Take a trip to South Carolina and you will soon discover the meaning of southern hospitality. If the South Carolina Upcountry, with its scenic mountains and forest habitat - or the South Carolina Coast, shouldering the Atlantic Ocean and boasting some of the freshest fish in the country, doesn't bring you back to South Carolina then the people and the atmosphere surely will. Columbia, the capital of South Carolina, is situated in the South Carolina Heartland and is an industrial powerhouse of the state that maintains a hometown air. A city preserved in time, Charleston is located near the South Carolina Coast and is the epitome of charm, complete with narrow, cobbled streets. Another coastal city, Myrtle Beach is a part of the Grand Strand and is a haven for golfers, swimmers and other recreational enthusiasts.

ATTRACTIONS

Capital City & Lake Murray   Historic Charleston   Lowcountry & Resort Islands   Myrtle Beach & the Grand Strand   Old 96 District

Olde English District   Pee Dee Country   Santee Cooper Country   The Upcountry   Thoroughbred Country   National Parks

Capital City & Lake Murray

Frankie's Fun Park - Frankie's fun pare is a 14-acre family oriented amusement center. Attractions include three go-cart tracks, bumper boats, batting cages, three 18-hole mini-golf courses, laser tag, an arcade and a pizza restaurant!

Koger Center for the Arts - Located on the campus of the University of South Carolina, the Koger Center for the Arts features performances of music, theater, dance and other performing arts.

Carter and Holmes Orchids - At Carter and Holmes Orchids, you can tour 18 greenhouses and enjoy 93,000 square feet of tropical beauty. Carter and Holmes Orchids is one of the largest orchid nurseries in the world!

Newberry Opera House - Built in 1881 at a cost of $30,000 the Newberry Opera House has served as the City Centerpiece for 118 years. The structure recently underwent a $5.5 million Renovation which restored it to its' Historic Splendor and converted it to a State of the Art Performance facility.

Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site - After the siege of Charleston, Lord Charles Cornwallis and 2,500 British soldiers marched to Camden and set up supply headquarters. For the next 11 months the town was occupied. Guided and self-guided tours take in the Colonial and Revolutionary eras on the 98-acre site. Guided and self-guided tours are available.

McKissick Museum - McKissick Museum's collections in material culture, natural science, and decorative and fine arts support its mission of documentation and education relating to the cultural heritage and natural environment of South Carolina and the Southeast.

South Carolina State Museum - Housed in the historic 1893 Columbia Mill textile building, the South Carolina State Museum tells the story of South Carolina through many exhibits and programs. Visitors can enjoy art, cultural history, natural history, science and technology exhibits.

Riverbanks Zoo & Botanical Garden - More than 2,000 animals are housed in natural habitat exhibits that use psychological barriers such as moats, water, and light to create an environment free of bars and cages for animals. A seventy-acre Botanical Garden provides visitors with an opportunity to experience both native and exotic plant exhibits.

Columbia Museum of Art - South Carolina's largest fine art museum emphasizes a broad spectrum of European and American fine and decorative art dating from the 14th century to the present in their permanent collection.  

Historic Charleston

Boone Hall Plantation - Visitors can catch a glimpse of a way of life that is only a memory of a time when the South lived by agriculture alone, and the great plantations were the back-bone of the agrarian economy. Today the plantation thrives, producing commercial crops, serving as the backdrop for major motion pictures, and sponsoring events that entertain and benefit visitors and residents of the area.

South Carolina Aquarium - From coastal saltmarshes, Piedmont rivers, and rushing mountain streams to the still depths of the Atlantic Ocean, explore South Carolina's fascinatingly diverse aquatic habitats and get to know the five thousand magical creatures--from colorful song birds to mysterious sharks; graceful rays to playful otters--that live in them.

Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum - Located on historic Charleston Harbor, Patriots Point is home to USS YORKTOWN (CV-10), the Fighting Lady. The first USS YORKTOWN (CV-5) sank at the battle of Midway on June 7, 1942. Onboard the decks of this famous World War II aircraft carrier, you can relive a momentous time in America's history.

Nathaniel Russell House - Completed in 1808, the townhouse of Nathaniel and Sarah Russell is recognized as one of America's most important neoclassical dwellings. Set amid spacious gardens, the house contains graceful interiors with elaborate plasterwork ornamentation, geometrically shaped rooms and a magnificent free-flying staircase. Furnished with period antiques and works of art.

Middleton Place - Middleton Place is a National Historic Landmark and a carefully preserved 18th-century plantation that has survived revolution, Civil War, and earthquake. It was the home of many generations of Middletons. Middleton Place encompasses the Gardens, the House Museum, and the Plantation Stableyards.

Charelston County Parks - The Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission will improve the quality of life in Charleston County by offering a diverse system of park facilities, programs, and services. The county's park system presently includes over 4,586 acres with emphasis on passive activities, the environment, and beach access.

Audubon Swamp Garden - The Audubon Swamp Garden rises from 60 acres of black water in a cypress and tupelo swamp on Magnolia Plantation. Its eerie beauty is home to scores of water-loving creatures: bird, mammal and reptile..yes, including alligators! Its natural horticultural beauty has been enhanced by hundreds of species of colorful, year-round blooming plants, both local and exotic.

Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon - The Royal Exchange and Custom House was completed in 1771 during Charles Town’s Golden Age. The building quickly became the commercial, political and social center of the most prosperous of Britain’s thirteen American colonies. The Provost Dungeon was used as a prison by the British during the Revolution.

Drayton Hall - Completed in 1742, the historic plantation house stands majestically on a 630-acre site and is one of the finest examples or Georgian-Palladian architecture in America. Through seven generations of Drayton family ownership, the plantation house has remained in nearly original condition and offers an opportunity to experience history.

Charleston Museum - America's first museum, The Charleston Museum was founded in 1773. The Museum preserves and interprets the cultural and natural history of Charleston and the South Carolina coastal region. Objects of historic, archaeological, scientific and ethnological interest illustrate the importance of this area.

Avery Research Center - The Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture is located on the site of the former Avery Normal Institute. Founded in 1865, the Avery Normal Institute was a nationally-recognized African-American educational institution that trained young adults in professional careers and leaderships roles for nearly 100 years.

Charleston IMAX® Theatre - The 422-seat Charleston IMAX Theatre features films that entertain, enlighten and inspire with images of unsurpassed size, enhanced by a superb specially designed 12,000 watt sound system projected onto a five-story high and 77 feet-wide screen.

Carolina Ice Palace - South Carolina's Ultimate Family Entertainment Complex, the Carolina Ice Palace was designed to be a year-round family playground for recreational skating, league hockey, figure skating, extreme sports, virtual reality and video games. Inside you will find 100,000 square feet of excitement packed into every inch of the state-of-the-art facility!

Gibbes Museum of Art - Built in 1905, the Gibbes Museum of Art represents a long and impressive tradition of cultural leadership in historic Charleston, providing residents and visitors access to a distinguished collection and an active, year-round schedule of exciting exhibitions, programs and events.

Lowcountry & Resort Islands  

Hardeeville Motor Speedway - The Hardeeville Motor Speedway is a state-of-the-art facility that includes a 1/3-mile high-banked D-shaped asphalt oval (12 degrees in the turns) with a 1/5 mile flat track inside. Located just three miles SE of I-95 (exit 5 in South Carolina) on Highway 17 or ten miles north of Savannah, Georgia, on Highway 17, this facility is easily accessible from anywhere.

South Carolina Artisans Center - The South Carolina Artisans Center is the state’s official folk art and craft center. All work is handmade and all artists live and work in South Carolina. The mission of the South Carolina Artisans Center is to interpret, market, preserve and perpetuate the folk art and fine craftsmanship of South Carolina and create a better understanding of our rich and diverse cultural heritage.  334 Wichman ST, Walterboro.  (843) 549-0011.

Myrtle Beach & the Grand Strand  

Historic Seaport of Georgetown - Your visit to Georgetown will be rewarded with fascinating waterfront history, fun shopping, terrific restaurants on-the-water, art galleries, beautiful historic homes, museums, antique shops, historic walks past ancient live oaks, visits to nearby plantations, beaches, fishing, the HarborWalk Festival, and other low country activities.

Family Kingdom Amusement Park - Family Kingdom Park has the largest wooden roller coaster and Ferris wheel in the whole state of South Carolina! In addition it also has a waterpark and ocean watersports that includes parasailing and more!

Alligator Adventure - Alligator Adventure, the world's largest reptile park, occupies over 20 acres of wetland habitat. A series of boardwalks connect numerous exhibits that house a wide variety of reptiles. See rare white Albino American alligators, dwarf crocodiles, giant snakes, and other species of exotic wildlife. Live shows and demonstrations add to the educational experience.

Broadway at the Beach - Broadway at the Beach features hundreds of unique specialty shops, unlimited attractions...even a 23-acre freshwater lake right in the center of it all. Broadway at the Beach offers an enticing collection of activities and attractions that are always fun, always festive, always entertaining!

Brookgreen Gardens - Brookgreen is the country's first and largest sculpture garden where some 550 works of American figurative sculpture are displayed throughout one of the most beautiful public gardens in the Southeast. In addition, there's a wildlife trail to delight the children as well as historical and cultural exhibits that reveal the distinctive life and land of Lowcountry Carolina.

Children's Museum of South Carolina - The Children's Museum of South Carolina serves the state and local community, as well as visitors to the Grand Strand area by presenting interactive exhibits and programs in an environment where visitors can 'Touch, Explore, and Play' while learning about their world.

Dixie Stampede Dinner Show - Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede Dinner & Show is a place where you'll feast on a mouth watering four-course meal while witnessing a spectacular 32-horse show themed in a friendly North/South rivalry.

Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum - Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum features 14 galleries of over 500 exhibits collected by founder Robert Ripley during his worldly travels.

Myrtle Beach Pavilion - Over 40 thrilling rides, games, shops, snack bars and an on-site restaurant all packed into 11 acres!

Rice Museum - The Story of the rice culture in Georgetown County --one of the most colorful chapters in the history of American agriculture -- has been captured at The Rice Museum. Through maps, dioramas, artifacts, and other exhibits, visitors to the Museum gain a knowledge and understanding of a society based on one crop.

NASCAR SpeedPark - As an official licensee by NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), NASCAR SpeedPark is a pure NASCAR entertainment facility designed to bridge the gap between go-kart family entertainment venues and the professional NASCAR circuit. NASCAR SpeedPark is an interactive fan attraction that puts the fan in the driver's seat.

Horry County Museum - Housed in a converted Post Office adjacent to the Historic District of downtown Conway, the museum contains exhibits pertaining to the prehistory, natural history and history of Horry County. The museum offers a variety of programs on site and as outreach for people of all ages.

Alabama Theatre - This award winning show, a production of Alabama, showcases high-energy choreography, sophisticated music, side-splitting comedy, glitzy costumes and electrifying special effects.

Medieval Times - Journey back into the 11th century as soon as you enter the castle. Enjoy a delicious feast served medieval style, while cheering for daring knights on horseback who compete in medieval games and jousting matches.

Ice Castle Theatre - The theatre's ice skating format features exciting shows, such as Footloose on Ice, Halloween on Ice and Christmas on Ice. The theatre showcases many professional Ice Skaters and is home to Olympic Medallist Nancy Kerrigan.

IMAX® Discovery Theater - IMAX Discovery Theater offers gigantic screen, six stories tall by eight stories wide, with unique stadium seating, and 12,000-watt digital surround sound.

Ripley's Aquarium - Enjoy the 330-ft. moving glide path through the world's longest underwater tunnel filled with 11-ft. sharks and thousands of colorful fish. Pet a ray or hold a horseshoe crab in an up-close encounter. The aquarium also offers hourly dive shows and classroom presentations.

Waccatee Zoo - Waccatee Zoological Farm is located within 500 acres of private, carefully preserved, wooded property. Along winding trails, beneath shady trees you'll find over 100 species of animals, all treated like family.

Old 96 District

Abbeville Opera House - Abbeville Opera House presents live theater as the cultural hub of Abbeville and the Upstate Region of South Carolina. The Opera House also houses a community theater Winter Season and a repertory theater company each year.

The Museum - The Museum is a general museum with collections in cultural history, natural history, technology, and the arts, with particular emphasis on Greenwood County and the surrounding region.

Emerald Farm - Working dairy farms offers a chance for hands on Experience - educational walk through the herb garden. Visit the Soap Factory and Gift Shop where all natural Saanon goat milksoap and body products are made. Stroll through the Train and Hobby Shop, get a glimpse of the trains running in the Model Railroad clubhouse. Picnic or just rest a while in the pavilion.

Olde English District  

Rock Hill Arts Council - The purpose of the Arts Council of Rock Hill and York County is to foster the growth of arts in Rock Hill and surrounding communities by promoting arts awareness and providing arts management assistance. The Center for the Arts is housed in two restored 100-year-old buildings. The Dalton Gallery exhibitions change on a eight-week basis.

Historic Brattonsville - In this 720-acre natural area you can discover the beauty and diversity of the Carolina Piedmont. Wander along eight miles of trails exploring forest, wetland, and prairie, each with its distinctive plants and wildlife. You'll receive insight into early American history at the site of the Battle of Huck's Defeat. You'll also find other historic landmarks dating back to the 1770s.

Museum of York County - The Museum features interdisciplinary programs and exhibitions based on art, anthropology, history, and natural history collections. Permanent exhibitions include the Stans African Halls, one of the nation's most comprehensive exhibitions of African animals in natural habitat dioramas, complemented by African cultural artifacts.

Paramount's Carowinds - Paramount's Carowinds is a 100-acre water and theme park that straddles the North Carolina-South Carolina state line. The park offers more than 50 state-of-the-art rides, shows and movie-themed experiences for all ages.

South Carolina Railroad Museum - Railroad memorabilia and equipment on display. Periodic tours and train rides are offered along a 3.5 mi. line through Fairfield County.

Pee Dee Country  

Dooley Planetarium - The Dooley Planetarium at Francis Marion University features a Spitz model 512 projector with 2354 stars. The dome is 33 feet in diameter, and the facility seats 73 people.

Kalmia Gardens - Kalmia Gardens is on the site of the early 19th-century plantation of Capt. E. Hart for whom Hartsville is named. Walking trails allow visitors to explore a blackwater swamp, laurel thickets and pine, oak and holly upland. Planting of azaleas, camellias and other ornamentals enhance the natural beauty created by the variety of native plants found in the garden.

South Carolina Tobacco Museum - The City of Mullins sprang from the growing, harvesting and selling of tobacco beginning in 1894. Proving that tobacco and farm life was the life-blood of the community, Mullins grew to become the largest tobacco market in South Carolina at one time. The Museum, which opened in August 1998, focuses on the growing of tobacco and rural farm life prior to 1950.

Santee Cooper Country  

Berkeley Museum - Located within Old Santee Canal Park, the museum tells the story of 12,000 years of the region's history. Exhibits and artifacts focus on General Francis Marion (the Swamp Fox), the first Americans (the Archaic Indians), colonial life, the Civil War, early medicine, rural electrification, early education, and Francis Marion National Forest.

Cypress Gardens - This 175-acre swamp/garden offers a walk-through Butterfly House with hundreds of butterflies, beautiful plants, birds and more. A freshwater aquarium features native fish, reptiles and amphibians, and visitors can see large alligators in the alligator pond. Picnic shelters with grills and a gift shop are also available at the park.

Old Santee Canal Park - Old Santee Canal Park commemorates South Carolina's beautiful natural resources and emphasizes the tremendous historical significance of the Santee Canal. Old Santee Canal Park offers its visitors a glimpse at the events that shaped our lives and our communities as we know them today

The Upcountry

Bob Jones University Museum and Gallery - The Bob Jones University Museum and Gallery houses one of the most important collections of Old Master religious art in America. The building contains 30 galleries displaying Italian, Spanish, French, English, Flemish, Dutch, and German sacred art from the 13th through the 19th centuries. More than 400 works are displayed by major artists.

Greenville County Museum of Art - The museum features works by Jasper Johns, Georgia O'Keeffe and one of the best collection at any public museum in the country of watercolors by Andrew Wyeth and Stephen Scott Young.

Greenville Zoo - The Greenville Zoo is an amazing animal kingdom with 14 acres packed full of family entertainment. You will enjoy wildlife from around the world, such as: exotic cats, miniature deer, giant tortoises, elephants and more.

Hollywild Animal Park - Nestled on over 100 acres, Hollywild is home to one of the largest private collections of rare and exotic animals in the Southeast. Many of the animals are 'ZooperStars' of movies and commercials. Don't miss Outback Safari which consists of over 80 acres teaming with herds of free-roaming animals. Guides will drive you through the Outback aboard special safari buses.

Museum of Confederate History - The 16th South Carolina Volunteers Museum of Confederate History boasts a large and growing collection of artifacts and memorabilia from the War Between the States. The collection includes firearms, photographs, flags, edged weapons, currency, clothing, letters, newspapers, and other items from military and home life.

Roper Mountain Science Center - The primary mission of the center is to foster enhanced learning and growth opportunities through educational excellence and high quality instructional programs for students, teachers, and the general public. Science enrichment programs are presented in an exciting and entertaining manner that makes learning fun.

South Carolina Botanical Garden - The mission of the South Carolina Botanical Garden is to serve as an interdisciplinary public garden whose focus is research and education in the areas of botanical and cultural conservation and the environment. The Garden is a 288-acre public garden offering a diversity of cultivated and natural landscapes and year-round public programming.

Spartanburg County Museum of Art - The Spartanburg County Museum of Art is a regional museum which features three galleries exhibiting local, regional and national artists that change every eight weeks. The museum also has a permanent collection featuring 20th-century art and 'The Girl with Red Hair' by Robert Henri. The museum also offers a gift shop.

Anderson County Museum - The museum's mission is to collect, care for, exhibit, interpret and demonstrate items that will serve to illustrate the history of Anderson county and will preserve its heritage. To provide passive and formal educational opportunities to teach the history of Anderson County to its citizens and especially to its children.

Spartanburg Science Center - The primary goal of the Science Center is to foster an appreciation of and respect for the environment and the world of science. With this goal in mind, the Science Center is designed to fascinate the minds of the curious and to excite the imagination of Spartanburg residents of all ages. It is also a place to pursue new interests and experiences.

Thoroughbred Country  

Dupont Planetarium - The Dupont Planetarium consists of a 30-foot diameter tilted aluminum dome by Astro-Tec, a state-of-the-art Evans & Sutherland Digistar II starfield and graphics projector, and Sky-Skan automated special-effects system. This equipment has the capabilities of all-sky, video and panoramic projection.

Aiken County Historical Museum - The Aiken County Historical Museum invites you to experience Aiken County's rich and diverse past through exhibits, guided tours, and special programs.  433 Newberry Street, Aiken.  (803) 642-2015

National Parks

Congaree Swamp National Monument - The monument rests on a floodplain of the Congaree River and is not a true swamp. This remnant preserves, in a wilderness state, the largest intact tract of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the United States.

Cowpens National Battlefield - Cowpens National Battlefield commemorates a decisive battle that helped turn the tide of war in the South. On this field on January 17, 1781, Daniel Morgan led his army of tough Continentals, militia and cavalry to a brilliant victory over Banastre Tarleton's force of British regulars.

Fort Moultrie National Monument - Fort Moultrie's history covers 171 years of seacoast defense, including the first decisive victory in the American Revolution and the firing onto Fort Sumter during the first battle of the Civil War. The third Fort Moultrie, built in 1809, stands today. By touring the fort, visitors can see how coastal defenses have evolved.

Fort Sumpter National Monument - The first engagement of the Civil War took place at Fort Sumter on April 12 and 13, 1861. After 34 hours of fighting, the Union surrendered the fort to the Confederates. From 1863 to 1865, the Confederates at Fort Sumter withstood a 22 month siege by Union forces. During this time, most of the fort was reduced to brick rubble. Fort Sumter became a national monument in 1948.

King's Mountain National Military Park - Kings Mountain National Military Park commemorates a pivotal and significant victory by American Patriots over American Loyalists during the Southern Campaign of the Revolutionary War. The battle fought on October 7, 1780 destroyed the left wing of Cornwallis' army and effectively ended Loyalist ascendance in the Carolinas. The victory halted the British advance into North Carolina, forced Lord Cornwallis to retreat from Charlotte into South Carolina, and gave General Nathanael Greene the opportunity to reorganize the American Army.

Ninety Six National Historic Site - The Ninety Six National Historic Site is an area of unique historical significance. The unusual name was given by early traders in the 1700's because they mistakenly believed it was the estimated number of miles to the Cherokee village of Keowee in the upper South Carolina foothills.