Charleston Encore 3-Day CPC Exam Review 2024: Holiday Season Kick-off!

Charleston - Downtown Charleston

Location: Charleston, SC

Downtown Charleston Downtown Charleston is full of things to do, as evidenced by being named the “Best City in America” by Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, and Southern Living magazines! From fantastic restaurants and bars to eclectic shops to historic homes and museums, this lovely and historic town is just waiting to be explored. Browse goods from local vendors at the historic Charleston City Market. Take a tour of the Aiken-Rhett House Museum, a historic 1800s home of the former governor.

Charleston - Palmetto Carriage Tour

Location: Charleston, SC
Phone Number: (843) 723-8145
Website: http://palmettocarriage.com/

A Palmetto Carriage tour offers a blend of knowledge, wit, humor, and history. During the fully narrated one-hour tour through the streets of Charleston, your guide will recount the vibrant tale of Charleston's exquisite history with over three hundred years of information. 

Meandering through the quaint and charming historic district, you will see some of the most distinguished architecture in the country featured in the elegant homes and graceful churches, as well as beautiful gardens, the famous City Market, and numerous other sites that make Charleston one of America's top tourist destinations.

Charleston - South Carolina Aquarium

Location: Charleston, SC
Phone Number: (843) 720-1990
Website: http://scaquarium.org/

The Aquarium boasts they are Charleston's most visited attraction. And why not?! Kids and adults alike will be amazed at all the animals and history throughout. It's a great place to view the harbor too. Check out their Albino Alligator Exhibit and even pet the stingrays! Too much to share here, you need to check it out yourself.

Address: 100 Aquarium Wharf, Charleston, SC 29401

Charleston - The Battery/ White Point Gardens

Location: Charleston, SC
Phone Number: (843) 724-7327

The Battery is located at the southernmost tip of the Charleston Peninsula, where Murray Blvd. and East Battery (East Bay) Street meet. Part of The Battery is White Point Gardens and collectively they are the landmark that helps to define Charleston. If you don't have time to walk it, we highly recommend a leisurely drive-by to view the impressive mansion architecture and glorious oak trees! Enjoy an afternoon at the park to indulge in the 18th-century cannons, historical statues, a picturesque gazebo and a perfect view of Fort Sumter in the harbor. Your visit to Charleston is not complete without heading down to the Battery! Catch Rainbow Row on East Bay Street on your way there.

Located at Murray Blvd and East Battery (continuation of East Bay St.)

Charleston - Old City Market

Location: Charleston, SC

The Market is consistently on our Things To Do In Charleston Top 10 Best list! A must see! Dating back to 1841, Market Street features independent merchants selling their wares in an open air setting, including Gullah ladies weaving the ever famous sweetgrass baskets. The street is also lined with specialty shops and restaurants.

Located at Market Street between Meeting and East Bay Streets

Charleston - SpiritLine Dinner Cruise

Location: Charleston, SC
Phone Number: (843) 722-2628
Website: http://spiritlinecruises.com/dining-cruises/?gclid=CN79k6zlvcoCFVBffgod9McJ1g

Nothing beats a three-hour evening cruise on the water! Especially when it comes with a multi-course dinner, live music and exceptional views of the Charleston Harbor!

Address: 360 Concord St. #201, Charleston, SC 29401-6305

Charleston - Middleton Place

Location: Charleston, SC
Phone Number: (843) 556-6020
Website: https://www.middletonplace.org/

Dating back to c. 1741, Middleton is a National Historic Landmark with an Inn, restaurant, America's oldest landscaped Gardens and Stableyard demonstrations of life in the 18th century. The magnitude of this plantation is awe-inspiring!

Address: 4300 Ashley River Road, Charleston, SC 29414

Open daily 9am – 5pm. Adults: $25, Children 7-15: $5, Under 7 years: free.

Charleston - Rainbow Row

Location: Charleston, SC

This section on East Bay Street, built between the 1720's-1790's, was considered the 'slum' area of Charleston after the Civil War. It was renovated in the early 1900's and given Caribbean colors that are still seen today. This stretch of East Bay Street has been dubbed 'Rainbow Row' and has become a familiar 'face' of Charleston.

Located at 99-101 East Bay Street

Charleston - Waterfront Park

Location: Charleston, SC
Phone Number: (843) 724-7327
Website: http://www.charlestonparksconservancy.org/our_parks/view_park/waterfront_park/

Bring a change of clothes for the kids on the hot summer days! They'll want to join others running through the fountain at the end of Vendue Range. Then enjoy a leisurely swing on the pier while looking for dolphins in the Harbor with the USS Yorktown as the backdrop. The Pineapple fountain of Charleston can also be found here with other intimate gardens and jogging paths along the water's edge.

Vendue Range and Concord Street runs along the Charleston Harbor.

Charleston - Fort Sumter National Monument

Location: Sullivan's Island, SC
Phone Number: (843) 883-3123
Website: https://www.nps.gov/fosu/contacts.htm

Fort Sumter National Monument

The first shots of the Civil War were fired here. Catch a cruise to the island to learn about the fort and its place in history. The ferry to Fort Sumter is a ½ mile away from our Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina

Charleston - Ghost & Dungeon Walking Tour

Location: Charleston, SC
Phone Number: (843) 722-868
Website: http://bulldogtours.com/ghost-tours/

Come explore the Holy City’s streets, cemeteries, back alleyways, and churches, and join our experienced and fully licensed tour guides on a 1½-hour walking tour through the eerie, dark edges of Charleston’s Haunted Historic District. Through ancient graveyards and down dark cobblestone streets, you’ll learn the haunted truth about one of the oldest cities in America. You’ll hear fun and chilling stories of Charleston ghosts, haunted houses, voodoo, and Lowcountry superstitions. The Charleston Ghost and Dungeon Walking tour is the only dungeon walking tour that has access to THE DUNGEON!

What to expect: A 90-minute walking tour around the city, highlighting several haunted city spots. We’ll spend around 20 minutes inside the pre-revolutionary dungeon filling your brains with its intriguing history. Whether you want a city stroll with a bit of a thrill or have an interest in Charleston’s beautiful cemetery gardens that hold so many stories, our Ghost and Dungeon Walking Tour is sure to satisfy. Get ready for a scary history lesson you’ll not soon forget!

Reservations are suggested.

Charleston - Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens

Location: Charleston, SC
Phone Number: (843) 884-4371
Website: http://www.boonehallplantation.com/

Lined on both sides with massive, moss-draped oak trees, the entrance to this plantation is a symbol of the southern heritage you’ll experience during your time in Charleston. Explore one of America’s oldest working, living plantations, and the #1 plantation in Charleston by taking one of its many tours. Tour tickets start at $24.00 for adults, $12.00 for children aged 6-12 (children 5 and under are free), and $21.00 for senior citizens (65 and older) and military/AAA members.

Charleston - Shem Creek Fishing Village

Location: Mount Pleasant, SC
Website: http://www.scgreatoutdoors.com/park-shemcreekpark.html

Shem Creek flows through the heart of Mount Pleasant, offering a variety of leisure activities like fishing, boating, kayaking, and paddleboarding. It is well-known for its shady, live oak-lined paths, unique shops, and waterfront bars and restaurants. Take a walking tour of the area to learn about area, including the importance of its shrimp industry.

Charleston - Folly Beach

Location: Charleston, SC

Folly Beach, or "the Edge of America," has been on occasion dubbed the 'eccentric' beach of all the Charleston beaches. Probably because it's managed to stay true to the old way of beach life as it was back in the day. However, it hasn't been without its own challenges of upcoming developments of condos and obsessive beach houses.

Still, there is a wondrous air about Folly that you can only experience first hand while visiting there. There is great surfing, fishing on the pier, kid-friendly currents, water sports, great shopping and dining along Center Street. A stroll along some of the side streets allows an up-close look at some of the old time conventional beach houses.

CCPRC runs the Folly Beach Park at the West end of the island. It's a $7 entrance fee per car. Normal hours are 10:00am - 6:00pm, with extended hours in the summer. Bicycles and walk-ins are free.

Located 15 minutes from Downtown Charleston.

Charleston - Children's Museum

Location: Charleston, SC
Phone Number: (843) 853-8962
Website: http://explorecml.org/

A great place for toddlers and kids of all ages! With eight interactive exhibits, children get hands-on experience in the arts and sciences along with exploring creative thinking and problem-solving.

Address: 25 Ann Street, Charleston, SC 29403

Open Tues. - Sat. 9 am - 5pm, Sun 12pm - 5pm.
Non-South Carolina residents - Adults and Children: $12
South Carolina Residents - Adults and Children: $10
Museum Members and children under 1 year: free

Charleston - King Street Shopping District

Location: Charleston, SC

The most famous shopping area of Charleston is located between Broad and Spring Streets. Sprinkled throughout are great bars & restaurants in case you need a little 'sit down' between your sprees! This vibrant area is divided into three known sections:

Lower King Street District

Located between Broad and Market Streets, this well-known King Street Antique District was voted "best antique shopping in the US" by readers of Travel & Leisure Magazine.

Middle King Street District

Located between Market and Calhoun Streets, and otherwise known as the King Street Fashion District, you'll find the trendiest stores and updated fashions in the area.

Upper King Street District

Located between Francis Marion Square (on Calhoun Street) and Spring Street, this King Street Design District houses some of the best interior design decor and home furnishing shopping in the country.