Charleston was named after Charles II, known as the "Merry Monarch," and that DNA appears to have been ingrained in the city from its founding. Theatre, taverns, music, horse races, parties, and politics have all shaped Charleston into what it is today. Hear the stories that make Charleston uniquely mysterious and alluring. It has always […]
Charleston is one of the oldest cities in American and, thanks to its early adoption of historic preservation, it is the best preserved. A veritable architectural museum without walls, Charleston is home to thousands of historical buildings designed in any one of eight distinct period styles – from Colonial to Art Deco. Interpreted by experts […]
Explore this early suburb of Charleston, originally developed in 1770, where the tree-lined streets are patriotically named for famous men of the Colonial period and later for heroes of the Revolution. The site of the College of Charleston and location of the first golf club in America, the Village of Harleston is a largely residential […]
Guests will visit 4-6 private Piazzas and Gardens. No interiors are included. The area south of Broad Street is one of Charleston's most notable neighborhoods and boasts one of the finest residential areas of the country. It is located at the southernmost tip of the Peninsula and is bordered […]
From the ashes of the Civil War and Reconstruction rose a movement -- the first local, grassroots preservation movement in the country -- to safeguard Charleston's historic buildings, sites and structures. Meet notable preservationist visionaries, Susan Pringle Frost, Thomas Mayhem Pinckney, Albert Simons, and others, and learn how their work has spanned generations and preserved […]
Designed for all ages, this walkabout is the perfect introduction to Charleston's remarkable architecture and how it reflects various periods in our history. It is created especially for families so the child in all of us can appreciate the uniqueness and beauty of our city. Your guide will identify the physical elements and characteristics of […]
Guests will visit 4-6 private Piazzas and/or Gardens. No interiors are included. The original plans for Charles Town’s development did not include streets along this low-lying area today known as the Battery. Strolling along the Battery’s promenade takes you back in time since the area has hardly changed in the past few centuries. Today, […]
Angelina and Sarah Grimké turned their backs on home and family to crusade against the injustices to women and to those enslaved in the 19th century. Known as traitors to their society during their lifetimes, 180 years later these women continue to influence the women's suffrage and civil rights movements. Follow in the footsteps of […]
Meet the women who helped shape history in Charleston and across the country. A group of courageous forward-looking Charleston women disrupted the status quo of their generations and, in doing so, opened opportunities not previously available for "ladies." Included are civil right activists, social reformers, preservationists, suffragists, and others. Hear their remarkable stories and see […]
Charleston gardens have been internationally renowned since the 1700s. This tour has guests digging deeper into what makes Charleston gardens so unique. From the interesting and largely sub-tropical plant material to their fresh designs, these gardens are sure to delight all of the senses. Interpreted by professionals in the field of horticulture and design, this […]
Charleston was named after Charles II, known as the "Merry Monarch," and that DNA appears to have been ingrained in the city from its founding. Theatre, taverns, music, horse races, parties, and politics have all shaped Charleston into what it is today. Hear the stories that make Charleston uniquely mysterious and alluring. It has always […]
Charleston is one of the oldest and architecturally significant cities in America and, thanks to its early adoption of historic preservation, it is considered the best preserved -- a veritable architectural museum without walls, The city is home to thousands of historical buildings designed in any one of eight distinct period styles – from Colonial […]
Led by professional photography instructor Richard Spencer, this walkabout takes you first into the heart of Charleston's own French Quarter and then to the south of Broad Street to snap pictures of some of Charleston's oldest and most picturesque streets and alleys. You will learn how to capture memorable images of iron gates, gas lamps, […]
Rainbow Row refers to the row of pastel-colored historic homes located on the East Bay Street waterfront along the Battery. First constructed around 1740, they were used by merchants who ran their businesses on the ground floor and lived on the top floor. While traversing High Battery, we will discuss the architectural heritage of its […]
Guests will visit 4-6 private Piazzas and/or Gardens. No interiors are included. The original plans for Charles Town’s development did not include streets along this low-lying area today known as the Battery. Strolling along the Battery’s promenade takes you back in time since the area has hardly changed in the past few centuries. Today, […]
From the ashes of the Civil War and Reconstruction rose a movement -- the first local, grassroots preservation movement in the country -- to safeguard Charleston's historic buildings, sites and structures. Meet notable preservationist visionaries, Susan Pringle Frost, Thomas Mayhem Pinckney, Albert Simmons, and others, and learn how their work has spanned generations and preserved […]
In a place known for Southern hospitality, it's no surprise that some residents want to linger... even after death. Charleston's history has more than its share of pirates, brothels, bloody battles, duels, miscellaneous murders, and other such tragedies, leaving behind lingering ghosts. Listen to tales about, among others, a restaurant's ghost dog, duelers' alley, and […]
Guests will visit 4-6 private Piazzas and Gardens. No interiors are included. Church Street was established as one of the original streets in the Grand Modell, the earliest plan for the city created in 1672. Named for the new Saint Philip's Church and located in the center of the walled city, this street extended […]
Angelina and Sarah Grimké turned their backs on home and family to crusade against the injustices to women and to those enslaved in the 19th century. Known as traitors to their society during their lifetimes, 180 years later these women continue to influence the women's suffrage and civil rights movements. Follow in the footsteps of […]
There were more Revolutionary War battles fought in South Carolina than in any other state and the siege of Charleston in 1776 was a short but important military episode in the early years of the Revolution. From the Charleston taverns to the Liberty Tree and to the homes of those who willingly sacrificed all for […]
Charleston gardens have been internationally renowned since the 1700s. This tour has guests digging deeper into what makes Charleston gardens so unique. From the interesting and largely sub-tropical plant material to their fresh designs, these gardens are sure to delight all of the senses. Interpreted by professionals in the field of horticulture and design, this […]
Charleston was named after Charles II, known as the "Merry Monarch," and that DNA appears to have been ingrained in the city from its founding. Theatre, taverns, music, horse races, parties, and politics have all shaped Charleston into what it is today. Hear the stories that make Charleston uniquely mysterious and alluring. It has always […]
Charleston is one of the oldest and architecturally significant cities in America and, thanks to its early adoption of historic preservation, it is considered the best preserved -- a veritable architectural museum without walls, The city is home to thousands of historical buildings designed in any one of eight distinct period styles – from Colonial […]
Take a morning stroll through America's first French Quarter, located within the original walled Charles Towne. Named for the French Protestants who began arriving in 1680, this area is home to the two oldest church congregations in the Holy City, as well as the first theater built for the performing arts. Quaint inns, waterfront views, […]
Guests will visit 4-6 private Piazzas and Gardens. No interiors are included this year. Anson Street was named for the British Naval Officer Lord Admiral George Anson. In 1746 he subdivided the property that became the city's first suburb, Ansonborough. In 1838 one of the most destructive fires in America's history swept through the city, […]
From the ashes of the Civil War and Reconstruction rose a movement -- the first local, grassroots preservation movement in the country -- to safeguard Charleston's historic buildings, sites and structures. Meet notable preservationist visionaries, Susan Pringle Frost, Thomas Mayhem Pinckney, Albert Simmons, and others, and learn how their work has spanned generations and preserved […]
In a place known for Southern hospitality, it's no surprise that some residents want to linger... even after death. Charleston's history has more than its share of pirates, brothels, bloody battles, duels, miscellaneous murders, and other such tragedies, leaving behind lingering ghosts. Listen to tales about, among others, a restaurant's ghost dog, duelers' alley, and […]
Guests will visit 4-6 private Piazzas and Gardens. No interiors are included this year. At the transition of East Battery to East Bay Street is Rainbow Row, a collection of 18th century buildings constructed by merchants for residences and places of business and the longest cluster of Georgian row houses in the US. In […]
Angelina and Sarah Grimké turned their backs on home and family to crusade against the injustices to women and to those enslaved in the 19th century. Known as traitors to their society during their lifetimes, 180 years later these women continue to influence the women's suffrage and civil rights movements. Follow in the footsteps of […]
Meet the women who helped shape history in Charleston and across the country. A group of courageous forward-looking Charleston women disrupted the status quo of their generations and, in doing so, opened opportunities not previously available for "ladies." Included are civil right activists, social reformers, preservationists, suffragists, and others. Hear their remarkable stories and see […]
Charleston gardens have been internationally renowned since the 1700s. This tour has guests digging deeper into what makes Charleston gardens so unique. From the interesting and largely sub-tropical plant material to their fresh designs, these gardens are sure to delight all of the senses. Interpreted by professionals in the field of horticulture and design, this […]
Charleston was named after Charles II, known as the "Merry Monarch," and that DNA appears to have been ingrained in the city from its founding. Theatre, taverns, music, horse races, parties, and politics have all shaped Charleston into what it is today. Hear the stories that make Charleston uniquely mysterious and alluring. It has always […]
Led by professional photography instructor Richard Spencer, this walkabout takes you first into the heart of Charleston's own French Quarter and then to the south of Broad Street to snap pictures of some of Charleston's oldest and most picturesque streets and alleys. You will learn how to capture memorable images of iron gates, gas lamps, […]
The Morris Street Business District project, an initiative of the Preservation Society of Charleston in partnership with the Lowcountry Digital History Initiative, represents a geographically small part of the Charleston peninsula. It tells the stories of hundreds of Black and immigrant families, their fight for equality, and their cultural expression through the businesses and institutions […]
Guests will visit 4-6 private Piazzas and Gardens. No interiors are included. The area south of Broad Street is one of Charleston's most notable neighborhoods and boasts one of the finest residential areas of the country. It is located at the southernmost tip of the Peninsula and is bordered by two rivers, the Ashley and […]
From the ashes of the Civil War and Reconstruction rose a movement -- the first local, grassroots preservation movement in the country -- to safeguard Charleston's historic buildings, sites and structures. Meet notable preservationist visionaries, Susan Pringle Frost, Thomas Mayhem Pinckney, Albert Simmons, and others, and learn how their work has spanned generations and preserved […]
In a place known for Southern hospitality, it's no surprise that some residents want to linger... even after death. Charleston's history has more than its share of pirates, brothels, bloody battles, duels, miscellaneous murders, and other such tragedies, leaving behind lingering ghosts. Listen to tales about, among others, a restaurant's ghost dog, duelers' alley, and […]
Angelina and Sarah Grimké turned their backs on home and family to crusade against the injustices to women and to those enslaved in the 19th century. Known as traitors to their society during their lifetimes, 180 years later these women continue to influence the women's suffrage and civil rights movements. Follow in the footsteps of […]
There were more Revolutionary War battles fought in South Carolina than in any other state and the siege of Charleston in 1776 was a short but important military episode in the early years of the Revolution. From the Charleston taverns to the Liberty Tree and to the homes of those who willingly sacrificed all for […]
Charleston gardens have been internationally renowned since the 1700s. This tour has guests digging deeper into what makes Charleston gardens so unique. From the interesting and largely sub-tropical plant material to their fresh designs, these gardens are sure to delight all of the senses. Interpreted by professionals in the field of horticulture and design, this […]
Charleston was named after Charles II, known as the "Merry Monarch," and that DNA appears to have been ingrained in the city from its founding. Theatre, taverns, music, horse races, parties, and politics have all shaped Charleston into what it is today. Hear the stories that make Charleston uniquely mysterious and alluring. It has always […]
Led by professional photography instructor Richard Spencer, this walkabout takes you first into the heart of Charleston's own French Quarter and then to the south of Broad Street to snap pictures of some of Charleston's oldest and most picturesque streets and alleys. You will learn how to capture memorable images of iron gates, gas lamps, […]
Hampton Park is located just north of Charleston’s bustling downtown, close to the Citadel Military College. Near the end of the Civil War, this 70-acre park, initially part of Orange Grove Plantation, was taken over by Confederate soldiers, who used it as a prisoner-of-war camp. In 1865, thousands of children and freed slaves placed flowers […]
Guests will visit 4-6 private Piazzas and Gardens. No interiors are included this year. This tour gives access to a collection of houses reflecting the evolution of Charleston's superb architecture from some of the oldest to those of the 20th century and creating a delightful historic streetscape. Adapted for a 21st-century lifestyle, these houses show […]
It is created especially for families so the child in all of us can appreciate the uniqueness and beauty of our city. Your guide will identify the physical elements and characteristics of various architectural styles, such as columns, piazzas, brickwork, and pediments, while discussing the merits of preservation and how it creates a unique sense […]
From the ashes of the Civil War and Reconstruction rose a movement -- the first local, grassroots preservation movement in the country -- to safeguard Charleston's historic buildings, sites and structures. Meet notable preservationist visionaries, Susan Pringle Frost, Thomas Mayhem Pinckney, Albert Simmons, and others, and learn how their work has spanned generations and preserved […]
Guests will visit 4-6 private Piazzas and Gardens. No interiors are included. The area south of Broad Street is one of Charleston's most notable neighborhoods and boasts one of the finest residential areas of the country. It is located at the southernmost tip of the Peninsula and is bordered by two rivers, the Ashley and […]