You don't have to be sitting in front of a laptop to learn a thing or two. Organize an outing to Old Slave Mart Museum and find out more about the amazing world around you.

This museum in Downtown Charleston comes recommended by many travelers, so be sure to put it on your travel itinerary. Don't think that's all there is to do here, though. There are plenty more spots waiting for you to enjoy after Old Slave Mart Museum. USS Yorktown, College of Charleston, and Charleston City Market are not far away.

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The Francis Marion Hotel

Charleston Historic District

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Nov 19 - Nov 22

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Boston (BOS) to Charleston (CHS)

9/10 Wonderful! (1,840 reviews)

Great staff and beautiful location

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Emeline

Charleston Historic District

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Oct 29 - Nov 2

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Boston (BOS) to Charleston (CHS)

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Planters Inn

Charleston Historic District

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Nov 8 - Nov 11

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Boston (BOS) to Charleston (CHS)

9.4/10 Exceptional! (1,002 reviews)

Property is clean, well run and perfect location.

Reviewed on Sep 6, 2025

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Charleston: Historical Downtown Tour by Horse-drawn Carriage

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Popular places to visit

Pink House Gallery

The oldest remaining tavern building in the South has been a law office and an art gallery. It is now a private residence retaining its iconic pink exterior.

The Dock Street Theatre is Charleston's last surviving hotel from the antebellum period. The silhouette of its wrought iron balcony against the spire of St. Philip's church may be the single most photographed spot in the city. The main portion of the building was constructed around 1809 as Planter's Hotel. The hotel was built by Alexander Calder and his wife, who did so by renovating several pre-existing buildings at the site. The main entrance may not have been built until 1855 by J.W. Gamble.

The hotel was used extensively by planters from the midlands of South Carolina, who traveled to Charleston during horse-racing season. It was noted for its wonderful food and drinks during this era, and the South's famous Planter's Punch may have originated here. Guests to the hotel passed through the recessed porch with brownstone columns, into the lobby, and up a grand staircase that ascended to a drawing room. While much of the interior has been altered, these elements of the antebellum hotel remain and were adapted in subsequent uses of the building. A series of additions to the hotel throughout the 19th and 20th centuries can be easily identified by differences in brick coloration.

This theater is said to have been the first building built specifically for theatrical performances in America. Planter's Hotel occasionally housed one of the city's theatrical troupes, which performed at the nearby New Theatre during the mid-19th century. The most notable actor of this troupe was Junius Brutus Booth. Booth was the patriarch of an outstanding family of actors, which included John Wilkes Booth, President Lincoln's assassin. Junius Booth, who stayed at the Planter's Hotel, allegedly tried to kill his manager here in 1838. Today the Dock Street Theatre is home to the Charleston Stage Company, South Carolina's largest professional theater production company, and houses the city's Cultural Affairs office as well as The City Gallery, an exhibition space for local artists.

Dock Street Theater

Enjoy a show at Dock Street Theater, a storied theater in Charleston. Discover the area's shops, or seek out its local tours.

It was built from 1767-1771 as the Royal Exchange. The first cupola was damaged by a hurricane in the early 1800s, the second deteriorated before the Great Earthquake of 1886, and the third was not placed until 1981 when the building opened as a museum.

The structure has served as a customhouse, mercantile exchange and military prison and barracks. The building was badly damaged by Union artillery fire during the Civil War and the great earthquake of 1886; it was repaired after each occasion.

In 2012, a study was completed of the building's use as a British prison during the Revolutionary War. Soon after taking control of Charleston in 1780, the British started housing prisoners in the Exchange, but not exclusively in the "dungeon". The investigation was able to document at least 120 prisoners held in the Exchange, but there were many more whose identities could not be discovered. The facility was not exclusively used for Colonial prisoners, and at least some British soldiers were held there too.

Old Exchange Provost and Dungeon

You can find out about the history of Charleston with a stop at Old Exchange Provost and Dungeon. Wander the area's beautiful beaches or simply enjoy one of its lively bars.

St. Philip's Church

Attend a service with the oldest religious congregation in South Carolina, dating back to the 17th century. George Washington worshipped with this congregation.

Washington Square

Meet, mingle and move in this verdant park in the heart of downtown Charleston, a quiet retreat near several of the city’s top attractions.

The Old Powder Magazine is the only public building remaining from the era of the Lords Proprietors, the eight English aristocrats who owned Carolina from 1670 to 1719.

Charles Town, as the capital and southernmost English settlement on the continent, was strategically important. The town was repeatedly attacked by pirates, marauding Spanish naval vessels, and Indians. Along with the high walls and a moat that surrounded Charles Town, the Powder Magazine, as the principal storehouse of munitions and gunpowder, was crucial for the defense of the city.

The Powder Magazine

You can study the exhibits at The Powder Magazine, a museum with a story of its own, during your travels to Charleston. Wander the area's beautiful beaches or simply enjoy one of its lively bars.