Attractions
Family FavoriteSouth Carolina Aquarium
$25–$50Walk from mountain streams to the open ocean through South Carolina habitats, then touch rays and watch sea turtles in recovery.
MuseumsHistory BuffRainy-Day Pick
International African American Museum
International African American Museum is a museum in Charleston, SC, part of the Lowcountry guide. Cost: under $25.
14 Wharfside Street · Charleston, SC
Why you should go…
The International African American Museum opened in 2023 on the site of Gadsden's Wharf, where about 40 percent of enslaved Africans brought to the country disembarked. The building, designed by Harry Cobb of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, overlooks the Cooper River with views toward Fort Sumter. Admission covers the galleries, the special exhibitions gallery and the Center for Family History, where you can research your own roots.
- #history museum
- #african american history
- #genealogy
- #waterfront
What's around here?
The closest stops to International African American Museum, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.
Steps awaySwitch it up: Attractions
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Charleston City Market
FreeBrowse four blocks of open-air sheds and the Great Hall for sweetgrass baskets, local crafts and souvenirs.
0.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping
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Rainbow Row
FreeSee 13 pastel-painted historic row houses lining East Bay Street between Tradd and Elliott Streets.
0.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
- MuseumsHistory Buff
Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum
$25–$50Board the WWII aircraft carrier USS Yorktown and the destroyer USS Laffey on Charleston Harbor.
1.0 mi awayMore like this
- SightseeingFree
Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge
FreeWalk or bike Wonders' Way across a cable-stayed bridge with two 575-foot diamond towers and wide views of Charleston Harbor.
1.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
- SightseeingIconic
The Battery
FreeStroll the harbor seawall promenade past antebellum mansions to the oaks and cannons of White Point Garden.
1.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
