Posts Tagged ‘charleston museum’

MORE Things to Do During The Holidays in Charleston, South Carolina

Wednesday, December 15th, 2010

Ongoing: Charles Pinckney National Historic Site. Charles Pinckney, a principal
author and signer of the U.S. Constitution, owned seven plantations. Enslaved
Africans and African-Americans on Lowcountry plantations developed a
unique culture known collectively today as “Gullah.” Gullah people made significant
contributions not only to the Lowcountry plantation system but also to American
culture in general. Charles Pinckney National Historic Site, 1254 Long Point
Rd. Mt. Pleasant. Open daily, 9a.m.-5p.m. Admission is FREE. For more info, call
(843) 881-5516 and visit www.nps.gov/chpi.
Ongoing: Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site. Cannons boom. Muskets
bark. Interpretive rangers in 17th century dress tend heirloom crops. They’re
all part of the “new” Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site. Here a group of
English settlers landed in 1670 and established what would become the birthplace
of the Carolinas colony, the plantation system of the American South, and
one of the continent’s first major port cities. And here the story is still told. Opened
in 1970 as Charles Towne Landing State Park, the peaceful park on a marshy
point off the Ashley River was rebuilt in 2006 with a sharpened focus on the site’s
remarkable past. Begin with the 12-room, interactive museum in the Visitors Center
that includes a “digital dig.” Then walk the self-guided history trail, using the
MP3 players that add an audio tour to the experience. Admire the Adventure, a
full-size replica sailing ship built onsite, and the authentic experimental crop garden.
Talk to archaeologists at work. And leave time for the Animal Forest natural
habitat zoo and 80 acres of gardens that includes an elegant live oak alle’ and the
Legare-Waring House. Charles Towne Landing, 1500 Old Towne Rd. Open daily
from 9a.m.-5p.m. Admission is $7.50/adults; $3.75/S.C. seniors; $3.50/students
ages 6-15, FREE/children under 6. For more info, call (843) 852-4200 and visit
www.charlestownelanding.travel.
Ongoing: Charleston Art Tours presents Charleston Fine Art Gallery Tour.
Reserve your spot to see 6 to 8 of Charleston’s most exciting art galleries with a
Charleston professional artist as your guide! In this informative and enjoyable two
hour VIP walking tour you will see the wealth of celebrated and emerging talent
in a quiet, unrushed fashion while getting a professional artist’s perspective. You
will also get the inside scoop on the artists and their artwork, allowing you to have
a rare, private look into the best of the Charleston art world in a small personal
group of up to 8 people. Finish up your tour with champagne, sparkling water,
and chocolates. Be enlightened and inspired! Ages 14+. Starts at the Charleston
Art Tour office, 53 Broad St., Suite 201. 10a.m.-12p.m. or 2-4p.m. Admission is
$49. For more info, call (843) 860-3327, email info@CharlestonArtTours.com and
visit www.CharlestonArtTours.com.

Ongoing: Charleston Art Tours presents The Charleston Renaissance Tour.
Start your tour at the Gibbes Museum with professional artist tour guide; learn and
see how the painters of the Charleston Renaissance (beginning in 1915) influenced
Charleston with a flourish of artistic activity and started the building of Charleston as
a center of art. Explore the Gibbes’ masters of today and visit the art galleries in the
French Quarter that show their works! The whole picture is a fascinating look at how
Charleston has evolved into one of the most vibrant artist colonies in the East. Ticket
includes entry to the Gibbes Museum, 6 galleries, small personal group of up to 8,
champagne, chocolates and a gift bag. Ticket includes re-entry to the Gibbes Museum
after the tour. Meet at Gibbes Museum, 135 Meeting St. Tues.-Sat. from
10a.m.-12:30p.m. $55. For more info, call (843) 860-3327, email info@charlestonarttours.
com and visit www.CharlestonArtTours.com.
Ongoing: Charleston City Hall Council Chamber. The 2nd oldest Council
Chamber in continuous use in the U.S., contains 27 black walnut desks made in
1818. The two chandeliers, originally lit with gas, date back to 1850. Above the
main floor is a Visitors’ Gallery encircled by a bowed cast iron railing. Exposed
earthquake rods are incorporated into the design of the hand-painted tin paneled
ceiling, the perimeter of which contains the original 1896 Thomas Edison light
bulbs that burned in the room until 1983. The Chamber also serves as an art
gallery displaying a priceless collection of original oil portraits of figures important
to state and national history, including likenesses of four U.S. Presidents.
Charleston City Hall, 80 Broad St. Open Mon.-Fri. from 8:30a.m.-5p.m. Admission
is FREE. For more info, call (843) 724-3727 and visit www.charleston-sc.gov.
Ongoing: The Charleston Museum. America’s first museum showcases cultural
and natural history of South Carolina’s coastal region. Enjoy the rich variety
of exhibited objects ranging from ancient fossils and an enormous whale skeleton
to Civil War artifacts and historic Charleston silver. Charleston Museum, 360
Meeting St. Mon.-Sat. 9a.m.-5p.m.; Sun. 1-5p.m. Admission is $10/adults;
$5/children 3-12; FREE/children under 3. For more info, call (843) 722-2996
and visit www.charlestonmuseum.org.

Ongoing: Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry. The mission of the Children’s
Museum of the Lowcountry is to spark the love of learning in all children.
Through interactive, interdisciplinary, hands-on environments and experiences with
the arts, sciences and humanities, children will develop creative thinking and problem
solving skills, and a belief in their own potential. Open Tues.-Sat. from 9a.m.-
5p.m., Sun. from 1-5p.m. Admission is $7/adults & children; FREE/members &
children under 1. Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry, 25 Ann St. For more info,
call (843) 853-8962 and visit www.explorecml.org.

Ongoing: Confederate Museum. 188 Meeting St., corner of Meeting and Market
Sts. Open Tues.- Sat. from 11am-3:30pm. Admission is $5/adults & teens;
$3/children 6-12; FREE/children under 6. Donations are always welcome. For
more info, visit www.csa-scla.org and call (843) 723-1541.

Ongoing: Drayton Hall. A National Historic Landmark and a property of the National
Trust for Historic preservation. Built in 1738, it is the oldest and finest colonial
plantation house in Charleston. It is the only plantation that survived the Civil
War intact. It is noted for its hand-carved woodwork and plasterwork. After seven
generations, the Revolutionary and Civil wars, and numerous hurricanes and earthquakes,
the main house remains in nearly original condition. Drayton Hall, 3380
Ashley River Rd. Open daily from 8:30a.m.-5p.m. Admission is $15/adults;
$8/youth ages 12-18; $6/children ages 6-11; FREE/children under 5. For more
info, call (843) 769-2605 and visit www.draytonhall.org.

Ongoing: Fort Sumter Monument & Museum. The National Park Service
presents tours of Fort Sumter, located on an island in Charleston harbor. The
concession-operated ferry leaves from two locations: Liberty Square, 340 Concord
St., and Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum, 40 Patriots Point Rd.,
Mt. Pleasant. For ferry departure times, visit the concessionaire’s website at
www.fortsumtertours.com. For more info, call (843) 883-3123 and visit
www.nps.gov/fosu/.

Ongoing: Hampton Plantation. Offers historic house museum tours, interpreting
colonial architecture and rice plantation life. Hampton Plantation, 1950
Rutledge Rd., McClellanville. Admission to the grounds is FREE; house admission
fee is $4/adults; $2.50/S.C. seniors; $3/child or youth age 6-15. Grounds open
daily from 9a.m.-6p.m. The mansion is open for tours Sat. through Tues. at 1p.m.,
2p.m. and 3p.m. For more info, visit www.southcarolinaparks.com.


Ongoing: Heyward-Washington House and Joseph Manigault House.
Charleston Museum presents tours of the historic Heyward-Washington House
and Joseph Manigault House. Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St. Open Mon.-
Sat. from 10a.m.-5p.m.; Sun. from 1-5p.m. The last tour each day is at 4:30p.m.
Admission is $10/adults; $5/children 3-12; FREE/members. For more info, call
(843) 722-2996 and visit www.charlestonmuseum.org.
Ongoing: The Hunley. On the night of February 17, 1864, the H.L. Hunley embarked
on a dangerous mission that would forever mark her place in history. Eight
men, led by Lt. George Dixon, entered an experimental vessel that was to become
the first successful submarine in world history, with a mission to sink an enemy
ship, the USS Housatonic. That night, the Hunley rammed her spar torpedo into
the hull of the Housatonic. She then surfaced long enough for her crew to signal
their comrades on the shore of Sullivan’s Island with a blue magnesium light, (or
lantern) indicating a successful mission. The shore crew stoked their signal fires
and anxiously awaited the Hunley’s safe return. But minutes after her historic
achievement, the Hunley and all hands onboard vanished into the sea without a
trace. Warren Lasch Conservation Center, 1250 Supply St. (on the old Charleston
Naval Base), North Charleston. Tours on Sat. from 10a.m.-5p.m., Sun. from 12-
5p.m. Admission is $12/adults; $10/seniors, military & members; FREE/children
under 5; order in person, at www.etix.com or call (877) 448-6539. For more info,
call (843) 743-4865 ext. 10 and visit www.hunley.org
Ongoing: Middleton Place. A National Historic Landmark and a carefully preserved
18th-century plantation that has survived revolution, Civil War, and earthquake.
It was the home of four important generations of Middleton’s, beginning with
Henry Middleton, President of the First Continental Congress; Arthur, a signer of the
Declaration of Independence; Henry, Governor of South Carolina and an American
Minister to Russia; and Williams, a signer of the Ordinance of Secession. Visitors
are invited to tour the Gardens, the House Museum, and the Plantation Stableyards.
Middleton Place, 4300 Ashley River Rd. Admission is $25-$45/adults; $5-$30/children.
For more info, call (800) 782-3608 and visit www.middletonplace.org

Ongoing: Nathaniel Russell House and Aiken-Rhett House. Historic
Charleston Foundation offers tours of the historic Nathaniel Russell House and
Aiken-Rhett House. Open Mon.-Sat. from 10a.m.-5p.m., Sun. from 2-5p.m.
Nathaniel Russell House, 51 Meeting St. and Aiken-Rhett House, 48 Elizabeth St.
Admission is $10/one site; $16/both sites. Admission may be purchased at either
site. For more info, call (843) 723-1159 and visit www.historiccharleston.org.
Ongoing: The Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon. A ‘must-see’ for all
Charleston visitors. During your visit, you will discover this building’s integral role
in our country’s quest for independence and its important service to our young nation.
Owned by the South Carolina Society of the Daughters of American Revolution,
the Old Exchange offers public tours of its three floors that highlight various
aspects of Charleston history during the Colonial and Revolutionary eras and put
into context the people and events of the period. Old Exchange Building, 122
East Bay St. Open daily from 9a.m.-5p.m. Admission is $7/adults, $3.50/children
ages 7-12, $3.50/students, FREE/children under 7 accompanied by an adult;
group rates and other discounts available. For more info, call (843) 727-2165
and visit www.oldexchange.com.
Ongoing: The Old Slave Mart Museum. Learn the story of Charleston’s role
in this inter-state slave trade by focusing on the history of this particular building
and site and the slave sales that occurred here. 6 Chalmers St. Open Mon.-Sat.
from 9a.m.-5p.m. Admission is $7/adults; $5/seniors, students, and children over
5; FREE/children under 6. For more info, call (843) 958-6467 and visit
www.nps.gov/nr/travel/charleston/osm.htm.
Ongoing: The Original Charleston Walks presents Gibbes Art Museum
Discovery Tours. Learn of Charleston’s early emergence as one of America’s
great artistic centers, the collapse of the arts as a result of the Civil War, and their
eventual revival during the Charleston Renaissance of the 1920s and 30s. Be inspired
by the same historic streets and sites as DuBose Heyward, Alice Ravenel,
Huger Smith and Alfred Hutty. Guides offer biographical vignettes of the city’s
key visual artists and writers, and give lively readings. Duration: 2 hours. For reservations
and more info, call (800) 729-3420 and visit www.charlestonwalks.com.
Ongoing: Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum. Features the USS Yorktown,
Planes & Flight Deck tours, USS Laffey, USS Clamagore, USS Ingham,
Congressional Medal of Honor Museum, Vietnam Support Base, and the Cold
War Memorial. Admission is $16/adults 12+; $13/seniors & active duty military
w/ID; $9/children 6-11; FREE/active duty military in uniforms & children under 6
with adult admission. Parking is $3/all day. Open daily from 9a.m.-6:30p.m. Patriots
Point Naval & Maritime Museum, 40 Patriot’s Point Rd, Mt. Pleasant. For
more info, call (843) 881-5984 and visit www.patriotspoint.org.

Ongoing: The Powder Magazine. South Carolina’s oldest public building, The
Powder Magazine (circa 1713), served as an arsenal within the old walled city of
Charleston. Interact with historians and see museum exhibits that relate to
Charleston’s colonial and American Revolution history. The Powder Magazine, 79
Cumberland St. Open Mon.-Sat. from 10a.m.-4p.m.; Sun. from 1-4p.m. Admission
is $2/adults; $1/children 6-12. For more info, call (843) 722-9350, e-mail
alan@powdermag.org and visit www.powdermag.org. 

Included FREE with your Doin’ The Charleston Tour!

Ongoing: The South Carolina Aquarium Watch our otters get their breakfast,
talk to scuba divers in the Great Ocean Tank to learn how we feed our sharks, and
get up-close-and-personal to a snake, turtle, alligator and more. Educational programs
offered daily. South Carolina Aquarium, 100 Aquarium Wharf. Open daily
from 9am-5pm. Admission is $17.95/adults; $16.95/seniors 62+; $10.95/children
ages 2-11; FREE/children under 2. For more info, call (843) 720-1990 and
visit www.scaquarium.org.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Charleston Events, charleston tours | No Comments »

Special Holiday House and Plantation Tours, Charleston, South Carolina and More!

Monday, December 6th, 2010

Dec. 1: Drayton Hall and Middleton Place present “A Day on the Ashley.”
At Drayton Hall visitors will experience a one-hour Connoisseur’s House
Tour, self-guided nature walks, one of the oldest documented African-American
cemeteries in the nation still in use, and the artisan-inspired museum shop. At
Middleton Place visitors will enjoy a casual lunch followed by a guided tour of the
house museum, self-guided tour of America’s oldest landscaped gardens, the
Plantation Stableyards, freedmen’s cabin, chapel, and museum shop. Optional
carriage tours are also available. The new Day on the Ashley package must be reserved
at least 48 hours in advance and is subject to availability. Drayton Hall and
Middleton Place, Ashley River Rd. Call for price. For more info, call (843) 769-
2630, email debbi_zimmerman@draytonhall.org and visit www.draytonhall.org.

Dec. 2-16: Charleston Museum presents Holiday Wining and Dining
Tours at the Heyward-Washington House. Catch the holiday spirit at The
Charleston Museum’s Heyward-Washington House. Special 18th Century
See elaborate table settings and period appropriate faux food throughout the various
entertaining spaces within the house. Tour the c. 1740 kitchen building and
learn about open hearth cooking. Visit the laundry area, servants’ quarters, and
auxiliary kitchen herb garden. Heyward-Washington House, 87 Church St. Dec.
2, 9, 16 at 4p.m. Admission is FREE/members and children under 3; FREE/with
regular museum admission of $10/adults; $5/children. For more info, visit

http://charlestonmuseum.org/topic.asp?id=21.

Dec. 4-31: Charleston Museum presents Holiday Decorations at the
Joseph Manigault House. Each year, the Garden Club of Charleston uses this
magnificent house as a backdrop for their creative arrangements, using only live
plant materials that would have been available in the Lowcountry during the 19th
century. Joseph Manigault House, 350 Meeting St. Dec. 4-31 open 10a.m.-5p.m.
Mon.-Sat.; 1-5p.m. Sun. Admission is FREE/members and children under 3;
FREE/with regular museum admission of $10/adults; $5/children. For more info,
visit http://charlestonmuseum.org/topic.asp?id=19.

Dec. 20: Charleston Museum presents a special One-Day Exhibit: Original
South Carolina Ordinance of Secession. The Charleston Museum will
exhibit the original South Carolina Ordinance of Secession on the 150th anniversary
of its signing. The document comes to us on loan from the SC Department
of Archives and History. Please be sure to stop by and see it on December
20, the only day it will be on exhibit to the public in Charleston! Charleston Museum,
360 Meeting St. Dec. 20 from 9a.m.-5p.m. Admission is FREE/members
and children under 3; FREE/with regular museum admission of $10/adults;
$5/children. For more info, visit www.charlestonmuseum.org.

Ongoing: The American Military Museum. American Military Museum,
360 Concord. St. Ste. 9. Open Mon.-Sat. 10am-6pm; Sun. 1-5pm. Admission
is $7/adults, $5/seniors 55+/veterans and spouse/drilling NG/res/spouse,
$3/student 13-18 or any current student ID; $2/children 6-12; FREE/active duty
& spouses. For more info, call (843) 577-7000 and visit www.americanmilitarymuseum.
org.

Ongoing: Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture
at the College of Charleston.Offers tours of the building and museum
galleries. Avery Research Center, 125 Bull St. St. Mon-Fri 10:30a.m., 11:30a.m.,
1:30p.m., 2:30p.m., 3:30p.m.; Sat. 12:30p.m., 1:30p.m., 2:30p.m., 3:30p.m. Admission
is FREE. For more info, call (843) 953-7609 or visit www.cofc.edu/avery.

Ongoing: Boone Hall Plantation. Presentations that cannot be found on any
other plantations in the area are part of what helps make Boone Hall unique. However,
these shows are seasonal so check in advance for performance dates and
times. 1235 Long Point Rd. Mt. Pleasant. $17.50/adults; $15/seniors, military, &
AAA members; $7.50/children 6-12; FREE/children 5 and under. For more info,
call (843) 884-4371 and visit www.boonehallplantation.com.

Ongoing: Cabbage Row. The section of Church Street used as the inspiration
for “Catfish Row” in the Dubose Heyward story, “Porgy.” This story was the basis
for Gershwin’s opera “Porgy and Bess,” which is a fictionalized glimpse of black
life during the 1920’s. The character “Porgy” was based on an actual Charlestonian,
Samuel Smalls. Church St. at Tradd St. Admission is FREE. For more info, call
(800) 868-8118.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Charleston Events, charleston tours | No Comments »

Yuletide Celebration in Charleston, SC

Friday, November 19th, 2010

Yuletide in Charleston – 11/23 – 01/06/2011 – Nathaniel Russell House and Aiken-Rhett House

The public is invited to experience the feasts, festivities and local traditions at Historic Charleston Foundation’s two museum houses where Yuletide in the Lowcountry will take you on a journey through Christmas past. From the Federal to Antebellum era, learn how the families and enslaved African Americans at the Nathaniel Russell (1808) and Aiken-Rhett (c. 1820) Houses celebrated the holiday season. This exhibition will be on view from November 23, 2010 through January 6, 2011.  By touring both the Nathaniel Russell and Aiken-Rhett House Museums, visitors will travel through time to see how holiday traditions changed from one period to another and evolved into the Christmas that we celebrate today. “We see in history the evolution of our modern holiday traditions, like family gatherings, bountiful greenery and the desire to present the most abundant and lavish table possible for holiday guests and family,” said Valerie Perry, Associate Director of Museums for Historic Charleston Foundation.  At the Nathaniel Russell House Museum, guests will learn about early 19th century holiday gatherings before Santa and the Christmas tree became popular. Christmas for the Russell family in 1808 meant religious observances and holiday feasts with friends and relatives. Just as if the family were gathered in celebration, the dining room table will be laden with delightful sugared fruits, syllabubs, cakes and sweetmeats.

Continue on to the Aiken-Rhett House Museum where you can see all the trimmings of a Victorian Christmas in the Lowcountry. Holiday celebrations at the Aiken-Rhett House harkens back to Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and the first use of Christmas trees in America. Christmas was a joyous time for members of the enslaved African community as well, and interpretive material will be exhibited in the Aiken-Rhett outbuildings, where African Americans both lived and worked.  Historic Charleston Foundation invites you to enjoy the holidays at the Nathaniel Russell House Museum, 51 Meeting Street, and the Aiken-Rhett House Museum, 48 Elizabeth Street. Open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. with the last tour at 4:30, Mon. through Sat.; 2 – 5 p.m., Sunday. Admission is $10; children under 6 admitted free. Closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

For information visit www.historiccharleston.org.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Charleston Events | No Comments »

Threads of War: Clothing and Textiles of the Civil War

Friday, October 29th, 2010

10/14/2010 – 09/05/2011

Location: The Charleston Museum
Address: 360 Meeting Street Charleston, SC
Phone: 843-722-2996
Web Site: http://www.charlestonmuseum.org

Commemorating the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War and celebrating the opening of its new textile gallery, The Charleston Museum presents Threads of War: Clothing and Textiles of the Civil War October 14, 2010 through September 5, 2011. This original exhibition offers a peek into the lives of those left on the home front and those battling deprivation and fear while raising their families and protecting their property, as well as those fighting on the front lines. Threads of War will illustrate how, as the 1860s marched on, the war took its toll not only in lives lost but on fashion, supplies, and every aspect of life. Women’s, men’s and children’s clothing, uniforms and accessories, quilts, coverlets and flags, along with magazines, newspapers, daguerreotypes and diaries provide tangible images of mid-nineteenth century Charleston and a lifestyle torn apart by war. The Charleston Museum will offer a wide variety of workshops and programs in conjunction with the exhibit. For more information, please visit www.charlestonmuseum.org or call (843) 722-2996.

Exhibit Highlights
Threads of War includes a beautiful brown silk day dress worn by a member of the Jervey family of Charleston and a cream wool challis dress with Zouave-style jacket (a short open fronted jacket styled after the uniforms of the French Army serving in French North Africa) worn by Isabella Woodruff Holst, both with the wide hoop crinoline popular of the period. A young bride, Frances Ann Hardcastle, wore her best brown plaid silk dress for her hasty marriage to William Henley Smith of Charleston, just two days after the bombing of Fort Sumter. Wedding garments, accessories and memoir excerpts from the 1865 wedding of Louisa McCord and Augustine T. Smythe reflect the difficulties in obtaining supplies even after the war had ended. A home-made palmetto straw hat and hand-crafted turkey feather fans form an image of inventiveness while a magnificent Chinese embroidered shawl brought in through the blockade serves as a spark of determination. Men’s riding trousers made by local tailor, C. D. Carr, elegant vests from shortly before the war and the ubiquitous 19th century top hat, worn by Henry Hyrne Baker of Charleston, portray the civilian side of men during the war.

An intricate woven coverlet made on Towles Plantation, Wadmalaw Island is one of the few slave-made artifacts that survived from those difficult years. A magnificent Star of Bethlehem quilt that was buried for safekeeping and a flowery chintz-appliquéd quilt made by friends of the Dibble family after they evacuated to Orangeburg during the war, are examples of women’s artistry and skill.

Uniforms in the exhibition include a custom-tailored coat of fine wool, sea island cotton and silk linings worn by Captain Warren R. Marshall of Charleston. He purchased it from Charleston tailor Charles D. Carr who maintained a shop at 30 Broad Street. Flags typically provided a rallying point for the troops. On display will be a woolen Confederate battle flag from the 5th South Carolina Cavalry / Butler’s Brigade and an elegant embroidered blue silk flag from the Calhoun Artillery with palmetto tree and gold crescent.

Threads of War Programming
In conjunction with Threads of War: Clothing and Textiles of the Civil War and the Civil War Sesquicentennial, the Charleston Museum will offer educational programs. Carolina Ladies Aid Society will offer a variety of living history programs, such as mid-19th century fashion demonstrations and period cooking and laundry techniques, on the second Saturday in November 2010, January 2011, March 2011, May 2011, and July 2011. Monthly tours of the Civil War fortifications at the Museum’s Dill Sanctuary, as well as hands-on textile workshops will be available. A public Quilting Bee with a mid-19th century pattern will be open on select Saturdays throughout the exhibit. Threads of War will open with a reception on October 14. Many programs required advance registration; visit www.charlestonmuseum.org or call 722-2996 for more information.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Charleston Events | No Comments »

Museum Mile Weekend in Charleston

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

This weekend Charleston, South Carolina’s Museum Mile Weekend allows you to visit five museums, seven historic buildings and one powder magazine all for $20!  September 25 & 26, 2010 only!

This single Museum Mile Weekend pass gives you admission at thirteen sites along Meeting Street.  Many of the cultural institutions will also offer special programs during the Museum Mile Weekend.

Participating Sites on Saturday and Sunday, September25 & 26, 2010:
(special programming and any special Museum Mile Weekend hours are noted in bold)

Aiken-Rhett House - 48 Elizabeth Street
Built in 1820 and greatly expanded by Gov. and Mrs. William Aiken, Jr. in the 1830s, this house and its outbuildings have survived as a time capsule virtually unaltered since 1858. Children are invited to enjoy a scavenger hunt throughout the weekend as they explore the house, grounds and outbuildings and learn more about the people who lived and worked on the property.

The Charleston Museum – 360 Meeting Street
America’s first museum showcases the cultural and natural history of South Carolina’s Lowcountry.  On Saturday, The Charleston Museum will feature children’s crafts from 10am to 12noon.

Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry – 25 Ann Street
The Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry offers eight hands-on interactive learning environments for children 3 months to 10 years.

Joseph Manigault House – 350 Meeting Street
“Charleston’s Huguenot House” was built in 1803 and is a premier example of Adam-style, or Federal, architecture.  On both Saturday (11:00am, 4:00pm) and Sunday (4:00pm), focus tours at the Joseph Manigault House will give a glimpse of the house’s fascinating World War II history, in addition to regular house tours.

Confederate Museum - 188 Meeting Street
Since 1898, the Daughters of the Confederacy have operated the Confederate Museum, which contains flags, uniforms, swords and other Confederate memorabilia. UPDATED hours during the Museum Mile Weekend only: open Saturday 3-5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. – noon only.

Powder Magazine – 79 Cumberland Street
South Carolina’s oldest public building, The Powder Magazine (circa 1713) served as an arsenal within the old walled city of Charleston. Living history programs will be offered all weekend. A special performance of the original production The Gentleman Pirate will be offered on Saturday at 3:30pm. Call ahead for ticket information (843-722-9350) or visit www.PowderMag.org

Gibbes Museum of Art – 135 Meeting Street
Experience Charleston’s history through art!  Explore stories of the Lowcountry as seen through painting, miniature portraiture, sculpture, photographs and more.  Docent-led tours of the museum will be offered at 2:30pm on Saturday and Sunday.

South Carolina Historical Society – 100 Meeting Street
The Historical Society preserves and publishes South Carolina’s history.  The Society’s multi-media exhibit, “Stormy Times Ahead:  Voices of Secession,” compliments the original Secession Banner (also on display) to depict the crucial events of 1860.  Tours will be given at the top of the hour. Hours are 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 25, and 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 26.

Old Slave Mart Museum – 6 Chalmers Street
The Museum’s exhibits focus on the domestic slave trade from the perspectives of historically-documented slaveowners, slave traders and enslaved African Americans, and speak to their stories, contributions and legacies. Closed Sunday.  On Saturday at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm, the director will conduct connoisseur tours of the museum and share the stories of several individuals who passed through this auction complex.

The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon – 122 East Bay Street
Completed in 1771 as the New Exchange and Custom House, visitors can explore Charleston’s colonial, Revolutionary and Civil War past while retracing the steps of presidents, patriots and pirates!

Heyward-Washington House – 87 Church Street
Built in 1772, “Charleston’s Revolutionary War House” was the townhome of Thomas Heyward, Jr., Revolutionary War patriot and signer of the Declaration of Independence. In addition to regular house tours, special Revolutionary War focus tours are offered both Saturday (11:00am, 4:00pm) and Sunday (4:00pm) at the Heyward-Washington House.

Nathaniel Russell House – 51 Meeting Street
Visitors are invited to admire the grand Federal style townhouse of Charleston merchant Nathaniel Russell, built in 1808. On Saturday from 10:30am to 12 noon, an educational program in the garden will highlight music popular from 1808-1820, including songs of the African-American slaves who lived and worked on the property.

Edmondston-Alston House – 21 East Battery
The Edmondston-Alston House was one of the first dwellings built on Charleston’s High Battery in 1825. View a fine collection of family furnishings, books, silver and paintings.  Docent guided tours offered the entire weekend.

Reservations are NOT required.  Go to http://www.charlestonmuseum.org/event.asp?ID=268 for details or to order tickets.

After your museum tour, take a load off with an air-conditioned multimedia bus tour of historic Charleston.  Your purchase of  two Charleston tour tickets at full price ($20 per) or any two combo tour package tickets directly at our air-conditioned motorized bus at the Charleston Visitor’s Center on Meeting Street will get you a FREE Race to Savings Discount card. This valuable Charleston discount card will save you over $3,000.00 at many Charleston area attractions, museums, restaurants, stores and more! Over $500 in bonus offers!  Visit http://www.dointhecharlestontours.com/charleston-tours-discount-coupon.htm to see all of the savings you’ll get with this amazing card!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Charleston Events, charleston tours | No Comments »