You’ll find it in South Carolina’s numerous entertaining tourist sites, whether you’re interested in history, like relaxing at the beach or are seeking for fun activities to do with your kids. Choose from high-quality stage concerts, golf, and water parks in Myrtle Beach, or relax on Hilton Head Island’s beach and family-friendly vacation resorts.
Take a romantic carriage ride through Charleston’s atmospheric streets, or see some of the South’s most exquisite plantation estates nearby. You may go to the fort in Charleston harbor, where the Civil War started, or enjoy Caesars Head State Park’s beautiful vistas and calm pathways.
Bike the trails on Hilton Head Island, go deep-sea fishing or visit a zoo or planetarium with the kids. Whatever your interests, you’ll find enough to do on this list of South Carolina’s best tourist attractions and places to visit.
Congaree National Park
Congaree National Park is a favorite location for individuals who appreciate the great outdoors in South Carolina, and it’s just a 30-minute drive south of Columbia. This extraordinarily gorgeous location, which has the United States’ biggest concentration of tall bottomland old-growth forest, is also one of the country’s finest wilderness places, with over half of the park deemed an untouched ecosystem that is home to many animals.
It was also recognized as a UNESCO biosphere reserve. It’s no wonder, therefore, that the park is home to a diverse range of ecologically significant plants and animals. Wildlife watchers may expect to observe bobcats, deer, armadillos, and a variety of amphibians.
There’s also a lot of additional enjoyment to be had. Extensive hiking paths, kayaking and canoeing, and guided interpretive experiences are among the outdoor activities available. Hopkins, South Carolina is located at 100 National Park Road. One of the best places to visit, and to embark on an alligator adventure where you can spot alligators. Other best things include golf courses.
South Carolina Plantation Gardens
Many of the state’s 2,000+ plantations welcome tourists, and those in the Charleston area are known for their beautiful gardens. Magnolia Plantation is one of America’s oldest publicly accessible gardens, having been established in the early 1700s and welcoming tourists since 1870. They are the last big Romantic-style garden in America. Middleton Place is located atop America’s oldest planted gardens and is entirely furnished in the manner of the time period.
Boone Hall Plantation, in adjacent Mt. Pleasant, is one of the country’s oldest functioning plantations and is best renowned for its magnificent three-quarter-mile Avenue of Oaks. The ornate elements of the inside of Drayton Hall, America’s oldest unrestored plantation mansion that is accessible for visits, provide a unique sight of authentic 18th-century workmanship.
Magnolia’s Cabin Project is a 45-minute show on African-American history that highlights not only the life of enslaved people but also their subsequent involvement in maintaining and preserving the estate’s gorgeous gardens. There is also the Charleston tea plantation. There are also plantation stableyards. Enjoy the outstanding gardens but do not use to much hands as most of the plants are prohibited from touching.
Uss Yorktown
The Patriots point naval. The historic Essex-class aircraft carrier USS Yorktown may be toured at Patriots Point, which is located on the other side of the harbor from Charleston’s Historic District. Built-in 1943, it was the eighth aircraft carrier to serve in the United States Navy, earning 11 battle stars for World War II service and five more for Vietnam duty. The Fighting Lady, a 1944 documentary film, featured the USS Yorktown.
In 1968, the USS Yorktown attracted global notice when it was used to retrieve the Apollo 8 crew. In 1975, the ship was decommissioned to Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum, where it now stands among submarines and other maritime displays. The focal point is the USS clamagore and naval ships.
Riverbanks Zoo And Garden
If kangaroo and koala joeys weren’t enough, Riverbanks Zoo and Garden has over 2,000 more creatures representing over 350 species. The two-acre African Plains exhibit recreates an African savanna, featuring giraffes, ostriches, and zebras in their own natural habitats, as well as African lions and baboons.
The Ndoki Forest region is a gorilla, elephant, and meerkat refuge. Asia is represented by Siberian tigers and Komodo dragons, among other species, while North America is represented by grizzly bears and California sea lions. A botanical garden and ziplines are available in the zoo.
Falls Park
Greenville is one of the state’s major cities, with Falls Park on the Reedy serving as a prominent tourist destination. The urban park is located near Downtown Greenville in the historic West End area. The park is located in one of the city’s oldest built areas, having been established in 1967 on 32 acres of land.
With landscape elements such as a river, waterfall, and green space, Falls Park on the Reedy adds wonderful views to the urban surroundings. The park’s most famous feature is the pedestrian suspension bridge. The award-winning bridge offers the greatest perspective of the man-made cascading waterfall, which was created by the reedy River. The Falls Park Center is a tourist information center with tourist amenities. There are ornamental gardens, statues, and a café in the park.
Locals and visitors alike visit the park to have some outdoor fun. Walking, riding, and picnics are some of the most popular activities. It’s also a great spot to unwind and get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The park is open all year and hosts a number of events, including the Upstate Shakespeare Festival.
Charleston’s Historic District
In Charleston, where over 1400 historic mansions, churches, and other structures line the streets, you may immerse yourself in the genteel ambiance of the antebellum south. A carriage ride will provide you with an overview as well as some history, or you can take a walking tour that includes a look inside some of them.
Several historic residences, like the Aiken-Rhett House and the 1808 Nathaniel Russell House, provide guided tours. Both houses valuable fine and decorative art treasures.
The Old Exchange Building and the Old Slave Mart Museum both include exhibits that tell more about the city and its lengthy history. It’s also worth going to the Charleston City Market to see “basket women” construct sweetgrass baskets, which has been a long-standing tradition in the city.
Huntington Beach State Park
Huntington Beach is considered the top birding destination in South Carolina, with more than 300 different kinds of birds.
Tourists who like nature are drawn to more than just birds. Alligators may regularly be seen in the park’s freshwater lake, and a variety of park programs allows visitors to see loggerhead turtles and other endangered creatures, as well as learn about uncommon local vegetation.
Every September, art enthusiasts go to the Atalaya Arts and Crafts Festival, which is hosted at the old winter home of Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington. The artist and philanthropist are also responsible for the nearby Brookgreen Gardens. Murrells Inlet, South Carolina is located at the address 16148 Ocean Hwy.
Fort Sumter and Charleston Harbor
The American Civil War started on April 12, 1861, when Confederate soldiers attacked Fort Sumter, a government fort commanding Charleston Harbor. The superb interpretations of National Park Rangers bring those events to life and create the setting for a greater knowledge of Civil War history.
From the Visitor Education Center at Liberty Square or Patriots Point, you may take a boat to the island and the fort’s well-preserved remains. A 90-minute excursion on a tourist boat down the Cooper River to Fort Sumter National Monument provides excellent views of the fort.
The tour is completely narrated, providing historical context for Charleston’s participation in the Civil War and other periods of its history. Other forts, the Civil War prison at Pinckney Castle, the USS Yorktown, and the Ravenel Bridge may all be seen from here. This is a national historic landmark.
Ufo Welcome Center
When aliens and human visitors arrive in Bowman, South Carolina, they now have a place to go. The UFO Welcome Center is a one-of-a-kind experience created by an inquisitive individual who wanted to learn more about aliens in the cosmos.
The UFO Welcome Center is a 42-foot-wide, two-story-high man-made flying saucer. It was constructed in 1994 with the main goal of providing aliens with a safe haven following their journey to Earth. The inside has comfortable furniture including a bed, sofa, and other conveniences.
Visitors may see inside the saucer, which has a well-designed lift that allows them to experience what it’s like to be transferred inside one. A second saucer was erected on top of the main saucer to serve as the owner’s dwelling quarters.
The UFO Welcome Center was featured in popular culture to generate interest in visiting it. The whole attraction was erected in the backyard of Jody Pendarvis, a native of South Carolina. There is a nominal admittance charge to explore the saucer’s inside. Jody sometimes gives guided tours of the building and relates anecdotes about his real-life extraterrestrial encounters. This is a fun arcade full of interesting things.
Myrtle Beach
Retreating to the miles of beautiful beaches that border the shore at Myrtle Beach is one of the most popular summer activities in South Carolina. The numerous typical seaside delights to pick from here are as enticing as the beaches themselves. The Carolina Opry puts on musical performances, while the Myrtle Ocean SkyWheel offers 10-minute rides over the beach and boardwalk.
In a pedestrian-only area surrounding Lake Broadway, Broadway at the Beach is the state’s biggest entertainment and retail center, including rides, mini-golf, Ripley’s Aquarium, movies, specialty shops, eating, and other activities. At water parks and big hotels, families enjoy the slides, splash rides, and swimming pools.
Whether you like fishing or not, Apache Pier should be on your list of sites to see in Myrtle Beach. It is the East Coast’s largest wooden pier, measuring about 1,200 feet in length, and is a favorite fishing destination. Grab a delicious fish sandwich at Croakers and take in the amazing vistas back across Myrtle Beach if you simply want to walk it all. In the summer, there is live music every night, as well as a nice arcade for the kids. The sand beaches and the wildlife preserve of Wadmalaw island are beautiful.
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