Waterfront Park

Waterfront Park showing a sunset as well as an individual femail

Waterfront Park which includes views, general coastal views and a sunset

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Activities

Popular places to visit

Old Slave Mart Museum

You can browse the exhibits at Old Slave Mart Museum, a museum with a storied past, during your travels to Charleston. Discover the area's stunning cathedral or seek out its local tours.

Charleston City Market

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During your trip to Charleston, you can find the perfect gifts to bring home at Charleston City Market. Discover the area's churches or seek out its local tours.

Pink House Gallery

You can browse the exhibits at Pink House Gallery, a museum with a storied past, during your holiday in Charleston. Add the area's shops or stunning cathedral to your travel plans.

Rainbow Row

Find out about the history of Charleston with a stop at Rainbow Row. Make time for the stunning cathedral and local tours in this walkable area.

St. Philip's Church

After visiting St. Philip's Church, make a plan to see the other sights and activities in Charleston. Visit the area's churches or amble around its beautiful beaches.

The Dock Street Theatre is Charleston's last surviving hotel from the antebellum period. The silhouette of its wrought iron balcony against the spire of St. Philip's church may be the single most photographed spot in the city. The main portion of the building was constructed around 1809 as Planter's Hotel. The hotel was built by Alexander Calder and his wife, who did so by renovating several pre-existing buildings at the site. The main entrance may not have been built until 1855 by J.W. Gamble.

The hotel was used extensively by planters from the midlands of South Carolina, who traveled to Charleston during horse-racing season. It was noted for its wonderful food and drinks during this era, and the South's famous Planter's Punch may have originated here. Guests to the hotel passed through the recessed porch with brownstone columns, into the lobby, and up a grand staircase that ascended to a drawing room. While much of the interior has been altered, these elements of the antebellum hotel remain and were adapted in subsequent uses of the building. A series of additions to the hotel throughout the 19th and 20th centuries can be easily identified by differences in brick coloration.

This theater is said to have been the first building built specifically for theatrical performances in America. Planter's Hotel occasionally housed one of the city's theatrical troupes, which performed at the nearby New Theatre during the mid-19th century. The most notable actor of this troupe was Junius Brutus Booth. Booth was the patriarch of an outstanding family of actors, which included John Wilkes Booth, President Lincoln's assassin. Junius Booth, who stayed at the Planter's Hotel, allegedly tried to kill his manager here in 1838. Today the Dock Street Theatre is home to the Charleston Stage Company, South Carolina's largest professional theater production company, and houses the city's Cultural Affairs office as well as The City Gallery, an exhibition space for local artists.

Dock Street Theater

Enjoy a show at Dock Street Theater, a popular theatre in Charleston. Discover the area's stunning cathedral or seek out its local tours.