Gibbes Museum
of Art
135 Meeting Street
4 blocks from Best Western King Charles Inn
Opened in 1905, the Gibbes Museum of Art houses a
nationally significant collection of American and
European paintings reflecting Charleston's past and
present. From portraits and landscapes of the Colonial
South to the era of Porgy and Bess and the preservation
of America's most beautiful city, visitors come face
to face with Charleston's history. Each year, the
Gibbes presents dozens of quality exhibits by artist
of regional, national, or international stature.
Charleston Museum
360 Meeting Street
0.5 mile from Best Western King Charles Inn
The Charleston Museum, founded in 1773, is the first
and oldest museum in America. The museum exhibits
the largest silver collection in Charleston, early
crafts and historic relics. Additionally there is
an interactive “Discover Me” room for
children to learn and play. Since 1773, the Charleston
Museum has collected and preserved artifacts pertaining
to the cultural and natural history of the Low Country.
Visitors of all ages will be transported back through
time, viewing everything from ancient fossils and
an enormous whale skeleton to elegant costumes and
Charleston silver. The museum also is noted for its
exhibits on African-American history, crafts and
slavery. Celebrate history and enjoy the eclectic
array of Charleston's most cherished treasures.
Calhoun Mansion
14 – 16 Meeting Street
0.75 mile from Best Western King Charles Inn
An architectural treasure, this 1876 Victorian showplace
is complete with period furnishings, including a
few original pieces. The antiques decorating the
house were brought from all over the world. There
are porcelain-and-etched-glass gas chandeliers; cherry,
oak, and walnut woodwork. A freestanding spiral staircase
reflects the hull of a ship it is one of the many
remarkable features of this house.
Cypress Gardens
24 miles from Best Western King Charles Inn
This swamp garden was used as a freshwater reserve
for a rice plantation, and was then given to the
city in 1963. Today, the giant cypress trees draped
with Spanish moss provide an unforgettable setting
for flat-bottom boats that glide among their knobby
roots. Enjoy a walk through the butterfly house.
Follow the footpaths in the garden and enjoy the
abundance of azaleas, camellias, daffodils, and other
colorful blooms. Visitors share the swamp with alligators,
woodpeckers, wood ducks, otters, barred owls, and
other species. The gardens are worth a visit at any
time of year.
Edmondston-Alston
House
21 East Battery
0.5 mile from Best Western King Charles Inn
The house was built by Charles Edmondston in 1825
on High Battery, an elegant section of Charleston,
It was one of the earliest dwellings constructed
in the city in the late Federalist style. Charles
Alston, a Low Country rice planter, bought it from
Edmondston who modified it in Greek Revival style.
The house has remained in the Alston family, which
opened the first two floors to visitors. Inside are
heirloom furnishings, silver, books and paintings.
A house worth visiting for its rich history.
Fort
Sumter National
Monument
Boat embarkation 1 mile from Best Western King Charles
Inn
It was here that the first shot of the Civil War
was fired on April 12, 1861. Confederate forces launched
a 34-hour bombardment of the fort. Union forces eventually
surrendered, and the Rebels occupied federal ground
that became a symbol of Southern resistance. This
action, however, led to a declaration of war in Washington.
Amazingly, Confederate troops held onto Sumter for
nearly 4 years, although it was almost continually
bombarded by the Union. When evacuation finally came,
the fort was nothing but a heap of rubble. Fort Sumter
became a National Monument in 1948.
Heyward-Washington
House
87 Church Street
4 blocks from Best Western King Charles Inn
In a district of Charleston called Cabbage Row, this
1772 house was built by Daniel Heyward, called "the
rice king,". It was also the home of Daniel’s
son, Thomas Heyward, Jr., a signer of the Declaration
of Independence. President George Washington stayed
down here in 1791. Many of the pieces in the house
are the work of Thomas Elfe, one of America's most
famous cabinetmakers. The restored 18th-century kitchen
is the only historic kitchen in the city that is
open to the public. The kitchen stands behind the
main house, along with the servants' quarters and
the garden. It was recognized as a National Historic
Landmark in 1978.
Joseph Manigault
House
350 Meeting Street
0.5 mile from Best Western King Charles Inn
This 1803 Adams-style residence, a National Historic
Landmark, was a wealthy rice planter's home. Designed
by architect Gabriel Manigault for his brother, Joseph,
this three-story brick town-house is an exceptional
example of Adam-style, or Federal, architecture.
The Manigaults descended from French Huguenots who
came to America to escape persecution in Europe.
Joseph owned plantations, sat in the state legislature,
and was a trustee of the College of Charleston. Gabriel,
who owned plantations and commercial investments,
is credited with designing Charleston’s City
Hall and the South Carolina Society Hall. The house
features a curving central staircase and an outstanding
collection of Charlestonian, American, English, and
French period furnishings.
Nathaniel Russell
House
51 Meeting Street
0.5 mile from Best Western King Charles Inn
Another fine example of Federal architecture, this
1808 house was completed by Nathaniel Russell, one
of Charleston's richest merchants. It is celebrated
architecturally for its "free-flying"
staircase, spiraling unsupported for three floors.
The staircase's elliptical shape is repeated throughout
the house. The interiors of the house are decorated
with period pieces, especially the elegant music
room with its golden harp and neoclassical-style
sofa.
Old
Exchange & Provost Dungeon
0.6 mile from Best Western King Charles Inn
One of America’s most historically significant
colonial buildings in the United States. Completed
in 1771 during Charles Town’s Golden Age, this
building quickly became the commercial, political
and social center of the most prosperous of Britain’s
thirteen American colonies. Then it served as a prison
during the American Revolution. In 1873, the building
became City Hall. It holds a large collection of
antique chairs, supplied by the local Daughters of
the American Revolution, each of whom brought a chair
here from home in 1921. A “must see” when
visiting Charleston.
The Citadel
1 mile from Best Western King Charles Inn
The Citadel was established in 1842 as an arsenal
and a refuge for whites in the event of a slave uprising.
In 1861, the Corps of Cadets were made part of the
military organization of the state and were known
as The Battalion of State Cadets. The Citadel ceased
operation as a college when Union troops entered
Charleston and occupied the site. It reopened again
in 1882 with an enrollment of 185 cadets The Citadel
had outgrown its campus on Marion Square, despite
numerous building additions, and could accommodate
only 325 students. In 1918, the City of Charleston
gave the State of South Carolina one hundred seventy
six acres on the banks of the Ashley River for a
new campus. In 1922 the college moved to its current
location.
Today, the picturesque campus contains twenty-four
major buildings. There is an enrollment of approximately
1,900 cadets and nineteen degree programs are offered.
Women were admitted into the Corps of Cadets in 1996.
The College of Graduate and Professional Studies
offers, during the evening and summer, coeducational
undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The U.S.
News & World Report has ranked The Citadel among
the best colleges in the region in their surveys
of "America's Best Colleges."
Palmetto Islands
County Park
10 miles from Best Western King Charles Inn
Next to Boone Hall plantation, the Palmetto Islands
County Park is a nature-oriented, 943 acre park designed
for family and groups use. It offers more organized
fun in the form of a big toy playground, mile-long
canoe trails, picnic sites, an observation tower,
a water playground, toddler slides, marsh boardwalks,
and plenty of jogging trails and bicycle paths. Bordering
Boone Hall Creek are public fishing and boating docks.
Aiken-Rhett
House
0.6 mile from Best Western King Charles Inn
Built in 1818 then expanded and remodeled by Gov.
William Aiken Jr., this palatial town residence showcases
city life in antebellum Charleston. Aiken and his
wife traveled to Europe and bought magnificent crystal
and bronze chandeliers, classical sculptures and
paintings to furnish the house. Many of these objects
still remain. The intact work yard is one of the
nation's most complete and compelling examples of
African-American urban life. Original outbuildings
include the kitchens, slave quarters, stables, privies
and cattle sheds.
Avery Research
Center
0.6 mile from Best Western King Charles Inn
This beautifully restored site of Avery School (c.1865)
is now a research center to document and preserve
the history and cultural heritage of Lowcountry African-Americans.
Nearly 100 manuscripts and photograph collections
are archived here, and the center sponsors lectures,
films and exhibits related to African culture, civil
rights and African-American history. A restored c.
19th-century classroom provides a look at African-American
education from 1865 to 1954.
Denmark Vesey's
House & Marker
0.6 mile from Best Western King Charles Inn
Born into slavery in the Virgin Islands, Vesey purchased
his freedom from his Charleston slave holder and
settled into life as a carpenter on Bull Street.
In 1821 Vesey home was the meeting place to organize
what is considered the most extensive black insurrection
in American history, involving thousands of free
and enslaved blacks in the Charleston area. Set for
July 12, 1822, word of the plot leaked out and Vesey
and 36 others were hanged for their roles. The house
is a National Historic Landmark.
Dock Street
Theatre
0.4 mile from Best Western King Charles Inn
The first theatre in the colonies, Dock Street opened
in 1736 and was lost in the fire of 1740. The Planters
Hotel opened on the site in 1809 and thrived until
the 1860s, when it was damaged during the war and
left derelict. The preservation of the hotel in the
mid 1930s included a reconstructed theatre. The theatre
has been in constant use since 1937 and is a major
venue for Spoleto Festival USA each spring. Pre-booked
tours are arranged when possible. 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. Find out more about Charleston Stage
at www.charlestonstage.com. Many other production
companies perform at the Dock Street Theatre.
Eliza's
House
16 miles from Best Western King Charles Inn
This 19th-century two-family Freedman's cabin is
on the grounds of Middleton Place, a National Historic
Landmark and a carefully preserved 18th-century plantation.
The plantation includes America's oldest landscaped
gardens and a Colonial period stableyard, which are
open for tours.
Historic Charleston Foundation Preservation
Center
40 East Bay Street
8 blocks from Best Western King Charles Inn
Shop features a film and exhibits that showcase Charleston's
architectural history. A gift shop contains an extensive
selection of books on Charleston culture, architecture
and history. A separate shop with 18th- and 19th-century
Charleston reproduction furniture and gifts is at
105 Broad St..
Old Powder Magazine
81 Cumberland Street
5 blocks from Best Western King Charles Inn
The only public building remaining in North or South
Carolina from the period of the Lord Proprietors
and the old public building (c. 1713) in the city
of Charleston. The building was used to store munitions
for the city's defense against repeated onslaughts
from marauding Spanish naval vessels based in St.
Augustine. Although replaced by a newer magazine
in 1748, it continued to serve its purpose into the
American Revolution. Restored to its mid-19th century
appearance, the magazine is open as a National Historic
Landmark with exhibits on early Colonial Charleston.
The historic Charleston Foundation offers an exciting
audio tour of this historic property.
Patriots Point
Naval and Maritime Museum
4 miles from Best Western King Charles Inn
Located on historic Charleston Harbor, Patriots Point
is home to USS YORKTOWN, the Fighting Lady. The first
USS YORKTOWN 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. The Fighting Lady contains
all the evidence of her past; one can see, touch,
feel and smell the past, where young Americans fought
and died to turn the fortunes of war in the Pacific.
Moored next to her is USS LAFFEY, a World War II
destroyer. LAFFEY survived the onslaught of Japanese
kamikaze attacks while off Okinawa as Radar Picket
Station #1 on April 16, 1945. She became known as "the
ship that wouldn't die."
Also moored alongside are the United States Coast
Guard cutter INGHAM, which fought in the convoy battles
of the North Atlantic and sank a German U-boat; and
the diesel attack submarine USS CLAMAGORE.
Onboard YORKTOWN are dozens of displays devoted to
maritime and naval history, the Congressional
Medal of Honor Society's museum and headquarters,
and more than two dozen historic military aircraft
are on exhibit. Ashore is a full-size Navy
Advance Tactical Support Base from the
Vietnam era, and our gift shop.
Slave Mart
Museum
0.5 mile from Best Western King Charles Inn
The Old Slave Mart, located on one of Charleston’s
few remaining cobblestone street, is the only known
building used as a slave auction gallery. The last
auctions at this market were in 1863. Presentations
here narrate the African-American experience in Charleston
and the SC Lowcountry from their arrival in 1670
to the modern Civil Rights movement. Permanent exhibits
explore the African sources from which African American
culture emerged, the middle passage, Caribbean influences
on America, slavery, emancipation, reconstruction,
arts, cuisine and the movement towards civil rights.
South Carolina
Aquarium
100 Aquarium Wharf
1 mile from Best Western King Charles Inn
In the Aquarium visitors can explore Southern aquatic
life in an attraction filled with thousands of creatures
and plants in astonishing habitats. The brand new
attraction is a 93,000-square-foot aquarium featuring
a two-story Great Ocean Tank Exhibition. Contained
within are some 800 animals, including sharks, sea
turtles and stingrays. Every afternoon the aquarium
offers a dolphin program, where bottle-nosed dolphins
can be viewed from an open-air terrace. An interesting
exhibit is the replicate of a blackwater swamp, with
atmospheric fog, a spongy floor, and twinkling lights.
St. Johannes Lutheran
Church
48 Hasell Street
1 block from Best Western King Charles Inn
Built in 1841, this church is known for its simplistic
beauty and stained glass. It's been called an architectural
gem in the heart of Ansonborough. Well known Charleston
architect E. B. White designed the Greek Revival
sanctuary. In 1872, the congregation of mostly German
speaking people moved to the present sanctuary of
St. Matthews Lutheran Church on Marion Square, but
many returned to the Ansonborough location to found
St. Johannes in 1878. German was the language of
the congregation until 1910.
St. Mary's Roman Catholic
Church & Graveyard
89 Hasell Street
Adjacent to Best Western King Charles Inn
It was established in 1789, the oldest Roman Catholic
church in South Carolina. Also it is the mother church
of the dioceses of South Carolina, North Carolina
and Georgia. The church ceiling was hand-painted
by Caesare Porte in Rome, Italy. The present building,
replacing an earlier one which was destroyed by fire
in 1838, was completed in 1839. The graveyard contains
names that are predominantly Irish, French, Spanish
and Scot. Among the more famous names is the Marquis
de Grasse, a French naval commander who engaged British
forces at Yorktown during the American Revolution.
St. Philip's
Graveyard
142 Church Street
3 blocks from Best Western King Charles Inn
Buried here are revolutionaries, politicians, confederates
and artists. Among them are Col. William Rhett, known
as the
"Scourge of the Pirates," charged with
bringing the murderous Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet
to justice. Gen. Moultrie, the great defender of
Charleston against the British, is here. Edward Rutledge,
a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Charles
Pinckney, a signer of the Constitution, and John
C. Calhoun, a US senator and vice president of the
US also are interred here.
Thomas Elfe House
54 Queen Street
0.5 mile from Best Western King Charles Inn
This pre-Revolutionary War period Georgian-style
single house is a Charleston treasure that, for the
past several years, has been open to the public.
It was built by Thomas Elfe, one of America’s
most prolific and acclaimed cabinetmakers. The quality
of the woodwork is rare. China cabinets and closets
are artfully worked into each chimney alcove. Finely
cut cornice moldings encircle each room with beautiful
simplicity. While this is still a private home, the
fact that its first owner was a major contributor
to the art and lifestyle of Colonial Charleston keeps
it interesting today. It is a showplace for 18th-
and 19th-century furnishings.
Thomas Miller's
House
0.5 mile from Best Western King Charles
Inn
Thomas Miller was the first president of South Carolina
State University. He served in both houses of the
state legislature and in the US Congress. He successfully
petitioned for a law prohibiting white teachers in
black schools. His home was built in 1860.
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