Things to Do in Charleston

As you might expect, many of the attractions in Charleston revolve around the city’s history – it’s an old city, founded in 1670, and features some great historic architecture. You could buy a beautiful antebellum home, or just wander the streets of downtown Charleston and admire all the historic homes that other people take care of! Charleston is also known as having a great restaurant community and many friendly people.

Restaurants and Cuisine in Charleston

According to TripAdvisor Charleston has 555 restaurants to choose from so you’ll never be short of a place to dine here! The largest number of restaurants are classified as serving American cuisine, but there are also many other types of cuisine available around the city too including barbecue, Italian, Japanese, pizza, southwestern/Mexican, and Mediterranean.
The local specialties come under the ‘Lowcountry Cuisine’ banner that’s associated with the South Carolina Lowcountry and Georgia coast. There are similarities to Cajun cuisine such as gumbo, soups, and stews and you can try some of these along with some excellent steaks, vegetarian and vegan foods at the number one rated restaurant in Charleston, Halls Chophouse.

Attractions in Charleston

As already mentioned, many of the attractions in Charleston are history related. Just walking around some of those historic neighborhoods is a favorite pastime for many residents and visitors to the city. There are so many fine examples of antebellum mansions and if you want to get inside one or two of them you can. Fort Hill – aka John C. Calhoun House – was built around 1803, or there’s the Federal-style Nathaniel Russell House built from 1809, among others. Also check out Rainbow Row – this row is historic homes is not open to the public but it’s one of the most photographed landmarks in the city.
The Charleston Museum shouldn’t be missed, for a number of reasons – it was the first museum to be built in America, founded in 1773 and actually opened to the public from 1824. You can find out all about the city’s history here, and then there’s historic Fort Sumter to visit too, located on an island and accessible by ferry ride. Finally, don’t miss the renowned Gibbes Museum of Art located in the Charleston Historic District.

Parks in Charleston

Charleston features numerous parks, many of which are great for families with children. There are numerous playgrounds such as Corinne Jones Playground, Moultrie Playground, and Mitchell playground. Public parks include the Charles Towne Landing State Park, where the first permanent English settlement was started. The islands to the south of Charleston are very popular – Folly Island, for example, features the vast expanse of Folly Beach, and Kiawah Island has a great beach too.

Charleston Shopping

Charleston has a great range of shops with something to suit everyone. In downtown there’s quite a mixture from the popular market on Market Street, to the upscale stores of King Street. There are many shopping centers too, both in the heart of Charleston and in the towns and suburbs surrounding it. Charleston Town Center is just one example and it’s right in downtown.