2 Best Sights in Charleston, South Carolina

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Reviews Updated by

M
Melissa

Bounded by the Ashley River to the west, the Cooper River to the east, the Battery to the south, and Calhoun Street to the north, the city's historic heart is a fairly compact area of 800 acres that contains nearly 2,000 historic homes and buildings. The peninsula is divided up into several neighborhoods, starting from the south and moving north, including the Battery, South of Broad, the Market area, and Upper King Street, ending near the "Crosstown," where U.S. 17 connects downtown to Mount Pleasant and West Ashley.

You'll see no skyscrapers in the downtown area, because building heights are strictly regulated to maintain the city's historic setting. In the 1970s, most department stores decamped for suburban malls, turning King Street buildings into rows of (architecturally significant) empty shells. Soon, preservation-conscious groups began to save these beauties, and by the mid-1980s the shopping district was revived with the addition of the Omni Hotel (now Belmond Charleston Place). Big-name retailers quickly saw the opportunity in this attractive city and settled in as well. Lower King thrives and Upper King is booming, with many new businesses—hip bars and restaurants in particular—targeting the city's young, socially active population. Look up at the old-timey tile work at the entrances; inevitably it will have the names of the original businesses.

Beyond downtown, the Ashley River hugs the west side of the peninsula; the region on the far shore is called West Ashley. The Cooper River runs along the east side of the peninsula, with Mount Pleasant on the opposite side and Charleston Harbor in between. Lastly, there are outlying sea islands: James Island with its Folly Beach, Johns Island, Wadmalaw Island, Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island, Isle of Palms, and Sullivan's Island. Each has its own appealing attractions, though Johns and Wadmalaw have farms instead of beaches. Everything that entails crossing the bridges is best explored by car or bus.

Middleton Place

Fodor's Choice

Established in the 1730s, Middleton Place was at the center of the Middleton family’s empire of rice plantations. Overall, they enslaved 3,500 people on their 63,000 acres of properties throughout South Carolina's Lowcountry. Through the remnants of its three-story brick manor home and acres of sprawling, sculpted gardens, Middleton Place still conveys its long-ago wealth. Through its history exhibits and tours, it also illustrates the bitter injustice and cruelty behind the opulence.

To get the complete picture of life on the plantation, watch Beyond the Fields, a short film that focuses on the lives of the Africans and African Americans who lived and worked at Middleton. Then take the accompanying tour, which begins at Eliza’s House, the restored 1870s former home of a sharecropper.

After Middleton's original manor home was destroyed in the Civil War, one of its wings was salvaged and transformed into the family’s post-war residence. That structure now serves as a house museum that displays English silver, furniture, original paintings, and historic documents, including an early silk copy of the Declaration of Independence. In the nearby stable yards, historic interpreters use authentic tools to demonstrate spinning, weaving, blacksmithing, and other skills from the era. Heritage-breed farm animals, such as water buffalo and cashmere goats, are raised here, as well as free-ranging peacocks and sheep. 

In the 1920s, the breathtakingly beautiful gardens were restored and today include camellias, roses, and blooms of all seasons. Lush allées, terraced lawns, marble sculptures, reflection pools, and even a pair of ornamental lakes shaped like butterfly wings make exploring a constant surprise. Wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the outdoors.

Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary

Boardwalks and hiking, biking, and canoe trails weave through this lovely 600-acre park lorded over by ancient cypress and tupelo trees. One of the paths traces the colonial-era Charleston-to-Savannah Stagecoach Road, where you can still see the cypress remnants of historic bridges. It's a Southern swamp that forms the headwaters of the ACE Basin's Ashepoo River, so douse yourself with insect repellent and be on alert for reptiles.

The complementary indoor Walterboro Wildlife Center, at 100 S. Jeffries Boulevard, features naturalist-guided live animal and nature-based exhibits as well as an amphitheater that hosts outdoor concerts during summer.