Charleston offers a wide variety of sightseeing opportunities. As you stroll through the city, you’ll view gardens, parks, historic sites and an aquarium.
The plantations and parks provide a unique and fascinating glimpse into the natural beauty of the South Carolina Low Country. You will receive a perspective and insight into the area’s antebellum culture. The National Park Service preserves the plantation of Charles Pinckney, one of America’s Founding Fathers. You can walk the grounds of 18th century Middleton Place, the oldest landscaped garden in the nation, and see costumed interpreters reenact the lives of enslaved African-Americans. Stop by the city park that is home to the Angel Oak, the oldest living thing east of the Rocky Mountains.
As you tour the city, you’ll see a wide array of historic structures that include places of worship, government buildings and private residences. Visit the Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim synagogue, the oldest temple in continuous use and the Old St. Andrews Parish Church, Carolina’s oldest surviving church. You can view the Powder Magazine, South Carolina’s oldest public building, and the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon that imprisoned American patriots during the Revolution. Restored architectural wonders include the Nathaniel Russell, Heyward-Washington and Joseph Manigault Houses. Walk through historic Battery Park and admire the views of Fort Sumter and the harbor.
The South Carolina Aquarium has a touch tank where you can get up close and personal with marine life. It also houses the Great Ocean Tank where you can view sharks, stingrays and turtles.