35 Best Sights in The Midlands and Upstate, South Carolina

This glowing optical illusion painted on the wall of the Federal Land Bank Building in 1976 by local artist Blue Sky gives the appearance of a tunnel leading to the mountains. To celebrate the mural's 25th anniversary in 2001, the city hired Blue Sky to create another work in the same parking lot: the world's largest fire hydrant towers 40 feet here.

It's a scenic drive and then an easy hike to these picturesque double falls, where the left and larger of the falls pitches from a height of 75 feet and white water swooshes over wide gray boulders on the right. Don't give in to the temptation to climb the rocks leading to the top of the falls; not only is the view not much better, but also the stones are very slippery. The trail is on public property, a ¼-mile hike one way.

A highlight of this sprawling university is its original campus, founded in 1801. Stroll the historic buildings and gardens of the Horseshoe, or dive into the special collections at the South Caroliniana Library, built in 1840 as the first stand-alone college library in the nation. The McKissick Museum on campus features exhibits on geology, gemstones, and local folklife.

This Furman University exhibit gives a visual portrait of the history of the 15 counties of the South Carolina Upstate, including lifesize diaromas. There are two floors of interactive displays and a small theater where special programs are regularly presented.

This boyhood home of President Woodrow Wilson displays the gaslights, arched doorways, and ornate furnishings of the Victorian period. Museum exhibits explore the life of the president and the South in the 1870s.

Buy tickets at the Robert Mills House, where you get a discount if you plan to visit more than one historic home.