South Carolina Attractions Guide

Capital City

Frankie's Fun Park - Frankie's fun pare is a 14-acre family oriented amusement center. Attractions include three go-cart tracks, bumper boats, batting cages, three 18-hole mini-golf courses, laser tag, an arcade and a pizza restaurant!

Koger Center For The Arts - Located on the campus of the University of South Carolina, the Koger Center for the Arts features performances of music, theater, dance and other performing arts.

Carter And Holmes Orchids - At Carter and Holmes Orchids, you can tour 18 greenhouses and enjoy 93,000 square feet of tropical beauty. Carter and Holmes Orchids is one of the largest orchid nurseries in the world!

Newberry Opera House - Built in 1881 at a cost of $30,000 the Newberry Opera House has served as the City Centerpiece for 118 years. The structure recently underwent a $5.5 million Renovation which restored it to its' Historic Splendor and converted it to a State of the Art Performance facility.

Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site - After the siege of Charleston, Lord Charles Cornwallis and 2,500 British soldiers marched to Camden and set up supply headquarters. For the next 11 months the town was occupied. Guided and self-guided tours take in the Colonial and Revolutionary eras on the 98-acre site. Guided and self-guided tours are available.

South Carolina State Museum - Housed in the historic 1893 Columbia Mill textile building, the South Carolina State Museum tells the story of South Carolina through many exhibits and programs. Visitors can enjoy art, cultural history, natural history, science and technology exhibits.

Riverbanks Zoo & Botanical Garden - More than 2,000 animals are housed in natural habitat exhibits that use psychological barriers such as moats, water, and light to create an environment free of bars and cages for animals. A seventy-acre Botanical Garden provides visitors with an opportunity to experience both native and exotic plant exhibits.

Columbia Museum Of Art - South Carolina's largest fine art museum emphasizes a broad spectrum of European and American fine and decorative art dating from the 14th century to the present in their permanent collection.

Charleston

Magnolia Plantation - Magnolia Plantation features the country's oldest garden and a reconstruction era plantation house. The garden features the Barbados Tropical Garden, a nature train tour, a petting zoo, wildlife observation tower, nature trails, wildlife art gallery, rental bikes, canoes, an 18th century herb garden, a Biblical garden, topiary garden, horticultural maze and antebellum cabin.

Boone Hall Plantation - Visitors can catch a glimpse of a way of life that is only a memory of a time when the South lived by agriculture alone, and the great plantations were the back-bone of the agrarian economy. Today the plantation thrives, producing commercial crops, serving as the backdrop for major motion pictures, and sponsoring events that entertain and benefit visitors and residents of the area.

South Carolina Aquarium - From coastal saltmarshes, Piedmont rivers, and rushing mountain streams to the still depths of the Atlantic Ocean, explore South Carolina's fascinatingly diverse aquatic habitats and get to know the five thousand magical creatures--from colorful song birds to mysterious sharks; graceful rays to playful otters--that live in them.

Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum - Located on historic Charleston Harbor, Patriots Point is home to USS YORKTOWN (CV-10), the Fighting Lady. The first USS YORKTOWN (CV-5) sank at the battle of Midway on June 7, 1942. Onboard the decks of this famous World War II aircraft carrier, you can relive a momentous time in America's history.

Nathaniel Russell House - Completed in 1808, the townhouse of Nathaniel and Sarah Russell is recognized as one of America's most important neoclassical dwellings. Set amid spacious gardens, the house contains graceful interiors with elaborate plasterwork ornamentation, geometrically shaped rooms and a magnificent free-flying staircase. Furnished with period antiques and works of art.

Middleton Place - Middleton Place is a National Historic Landmark and a carefully preserved 18th-century plantation that has survived revolution, Civil War, and earthquake. It was the home of many generations of Middletons. Middleton Place encompasses the Gardens, the House Museum, and the Plantation Stableyards.

Charelston County Parks - The Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission will improve the quality of life in Charleston County by offering a diverse system of park facilities, programs, and services. The county's park system presently includes over 4,586 acres with emphasis on passive activities, the environment, and beach access.

Dock Street Theatre - Charleston Stage Company is South Carolina's largest professional theatre company and resides at The Historic Dock Street Theatre. Charleston Stage offers popular Broadway musicals, award winning dramas and world premiere original works.

Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon - The Royal Exchange and Custom House was completed in 1771 during Charles Town?s Golden Age. The building quickly became the commercial, political and social center of the most prosperous of Britain?s thirteen American colonies. The Provost Dungeon was used as a prison by the British during the Revolution.

Drayton Hall - Completed in 1742, the historic plantation house stands majestically on a 630-acre site and is one of the finest examples or Georgian-Palladian architecture in America. Through seven generations of Drayton family ownership, the plantation house has remained in nearly original condition and offers an opportunity to experience history.

Charleston Museum - America's first museum, The Charleston Museum was founded in 1773. The Museum preserves and interprets the cultural and natural history of Charleston and the South Carolina coastal region. Objects of historic, archaeological, scientific and ethnological interest illustrate the importance of this area.

Avery Research Center - The Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture is located on the site of the former Avery Normal Institute. Founded in 1865, the Avery Normal Institute was a nationally-recognized African-American educational institution that trained young adults in professional careers and leaderships roles for nearly 100 years.

Carolina Ice Palace - South Carolina's Ultimate Family Entertainment Complex, the Carolina Ice Palace was designed to be a year-round family playground for recreational skating, league hockey, figure skating, extreme sports, virtual reality and video games. Inside you will find 100,000 square feet of excitement packed into every inch of the state-of-the-art facility!

Gibbes Museum Of Art - Built in 1905, the Gibbes Museum of Art represents a long and impressive tradition of cultural leadership in historic Charleston, providing residents and visitors access to a distinguished collection and an active, year-round schedule of exciting exhibitions, programs and events.

Lowcountry

Hardeeville Motor Speedway - The Hardeeville Motor Speedway is a state-of-the-art facility that includes a 1/3-mile high-banked D-shaped asphalt oval (12 degrees in the turns) with a 1/5 mile flat track inside. Located just three miles SE of I-95 (exit 5 in South Carolina) on Highway 17 or ten miles north of Savannah, Georgia, on Highway 17, this facility is easily accessible from anywhere.

Coastal Discovery Museum - The Coastal Discovery Museum on Hilton Head Island is a great place to visit any time of the year. With indoor and outdoor exhibits, activity centers in the Sea Island Classroom, the History Time-line Exhibit, and Museum Store on-site, plus 11 different tours and cruises around the island, the Museum is a fantastic way to become familiar with the island's unique history and ecology.

South Carolina Artisans Center - The South Carolina Artisans Center is the state?s official folk art and craft center. All work is handmade and all artists live and work in South Carolina. The mission of the South Carolina Artisans Center is to interpret, market, preserve and perpetuate the folk art and fine craftsmanship of South Carolina and create a better understanding of our rich and diverse cultural heritage.  334 Wichman ST, Walterboro.  (843) 549-0011.

Old 96

Wild Turkey Center And Museum - The Wild Turkey Center and Museum is the national headquarters of the National Wild Turkey Federation. With more than 30,000 square feet, the Wild Turkey Center in Edgefield, SC, includes a museum; a 3,000-square foot conference center; the Turkey Shoppe; the NWTF's gift shop; the Outdoor Education Center and warehouse space.

Greenwood Community Theatre - GCT is housed in the historic State Theater building at 110 Main Street that opened to the public as a movie house in 1934. GCT produces seven shows during its regular season, from August through May, featuring adult and youth performers. Throughout the year special benefit productions are held spotlighting the talents of area musicians and singers.

Emerald Farm - Working dairy farms offers a chance for hands on Experience - educational walk through the herb garden. Visit the Soap Factory and Gift Shop where all natural Saanon goat milksoap and body products are made. Stroll through the Train and Hobby Shop, get a glimpse of the trains running in the Model Railroad clubhouse. Picnic or just rest a while in the pavilion.

Olde English

Catawba Cultural Center - The Catawba Nation, located 8 miles east of Rock Hill, South Carolina, is the home to a highly creative group of Native American potters. The center offers exhibits and a video about the Catawba Indian Nation. A craft store, which features the distinctive Catawba pottery, and nature trail are also available.

Rock Hill Arts Council - The purpose of the Arts Council of Rock Hill and York County is to foster the growth of arts in Rock Hill and surrounding communities by promoting arts awareness and providing arts management assistance. The Center for the Arts is housed in two restored 100-year-old buildings. The Dalton Gallery exhibitions change on a eight-week basis.

Historic Brattonsville - In this 720-acre natural area you can discover the beauty and diversity of the Carolina Piedmont. Wander along eight miles of trails exploring forest, wetland, and prairie, each with its distinctive plants and wildlife. You'll receive insight into early American history at the site of the Battle of Huck's Defeat. You'll also find other historic landmarks dating back to the 1770s.

Settlemyre Planetarium - Shows in the Settlemyre Planetarium explore the heavens using state-of-the-art audio and visual equipment, slides and special effects. The stars under the dome in the planetarium provide a backdrop of beauty for educational and entertaining programs which change with the seasons.

Museum Of York County - The Museum features interdisciplinary programs and exhibitions based on art, anthropology, history, and natural history collections. Permanent exhibitions include the Stans African Halls, one of the nation's most comprehensive exhibitions of African animals in natural habitat dioramas, complemented by African cultural artifacts.

Paramount's Carowinds - Paramount's Carowinds is a 100-acre water and theme park that straddles the North Carolina-South Carolina state line. The park offers more than 50 state-of-the-art rides, shows and movie-themed experiences for all ages.

South Carolina Railroad Museum - Railroad memorabilia and equipment on display. Periodic tours and train rides are offered along a 3.5 mi. line through Fairfield County.

Pee Dee

http://www.florencemotorspeedway.com - xciting family entertainment and NASCAR style stock racing every Saturday evening, March through mid December see schedule of events and complete information on www.florencemotorspeedway.com.

Florence Museum Of Art, Science And History - The Florence Museum of Art, Science and History was established to promote the Arts and Sciences; to collect, to preserve and to exhibit object of historic, artistic and scientific interest. As a cultural resource for the Pee Dee area, The Florence Museum collects objects, exhibits them and provides related programming all in the effort to fulfill the Museums' objective.

South Carolina Cotton Museum - The South Carolina Cotton Museum preserves the history of the cotton culture in South Carolina. Original tools, interactive exhibits and amusing stories in an authentic setting allow you to experience a way of life long gone yet very much a part of the present.

South Carolina Tobacco Museum - The City of Mullins sprang from the growing, harvesting and selling of tobacco beginning in 1894. Proving that tobacco and farm life was the life-blood of the community, Mullins grew to become the largest tobacco market in South Carolina at one time. The Museum, which opened in August 1998, focuses on the growing of tobacco and rural farm life prior to 1950.

Santee Cooper

Sumter County Museum - The museum's mission is to promote the history of Old Sumter District through the preservation and exhibition of objects, manuscripts, and documents, which relate the story of this area of South Carolina. The museum complex includes the Williams-Brice House, the Old Carnegie Public Library (now the Genealogical and Historical Research Center), and the Carolina Backcountry Homestead.

Berkeley Museum - Located within Old Santee Canal Park, the museum tells the story of 12,000 years of the region's history. Exhibits and artifacts focus on General Francis Marion (the Swamp Fox), the first Americans (the Archaic Indians), colonial life, the Civil War, early medicine, rural electrification, early education, and Francis Marion National Forest.

Cypress Gardens - This 175-acre swamp/garden offers a walk-through Butterfly House with hundreds of butterflies, beautiful plants, birds and more. A freshwater aquarium features native fish, reptiles and amphibians, and visitors can see large alligators in the alligator pond. Picnic shelters with grills and a gift shop are also available at the park.

Old Santee Canal Park - Old Santee Canal Park commemorates South Carolina's beautiful natural resources and emphasizes the tremendous historical significance of the Santee Canal. Old Santee Canal Park offers its visitors a glimpse at the events that shaped our lives and our communities as we know them today.

Upcountry

Bmw Zentrum - Before you enter the Zentrum's doors, you sense something unique. Here the past, present and future of BMW come together in one magnificent marvel of a building. See the cars, the engines, the speed, the innovation. Experience the passion of the company that makes each Ultimate Driving Machine. And feel that special pulse each time a BMW comes to life with the turn of a key.

Bob Jones University Museum And Gallery - The Bob Jones University Museum and Gallery houses one of the most important collections of Old Master religious art in America. The building contains 30 galleries displaying Italian, Spanish, French, English, Flemish, Dutch, and German sacred art from the 13th through the 19th centuries. More than 400 works are displayed by major artists.

Greenville County Museum Of Art - The museum features works by Jasper Johns, Georgia O'Keeffe and one of the best collection at any public museum in the country of watercolors by Andrew Wyeth and Stephen Scott Young.

Greenville Zoo - The Greenville Zoo is an amazing animal kingdom with 14 acres packed full of family entertainment. You will enjoy wildlife from around the world, such as: exotic cats, miniature deer, giant tortoises, elephants and more.

Hollywild Animal Park - Nestled on over 100 acres, Hollywild is home to one of the largest private collections of rare and exotic animals in the Southeast. Many of the animals are 'ZooperStars' of movies and commercials. Don't miss Outback Safari which consists of over 80 acres teaming with herds of free-roaming animals. Guides will drive you through the Outback aboard special safari buses.

Museum Of Confederate History - The 16th South Carolina Volunteers Museum of Confederate History boasts a large and growing collection of artifacts and memorabilia from the War Between the States. The collection includes firearms, photographs, flags, edged weapons, currency, clothing, letters, newspapers, and other items from military and home life.

Peace Center For Performing Arts - Peace Center for Performing Arts features Broadway performances, internationally known artists, and world class concerts.

Roper Mountain Science Center - The primary mission of the center is to foster enhanced learning and growth opportunities through educational excellence and high quality instructional programs for students, teachers, and the general public. Science enrichment programs are presented in an exciting and entertaining manner that makes learning fun.

South Carolina Botanical Garden - The mission of the South Carolina Botanical Garden is to serve as an interdisciplinary public garden whose focus is research and education in the areas of botanical and cultural conservation and the environment. The Garden is a 288-acre public garden offering a diversity of cultivated and natural landscapes and year-round public programming.

Spartanburg County Museum Of Art - The Spartanburg County Museum of Art is a regional museum which features three galleries exhibiting local, regional and national artists that change every eight weeks. The museum also has a permanent collection featuring 20th-century art and 'The Girl with Red Hair' by Robert Henri. The museum also offers a gift shop.

Anderson County Museum - The museum's mission is to collect, care for, exhibit, interpret and demonstrate items that will serve to illustrate the history of Anderson county and will preserve its heritage. To provide passive and formal educational opportunities to teach the history of Anderson County to its citizens and especially to its children.

Spartanburg Science Center - The primary goal of the Science Center is to foster an appreciation of and respect for the environment and the world of science. With this goal in mind, the Science Center is designed to fascinate the minds of the curious and to excite the imagination of Spartanburg residents of all ages. It is also a place to pursue new interests and experiences.