Historic Charleston Walking & Storytelling Tour

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Tour Information

Key Details

  • Mobile Voucher Accepted
  • Hotel pickup Available
  • Duration: 2 Hrs
  • Language:
    English
  • Return Details :
    Returns to original departure point
  • Cancellation Policy :
    This activity is non-refundable Tours booked using discount coupon codes will be non refundable.

Overview

This tour is an exploration of Charleston that highlights the women and men who helped found Charleston and the United States.

Did you know, without the pirates and patriots of Charleston, the United States may not exist today?

We start our experience in front of the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, one of Charlestons oldest and most historical buildings. Learn about George Washingtons visit in 1791, and the dungeons prisoners who met their fate.

Next, we venture down East Bay Street, passing Rainbow Row. Behold gorgeous mansions, and witness breathtaking views of the Charleston Harbor and White Point Garden. Walk in the footsteps of pirates and their captors.

Next, we turn inward and walk through Charlestons South of Broad neighborhood. Learn about the man George Washington and Thomas Jefferson said was the true father of America.

Last, we venture back to our starting point, passing by the Four Corners of the Law and the shops and residences on Broad Street.

Know More about this tour


Built in 1771 as a commercial exchange and custom house, the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon has been a Charleston landmark for nearly 250 years. Today, it is a non-profit historic site that focuses on the American Revolution and colonial Charleston.
Rainbow Row is the name for a series of thirteen colorful historic houses in Charleston, South Carolina. It represents the longest cluster of Georgian row houses in the United States. The houses are located north of Tradd St. and south of Elliott St. on East Bay Street, that is, 79 to 107 East Bay Street. The name Rainbow Row was coined after the pastel colors they were painted as they were restored in the 1930s and 1940s.
The house is built on the foundation ruins of Fort Mechanic that was at this location in the later part of the eighteenth century. Shipping merchant Charles Edmondston, a Scottish immigrant from the Shetland Islands, had purchased the low sandy lot in 1817. The unstable soggy land was unfit for residential construction until a sea wall was built. Charleston city officials built one in 1820 and Edmondston then started the construction of the house. The antebellum modified Charleston single house (side-hall) was constructed between 1820 and 1828. Edmondston had built the house originally in the English Regency style architecture.
White Point Garden is a 5.7 acre public park located in peninsular Charleston, South Carolina, at the tip of the peninsula. It is the southern terminus for the Battery, a defensive seawall and promenade. It is bounded by East Battery (to the east), Murray Blvd. (to the south), King St. (to the west), and South Battery (to the north).
The 24,000-square-foot house has thirty main rooms and many more smaller rooms. The main hall is 50 feet long and 14 feet wide. The house has a ballroom with a 45-foot-high ceiling.
The Nathaniel Russell House is a historic house at 51 Meeting Street in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Built by slave trader and wealthy merchant Nathaniel Russell in 1808, it is recognized as one of America's most important Neoclassical houses. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973.
The Four Corners of Law is a term commonly used to refer to the intersection of Meeting and Broad Streets. It was coined in the 1930s by Robert Ripley, creator of Ripley's Believe it or Not! and refers to the buildings occupying the four corners of the intersection:St. Michael's Anglican Church (Charleston, South Carolina), constructed between 1752 and 1761, stands on the southeast corner of the intersection.On the northeast corner of the Four Corners is Charleston City Hall, constructed in the Adamesque style between 1800 and 1804.Across the street, on the northwest corner, stands the Charleston County Courthouse. Originally constructed in 1753 as South Carolina's provincial capital, the building was rebuilt in 1792 for use as a courthouse.On the southwest corner is the United States Post Office and Federal Courthouse, built in 1896.

Itinerary:


Built in 1771 as a commercial exchange and custom house, the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon has been a Charleston landmark for nearly 250 years. Today, it is a non-profit historic site that focuses on the American Revolution and colonial Charleston.
Rainbow Row is the name for a series of thirteen colorful historic houses in Charleston, South Carolina. It represents the longest cluster of Georgian row houses in the United States. The houses are located north of Tradd St. and south of Elliott St. on East Bay Street, that is, 79 to 107 East Bay Street. The name Rainbow Row was coined after the pastel colors they were painted as they were restored in the 1930s and 1940s.
The house is built on the foundation ruins of Fort Mechanic that was at this location in the later part of the eighteenth century. Shipping merchant Charles Edmondston, a Scottish immigrant from the Shetland Islands, had purchased the low sandy lot in 1817. The unstable soggy land was unfit for residential construction until a sea wall was built. Charleston city officials built one in 1820 and Edmondston then started the construction of the house. The antebellum modified Charleston single house (side-hall) was constructed between 1820 and 1828. Edmondston had built the house originally in the English Regency style architecture.
White Point Garden is a 5.7 acre public park located in peninsular Charleston, South Carolina, at the tip of the peninsula. It is the southern terminus for the Battery, a defensive seawall and promenade. It is bounded by East Battery (to the east), Murray Blvd. (to the south), King St. (to the west), and South Battery (to the north).
The 24,000-square-foot house has thirty main rooms and many more smaller rooms. The main hall is 50 feet long and 14 feet wide. The house has a ballroom with a 45-foot-high ceiling.
The Nathaniel Russell House is a historic house at 51 Meeting Street in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Built by slave trader and wealthy merchant Nathaniel Russell in 1808, it is recognized as one of America's most important Neoclassical houses. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973.
The Four Corners of Law is a term commonly used to refer to the intersection of Meeting and Broad Streets. It was coined in the 1930s by Robert Ripley, creator of Ripley's Believe it or Not! and refers to the buildings occupying the four corners of the intersection: St. Michael's Anglican Church (Charleston, South Carolina), constructed between 1752 and 1761, stands on the southeast corner of the intersection. On the northeast corner of the Four Corners is Charleston City Hall, constructed in the Adamesque style between 1800 and 1804. Across the street, on the northwest corner, stands the Charleston County Courthouse. Originally constructed in 1753 as South Carolina's provincial capital, the building was rebuilt in 1792 for use as a courthouse. On the southwest corner is the United States Post Office and Federal Courthouse, built in 1896.

Inclusions

  • Museum entry fee for the Philip Simmons House at 30-1/2 Blake Street.
  • Entry fee for the Halsey Gallery of Contemporary Art at 161 Calhoun Street.

Exclusions

    Additional Info

    Wheelchair accessible

    Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

    Service animals allowed

    Public transportation options are available nearby

    Transportation options are wheelchair accessible

    All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible

    Suitable for all physical fitness levels

    Traveler Reviews

    • 08-Jan-2023

      I have taken many tours, both walking and driving, but have to say that our tour guide, Larry, was amazing. We reserved a 2 hour walking tour and wished it would have been 8 hours. If you find yourself in Charleston, don't pass up the opportunity to hire Larry. An encyclopedia of local and historical information.

    • 28-Sep-2022

      we have visited Charleston many time so it was really nice that our guide taylores our tour to us. we We talked about the beginnings of Charleston and its early history. Very interesting and inspired us to do further research

    • 13-Jun-2022

      Larry was a very knowledgeable and engaging tour guide. Take this tour if you want to do a deeper dive on Charleston history. This is not just a collection of interesting anecdotes - you get a story. We passed a Gullah Geechee tour operator who told us that Larry was the only white tour guide that he trusted - so that might tell you something.

    • 14-Apr-2022

      Larry is the best! Throughout the tour, Larry skillfully wove together a mix historical facts and a set of stories you will not learn in any text book, leaving our family with a great feel for the true flavor of Charleston. Maybe more impressive — my teenage kids can be a tough crowd, but Larry quickly won them over and kept them engaged throughout the entire 2 hour tour. We highly recommend!!

    • 23-Mar-2022

      Fantastic history lesson, covered parts of the City we would not have otherwise seen. Larry was an engaging tour guide and it was a great tour.

    • 27-Jan-2022

      Our tour guide, Larry was a treasure! This tour was the second tour my husband and I booked for our only full day in Charleston. The first tour was very good but this tour was exceptional. I. Two hours we learned so much about not only Charleston and it’s citizens but how integral both were to America. Larry was so good I took notes so I could explore more deeply when we get home. Larry, thank you for an inspirational tour.

    • 26-Oct-2021

      Larry is a national treasure. He used his deep knowledge of, and passion for, Charleston's history to weave an amazing story. I've never been on a tour that included so many difficult and dark historical topics, yet left me feeling so hopeful and inspired for the future. I learned about so many stories I've never heard before and also enjoyed refreshing perspectives on others I already had. Larry was very mindful of our needs (shade, hydration, time) and very accessible because the tour size was so small (our group was 5 and he said he caps attendance at 10). I'd call this a must-do.

    • 10-Jun-2021

      We really enjoyed our walking tour with Larry. He took us through historic Charleston pointing out important architecture and providing interesting facts along the way. He was very charismatic and knowledgeable. Highly recommend.