Unique History and Culture Activities Around South Carolina
As America opens up again, many of us are ready to explore. Road trips are a great American pastime that everyone loves, but if you feel like you’ve already seen what South Carolina has to offer, think again. This unique itinerary of activities you might never have heard of can be done on a ladies’ trip, a couples’ trip or with the entire family. So, grab the snacks and get packed because we’re going to discover some of the prettiest scenery, the best art, and the most important history that the American South has to offer.
Columbia

We’ll start our cool quest in the capitol city of Columbia. Make your first stop the South Carolina State House at the corner of Gervais Street and Assembly Street. The sculpture garden is a respectful attempt to acknowledge history in a balanced way. Yes, there is a huge monument to controversial politician Strom Thurmond and several oversized horse-and-rider statues to Civil War participants.
However, there is also an intricate bronze monument to the women of South Carolina. This commemorates their role in rearing children and operating farms and businesses when the men were off at war. There is a corner of the park dedicated to law enforcement. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Memorial has curved walls engraved with the names of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty throughout South Carolina history.
Most importantly, in 2001, the city dedicated an African American History monument on the grounds. This puts them nearly two decades ahead of the current nationwide movement for equality. Visitors will find an entire area dedicated to this portion of South Carolina history.
Bonus Stop: Visit the historic riverfront park and walk the trail with the manmade canal from 1824 on one side and the Broad River on the other side.
Myrtle Beach

Head three hours southeast of Columbia to the coast. Myrtle Beach is a tourist hotspot during certain seasons. After you’ve braved the crowds on the beach or along the boardwalk, seek some peace and quiet at the Franklin G. Burroughs – Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum. This facility is located at 3100 South Ocean Blvd. in a historic home. The museum displays local, regional, and even national, artists in 11 different galleries. Exhibits rotate throughout the year so, there is always something new to see. Additionally, the museum maintains four permanent collections.
This free museum (donations accepted, of course) is a hidden gem in Myrtle Beach. Perhaps the best bonus of a museum that displays regional and local work is that you have a chance of meeting the artist. As I leaned closer to a J. Hoffman sketch based on an Andrew Wyeth painting, I heard a gentleman behind me attempt to get my attention. He introduced himself to me as “Joe” and proudly proclaimed that I was inspecting his art. If I visit the Museum of Modern Art in New York, it isn’t likely that David Hockney is going to stroll up to me and chat about his process. Joe Hoffman did. He told me which piece was his favorite and allowed me take his picture next to it.
Bonus Stop: This town is mini-golf heaven. There are dozens of elaborate courses to choose from, so pick the one with your favorite theme and get putting!
Murrells Inlet

On a sunny (but not hot) day, Murrells Inlet is the perfect day trip from Myrtle Beach. A quick 30-minute drive will deliver you to Brookgreen Gardens. The motto for this attraction is: “Ever Changing. Simply Amazing.” It really is.
Brookgreen Gardens is a National Historic Landmark property of over 9,000 acres. The property is home to the largest and most comprehensive collection of American figurative sculpture in the United States. There is also a small zoo and a butterfly enclosure. The botanical gardens have dozens of varieties of trees, shrubs and perennials blooming and growing all year round.
The $18/adult ticket price gives visitors access to the sculpture gardens, the indoor galleries and the zoo. The tickets are also good for seven whole days! If you don’t get to see everything in one day, you can go back. How clever is that?
Bonus Stop: Murrells Inlet is famous for two things. The other thing is fresh seafood. Make time to each a lunch that was caught that morning.
Charleston

Continuing this epic road trip, we travel south down the coast for less than two hours to arrive in Charleston. This is one of America’s great culinary and historical cities and warrants its own itinerary, of course. However, if you only have a day or two, my suggestion is to start with a half-day visit to the MacLeod Plantation Historic Site. The Charleston area is full of restored plantations that offer tours, but his park is run by Charleston County and is a decidedly different experience. The park sits just 15 minutes outside the historic district.
The admission fee for adults is $20 and includes a docent-led tour. Everywhere you look, the signage at MacLeod Plantation Historic Site reminds the visitor that the plantation’s story isn’t a “whites only” story. It is a story of Caucasian and black families. All the inhabitants of this land are given equal time. I noticed that many of the interpretive panels presented factual information, as I was used to seeing, but many also asked questions. These were weighty questions intended for discussion. It is not a practice that I’ve seen at many historical or cultural sites. When I asked a staff member, I was told, “We are teaching empathy.”
Each tour guide is given the flexibility to present the information how they see fit. For example, my guide, John, was of Gullah Geechee descent. The Gullah Geechee people were from the coastal areas of western Africa and comprised the majority of the enslaved people in the Lowcountry. John’s Gullah heritage meant that, for him, telling the story of the enslaved people at MacLeod Plantation was of special importance and there was a focus on this during his tour. Deftly handled with an even treatment, he also discussed the details of the MacLeod family’s history, business life, and family life.
Before you leave, make sure to stop by the gift shop and pick up a reading list, which contains titles for adults and children.
Bonus Stop: Take a stroll down the tiny paths of the Unitarian churchyard on Archdale Street and see if you can figure out which grave belongs to the woman who inspired Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, Annabel Lee.
If you want to end your travels where they began, then Columbia is only a two-hour drive north. Regardless of where you begin or end your road trip, there are amazing memories to be made. Play a little, learn a little and eat a lot. That’s sounds like the perfect vacation to me.
Erica Chatman - is a freelance writer whose work often focuses on the art and culture that she finds in various destinations. She used to reside full-time in North Florida, but is currently traveling around the American southeast with her husband, whose profession requires full-time travel. Her unusual lifestyle is documented on her blog, MrsHomeFree.com.