Best History Museum in Kiawah Island

"One of the top things to do with kids in Charleston SC has to be a visit to the Charleston Museum. They have really catered to the engaged and open minds of children with their numerous children’s programs. Kids can take part in special themed events, tours dedicated to kids, history workshops and even special toddler groups for children up to three."

"The historic importance of Charleston is monumental, and the Charleston Museum does a wonderful job of illustrating this. If you’re looking to come to Charleston this weekend, going to the Charleston Museum is among the best activities. Here, you can see great exhibits that different points of Charleston’s history."

"When you’re looking for things to do in Charleston SC with kids, Fort Sumter is a no-brainer!. I love an activity where kids are learning and they don’t even realize it!. You and your family will learn about the history of Fort Sumter and the pivotal role it played in the Civil War, but I think it’s most fun for families to get out and explore the grounds of Fort Sumter."

"Taking a Fort Sumter tour is pretty fun, more for the ride out to Fort Sumter. This is a great opportunity to cruise the harbor and see the city from a different perspective. Famed Charlestonian writer Pat Conroy described the city as a jewel perched on the harbor, and it’s easier to get that picture from the water."

"Stand on the only remaining site used as a gallery in South Carolina’s slave auctions. The Old Slave Mart was once part of Ryan’s Mart, a complex that spread from Chalmers to Queen streets, and included a brick-enclosed yard, a slave jail, a kitchen and a “dead house,” or morgue. Slave auctions took place on this site until November 1863."

"The Old Slave Mart is considered the last extant slave auction site in South Carolina. It currently houses a museum. As you can see in the image below from Photographer Shawn Lehman, it lies on the cobblestone Chalmers Street."

"Built in 1771, the Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon has served as a commercial exchange, custom house, military headquarters, city hall, and post office. The historic building was the site of some of the city's most notable events, like the signing of the U.S. Constitution, as well as its darkest moments, like public slave auctions."

"Year: 1767–1771 Architectural Style: Georgian Architect: William Rigby Naylor. About: The Old Exchange is located on the east side of Charleston’s historic downtown area, at the northeast corner of East Bay and Broad Streets. It is a two-story masonry building, capped by a hipped roof with cupola and set on a high brick basement."

"Right in the heart of historic Charleston’s downtown, the Powder Magazine is one of the city’s oldest buildings. Built in 1713, it was once upon a time a storehouse for gunpowder, making it an important location for both British troops and loyalists and those colonists and soldiers who fought on the side of the new nation. After the war, as the Charleston landscape shifted, the small building remained standing, and served as—amongst other things—a print shop, a livery stable, and even a private wine cellar."

"The Powder Magazine, built in 1713, is the oldest government building in South Carolina. The building was used as an arsenal from 1713 to 1748 and was later used in the American Revolution to defend the city. Throughout its years, it has been used as a print shop, a livery stable, a wine cellar, and a carriage house."

"Replaced by a newer magazine in 1748, it served effectively until the American Revolution. Now open as a National Historic Landmark."

"The Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture, one of Charleston’s less commonly visited attractions, offers an interesting insight into the city’s educational and cultural history. The Center itself is located in a historic building formerly occupied by the Avery Normal Institute, operated from 1865 to 1954 as a segregated school for Black secondary students. Things to see include a recreation of a 19th-century classroom, rotating exhibitions based on the Avery Research Center’s collections, and rotating art exhibitions featuring works from local South Carolina artists and members of the African diaspora."

"Located in the historic Fireproof Building, the South Carolina Historical Society Museum spans six interactive galleries and showcases more than 350 years of South Carolina history through the artifacts, personal treasures, and handwritten accounts of those who experienced it."

"In the midst of Christian churches stands one of the United States’ oldest Jewish congregations. The Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim is the country’s second oldest Synagogue and the oldest in continuous practice."

"Live comedy theatre in a cozy setting – clean comic whodunit shows, volunteer audience participation, a la carte appetizers, drinks, & desserts. At downtown City Market."

"The Dock Street Theatre is an underrated photographic gem located in the historic French Quarter of downtown Charleston. It was originally built as a hotel in 1809 before being converted to a theater in 1935. You can see the beautiful Dock Street Theatre in the image below from photographer Bent Bjørnskov."

"America’s First Theatre,” home to Spoleto Festival USA and Moja Arts Festival. Charleston Stage the theatre company in residence presents a full season of plays each year."

"Get spooked on a tour of Charleston’s most haunted building, The City Jail. The castle-like building on Magazine Street housed many of Charleston’s infamous criminals, from pirates to serial killers, over a period of one hundred and fifty years. Head inside after dark to explore the warden’s quarters and cells listening for the eerie rattle of chains and the slamming of cell doors as the spirits make their presence known."

"I consider the Hunley Museum to be one of the best places to visit if you are in the Charleston area!. The Hunley was used by the Confederacy during the Civil War, and was submarine in history to sink an enemy ship. On February 17, 1864 the Hunley attacked and sank the USS Housatonic, but the Hunley did not return to shore after the attack."

"Hunley sank the USS Housatonic off the coast of Charleston and made history as the first submarine ever to sink an enemy ship. The Hunley then vanished along with its crew of eight and was lost for over a century. Visit The Friends of the Hunley museum to learn more about the discovery and history of the Hunley."

"H. L. Hunley, often referred to as Hunley, was a submarine of the Confederate States of America that played a small part in the American Civil War. Hunley demonstrated the advantages and the dangers of undersea warfare."

"St. Michael’s Episcopal Church is another exemplary Georgian influence on the architecture of Charleston. It is the oldest surviving church edifice and religious structure of the city built in the 1750s. Surrounded by verdant palm groves, the church displays clocks and bells from colonial times, windows in the front, crown molding and delicate paintings on the front door and brick walls with stucco."

"Saint Michael’s Church in Charleston, SC, is the oldest church edifice in the city. The cornerstone of the church was laid in 1752 on the spot where the first church in Charleston, St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, was built in the 1680s. Since the 1760s, very few of St. Michael’s features have changed."

"Established in 1983, this gallery was named after Mr. William Halsey, an established artist whose works were exhibited at prestigious museums such as Museum of Modern Art, and Art Institute of Chicago. He became a studio art instructor at the College of Charleston and worked there for 20 years. When he retired, an art gallery was named after him to honor his excellence and contribution to the art scene in Charleston."

"Founded in 1770, the first municipal college in America was built in 1724. Present main building designed by eminent Philadelphia architect William Strickland, built 1828."

"What makes it great: Located near the Family Circle Tennis Center, this playground has soccer and baseball fields, a playground, waterfront trails, and more. The playground itself has a zip line that your kids will love!"