Archives: Destinations

McLeod Plantation

For groups of 10 or more advance notification is required. Please call McLeod to schedule your group visit.

INTERPRETIVE TOURS

Included in your admission are 45 minute guided tours offered at 9:30 am, 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm and 2:30 pm.

An amazing place to experience history in Charleston. Established in 1851, McLeod Plantation has witnessed some of the most significant periods of Charlestons and our nations history. Tour this 37 acre Gullah, Geechee heritage site that has been careful preserved and is recognized for its cultural and historic significance. McLeod Plantation was built on the riches of sea island cotton and on the backs of enslaved people whose work and culture and told and preserved through this site.

Established in 1851, McLeod Plantation has borne witness to some of the most significant periods of Charlestons – and our nations – history. Today McLeod Plantation is an important 37-acre Gullah/Geechee heritage site that has been carefully preserved in recognition of its cultural and historical significance. The grounds include a riverside outdoor pavilion, a sweeping oak alley, and the McLeod Oak, which is thought to be more than 600 years old.

It is a place like no other, not frozen in time but vibrant, dynamic, and constantly evolving, where the winds of change whisper through the oak trees and voices from the past speak to all who pause to listen. McLeod Plantation was built on the riches of sea island cotton and on the backs of enslaved people whose work and culture are embedded in the Lowcountrys very foundation. It is a living tribute to the men and women and their descendants that persevered in their efforts to achieve freedom, equality, and justice. McLeod Plantation Historic Site is a South Carolina National Heritage Corridor site

All of their stories, black and white, enslaved and free are given their due. After years of careful research and restoration, McLeod Plantation Historic Site invites visitors to embark upon an in-depth exploration of the lives of those people whose stories are essential to understanding Charlestons complex past and helped shape who we, as a nation, are today.

• Tour the homes and compare the McLeod family home with those built for enslaved families.
• Learn about daily life and the relationships among the men, women, and children who lived and worked here before and after slavery.
• Study the cultivation and importance of sea island cotton.
• Gain insight into the plantations strategic importance during the Civil War and the role of the free black Massachusetts 55th Volunteer Infantry in emancipating enslaved people.
• Examine the influence of the Freedmens Bureau at McLeod Plantation and throughout the South.
• Trace the emergence of Gullah Culture in the Lowcountry.
• Explore worship and spirituality in the lives of McLeod Plantations residents.
• Draw parallels between the changing relationships among McLeod Plantations residents and in American society during the 20th century.
• See how people dramatically changed the natural history of the plantations landscape through time.

The struggle for freedom…personal, cultural, and political enacted over the centuries at McLeod Plantation provides new insights to anyone interested in American history.

Mace Brown Museum of Natural History

The Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences is home to a Paleontology Museum that displays almost 1,000 fossils. The displays includes: dinosaur bones, crinoids, Oligocene mammals of North America, mosasaurs, cave bears, Pleistocene mammals of the Carolinas, ocean life through time and fossil plants. A favorite exhibit for many is the reconstructed jaw which houses real teeth from the giant extinct shark Megalodon

The Museum is open to the public and manned by geology undergraduates who work as student docents. Groups that would like to schedule a visit to the Museum should call 843.953.3967 (Museum direct line), or emailmuseum@cofc.edu.

The academic staff in the Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences often give their time to delivering talks on their research and teaching specialties to groups visiting the Museum. These tours are ideally suited to 9th grade students and older. Younger age groups are encouraged to visit the Museum, but we currently do not provide staff-led tours. We ask that leaders of younger groups (K-8) provide self-programmed visits, but please still book a time slot with Museum staff, given the space we have is limited.

We ask that all visitors to the Museum, especially large groups, respect the teaching environment of the College of Charleston, given classes take place immediately next door to the Museum. We ask that group leaders visiting the Museum maintain control of their group and restrict each group to no more than 20 students (with chaperones). If a group is noisy and/or disruptive, they will be politely asked to leave the building.

Isle of Palms Beach

A public beach that’s open to all. Swim at your own risk or visit the IOP County Park. Follow map below for beach parking. 

Located a just a few minutes from Mount Pleasant, the Isle of Palms has plenty of amenities and is a great family friendly beach option. This stretch of public beach has a selection of shops, restaurants and amenities plus public restrooms. The area of Ocean Boulevard from 10th Avenue to 14th Avenue is set aside for beachgoers and is known as “Front Beach.” If you’re not staying on Isle of Palms, plan to arrive early. The Isle of Palms Connector backs up quickly with beach traffic.

Where to park: Parking is regulated along the public rights-of-way from May 15 through Sept. 15 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. In the on-street Beach Parking Zones, parking is free of charge. Adjacent residential areas would become “resident parking only.” Paid parking is available in the Municipal Parking Lots on Pavilion Drive, at Isle of Palms County Park and on Ocean Boulevard between 10th and 14th avenues.

For access to picnic tables, showers, restrooms, seasonal lifeguards and a playground, you might want to park at the Isle of Palms County Park. Parking fees vary by season. The most you’ll pay is $10 per vehicle Monday to Friday and $15 on Saturday and Sunday.

Beach beers: Cold brews, ocean views and live music from a variety of bands make The Windjammer, IOP’s best party spot. Another cool place to check-out is the Dingy right across the street from Windjammer. For a more upscale spot with phenominal views go to the Boathouse at Breech Inlet.  

Best selfie spot: Head to the top deck of The Windjammer or Coconut Joes to snap a photo with the vast ocean behind you.

Rules to know: Alcohol is not allowed on the beach. Dogs are allowed off leash on the beach from 5-9 a.m. April 1 to Sept. 14 and from 4 p.m. to 10 a.m. Sept. 15 to March 31. At all other times, dogs must be on a leash – even in the water.

IOP fun fact: Loggerhead sea turtles often lay their eggs at the Isle of Palms from May to mid-August. From July until October, the loggerhead hatchlings emerge from their nest at night and make their way to the ocean. Do not disturb any nests or any hatchlings and be sure to fill any holes you dig on the beach. If you’re staying on the beach, be sure to turn off your porch/outside lights at night.

Grit Counter | $7 Lunch Voucher

A quick-casual Southern lunch spot putting a twist on the average by introducing our Grit Bowls amongst other more traditional Southern lunch offerings.

Located in North Charleston at 3438 W. Montague Ave

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 their Lowcountry roots.

Charleston Tour Pass is accepted for lunch only

GrayLine City Bus Tour

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.

Gibbes Museum of Art

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.

Ghost & Graveyard Walking Tour

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.

Ghost & Dungeon Walking Tour

Come explore the Holy City’s oldest streets, cemeteries, churches, and its pre-revolutionary dungeon along the dark edges of Charleston’s Haunted Historic District.

Our experienced guides will chill you with stories of:

• Lowcountry superstitions of night time spirits like Plateyes and Boo Hags. Find out how to protect yourself from being followed home or ridden in your sleep.
• Haunted houses and structures like the South End Brewery where a famous Charlestonian tippler committed suicide after watching his family fortune burn and sink to the bottom of the harbor. Learn what the owners of the brewery had to do for him to save their business…
• Criminals, pirates, and others, including Revolutionary hero Isaac Hayne played by Mel Gibson in The Patriot. After the British hanged him for treason, he haunted the home of his daughters until December 20, 1860. Find out why he stopped on that fateful day.
• Charleston’s ghosts, poltergeists, and spirits doomed to the realm of mortals.

Tour departs from:18 Anson Street, Charleston SC 29401

Folly Beach

This is a public beach. Swim at your own risk unless, the only lifeguarded beach is at Folly Beach County Park

This barrier island beach has a laid-back atmosphere and is often frequented by locals and surfers. With plenty of restaurants, surf shops, hotels and beach rentals, Folly Beach is a great place to spend some time. Plus, Folly is a short drive from the heart of downtown Charleston with all its attractions and activities. Note, summertime traffic can be extra heavy. If you’re not staying on the beach, plan to arrive by 10 a.m. Also, a beach preservation project is underway; check website listed below for additional information on how this might impact your visit.

Where to park: Limited parking is available at Folly Beach County Park (1100 W. Ashley Ave.), so plan to arrive early to secure a spot. Parking fees vary by season. The most you’ll pay is $10 per vehicle Monday to Friday and $15 on Saturday and Sunday. You can easily access the beach via the park, where you’ll be close to restrooms, outdoor showers, a snack bar and lifeguards.

Best selfie spot: Walk out to the northeast end of the island to see the Morris Island Lighthouse, located about 300 yards off shore.

Rules to know: Alcohol is not allowed on Folly Beach. Dogs are not allowed on the beach from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Sept. 30. At other times, dogs much be leashed; pick up after your pet. Surfing without a leash is prohibited. Between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. May 15 to Sept. 15, surfing is not allow from 2nd Street East to 3rd Street West (known as the swimming zone). More info and complete beach rules: website below

Folly Beach fun fact: One of Folly’s famous visitors was composer and pianist George Gershwin. While staying at Folly, he composed the classic opera “Porgy and Bess.”

Firefly Distillery Tour & Tasting

Included with Tour Pass: $5 off Tour & Tasting and Souvenir Shot Glass. Cost is $15 so you will be responsible for $10 per person. Reservations are NOT required, go when they are open. Simply present your Mobile Pass to redeem. Be sure to check their website to ensure they are open prior to arriving since the tour does not operate when special events are happening.

Join us for a tasting at Firefly Distillery, home of the world’s first Sweet Tea Vodka. Now featuring over 30 spirits from vodkas to moonshines, whiskeys, rums and more.

• On the tour, you’ll be guided through a spirited tasting flight which includes a sampling of six of our crafted spirits!
• Hours: Tastings are Monday-Saturday, every half hour from 1pm-6pm, unless otherwise noted.
• All tastings are subject to space and availability.
• Each experience includes a tasting flight of 6 spirits and souvenir shot glass. Cocktails and bottles are also available for purchase.
• All ages are welcome, however only those ages 21 and older are eligible for the tasting.