CHARLESTON SC THINGS TO DO
CHARLESTON
TourPass
Choose from 41 attractions admission included
Save up to 40% or more visiting Charleston's top attractions
More than pays for itself by visiting 2 attractions per day!
Tour Pass includes 100% full admission to the top tours and attractions that provide top-rated experiences in Charleston, SC.
- Over 40 attractions to choose from (view included tours below)
- You can easily make advance reservations instantly after purchase with the Mobile Pass you’ll receive.
- Skip the ticket lines access. Just present your Moible Pass!
- There are 2 categories of tours, Featured and Standard:
- Featured: The number allowed is determined by the number of day pass you purchase (1 day – 5 days).
- Standard: Visit as many as you wish (no limit) for the number of day pass you purchase (1 day – 5 days).
- See chart below.
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- Within seconds after purchase you’ll receive the Mobile Pass which helps you organize, plan and make reservations before you arrive.
- To see what tour times are available before purchasing a pass, visit this page and search the dates you’ll be visiting: Featured Tour Availability Search
- Only certain Featured Tours require reservations. Standard attractions do not require reservations. Just show your pass for entry!
What you can save & benefits of using Tour Pass versus purchasing individual tickets:
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Save up to 40% off retail ticket prices
- You can save 40% or more off of retail ticket prices by visiting a reasonable number of tours.
- View saving example
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Stress-Free Touring
- Visit just 2-3 attractions per day, which more than pays for the cost of purchasing a pass, plus you don’t have to stress and research what to do.
- The Mobile Pass you’ll receive helps you stay organized and includes maps and detailed info.
Featured Attractions
Most featured require reservations and are limited by # of day pass purchased
- Number of featured tours allowed is determined by pass duration or # of day pass purchased (see image below.
- Reservations are typically required which are easily made with the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
- Transportation to attractions is not provided. You can use the free trolley bus to visit attractions in the Historic District. If attractions are outside of the Historic District you will have to arrange transportation.
The Spirits of Magnolia Cemetery Tour gives you exclusive access to the most hauntingly beautiful Victorian burial grounds in Charleston.
Originally a 1790 era rice plantation, Magnolia Cemetery was founded in 1849 on the banks of the Cooper River in Downtown Charleston. Home to 35,000 permanent residents, including authors and poets, artists, Confederate generals and soldiers, prominent politicians, bootleggers, prostitutes, and socialites. Magnolia Cemetery served as a Confederate encampment to defend the city from the Union bombardment during the Civil War. Over 2,000 Confederate soldiers lay at rest in Magnolia, including the eight-man Hunley crew, eighty-four soldiers who fought in the battle at Gettysburg, and six confederate generals.
This nighttime tour is the first official walking tour of the historic site, previously off limits to commercial tour companies. The 90-minute walking tours promise the best of Magnolias history, mystery, and spirits. You will hear startling stories such as an unsolved murdered socialite, an outraged politician that ordered his butlers execution and scandalous tragedies that are never told in history books.
Do not forget your flash cameras! You never know what phantom images you can capture.
- Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
- Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
- You can make reservations in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
- View tour availability before purchasing TourPass
- No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
- Visit as many as you wish 1x.
Notice: Seasonally closed until March 2022
Experience the wonder of sailing Charleston Harbor on a classic 84 foot tall ship. As you depart, help the Crew hoist the sails if you wish, and then sit back and watch the wind fill them, moving the Schooner Pride through the waters and past some of the most historic sites in the country such as Ft. Sumter where the first shots of the Civil War were fired.
Discover the tranquility of cruising the historic Charleston Harbor on a genuine tall ship, powered only by the wind in our sails.
While this is not a narrated cruise, the Crew is happy to answer questions and point out landmarks and you’re welcome to help raise and trim the sails or you may sit back and enjoy the ride!
Sail through waters that Blackbeard once anchored in, relax on deck and imagine a time when the harbor was filled with these majestic ships. There is no set route; the boat just follow the winds wherever they take us.
The Schooner Pride, is an 84-foot, three-mast schooner modeled after the classic coastal trading schooners. She is an authentic tall ship and possesses all the character and class of a ship designed during the great days of sail. She is USCG certified to hold up to 49 passengers.
Key Points About This Tour:
- Often observe dolphins playing and racing across the bow and frolicking in the harbor.
- Pass Patriots Point and see the USS Yorktown, an Essex class aircraft carrier which played an important role during WWII.
- See the beautiful homes that line the Battery.
- See Ft. Sumter and one of the forts that fired upon it during the first battle of the Civil War, Ft. Johnson.
- Watch pelicans perform diving acts.
- See the impressive Arthur Ravenel Jr. bridge, one of the longest cable stayed bridges in the Western hemisphere.
- Soft drinks, beer, wine, champagne and water will all be available for purchase while we explore the harbor. Although we do not serve food on board, we welcome you to bring your own snacks. You will arrive back at the dock two hours later feeling refreshed and relaxed, with a new perspective on this historic harbor.
- Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
- Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
- You can make reservations in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
- View tour availability before purchasing TourPass
- No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
- Visit as many as you wish 1x.
Pounce Cat Cafe + Wine Bar is a place where you can come to enjoy freshly brewed coffee or tea, snack on delicious pastries, and cuddle with adorable (and adoptable!) cats. We’ve teamed up with our local shelter, Charleston Animal Society, to provide our cats, so if at the end of your visit you’ve fallen in love with your new feline friend, you can take them home with you!
Visits to the cafe are $15 per person and include 1 hour in the cat lounge as well as 1 beverage of your choice to enjoy while you hang out with the kitties. Beverages included with the reservation fee: bottomless non-alcoholic beverages such as coffee, tea, lemonade, and soda. For an additional $3 we have alcoholic beverage. Fresh, local pastries are also available for purchase at the cafe if you would like a snack. Additional time can be purchased at the cafe if the cat lounge is not fully booked for the next hour.
AGE RESTRICTIONS: The minimum age for visiting Pounce Cat Cafe + Wine Bar is 12 years old. A parent or guardian will need to sign a minor waiver for anyone visiting the cafe between the ages of 12 and 17.
CHANGES/CANCELLATIONS: You can alter your reservation date/time by clicking on “Modify Reservation” link in your confirmation email up to 24 hours prior to your visit. You can cancel your reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
MAXIMUM GROUP SIZE: Parties larger than 8 people are required to reserve the space as a private event. Not only can large groups be loud and distressing for our cats, they can also be disturbing for other guests who are visiting the cafe during the same hour.
- Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
- Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
- You can make reservations in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
- View tour availability before purchasing TourPass
- No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
- Visit as many as you wish 1x.
Palmetto Carriage Works is the oldest carriage tour company in Charleston and has developed the greatest carriage experience in the city! A Palmetto Carriage tour offers a blend of knowledge, wit, humor and history and is exciting and ever changing, a seamless fusion of 19th century conveyance in a 21st century city.
During this tour you will:
- Tour duration: 60 minutes/li>
- Experience 25-30 blocks of Charleston’s historic downtown district
- See houses, gardens, mansions, churches & parks
- Learn about buildings, history, architecture, flora & the people that make up the “Holy City”
- Learn everything that Charleston has to offer on a Palmetto Carriage tour
When are animals pulled from service to do heat?
When the temperature reaches 95 degrees or the heat index reaches 110, carriage tours are halted. Additionally, PCW rectally checks the temperature of each animal before and after every tour, year round to ensure that it stays within the normal range of 98.7 to 101.5 degrees. If the animal’s temperature exceeds 102.9 degrees, it is pulled from service. Charleston is one of the only cities in the world where the animals are monitored individually. There has never been a heat related incident in over 30 years of business.
- Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
- Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
- You can make reservations in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
- View tour availability before purchasing TourPass
- No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
- Visit as many as you wish 1x.
Tour Duration: 90-Minutes.
Your Charleston ghost tour guide will showcase all the morbid morsels and revolting tidbits of Charleston’s eclectic history on this ghost tour. Hear tales of pirates, lost loves, ghostly specters, burial practices and oddities. Enjoy the darker tales of the city’s history on this walking tour.
More Information
Our tour guides are not only licensed with the City of Charleston and versed in Charleston and American History. They also are showmen, have backgrounds in theater, directing, writing and entertaining. No drab lectures will be tolerated on these tours.
- Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
- Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
- You can make reservations in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
- View tour availability before purchasing TourPass
- No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
- Visit as many as you wish 1x.
Includes a 2-hour rental in single person kayak. If you would prefer a tandem kayak, simply ask when you arrive (dependent on availability). Children under the age of 14 are not allowed. Lifejackets and basic instruction is included.
One of the most wonderful ways to discover the secrets of Shem Creek’s tidal marsh or any number of other waterways in Charleston is from the seat of a single or tandem kayak. Renting a kayak will give you ample opportunity for exploring almost all of Shem Creek, Bayview Creek, and possibly (with the tide’s cooperation) also Crab Bank Island’s surroundings just outside of Shem Creek. Kayaking offers good times for Mount Pleasant groups large or small. Drift away on the tides and breeze, or make an athletic excursion of your paddle to cover as much area as you can- the experience is what you make it. Either way, we recommend closely following the advice of your experienced ramp guides to determine the best routes based on current conditions.
Historic Shem Creek With its rich history, it’s no wonder that Shem Creek is considered a landmark locale in the Charleston area. A long-time commercial fishing and shrimping lane, Shem Creek has plenty of “big fish” stories to tell. The sights you see along your adventure will be uniquely crafted to accommodate tides, weather conditions, and the paddling preferences of your group. Calmly swaying alongside the upper creek are majestic Live Oak trees. Gliding by, you may see American Oystercatchers, Great Blue Herons, and Great Egrets, and depending on the timing of the low tides, even remnants of rice mills can be seen. Witness the varied wildlife in the pluff mud along the creek’s edges hunting for a meal among the oyster beds. Making your way down the creek toward the Charleston Harbor will guide you to the iconic Red’s Ice House, which in the height of Shem Creek’s commercial days provided ice for roughly 120 fishing and shrimp boats daily. Another iconic scene you won’t want to miss is Crab Bank Island, a protected band of sand falling under the jurisdiction of the Department of Natural Resources. Migratory birds mate on this island from mid-March to mid-October annually, and accordingly, no human foot traffic is allowed during this season. On the shallow side of the island near Mount Pleasant, you can often find jumping mullet, playing dolphins, and even manatees meandering about in the warm water. From this very spot, you can also enjoy the landscape with such sights as the Ravenel bridge, the downtown Charleston peninsula, Mount Pleasant Old Village, and historic Fort Sumter, Fort Johnson, and Castle Pinckney.
- Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
- Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
- You can make reservations in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
- View tour availability before purchasing TourPass
- No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
- Visit as many as you wish 1x.
- Maritime Superstitions
- Unusual Ship Christening
- Captain Jocko Clark
- Tragedy in the Forecastle
- Smokey Stover
- Mysterious Sailor Disappearance
Please meet your guide at the Yorktown Audio booth 15 minutes prior to your time.
- Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
- Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
- You can make reservations in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
- View tour availability before purchasing TourPass
- No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
- Visit as many as you wish 1x.
This Charleston Harbor Tour by SpiritLine Cruises offers visitors Live Narration by a Licensed City Tour Guide. What does that mean? You will learn fascinating historically accurate Charleston history while you cruise the gentle waves of her harbor. Our knowledgeable and entertaining tour guides are licensed by the City of Charleston and enjoy interacting with guests. You will see notable American landmarks, such as Fort Sumter, the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown, The Battery, the Ravenel Bridge, Castle Pinckney and other sites from the past and present.
This relaxing and fun tour departs from two locations daily. You will hear enthralling tales of the city’s colorful past as well as scintillating facts about her most-interesting former citizens. Perfect for all ages, the whole family can enjoy cruising along the coastline of our beautiful “Holy City”. Do you know why we call it the “Holy City”? Find out on this 90-minute Charleston Harbor tour.
Tour departs from two locations:
1.) Downtown Charleston: the dock to the left of the Aquarium.2.) Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant. Look for the SpiritLine signage, go to ticket window and check-in.- Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
- Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
- You can make reservations in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
- View tour availability before purchasing TourPass
- No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
- Visit as many as you wish 1x.
All Gray Line of Charleston tour vehicles are climate controlled. The comfortable 20 to 25-passenger minibuses are specially designed to traverse downtown Charleston’s narrow historic streets. Accessing cobblestone streets and alleyways provides close-up views of some of the citys most significant details that large buses often miss. Highlights Include:
- Charleston historic homes
- The Battery sea wall
- Historic churches
- Old Market area
- Four Corners of Law
- Rainbow Row and many more sites
Their fleet is carefully maintained and regularly updated for passenger comfort and safety and is the only tour bus company in Charleston that offers a handicap-accessible vehicle. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to tour departure time.
- Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
- Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
- You can make reservations in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
- View tour availability before purchasing TourPass
- No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
- Visit as many as you wish 1x.
Come and walk with us when the sun goes down. The Charleston Ghost and Graveyard Tour gives you an exclusive opportunity to walk inside the gates of one of Charleston’s oldest graveyards after dark. When all the other walking tours are looking in through the wrought iron fence, you’ll be on the inside. Explore the graveyard’s dark corners, closely inspect the headstones to see what you might learn, and take a moment to step across the graves — if you dare.
Learn about the history of Charleston’s graveyards, and hear the stories of the famous individuals who found their final resting place in the Holy City. You’ve heard the spooky Charleston ghost stories, right? Well, now you can experience them on this up-close-and-personal tour that takes you where others won’t. Graveyards are endearing pockets of Charleston — so much so that they are often referred to here as simply “gardens.” We love them — they’re full of history, intrigue, and tales of love and loss.
Hear about Charleston’s spirits and gruesome tales:
- The ghost of Sue Howard, a grieving mother who prays at the grave of her dead child from the spirit world. We’ve got the picture to prove it!
- Tales of being buried alive! Doctors in old Charlestowne didn’t take chances with contagious diseases. Fall unconscious in a hospital, wake up in a grave!
- Learn why the terms saved by the bell and graveyard shift were coined. You’ll be glad you weren’t around when they were!
Don’t forget your flash cameras! You never know what phantom images you can capture.
- Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
- Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
- You can make reservations in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
- View tour availability before purchasing TourPass
- No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
- Visit as many as you wish 1x.
Standard Attractions
Reservations NOT required. Visit as many as you wish 1x for # of day pass purchased
- Visit as many Standard Attractions as you wish for the number of day pass purchased (see image below).
- Standard Attractions do not require reservations…just walk-in and show your pass.
- Transportation is not provided. You can use the free trolley bus in the historic district.
Self-guided tours. Last tour begins at 4:15 p.m.
History of the House
Built in 1820 by merchant John Robinson, the Aiken-Rhett House is nationally significant as one of the best-preserved townhouse complexes in the nation. Vastly expanded by Governor and Mrs. William Aiken, Jr. in the 1830s and again in the 1850s, the house and its outbuildings include a kitchen, the original slave quarters, carriage block and back lot. The house and its surviving furnishings offer a compelling portrait of urban life in antebellum Charleston, as well as a Southern politician, slaveholder and industrialist. The house spent 142 years in the Aiken family’s hands before being sold to the Charleston Museum and opened as a museum house in 1975.
When the Foundation assumed ownership in 1995, we adopted a preserved-as-found preservation approach, meaning the structure and contents are left in an “as-found” state, including furniture, architecture and finishes that have not been altered since the mid 19th century. The only restored room in the house, the art gallery, showcases paintings and sculpture the Aiken family acquired on their European Grand Tour.
While many dependency buildings in Charleston have been demolished or adapted, the Aiken-Rhett slave quarters – with their original paint, floors and fixtures – survive virtually untouched since the 1850s, allowing visitors the unique chance to better comprehend the every-day realities of the enslaved Africans who lived on-site, maintained the household and catered to the needs of the Aiken family and their guests.
- Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
- Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
- You can make reservations in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
- View tour availability before purchasing TourPass
- No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
- Visit as many as you wish 1x.
Journey from the past to the present and heritage to habitat at the Caw Caw Interpretive Center. Rich in natural, cultural and historical resources, Caw Caw was once part of several rice plantations and home to enslaved Africans who applied their technology and skills in agriculture to carve the series of rice fields out of cypress swamps. Caw Caw Interpretive Center is managed as a low-impact wildlife preserve. Pets and bicycles are not permitted.
Features
- Over 6 miles of trails with trail-side exhibits
- Elevated boardwalks through wetlands
- Environmental and social studies education programs from preschool through college level
- Interpretive exhibits, displays, and programs
- Former 18th and 19th century rice fields and one of the important sites of the Stono Rebellion
- Thousands of naturalized tea plants from a 20th century tea farm
- Noted for its rich bird life, Caw Caw is a birding hotspot for coastal South Carolina.
- Areas managed for wildlife including waterfowl, songbirds, otters, deer, and more
- Favored habitats for rare wildlife: American Alligators, Swallow-tailed Kites, Bald Eagles, and others
Address:5200 Savannah HwyRavennel, SC
- Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
- Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
- You can make reservations in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
- View tour availability before purchasing TourPass
- No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
- Visit as many as you wish 1x.
The birthplace of the Carolinas, Established in 1670!
Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site sits on a marshy point, located off of the Ashley River, where a group of English settlers landed in 1670 and established what would become the birthplace of the Carolina colony. Charles Towne Landing introduces visitors to the earliest colonial history of Charleston. Interact with hands-on exhibits in the Visitor Center, talk to knowledgeable staff members, and take an audio tour on the self-guided history trail.
Highlights:
- Guests can step aboard and tour the Adventure, Charleston’s only 17th-century replica sailing ship.
- Natural habitat zoo (the only zoo in Charleston area): See otters, bears, big cats, bison and more at the Animal Forest natural habitat zoo.
- Fireable cannons that are fired on the 1st Saturday of each month.
- 80 acres of gardens, with an elegant live oak alley and the Legare-Waring House.
- Miles of trails for walking, biking and exploring.
- Bicycles welcome or you can rent them on-site.
- Pets welcome if leashed.
Park is closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Address:1500 Old Towne RoadCharleston, SC 29407
- Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
- Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
- You can make reservations in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
- View tour availability before purchasing TourPass
- No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
- Visit as many as you wish 1x.
Included with Tour Pass: Receive 2 Premium Attraction Tickets per Person, a $20 per Person Value.
Charleston Fun Park is the go-to place for family and date-night fun! Located just 10 minutes from downtown Charleston in Mount Pleasant.
Premium Attractions Include:
- Go-Karts
- Two miniture golf courses – 36 holes
- Bumper cars
- Virtual Reality Coaster
They also have over 40 arcade games that give out tickets and prizes along mini-bowling, air hockey, skee-ball
Please visit their website to confirm hours of operation, they have summer and winter hours. We have summer hours listed below
Address:3255 N Hwy 17Charleston, SC 29464
- Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
- Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
- You can make reservations in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
- View tour availability before purchasing TourPass
- No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
- Visit as many as you wish 1x.
The South Carolina Lowcountry has always been home to a cast of eclectic, unconventional characters – scholars, scientists, scribes, and socialites, revolutionaries and world travelers, collectors, curators. They have been lovers of the established and experimental, the rare, beautiful, odd and unusual. Our history is a blend of beauty and pain, grace and war, great storms and calm seas.
We are a melting pot of cultures and customs, remade with each changing tide. We are writers of a never-ending story that asks life’s most essential question: Who are we?
The search for the answer is our reason for being. So, we dig into attics and archives. We pore over ancient artifacts, journals, and albums. We study, document, preserve, interpret, and share.
We do it for the electric joy of discovery. The stories and humanity revealed. But perhaps even more, we do it for what it inspires within us. The thoughts that ask us to rethink our past and our place in the world. The thoughts that spark a conversation not just about who we were, but who we are – and who we can be.
We are all a story. And our story starts here.
- Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
- Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
- You can make reservations in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
- View tour availability before purchasing TourPass
- No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
- Visit as many as you wish 1x.
Visit Charleston’s only winery on picturesque Wadmalaw Island where you can explore their vineyard and receive a free five-wine tasting and souvenir stemless wine glass by presenting Charleston Tour Pass! Tastings offered Wednesdays-Saturdays from 10 am – 5 pm.
Highlights:
- Tour Pass: Receive a free wine tasting & souvenir wine glass which includes nine wines.
- They grow four types of muscadine grape – carlos, ison, noble and tara. From the grapes, they make five different wines – Low Tide, Magnolia, Deep Water Blend and High Tide. They also have chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon from California that they vint and bottle onsite and blend with their muscadines, for a total of nine wines available.
- Every Saturday from 12 – 4 pm they host a Weekend Wine Down event where food and music are present. Enjoy the tranquil surroundings, bring family, friends and have a great time.
- Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
- Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
- You can make reservations in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
- View tour availability before purchasing TourPass
- No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
- Visit as many as you wish 1x.
Included with Tour Pass: Half off Tour & Tasting and Souvenir Shot Glass. Reservations are NOT required, go when they are open. Simply present your Mobile Pass to redeem.
During Prohibition, bootleggers made their own booze by burying grapes underground or catching moonbeams in a jar of water. Taste booze made professionally with Firefly Distilleries.
Proud of its southern roots and famous for its sweet tea vodka, Firefly Distillery delivers quality spirits, most of which are distilled four times and sweetened exclusively with Louisiana sugar cane. At the Distillery, Visitors can learn more about the hands-on distilling process and the scores of industrious tea-swilling worker elves behind it. All ages are welcome to the property, but only those 21 and over are eligible for the tasting.
- Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
- Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
- You can make reservations in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
- View tour availability before purchasing TourPass
- No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
- Visit as many as you wish 1x.
A bustling seaport in the 1700s, Charleston was a melting pot of cultures, religions, and traditions. Powered by the rice and indigo trade, and slavery, it was the 4th largest city in America in 1790 – and the wealthiest. Like Philadelphia, Boston and New York, what distinguished Charleston then – was art.
While we were home to some of Americas earliest art, collectors, artists, who made the City both muse and subject – and taken our turn as one of the nations richest cities – in money and culture – so were we also home to Americas original sin, slavery – and a war that divided our nation.
In 1888, when Charleston was financially and culturally on its knees, benefactor James Gibbes left a bequest to the City to build an art museum.When the Gibbes Museum opened in 1905, the nation celebrated what Charleston has always understood: the power of art – to inspire our imagination, heal our hurt, revel in our experience, rebuild what’s broken, nourish our souls, and release all that holds us back. Through our complicated history, through light and shadow, we have persevered – humanity intact. Art is the reason
Charleston will endure. In Charleston, we believe art is the difference between merely existing and being truly alive. That’s why we immerse ourselves in every part of it – from fine art to craft – from nurturing its creation and celebrating its multicultural presentation – to inviting its interpretation and ensuring its preservation. Because when we open ourselves to art, we open ourselves to the world – to people and ideas, to beauty, craft, process and detail, to different cultures, to pain and pleasure, to questions, expression and emotion, to truth and transcendence.
In the presence of art, we have the opportunity to see inside someone’s heart, mind, and soul and feel what they felt. That understanding and compassion make us more understanding, compassionate people, who, in turn, create a more compassionate, understanding world. That is art’s gift.
- Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
- Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
- You can make reservations in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
- View tour availability before purchasing TourPass
- No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
- Visit as many as you wish 1x.
INCLUDED WITH TOUR PASS: 1 Free Doughnut per Person up to $5 in value. To redeem, simply present your Tour Pass ID at the register. Featured by the Food Network, Cooking with Paula Dean, BuzzFeed (33 Doughnuts You Have to Try Before You Die), Traveler of Charleston Magazine, Zagat, Delish, USA Today and countless others….Glazed Gourmet Doughnuts is recognized as a leader in this tasty pastry worldwide
Their ingredients are natural, the glaze, filling and pastries are homemade. Their dough is made in house. They don’t use any frozen or premade dough. There are no preservatives or additives whatsoever. Espresso drinks are also offered.
- Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
- Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
- You can make reservations in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
- View tour availability before purchasing TourPass
- No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
- Visit as many as you wish 1x.
A quick-casual Southern lunch spot putting a twist on the average by introducing our Grit Bowls amongst other more traditional Southern lunch offerings.
The Grit Counter, brought to you by Grace & Grit Restaurant, focuses on fresh local seafood while keeping the menu familiar and approachable. Guests enjoy an abundance of fresh local fish and shrimp, bacon smoked in house, and seasonal produce. With flavor packed into every dish, southern staples like cornbread, collards, butterbeans, fried chicken, and of course grits, take center stage as a reminder of the Lowcountry’s roots.
Charleston Tour Pass is accepted for lunch only.
- Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
- Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
- You can make reservations in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
- View tour availability before purchasing TourPass
- No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
- Visit as many as you wish 1x.
Charleston’s Revolutionary War House
Built in 1772, this Georgian-style double house was the town home of Thomas Heyward, Jr., one of four South Carolina signers of the Declaration of Independence. A patriot leader and artillery officer with the South Carolina militia during the American Revolution, Heyward was captured when the British took Charleston in 1780. He was exiled to St. Augustine, Florida, but was exchanged in 1781. The City rented this house for George Washington’s use during the President’s week-long Charleston stay, in May 1791, and it has traditionally been called the “Heyward-Washington House.” Heyward sold the house in 1794 to John F. Grimke, also a Revolutionary War officer and father of Sarah and Angeline Grimke, the famous abolitionists and suffragettes. It was acquired by the Museum in 1929, opened the following year as Charleston’s first historic house museum, and was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1978. Here you will see a superb collection of historic Charleston-made furniture including the priceless Holmes Bookcase, considered one of the finest examples of American-made colonial furniture. The property also features the only 1740s kitchen building open to the public in Charleston as well as formal gardens featuring plants commonly used in the South Carolina Lowcountry in the late 18th century.- Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
- Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
- You can make reservations in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
- View tour availability before purchasing TourPass
- No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
- Visit as many as you wish 1x.
On February 17th, 1864, the H. L. Hunley became the first successful combat submarine in world history with the sinking of the USS Housatonic. After completing her mission, she mysteriously vanished and remained lost at sea for over a century. For decades, adventurers searched for the legendary submarine. On February 17th, 1864, the H. L. Hunley became the first successful combat submarine in world history with the sinking of the USS Housatonic. After completing her mission, she mysteriously vanished and remained lost at sea for over a century. For decades, adventurers searched for the legendary submarine.
Over a century later, the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA), led by New York Times-bestselling author Clive Cussler, finally found the Hunley in 1995. News of the discovery traveled quickly around the world. A ground breaking effort began to retrieve the fragile submarine from the sea. The Hunley Commission and Friends of the Hunley, a non-profit group charged with raising funds in support of the vessel, led an effort with the United States Navy that culminated on August 8th, 2000 with the Hunley’s safe recovery.
She was then delivered to the Warren Lasch Conservation Center, a high-tech lab specifically designed to conserve the vessel and unlock the mystery of her disappearance. The Hunley has since been excavated and proved to be a time capsule, holding a wide array of artifacts that can teach us about life during the American Civil War. The submarine and the hundreds of artifacts found onboard are currently undergoing preservation work while archaeologists use the historical clues they have found to piece together the final moments of the Hunley and her crew.
The Hunley’s journey through time has been marked by innovation, courage and tragedy. Her against-all-odds tale has spanned the centuries and is one of the greatest maritime mysteries in recent history. This website follows the pioneering vessel from her inception during the American Civil War to the modern-day efforts surrounding her preservation and study.
- Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
- Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
- You can make reservations in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
- View tour availability before purchasing TourPass
- No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
- Visit as many as you wish 1x.
Charleston’s Huguenot House
A striking spiral staircase accents the impressive central hall, and many of the rooms are restored to their original color schemes. All feature historic pieces from the Museum’s collections including a selection of American, English and French furniture dating to the early 19th century. Outside, a classical Gate Temple overlooks a period garden, and the locations of adjacent historical outbuildings (e.g., kitchen and slave quarters, stable, and privy) are marked with interpretive signs. Descending from French Huguenots who fled religious persecution in Europe in the late 1600s, the Manigaults prospered as rice planters and merchants during the 18th century and became one of South Carolina’s leading families. Joseph Manigault inherited several rice plantations and over two hundred slaves from his grandfather in 1788, and also married well. Arthur Middleton, father of his first wife, Maria Henrietta Middleton, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Following Henrietta’s death, he married Charlotte Drayton, with whom he had eight children. The Charleston Museum purchased the house in 1933, and has preserved and interpreted it ever since.- Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
- Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
- You can make reservations in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
- View tour availability before purchasing TourPass
- No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
- Visit as many as you wish 1x.
Video Demos
Want more clarification? Watch these two videos
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$52/Child
(ages 3-11)
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Featured Tours: Choose 2 per Person
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Standard Attractions: As many as you want for 1-day
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Mobile Pass Included
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Make Advance Reservations
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Skip the Line Access
$79/Child
(ages 3-11)
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Featured Tours: Choose 3 per Person over 2-days
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Standard Attractions: As many as you want for 2-days
-
Mobile Pass Included
-
Make Advance Reservations
-
Skip the Line Access
-
Non-Consecutive Day Use
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Featured Tours: Choose 4 per Person over 3-days
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Standard Attractions: As many as you want for 3-days
-
Mobile Pass Included
-
Make Advance Reservations
-
Skip the Line Access
-
Non-Consecutive Day Use
$113/Child
(ages 3-11)
-
Featured Tours: Choose 4 per Person over 4-days
-
Standard Attractions: As many as you want for 4-days
-
Mobile Pass Included
-
Make Advance Reservations
-
Skip the Line Access
-
Non-Consecutive Day Use
$131/Child
(ages 3-11)
-
Featured Tours: Choose 5 per Person over 5-days (not 5 tours per day)
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Standard Attractions: As many as you want for 5-days
-
Mobile Pass Included
-
Make Advance Reservations
-
Skip the Line Access
-
Non-Consecutive Day Use
Charleston Frequently Asked Questions
There is never a bad time to visit Charleston, however it is much more hot and humid in the summer season of course.
Most consider spring (March – May) and fall seasons (September – November) to be the best because of the more temperate climate.
Charleston, SC is known for many things such as:
- History: from Colonial times to Revolutionary War, the Civil War and Fort Sumter along with it’s unfortunate connection to the Slave trade.
- Food, culinary experiences.
- Amazing tours
- Beaches (Isle of Palms, Sullivans Island, Folly Beach and Kiawah)
- Kiawah Island and the championship golf course.
- Amazing weather and climate
- Charleston Harbor and water activities
- Manners: Charleston has won awards for the most mannerly city in the U.S.
- The Ports: Charleston has one of the busiest ports on the east coast.
You can certainly visit a handful of Charleston’s famous sites in 1-day, however the general consensus is that a minimum 3-days is the optimal time to really experience the city.
Yes Charleston is walkable. We recommend parking near the historic district in Charleston or at this parking garage (25 Prioleau St, Charleston, SC 29401). Start walking east, towards the Battery. There you’ll find antebellum mansions, rainbow row and a network of very walkable historic streets.
TV Shows & Movies filmed in the Charleston, SC area:
- The Notebook
- North & South
- The Patriots (featuring Mel Gibson)
- Ace Ventura
- Cold Mountain
- Halloween
- Outer Banks
- Army Wives
- Southern Charm
- Vice Principals
- The Righteous Gemstones
- Die Hard with a Vengance
- The Legend of Bagger Vance
- The Inspectors
That all depends on what your budget allows. If budget or cost is not an issue then we recommend the following in order:
- Downtown Historic District: This area allows for easy walking to all the top attractions, restaurants and nightlife. (20 minute drive from airport).
- The Beaches: There’s nothing better than staying on or near the beaches. There are 4 beaches to choose from: Isle of Palms, Folly, Sullivans and Kiawah, with Kiawah being the furthest away from downtown.
- Mount Pleasant: safe area just minutes away by driving across the picutresque harbor to downtown…and close to the Isle of Palms and Sullivans Island beaches.
- West Ashley: safe area as well that’s closer to Folly Beach.
- North Charleston: fairly safe and located within minutes of the airport. We recommend staying near Tanger Outlets in this area.
- Summerville: safe and newer properties, however almost 30 minutes away from downtown and the beaches.
Yes, Charleston is known as a safe city. The historic district is extremely safe along with Mount Pleasant and the beach area. As in every metropolitan area there are areas that are not recommended for Visitors, however you would have no reason to visit since attractions and hotels are not located in those area.
It’s always best to be “street-smart” and be aware of your surroundings no matter where you are in an unfamiliar city. Don’t get overly intoxicated or walk alone at night and ask hotel staff of areas to avoid if concerns persist.
Yes, Charleston has the following beaches nearby:
- Isle of Palms: 15 minutes from downtown.
- Sullivans Island: 10 minutes from downtown.
- Folly Beach: 25 minutes from downtown.
- Kiawah Island: 40 minutes from downtown.
Not necessarily since downtown Charleston has a free trolley that transports visitors around the Historic District. If you would like to visit the beaches or plantations then transportation will be needed. Charleston does have Uber and Lyft service.
For more information read this article which includes printable maps
Charleston, SC isn’t more or less expensive than most other popular tourist destinations such as Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head or Savannah. To save money on the top tours and attractions, buy a Charleston TourPass which includes the best Charleston SC things to do
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