the modern era in
submarine technology.
You’ll join our
naturalist aboard the catamaran, Palmetto, as he discusses the abundant
wildlife in the Charleston harbor. Come with us as we get a close up
view of shore birds and wading birds in their natural habitat. Some of
the birds we may see are Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, Eastern Brown
Pelicans, and Least Terns. Dolphins are often seen at play as they
grace us with their
presence.
During the course of the tour we will take a walk on the beach at Morris
Island where shells abound. This tour can also be expanded into a
evening meal.
Oyster Roast or Crab Boil on Morris
Island
Instead of just a brief stop on the island
for some shelling, you could chose to enjoy an authentic Oyster Roast,
Crab Boil, or Frogmore Stew. These take place on an uninhabited island
near the Morris Island Lighthouse. The festivities begin after boarding
the 50ft Catamaran Palmetto with a cruise through the harbor accompanied
by beer/wine and light hors d'oeuvres. Your party will ultimately arrive
at Morris Island where the Palmetto is beached and you step out onto the
sand. This is where yous indulge in a true Lowcountry experience - the
Oyster Roast, Crab Boil, or Frogmore Stew. If the timing is right,
your return harbor cruise can take place with the sun's setting. You
will be sure to enjoy the breathtaking views of Charleston's
sunset-silhouetted steeples.