Top 10 Things to Do in Charleston? - What's Your List?

My husband and I are heading to Charleston next month and are overwhelmed by the array of historic houses, restaurants, etc. to choose from.

Please help us out by sharing your ';dont miss'; Charleston experiences....

Thanks so much!

Top 10 Things to Do in Charleston? - What's Your List?

1. Historic Charleston Carriage Ride. This is the best way to get an overview of the area and a bit of historical background. Select any vendor in the market area, the routes are all determined by the City of Charleston

2. USS Yorktown

3. Edmonston-Alston House

4.Nathaniel Russell House

5. Visit Fort Sumter (warning...it is much colder thatn Charleston, dress appropriately on a cool day)

6. Visit the Citadel-it is free and open to the public

7. Visit the Market (Market st) on a saturday

8. She Crab soup at any of the local restaurants

9. Visit an Island beach (I%26#39;m partial to Isle of Palms)

Aiken-Rhett house if you have time..it%26#39;s not restored but very impressive, and cheap if you buy a combination ticket with the Nathaniel Russell house

Avoid Magnolia Plantation, it is a rip-off and waste of time!

Top 10 Things to Do in Charleston? - What's Your List?

1. Historic Charleston Carriage Ride. This is the best way to get an overview of the area and a bit of historical background. Select any vendor in the market area, the routes are all determined by the City of Charleston

2. USS Yorktown

3. Edmonston-Alston House

4.Nathaniel Russell House

5. Visit Fort Sumter (warning...it is much colder thatn Charleston, dress appropriately on a cool day)

6. Visit the Citadel-it is free and open to the public

7. Visit the Market (Market st) on a saturday

8. She Crab soup at any of the local restaurants

9. Visit an Island beach (I%26#39;m partial to Isle of Palms)

Aiken-Rhett house if you have time..it%26#39;s not restored but very impressive, and cheap if you buy a combination ticket with the Nathaniel Russell house

Avoid Magnolia Plantation, it is a rip-off and waste of time!

Patriot Point Park (USS Yorktown and other ships/submarines), Fort Sumter (you can take the boat over from Patriot Point) and try to catch a viewing of the preservation work on the civil war submarine Hunley raised recently in local waters. Charleston Museum, Citadel Museum, the Powder Magazine and the South Carolina Aquarium plus lots of homes for viewing.

Thanks so much - great suggestions!

Another great thing to do is the ghost tours. We%26#39;ve tried several but the best by far, are those offered by Bulldog Tours on Market Street. They offer several ghost tours and several history tours. Our favorites are the Dark Side of Charleston, Ghost %26amp; Graveyard Tour, and the Haunted Jail Tour.

They%26#39;re located on Market Street. 843-722-TOUR is their #.

Another great thing is Sandlapper Tour%26#39;s boat cruise. Do the sunset cruise. BEAUTIFUL!! Great to see Charleston from the water.

King Street%26#39;s antique shops are wonderful as well.

Dessert at Kaminsky%26#39;s is delightful.

There are some beautiful and historic churches in Charleston. My favorites of all of them are St. John the Baptist, Grace Episcopal, and St. Anne%26#39;s (or is it spelled Ann%26#39;s?), all in the historic district.

Many BEST things are free... the BEST way to do historic charleston is to walk and explore slowly on your own. Carriage rides ok, but crammed in with a dozen people and they fly by fast and are NOT allowed to go into the samll alleys and nice lanes.

Walking around the historic area in the evening/dark is particularly rewarding!

The IOP beach is free too.

And about Magnolia, with due respect to the above poster, we loved it! But we went during the blooming season, and its gardens are by far the best in the area. Don%26#39;t miss its Swamp Garden - featured by the famous Audobon society, no less. You can get in there free too if you park in the lot and walk in through the exit, LOL

The Saturday morning market in Charleston is free too and recommended.

So are some performances at the lovely College of Charleston college. Even if you%26#39;re not interested in the show, it%26#39;s nice to see the theater and spend an hour or two there with the locals one evening.

If you want a plantation experience, I can recommend Middleton Place with it%26#39;s beautiful gardens, ';working'; plantation areas, carriage rides through the grounds and knowledgeable guides.

The museum devoted to the slaves was particularly moving.

It wasn%26#39;t inexpensive, but we felt as a historic site, it was well worth it. See for yourselves! middletonplace.org

Go out on the pier. Spend some time in one of the swings and enjoy the cool air and change of scene.