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Fort SumterCity/Region: Charleston
Situated on a small man-made island in the bay guarding the entrance to Charleston Harbour, Fort Sumter National Monument is one of the most important historic military sites in the country where the first shots of the American Civil War were fired in 1861. With the secession of South Carolina, the Confederates demanded the surrender of the fort, and after 34 hours of continuous bombardment the Union forces had no choice but to relinquish their hold. The Union troops became the first prisoners
of the Civil War. The Confederates occupied Fort Sumter, which became a symbol of Southern resistance until it was retaken by Union forces in 1865 after nearly four years of almost continual attack, which reduced most of the fort to rubble. Park rangers conduct free tours around the restored structure, which includes a museum with historical displays.
Phone Number: (843) 883 3123
Website: www.nps.gov/fosu
Transport: Tour boats leave from the Fort Sumter Visitor Center on Liberty Square, and Patriots Point Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant. The Charleston Area Rapid Transit Authority serves all the park sites
Hours: Open daily; hours vary according to the ferry schedule. Closed Christmas, New Year and Thanksgiving
Admission: The museum is free. Boats cost $14 (adults) and $8 (children). Other concessions are available
PlantationsCity/Region: Charleston
Along the Ashley River are a series of magnificent plantations that can be visited, as well as north along the highway towards Georgetown, where the grounds of Boone Hall Plantation are the main attraction. A majestic oak avenue leads to the estate that has been the model for several films including Gone With the Wind and North and South. The original slave quarters and cotton gin house can be visited along with the classic mansion. Closest to Charleston along the Ashley River is Drayton Hall, the oldest preserved plantation house in America, dating from 1742. The Georgian mansion is a National Historic Landmark and the only plantation house on the river to have survived the Civil War intact. Middleton Place was largely destroyed during the Civil War, but the south wing has been restored and houses an impressive collection of silver, historic documents, furniture and paintings. The ornamental lakes are surrounded by the nation's oldest landscaped gardens dating from 1741 and are home to roaming peacocks and other farm animals. The stunning decorative gardens at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens can be viewed by tram tours that cover the grounds.
Phone Number: Boone Hall Plantation (843) 884 4371, Drayton Hall (843) 769 2600, Middleton Place (843) 556 6020, Magnolia Plantation and Gardens (843) 571 1266
Website: www.draytonhall.org
Hours: Plantation opening times vary. Boone Hall is open Monday to Saturday 8.30am to 6.30pm, Sunday 1pm to 5pm in summer, closing an hour earlier in winter. The others vary from between 9am and 4.30pm. Most are closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day
Admission: Plantations have differing entrance fees, ranging from $14 to $15
South Carolina AquariumCity/Region: Charleston
The South Carolina Aquarium, Charleston's most visited attraction, features thousands of amazing aquatic animals from river otters and sharks to loggerhead turtles in over 60 exhibits, which represent the rich biodiversity of South Carolina from the mountains to the sea. The Aquarium also presents fabulous views of Charleston harbor like no other found in the historic downtown area. Daily interactive exhibits and programs are offered for visitors of all ages. Every visit to the Aquarium reveals something new - glimpses of new animals in exhibits, budding plants, baby animals and more. Not only that, the institution provides a variety of opportunities to learn about conservation, animal life, endangered species and environmental issues.
Address: 100 Aquarium Wharf
Phone Number: (843) 720 1990
Website: www.scaquarium.org
Transport: The DASH Shuttle service to the Aquarium is available from the Charleston Visitor Center
Hours: Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sunday 12pm to 5pm. Open until 6pm from April to 15 August. Last ticket sold an hour before closing time. Closed for Thanksgiving and Christmas
Admission: $16 (adults), $8 (children 2-11). Discounted combination tickets are also available
Charleston MuseumCity/Region: Charleston
America's First Museum, the Charleston Museum was founded in 1773. Its mission is to preserve and interpret the cultural and natural history of Charleston and the South Carolina Lowcountry. Exhibitions include cultural, historic and natural history artifacts and alongside are two National Historic Landmark houses, the Heyward-Washington House and Joseph Manigault House, which depict southern life in days gone by.
Address: 360 Meeting Street
Phone Number: (843) 722 2996
Email Address: info@charlestonmuseum.org
Website: www.charlestonmuseum.org
Hours: Year round Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sunday 1pm to 5pm. The Heyward-Washington House and Joseph Manigault House are open Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday 1pm to 5pm
Admission: Museum only: $10, Museum and both houses: $22. Children aged 3-12 pay $5
Sea IslandsCity/Region: Grand Strand and Myrtle Beach
The Sea Islands make up more than half of the South Carolina coastline, separated from the mainland by estuaries and marshes. These islands are home to black communities descended from slaves, who were brought to the Carolina's during the 18th century. When they were freed by the Union army in 1865, the slaves were granted land here. They are known as Gullah people, having maintained their dialect of an English-based tongue heavily influenced by several different African languages, and much of their culture has also been preserved. During the colonial period, at the height of the rice culture, slaves from West African rice kingdoms were in high demand among the plantation owners, teaching their masters how to plant, grow and cook rice, and those with basket-weaving skills were highly prized. Today traces of their heritage survives in the handmade sweet-grass baskets, the food and in the songs performed by groups like the Sea Island Singers who sing plantation melodies at concerts in Charleston and Beaufort. St Helena is the least spoiled of the islands with beautiful landscapes and is home to small shrimp and oyster fishing communities. The Penn Center is the unofficial Gullah headquarters, preserving their unique culture and creating opportunities for the previously disadvantaged Gullahs. There is also a school started for freed slaves by a black Massachusetts teacher, and a museum displaying pictures and an assortment of old farming and fishing tools.
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