From the diaper-wearing toddler to the pickiest of teenagers, Charleston has more than enough activities, tours and museums to satisfy your entire family. The South Carolina Aquarium and Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry are ideal for younger children. Nature tours and eco-adventures along with the military history of Patriots Point will appeal to older children and teens. And Cypress Gardens – well worth the drive from downtown Charleston – has something for all ages.
Check out our list of just some of the many activities available to families visiting Charleston this summer. Let us know which tours, museums or activities were at the top of your family fun list.
Cypress Gardens
Located off the beaten path between Goose Creek and Moncks Corner in Berkeley County, is a hidden gem of swamplands, history, plants and wildlife. Cypress Gardens is great for nature-loving adults and children. Check out the Butterfly House, an expansive greenhouse filled with flowering plants, butterflies, a pond and an observation beehive.
The Swamptarium – part aquarium, part reptile center – has tanks of fish, amphibians and reptiles (including venomous snakes) native to swamps and nearby waterways. Be sure to stop just outside the Swamptarium to see the alligators hanging out in the sunshine. Also explore 3.5 miles of trails through the gardens and swamp or take a boat ride for a different view of the swamp with its cypress and tupelo trees.
3030 Cypress Gardens Road, Moncks Corner | cypressgardens.info | 843-553-0515
What the locals know: Cypress Gardens is an excellent value: $10 for adults, $5 for children and free for ages 5 and under. Plus, parking is free.
Eco-Adventures
Older children and teens will be eager to board a boat and head to barrier islands to collect shells and sharks’ teeth. Along the way, they can learn about the Lowcountry’s salt marshes and barrier islands and the natural plants and wildlife in those areas.
For families who love the water, try kayak tours or stand-up paddle boarding in Shem Creek – a popular dolphin playground. Check out this list of water and eco-tour companies.
What the locals know: Capers Island is an undeveloped barrier island located about 15 miles north of Charleston. It’s known for its “boneyard beach,” old trees and stumps left from erosion and bleached by the sun.
M– — USEUMS
The Charleston area is home to several museums that offer specific programs for children and make a great place to spend an afternoon of your vacation.
Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry
With its water stations, art center, medieval castle, pirate ship and grocery store with pint-sized shopping carts, this museum is all about the littlest members of your family. The museum is geared toward children ages 3 months to 12 years. Admission is free for 1 year and younger and there’s a specific play area for the littlest visitors just learning to crawl and walk.
The new summertime exhibit is all about architecture, highlighting famous architects as inspiration and various block-building media for a hands-on, interactive learning experience.
25 Ann St. Charleston | explorecml.org | 843-853-8962 (closed Mondays)
What the locals know: Be prepared to stay for awhile. Once the kids get started here, it’s going be tough to get them to leave.
South Carolina Aquarium
The aquarium showcases wildlife found locally and around the state of South Carolina. Check out the ring-tailed lemurs from Madagascar, the rare albino alligator and plenty of fish, turtles and stingrays. The aquarium has several daily activities, including interactive dive shows, feeding programs and opportunities to get up close and personal with the animals.
Special summertime events include two new movies in the 4-D Theater as well as an Animal Care Exhibit where visitors can play veterinarian to the animals that call the aquarium home.
100 Aquarium Wharf Charleston | scaquarium.org | 843-720-1990
What the locals know: Pay a little extra to tour the Sea Turtle Hospital, South Carolina’s only such facility, where sick and injured turtles are nursed back to health and usually released back to the ocean.
Patriots Point
For a lesson in military history, visit Patriots Point. It is home to three historic ships: the USS Yorktown, a WWII aircraft carrier; the USS Laffey, a WWII destroyer; and the USS Clamagore, the last remaining GUPPY-III submarine in the nation. Patriots Point also houses a Vietnam Support Base Camp (a full-scale replica of a Vietnam base) and the Medal of Honor Museum. The museum is open daily and this summer guided tours will be available for a small additional fee.
40 Patriots Points Museum in Mount Pleasant | 866-831-1720 | patriotspoint.org
What the locals know: Take your camera and capture some incredible shots of the Charleston harbor and the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge over the Cooper River from the flight deck of the USS Yorktown.
Charleston Museum
Charleston history comes alive for children at the Charleston Museum. Exhibits and activities specifically for children include examining fossils, trying on colonial clothing, exploring artifacts from Native American life to the Civil War and a scavenger hunt. A number of special programs and activities are available for toddlers and up.
What the locals know: The Kidstory exhibit is just for kids with its interactive components and wall-length murals of the Museum’s Dill Sanctuary and Heyward-Washington House, as well as other notable Charleston scenes.
360 Meeting St. Charleston | charlestonmuseum.org | 843-722-2996
SUMMER READING
If you need a little quiet time in your vacation schedule, try some local bookstores or the local library right in the heart of downtown Charleston.
Blue Bicycle Books, 420 King St. in downtown Charleston, is a treasure trove of new, used and rare books. The store hosts readings, events and book signings regularly so check the website for a schedule.
A Very Little Bookstore, 112 S. Main St. in Summerville, is just for the kids. This cozy little shop is filled with children’s books and offers story time, crafts and special events.
The main branch of the Charleston County Public Library is located at 68 Calhoun St. in downtown Charleston, making it a cool, quiet place for the kids to recharge after a busy morning of sightseeing. The library schedule is filled with summertime activities from movies to story time.