Charleston offers all kinds of activities for visitors.  From the beaches and golf courses to plantations and historic homes, you'll find fun for the whole family.

General Information Sites

The Charleston Area Convention and Visitor Bureau offers information on area attractions, tours, accommodations, events, coupons, and more.  It's a great place to start, when you're planning a trip to Charleston.

South Carolina's official tourism website also has a wealth of information. 

Learn about the ongoing preservation efforts by the Historic Charleston Foundation.  In addition to special events and tours, the Foundation operates two museum houses.

Make sure you pick up a Traveler of Charleston magazine for ideas on what to see and do.  The magazine includes maps of downtown and the surrounding areas.  You can also get an online version. 

Another great site to check is ExploreCharleston.net.  You'll find activity listings, reviews, and more.

Interested in a cruise?  Charleston is an embarkation point and a port-of-call for some of the major lines.  For great cruise packages, visit Cruises for Less. 

Tour Companies

In case you didn't know, Charleston is considered one of the most haunted cities in the country.  For the ghost fans out there, we recommend Bulldog Tours.  Bulldog also offers daytime culinary tours and Charleston history tours. 

Carriage tours are very popular.  There are two carriage tour companies, both located in the market area:  Old South Carriage and Palmetto Carriage.

Charleston has numerous art galleries, and you can get an insider's perspective with a professional artist as your guide with Charleston Art Tours.

Plantations

For history and garden lovers, there are also the plantations.  For more beautiful gardens and a little peace and quiet, visit Mepkin Abbey.  The brother of Mepkin belong to the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance and welcome visitors. 

The Charleston area is also location of the Charleston Tea Plantation, the only tea garden in the country.  You can tour the plantation as well as participate in numerous special events.

The Arts

Of course, Charleston is - and always has been - a major cultural center.  The historic Dock Street Theatre was the first building designed for theatrical use in the United States, and it was the site of the first opera performed in American (1735).  The theatre is now home to a vibrant, local theatre group and serves as a venue for other performances, as well.  And, yep, you guessed it, the theatre is haunted! 

Charleston also has numerous galleries and professional visual artists.  Two of our favorites: 

Hagan Fine Art Studio  (www.KarenHagan.com)

by appointment
 

Restaurants

One thing that you won't do in Charleston is go hungry.  The area has an embarrassment of riches, when it comes to restaurants.  From haute cuisine to down-home, southern fare and everything in between, you'll find it.  Some of our favorites are Long Island Cafe on the Isle of Palms, Cypress Lowcountry Grille in downtown Charleston, and Charleston Grill.  All three spoil our daughter rotten! 

Two places pirate fans shouldn't miss are The Buccaneer in downtown Charleston and Queen Anne's Refenge on Daniel Island.  Both restaurants are also pirate museums.  The restaurants have put together one of the largest collections of pirate artifacts in the country.   We've put together a special deal with The Buccaneer to offer tour with lunch or dinner at a hugely discounted price.  Check out the Tour Meal Deal!

If you need a caterer, you need to call Chef Eric Gaffin of New Dream Catering.  He did a Private Chef's Table for our daughter's 11th birthday, and it was FABULOUS!   He even had a sous chef shirt with Ariel's name made and let her help in the kitchen.  He made it a very special night for Ariel.  Incredible food and a really nice guy.  Check out the photos.

Shopping

If you want your own pirate treasure, visit Galleons Lost, a unique sunken treasure shop.  The treasure gallery offers investment and museum quality maritime pirate treasure including shipwreck coins, gold doubloons, pieces of eight, black pearls, jewelry, Spanish & Portuguese cannons, and more.  Today, some of this Spanish, British, Dutch, & Portuguese treasure is being recovered from shipwrecks that lay undisturbed beneath the waters of southeast Asia.  Galleons Lost even offers treasure expeditions to Bali.   Visit the store at 165 King Street or online.       

Of course, being a pirate, I am a Jimmy Buffett fan, and I've gotten lots of fun stuff at Margaritaville on King St.

Want to get married in Charleston?

Want to make it simple?  Elope to Charleston can take care of all the details, so you can enjoy yourselves!

Beaches

There are several beaches surrounding Charleston.  The closest are Isle of Palms, Folly Beach, and Sullivan's Island, where you will find Fort Moultrie, a National Park.  From Fort Moultrie, you can see Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired.

More Fun Stuff!

One of our daughter's favorite places to visit (we have an annual membership) is the South Carolina Aquarium. 

Another great place for younger kids is the the Children's Museum of the Lowcountry, where they will find all kinds of interactive activities and can play on a replica shrimp boat. 

America's first museum, the Charleston Museum, is a must-see, too, with permanent exhibits, a special children's area, and events.  The Museum also has one or two special, changing exhibits, so you'll always see something new.

Charleston is home of many "firsts."  Another is the H.L. Hunley, the first submarine to sink an enemy ship.  You can see the Hunley and artifacts discovered on the ship as well as learn at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center on the weekends.  For more information, visit the Friends of the Hunley website.

Accommodations

Of course, you'll need a place to stay.   Whether you want a luxury beach resort, an historic bed and breakfast, or a campsite, you'll find it in Charleston.  If you're looking for downtown hotels, you can find some great, online deals at www.DowntownCharlestonHotels.com.