You have to come here when you visit Charleston. Oldest museum in the United States. I love the…read moreHunley submarine outside. I liked how you followed a course through the place... rather than a bunch of stuff in one big room...

This is a beautiful museum and a great admission price. The workers were very friendly and helpful…read more I was amazed that the museum offers portable chairs for you to use while exploring. How thoughtful and unique! I was amazed at the beauty of many of the items. There's a lot to read. Nice to explore on these hot August days in Charleston!

The small museum and dungeon tour is worth the experience. It gives you a good overview of early…read moreCharleston's history while also covering the darker history of the dungeon. They also offered a multi-museum pass that included the Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon, the Slave Mart Museum, and the Powder Magazine, which was well worth the price.

Neat little spot, good info and displays overall, but our tour guide was clearly not feeling her…read morebest, maybe healing form a cold so she probably should have been home and seemed a little tired like she had maybe done too many tours. Lots of info from her that was not exactly what we were looking for, could have been a little more interesting for the family, but we liked the dungeon and old building and museum. We really loved the Constitution signing and quiz about what side you would have been on etc. Not much in the gift shop. Cool area.

USS Laffey is closed for maintenance but no big deal since lots to see on Yorktown. I have now…read morebeen on all five aircraft carrier museums and Yorktown is a very close second to Midway and Intrepid which, IMO, are tied for best. Plenty of exhibits and planes to see. There are two guided tours available: Captain's and Admiral's Tours. These are just the names and have nothing to do with meeting Captains or Admirals. I purchased the Admiral's Tour and thought it was worth the $40. Great tour guide and we saw lots. I visited on Tuesday and Friday. I thoroughly enjoyed my time onboard. Admission also includes the Vietnam War Experience which I think is worth checking out.

Great day Very educational…read more Recommend getting the tour it was well worth it! Will definitely visit again

The museum itself was beautiful. The exhibits were detailed, educational, and thoughtfully put…read moretogether. I really enjoyed learning about the history and culture that was presented. Although the museum is smaller than others we've visited, the quality of the exhibits was excellent. The confusing part was the admission policy. We arrived about an hour before closing and were told the museum was no longer admitting guests. We understood that and only asked to use the restroom. Once inside, another employee told us we could purchase tickets after all. That was confusing because we had just been told the museum was closed to new visitors. What made it even more confusing was paying full admission for only 30 to 45 minutes inside the museum. If the museum has a policy of not admitting guests during the final hour, that information should be clearly posted so visitors know before making the trip. If guests are going to be admitted during that last hour, they should be able to enjoy the museum without mixed messages or paying full price for a significantly shortened visit. The museum itself is worth seeing, but I believe the admission policy needs to be more consistent and transparent. History should be as accessible as possible, and visitors shouldn't leave confused about whether they're welcome to enter or not.

Wow! There's not much to say besides this experience was absolutely amazing!…read more Parking wasn't terrible, actually, and it's not too far from the aquarium. There's street parking and a few lots nearby. There's also a park across the street as well. The experience begins on the outside. From the half-statues to the imprints in the ground. Once through the security check, you go to the second floor. I learned it was elevated 13 ft off the ground to honor where grounds were like almost half of the nation's enslaved were brought to the US right in that very spot. It truly was so impactful standing in that spot reflecting on that. Once inside, the ticket counter is straight ahead, and there's a gift shop on the left and a coffee shop on the right. If you look closely or ask. They will tell you where to start. Also, they have maps as well. Every exhibit was absolutely beautiful and moving. I had chills for the majority of the experience, and to think how even though it feels like ancient history, it wasn't that long ago all of these things happened was just overwhelming. They have quiet rooms as well, which I thought was very thoughtful. On one side it's a set amount of exhibits, and on the other side it's like the American experience. It is one journey after another and truly could be broken up into a multiple-visit experience. They also have a room to explore family history and much more. The art was beautiful. I mean truly an incredible experience. My children enjoyed their time as well. They have coloring pages for the young kids, but that is all, but it's okay because I still enjoyed moving through that experience with them and introducing them to our history beyond books. I had a coffee and some chips for a snack. Everyone was so kind. The coffee was pretty good. I can't wait to go back. It is literally so much to take in, and that's in more ways than one. Some parts made me sad, but overall it made me so proud thinking and reading about the perseverance and determination, and through all the circumstances, the creativity, courage, commitment, wisdom, and culture throughout every journey. It is just so beautiful there. Connecting what they present with the stories that has been shared with me, I just cannot wait to return.

A must see while in Charleston. Admission is cheap. There is an upstairs and downstairs area, it is…read morevery small. I did have a baby stroller with me and they offered to assist me upstairs. I learned a lot as did my daughter. It was very informative and heartbreaking. Nonetheless a must.

The Old Slave Mart is located at 6 Chalmers Street and is a must-have on your itinerary, even if…read moreyou visit Charleston for a short time. In the heart of the French Quarter, near the French Huguenot Church, One of the first African-American slave museums in the country, Old Slave Mart, is set inside the building where enslaved people were auctioned before the Civil War and is a somber, but important part of a Charleston trip focusing on history. The tour is self-guided, with signage explaining the history. There are also personal accounts from enslaved individuals, artifacts, and audio and visual exhibits. It is a small but deeply affecting museum that gives a sobering view of history. Here, you can listen to the recording of an interview with a former slave. Old Slave Mart was a real slave auction site in the 18th and 19th centuries. Slave auctions were held here till 1863.

What a great, free, experience in downtown Charleston. This is located in a CofC building on Coming…read moreand Calhoun. There is a small store and option to donate. The amount of fossils was great for the kids and adults. Don't forget to look up! There are hanging fossils! Definitely worth a stop.

I enjoyed it so much that I made a video about it:…read more https://youtu.be/0Ok_JxlhT50?si=DWTaVX2yVNEUNuVP

I visited Gibbes on a Wednesday when it is free entry to Charleston residents. Before that I hadn't…read morebeen here since I was in middle school. It was a great solo treat to see so many beautiful pieces, read, and learn. This is a two story experience with every changing exhibits. Currently you can see a few Monet pieces. I had no idea they would have Monet before visiting so this was a lovely surprise! In general the regular admission price is fair. The staff are incredibly friendly and the space is beautiful. It's also worth noting you are able to host weddings here.

The Gibbes is always an excellent experience. There are activities for all ages. The art is…read moreamazing! The interior architecture is incredible!

We very much enjoyed our visit to the Aiken-Rhett House. The guided tour was very well done, and…read moreour tour guide was knowledgeable and informative throughout the experience. We appreciated learning not only about the home and the family who lived in the home, but also about the enslaved people connected to the property and their lives. The preserved nature of the house provides an authentic experience. There were, however, a couple of distractions that took away from the experience. Early in the presentation, the tour guide was drinking a soda and repeatedly belched while speaking to the group, which felt somewhat unprofessional and made the presentation less enjoyable. We also did not care for the indigo art installation displayed throughout parts of the home. In our opinion, the artwork distracted from the preservation-focused experience that makes the house so interesting. Having modern art pieces placed among the furnishings made it harder to fully appreciate the rooms as historical spaces and also made it difficult to take clean photographs of the home itself. Overall, though, this was still a worthwhile visit, and we are glad we included it during our time in Charleston.

I absolutely loved this house and the three star rating has nothing to do with the preservation and…read moreI very much respect the opinion of others to leave the house as it was found but in MHO preservation also means to keep it in good repair as it was once kept in its original grandeur state or social importance. A few more years and the decay to the elements will bring this house to the ground. If you compare this house to the mansion in the Magnolia Plantation you can see what I mean, restoration doesn't necessarily mean modernizing the house with today's comforts like AC but actually preserve it so future generations can have an idea of how the house looked and functioned back in the years. It is not about the 16 dollar entrance fee but I would rather pay more to see what the house looked like in the splendor of the Chas boom rather than what it looked when the family moved out, moreover if the family was going through hard times and couldn't keep it up in good repair I am sure it was better than today and every day that goes by and for respect to the family the Charleston Museum owes some effort to make it look better not just show it as bad as it looks, just rain seeping through cracks and windows is little by little deteriorating it's appearance until some day it will be a parking lot. Our tour took almost two hours TMI

There are only five American aircraft carriers that have been converted into museum ships, and i…read morebelieve none predate the USS Yorktown. The ship is birthed just across the Cooper from downtown Charleston at Patriots Point. Admission wasn't terribly expensive, THOUGH PARKING ACTUALLY COST MORE. That's right, the parking situation is a ripoff, particularly for anyone who might stay on site over two hours. Yorktown is a large combat ship built in the middle of a war several decades ago, so there are certain things you should expect. First, there will be plenty of walking, not to mention lots of stairs. There is an elevator installed for those who might need it, but keep in mind that individuals with mobility challenges will not get to see much of the ship. Secondly, the "Fighting Lady" is old, so you're going to see damage, missing parts, etc. Third, only a few areas onboard are air conditioned, and while there are a few areas with installed fans or access to fresh breezes you're likely to find the tight quarters of this WWII era carrier a bit stifling. All that said, it's quite remarkable to walk through the compartments and corridors, to stand on the flight deck, to see the numerous aircraft and artifacts displayed, and to enjoy some pretty lovely views of the Holy City and the Ravenel Bridge. There are four unguided tour routes aboard the ship. Tour 2 is largely focused on the pilot ready room, the flight deck and the spaces above; this is where you'll get the best views from aboard the ship. Tours 1 and 3 are concentrated on what makes the ship and its crew function. Tour 4 is probably the least interesting in my opinion, though it contained some interesting information about American naval history. There's also a destroyer berthed at Patriots Point, the Laffey, but she's currently closed to visitors. It's pretty easy to see from the exterior that the ship is in need of significant maintenance work. It's easy to buy admission tickets online, but you'll still have to enter and exit the complex through the gift shop. Once you get to the aircraft carrier and its hangar deck, that's where you'll get a map at the info desk. The gentlemen I encountered there was pleasant and helpful, far more so than the folks at the rear of the gift shop who scanned the QR code from my ticket.

We visited Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum during our South Carolina trip. It's definitely a…read moreplace for history buffs and there's a ton to see and learn there. The parking lot is huge, so just make sure to follow the museum's parking rules and pay the fee in advance to avoid any parking penalties. We bought our tickets at the counter when we got here. They also have tours led by veterans. One of the coolest things at the USS Yorktown is that you can actually walk through the aircraft! It's super interesting, with each floor giving you more information about the plane itself and how the soldiers lived on it. There are quite a few steps or ladders to navigate. It's definitely worth taking the time to explore, it's such an interesting place.

We enjoyed our visit to the South Carolina Aquarium overall, but it didn't quite live up to our…read moreexpectations and it was VERY pricy. The exhibits were clean and well maintained. The staff we interacted with were friendly and helpful. That said, we expected more for the price of admission. The aquarium is smaller than we anticipated, and we made it through everything fairly quickly. It's a nice stop if you're already in Charleston, but I don't know that I'd make a special trip just for it.

Great aquarium that took 2 hours to complete. The touch tanks were the highlight with plenty of…read morevariety of animals to touch compared to other aquarium's we have been to. The turtle hospital was also very informative! Good price. Came during a Wednesday morning and it was very quiet! Will definitely return!