Resorts, eating places, and parking. Charleston is among the hottest vacationer locations in america. However a weekend getaway can shortly drain your checking account. Luckily, there are various free issues to do – and a few of these are probably the most iconic locations to go to in Charleston.
Strolling is among the finest methods to discover the town’s structure and historical past. From the historic Battery to the charming Rainbow Row, exploring Charleston by foot is free and enjoyable. Go for a brief drive to Mount Nice for much more scenic walks and a free nationwide park website.
Map of Free Issues to Do in Charleston
Methods to use this map | Click on the icon within the top-left nook to open the Map Legend, then click on on any of the legend gadgets to show extra data. When you’ve got a Google account, click on the (very faint) star on the finish of the map’s title to avoid wasting this map to your account, then entry the map out of your smartphone throughout your journey.
Go to White Level Backyard
The southern tip was primarily underwater when Charleston developed on the peninsula within the late 1600s. Throughout low tide, hundreds of good white oyster shells sparkled within the sundown. The locals dubbed it White Level.
In 1838, Mayor Robert Hayne introduced an formidable plan to backfill the purpose and construct a public park. White Level Backyard was accomplished in 1852.
Learn Extra | Enjoyable Issues to Do within the South of Broad Neighborhood in Charleston, SC
Stroll the gravel paths beneath the shade of large oak bushes. Go to the Bandstand within the park’s heart, a present from Martha Carrington, who as soon as lived in a close-by house. Search for one of many park’s many statues, just like the Little Dancer Lady by sculptor William Newman Hirsch.
Data | 2 Murray Boulevard, Charleston, SC 29401
Stroll Alongside the Battery
The Battery gives a commanding view of the harbor on the peninsula’s southern tip. Within the distance, Fort Sumter stands like a centurion on the harbor’s entrance. Even nearer is the often-forgotten Fort Pinckney on a tiny island.
Learn Extra | Methods to Go to the Battery in Charleston and the Historical past of the Fortified Seawall
The Battery consists of the Excessive Battery Seawall and Low Battery Seawall. Constructing the excessive wall took over 100 years and 4 makes an attempt. The low seawall was began in 1836 when Mayor Robert Hayne introduced an formidable plan to backfill the tip of the peninsula and construct a public park.
Parking alongside Murray Boulevard is free however restricted to 2 hours. And, in fact, it’s free to stroll alongside the Battery from the purpose of the peninsula to the Historic Charleston Basis.
Data | 2 Murray Boulevard, Charleston, SC 29401
See Rainbow Row
A one-block part of East Bay Road, generally known as Rainbow Row, is certainly one of Charleston’s most iconic and visited locations. The row homes have been constructed between 1740 and 1792 for the bustling service provider enterprise on the wharves throughout the road. The underside flooring have been used as workplace area supporting the retailers, whereas the higher flooring have been residences for the enterprise house owners.
Learn Extra | Methods to Go to (and the Historical past Behind) the Iconic Rainbow Row in Charleston, SC
The Civil Conflict brought about important injury to the town and ended the financial system of the South. The homes alongside Rainbow Row have been left to ruins, falling into additional disrepair into the early 1900s. The town introduced plans to demolish the complete row of homes. With an eye fixed for historic architectural preservation, Susan Pringle Frost took out a private mortgage and bought a number of of the properties to avoid wasting them from demolition.
A number of years later, Dorothy Porcher Legge bought 97-101 East Bay Road and started a renovation. She restored the double home into the unique single house and saved 99-101 for her personal residence. Legge selected to color the properties shades of a Colonial Caribbean scheme, and a legend was born in Charleston.
Data | 83-107 East Bay Road, Charleston, SC 29401
Go to Saint Michael’s Church
Church buildings have been an important a part of colonial Charleston. Shortly after the settlement moved to the peninsula in 1680, a congregation shaped at this time location of Saint Michael’s Church. When the congregation outgrew the church, a brand new church was constructed at Saint Phillip’s in 1723.
However by 1761, the congregation as soon as once more outgrew the church. So, the congregation cut up, half returning to the unique website and constructing the current Saint Michael’s Church.
President George Washington visited Charleston in 1791 throughout his Southern Tour after the Revolutionary Conflict. Whereas visiting the town, he worshipped at Saint Michael’s Church. Guests can enter the church throughout non-service instances and see a plaque noting the pew field the place Washington sat.
Data | 71 Broad Road, Charleston, SC 29401 | 843-723-0603 | www.stmichaelschurch.web
Step Contained in the Charleston Metropolis Corridor
The Adamesque-style Charleston Metropolis Corridor was accomplished in 1804 within the early days of america. The constructing was designed by famous Charleston architect Gabriel Manigault. The constructing was initially supposed as a financial institution, however in 1818, the financial institution failed, and the constructing grew to become the house of the town’s authorities.
The bottom flooring options one of many few public restrooms in Charleston and a small museum. The second-floor council chamber is open for guests when not in use.
Data | 80 Broad Road, Charleston, SC 29401 | 843-577-6970 | www.charleston-sc.gov
Go to Washington Sq.
Behind Charleston Metropolis Corridor, Washington Sq. was devoted to Common George Washington in the course of the centennial celebration of Cornwallis’ give up at Yorktown. Since then, a number of monuments and memorials concerning the Revolutionary Conflict have been put in within the public park.
A bronze plaque on the brick wall surrounding a part of the sq. is devoted to Francis Salvador, the primary Jewish casualty of the Revolutionary Conflict. He died in the course of the Cherokee Conflict of 1776 when his unit was ambushed close to the Cherokee city of Seneca.
A statue devoted to Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson attracts consideration to President Andrew Jackson’s mom. Shortly after Andrew and his older brother, Robert, have been free of British captivity in Camden, Elizabeth traveled to Charleston to are likely to the prisoners of struggle held on barges. She contracted a lethal sickness throughout work and was unceremoniously buried in an unmarked grave outdoors the town.
In 1999, the Statue of George Washington was unveiled. Designed by sculptor John N. Michel, the statue depicts Washington with a strolling cane as he appeared throughout his 1791 go to to Charleston. The bronze plaque on the brick base particulars the president’s life in the course of the Revolutionary Conflict and his go to to Charleston throughout his Southern Tour.
Take a Stroll By Waterfront Park
Waterfront Park is house to the long-lasting Pineapple Fountain, probably the most photographed spot in Charleston. The churning fountain is often a backdrop for selfies {and professional} portraits alike. Nevertheless it’s not the one factor to do within the charming park.
Go for a stroll beneath the sprawling oak bushes, the place you’ll discover niches of park benches excellent for a break. Lounge on the comfy garden with a very good guide or to-go meal from one of many native delis on East Bay Road. Stroll alongside the pier to the tip overlooking the Cooper River with a front-row view of the USS Yorktown, a World Conflict II-era plane service on show on the Patriots Level Naval & Maritime Museum.
Learn Extra | Strolling By Waterfront Park in Charleston, South Carolina
Discover the Gateway Stroll
The Gateway Stroll is a scenic path between Assembly Road and Archdale Road, passing by means of a number of properties and an alleyway. The trail opened in the course of the metropolis’s 250th anniversary in 1930. It was named after a sequence of wrought iron gates guests needed to go by means of.
The trail was the primary civic venture of The Backyard Membership of Charleston. A number of flower gardens and delightful shows alongside the trail make it one of the crucial scenic walks within the metropolis.
The Gateway Stroll begins subsequent to the Gibbes Museum of Artwork on Assembly Road. It passes behind the museum and beside the Charleston Library Society, crossing King Road. Then, the trail traverses an alleyway into the churchyard behind the Unitarian Church, ending on Archdale Road.
Spend an Night at Marion Sq.
When the Revolutionary Conflict got here to South Carolina, the northern boundary of Charleston was Calhoun Road. A fortified wall was constructed throughout the neck of the peninsula simply past the town’s border to guard it from the inevitable British invasion. A small piece of the wall – the Horn Work – stays within the park at this time.
The general public sq. was named after Revolutionary Conflict hero Common Francis Marion – also called the Swamp Fox for his uncanny skill to assault the British and disappear into the swamps.
Marion Sq. is a superb place to lounge with one thing to learn from close by Blue Bicycle Books. Festivals often dominate the sq. all year long, just like the Charleston Wine + Meals Pageant in March, the Piccolo Spoleto Pageant in late spring, and the annual weekend Charleston Farmers Market.
Go to the Fort Sumter Customer Training Middle
The Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie Nationwide Historic Park preserves the forts the place the Civil Conflict started in 1861. The one strategy to go to Fort Sumter is to purchase a ticket for a ship journey, and guests to Fort Moultrie should pay an admission payment.
However in Charleston, the Fort Sumter Customer Training Middle is free.
Learn Extra | Exploring Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie Nationwide Historic Park
The schooling heart is beside the South Carolina Aquarium on a wharf overlooking the Cooper River. The schooling heart has a pleasant museum to discover the native historical past of the Civil Conflict and study Fort Sumter’s development. The middle consists of public restrooms and a present store with souvenirs and snacks.
Data | 340 Harmony Road, Charleston, SC 29401 | 843-577-0242 | www.nps.gov/fosu
Stroll Throughout the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge
After the earlier bridges crossing the Cooper River have been declared “functionally out of date” in 1979, planning started on the epic substitute. The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, a 2.5-mile-long cable-stayed bridge, opened in 2006 after 5 years of development.
However an area tragedy modified the preliminary design.
In 2004, Garrett Wonders was struck by a automotive and killed whereas bicycling throughout the slim Cooper River Bridge. The US Navy ensign was coaching for the upcoming Olympic Trials. A grassroots motion shortly developed, urging the bridge’s engineers to incorporate a pedestrian and bicycling path on the Ravenel Bridge.
Wonders Means is a 12-foot-wide multi-use pedestrian path on the south aspect of the bridge. Guests can enter the trail in downtown Charleston on East Bay Road or from the Mount Nice Memorial Waterfront Park. It’s a fantastic place for a vigorous stroll, having fun with spectacular sundown views, and watching huge cargo ships go beneath.
Learn Extra | Take a Stroll on Wonders Means Throughout the Ravenel Bridge in Charleston, SC
Go to the Mount Nice Memorial Waterfront Park
When the Cooper River Bridge was demolished, the footprint was transformed into the Mount Nice Memorial Waterfront Park. Parking is free, and there’s no admission cost for strolling alongside the fishing pier beneath the towering Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge.
A customer heart has details about Mount Nice and public restrooms. The Conflict Memorial is devoted to veterans of all wars from South Carolina. The fishing pier stretches about 1,000 ft into the Cooper River, with many benches the place you’ll be able to sit and watch large cargo ships journey up and down the river.
Data | 99 Harry M. Hallman Jr Boulevard, Mt Nice, SC 29464 | 843-884-8517 | www.tompsc.com/Services/Facility/Particulars/35
Go for a Stroll at Shem Creek Park
Shem Creek Park is among the most lovely locations in Mount Nice to stretch your legs – and it’s nearly completely free. There isn’t any admission cost to stroll the prolonged boardwalk, however you’ll should pay for parking.
The boardwalk crosses a salt marsh alongside Shem Creek, ending at a coated shelter with a view of the Cooper River. You’ll be able to see the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge and downtown Charleston from the shelter.
The boardwalk is a well-liked place for fishing, sightseeing, and kayaking. If you happen to’re there when one of many fishing boats returns from sea, you would possibly see dolphins and pelicans trailing behind.
Go to the Pitt Road Bridge
Earlier than the Revolutionary Conflict, a easy wood plank bridge floating on barrels related Mount Nice to Sullivan’s Island. In 1898, a trolley bridge was constructed throughout the slim waterway to supply entry to the island. The trolley bridge was changed by a concrete bridge for vehicles in 1927 – the Pitt Road Bridge.
When it was changed by a extra trendy swing bridge, the positioning was transformed right into a public park. Solely a portion of the bridge’s helps stay. A wood boardwalk was constructed throughout the spans, offering a spot to fish or benefit from the surroundings.
The park incorporates a beautiful view of downtown Charleston throughout the Cooper River. A number of benches and a big grassy space invite folks to remain awhile. And why not? It’s free.
Data | 972 Pitt Road, Mt Nice, SC 29464
See the Ocean on the Station 12 Seaside Entry
Charleston is famend for beautiful structure, early American historical past, and world-class meals. However lower than an hour from the cobblestone streets, guests can dip their ft within the sand, catch a wave, and bask within the solar on one of many space’s seashores.
Isle of Palms is an elegant expertise on the seashore, and Folly Seaside incorporates a sprawling waterfront park and fishing pier. However within the center, Sullivan’s Island is a peaceable getaway with a nationwide park website, many native eating places, and one of many free public seashore accesses in Charleston.
Station 12 Public Seaside Entry is beside the historic Fort Moultrie, a part of the Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie Nationwide Historic Park. The parking tons refill shortly on summer time days and weekends, with capability for less than about two dozen passenger automobiles. An extended seashore stretches towards the tip of the island, the place guests can lounge within the solar, go fishing within the surf, and watch dolphins swim by at sundown.
Learn Extra | Depart the Cobblestone Streets Behind for One among These Seashores Close to Charleston
Go to Charles Pinckney Nationwide Historic Website
The Charles Pinckney Nationwide Historic Website preserves all that continues to be of the household plantation the place the “Forgotten Founder” lived within the 1700s. After his seize by the British in 1780 in the course of the Revolutionary Conflict, Charles Pinckney was exiled to the plantation in Mount Nice. After the struggle, he was instrumental in drafting america Structure, creating the Pinckney Draft.
Learn Extra | Be taught the Story of the Forgotten Founder on the Charles Pinckney Nationwide Historic Website in Mount Nice, SC
The nationwide historic website is free to go to. The home sits on the inspiration of the unique plantation house. Inside, the rooms function displays concerning the Pinckney household, the drafting of the Structure, and slavery on the plantation.
Data | 1254 Lengthy Level Street, Mt Nice, SC 29464 | 843-881-5516 | www.nps.gov/chpi
Discover Magnolia Cemetery
Magnolia Cemetery opened in 1850 close to the present-day Charlestonfinish of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. The historic cemetery is the ultimate burial floor for a lot of notable figures in Charleston’s historical past, just like the crew of the H.L. Hunley.
Guests can discover the cemetery throughout enterprise hours. The pyramid-shaped crypt of William Smith is among the most fascinating burial plots within the sprawling cemetery. Blue herons and egrets often occupy a big pond within the cemetery’s heart. The cemetery is a beautiful place to discover by foot – if you happen to take pleasure in that form of exploration.
Data | 70 Cunnington Avenue, Charleston, SC 29405 | 843-722-8638 | www.magnoliacemetery.web
Go for a Trip on the West Ashley Greenway
The West Ashley Greenway (bookmark on AllTrails) is a 15.7-mile pedestrian and bicycling rail-to-trail. The path runs parallel to U.S. Freeway 17 by means of the neighborhood west of downtown Charleston. The japanese terminus is close to a number of inns alongside the Ashley River.
In 2023, development started on a cable-stayed pedestrian bridge throughout the Ashley River. The bridge will join the West Ashley Greenway with downtown Charleston, making driving a bicycle to discover the town straightforward.
Go to the Angel Oak Tree
It’s 500 years previous, 65 ft tall, and covers 17,000 sq. ft. The Angel Oak Tree is an astounding pure attraction within the Charleston space. And what’s much more astounding is that the town owned property is freed from cost to go to.
Learn Extra | Methods to See the Angel Oak Tree in Charleston – One of many Oldest Bushes within the Southeast
400,000 folks wander beneath the sprawling limbs of the ginormous oak tree yearly. Surrounded by an ugly chain hyperlink fence, the property options picnic tables and a present store with souvenirs and snacks.
Data | 3688 Angel Oak Street, Johns Island, SC 29455 | 843-559-3496 | www.charleston-sc.gov/153/Angel-Oak
