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The Battery, Charleston, SC

Photo: ProfReader, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingIconicHistory BuffFree

The Battery

East Battery and Murray Blvd at White Point Garden · Charleston, SC

Why you should go…

The Battery is a seawall and promenade at the tip of the Charleston peninsula, where the Ashley and Cooper Rivers meet to form the harbor. You walk past antebellum mansions such as the Edmondston-Alston House, with Fort Sumter and Castle Pinckney visible across the water. At the point is White Point Garden, a city park with oak trees, a central gazebo, Civil War-era cannons and monuments. The seawall has been a public promenade since 1838.

  • #waterfront promenade
  • #historic district
  • #harbor views
  • #city park
  • #antebellum mansions

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to The Battery, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Rainbow Row

    Free

    See 13 pastel-painted historic row houses lining East Bay Street between Tradd and Elliott Streets.

    0.4 mi awayMore like this

  • Shopping
    Iconic

    Charleston City Market

    Free

    Browse four blocks of open-air sheds and the Great Hall for sweetgrass baskets, local crafts and souvenirs.

    0.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Museums
    History Buff

    International African American Museum

    Under $25

    Explore African American history on Gadsden's Wharf, where a large share of enslaved Africans arrived in North America.

    1.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    South Carolina Aquarium

    $25–$50

    Walk from mountain streams to the open ocean through South Carolina habitats, then touch rays and watch sea turtles in recovery.

    1.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Sightseeing
    Free

    Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge

    Free

    Walk or bike Wonders' Way across a cable-stayed bridge with two 575-foot diamond towers and wide views of Charleston Harbor.

    2.5 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Fort Sumter

    $25–$50

    Ride a ferry across Charleston Harbor to walk the island fort where the first battle of the Civil War took place.

    3.4 mi awayMore like this