Get Out and Explore the Greater Charleston Region
Visitors can easily spend days exploring all Charleston has to offer, but if you feel going beyond the Charleston peninsula, there are some incredible attractions within an hour’s drive or less of downtown Charleston.
Cypress Gardens
Cypress Gardens in Moncks Corner is a hidden gem of swamplands, history, plants and wildlife that give visitors a glimpse of the flora and fauna of the South Carolina Lowcountry.
Walk the 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. One of Cypress Gardens’ highlights is the Butterfly House, an expansive greenhouse filled with flowering plants, butterflies, a pond and an observation beehive. It’s a great place to learn about the different stages of the butterfly’s life cycle.
Visitor 411: 3030 Cypress Garden Road, Moncks Corner, SC 29461 | 843-553-0515 | www.cypressgardens.info
Charles Towne Landing
Pay homage to the people who helped Charleston get its start with a visit to Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site, a marshy point on the Ashley River where English settlers came in 1670 and established the Carolinas colony. With interpretive demonstrations, a self-guided history tour and interactive museum, visitors get a feel for life in the 17th century.
Among the park’s features is the Adventure, a 17th-century replica trading vessel, docked at the park and available for tours. The Animal Forest is a natural habitat zoo that is home to the species of animals those original settlers would have encountered in their new homeland - bison, puma and black bear.
Visitor 411: 1500 Old Towne Road, Charleston, SC 29407 | 843-852-4200 | www.southcarolinaparks.com/ctl
Angel Oak
The sole attraction at Angel Oak Park is the oak tree itself, but it’s a sight worth seeing. You can’t imagine how the branches of this live oak will dwarf even the tallest person. The Angel Oak is about 400-500 years old and locals label it as the oldest living thing east of the Mississippi River - not a bad title to claim.
The tree stands 65 feet and offers 17,000 square feet of canopy shade. The tree’s circumference is 25 feet, and the largest limb is 89 feet. Live oaks don’t grow particularly tall, but do have far-reaching canopies. In old trees - like the Angel Oak - branches will often grow so large they rest on the ground.
Visitor 411: 3688 Angel Oak Road, Johns Island, SC 29455 | 843-559-3496
Irvin-House Vineyard
Irvin-House Vineyard combines the physical beauty and tasteful flavor of the South as Charleston’s only domestic winery. They grow and harvest the grapes, make the wine and bottle it on property.
The wine is made from muscadine grapes, a sweet grape with a fruity aroma that is prevalent in the South. Irvin-House produces five varieties of muscadine wine. Wine tastings are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Sample all five wines and take home a souvenir glass for $4. Also, on Saturdays, Irvin-House Vineyards hosts Sippin’ Saturdays with food vendors, live music and free tours.
Visitor 411: 6775 Bears Bluff Road, Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487 | 843-559-6867 | charlestonwine.com
Charleston Tea Plantation
The Charleston Tea Plantation on Wadmalaw Island is a working tea farm producing the tea used for the American Classic Tea brand. It uses the Camellia Sinensis plant, which first arrived in the United States from China in the 1700s.
Visitors can tour the factory, learning about the history of tea as well as the production and harvesting of tea on the plantation. Take a Trolley Ride through the tea fields and then relax with - what else - a cup of tea.
Visitor 411: 6617 Maybank Highway, Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487 | 843-559-0383 | www.charlestonteaplantation.com
Cypress Gardens
Cypress Gardens in Moncks Corner is a hidden gem of swamplands, history, plants and wildlife that give visitors a glimpse of the flora and fauna of the South Carolina Lowcountry.
Walk the 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. One of Cypress Gardens’ highlights is the Butterfly House, an expansive greenhouse filled with flowering plants, butterflies, a pond and an observation beehive. It’s a great place to learn about the different stages of the butterfly’s life cycle.
Visitor 411: 3030 Cypress Garden Road, Moncks Corner, SC 29461 | 843-553-0515 | www.cypressgardens.info
Charles Towne Landing
Pay homage to the people who helped Charleston get its start with a visit to Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site, a marshy point on the Ashley River where English settlers came in 1670 and established the Carolinas colony. With interpretive demonstrations, a self-guided history tour and interactive museum, visitors get a feel for life in the 17th century.
Among the park’s features is the Adventure, a 17th-century replica trading vessel, docked at the park and available for tours. The Animal Forest is a natural habitat zoo that is home to the species of animals those original settlers would have encountered in their new homeland - bison, puma and black bear.
Visitor 411: 1500 Old Towne Road, Charleston, SC 29407 | 843-852-4200 | www.southcarolinaparks.com/ctl
Angel Oak
The sole attraction at Angel Oak Park is the oak tree itself, but it’s a sight worth seeing. You can’t imagine how the branches of this live oak will dwarf even the tallest person. The Angel Oak is about 400-500 years old and locals label it as the oldest living thing east of the Mississippi River - not a bad title to claim.
The tree stands 65 feet and offers 17,000 square feet of canopy shade. The tree’s circumference is 25 feet, and the largest limb is 89 feet. Live oaks don’t grow particularly tall, but do have far-reaching canopies. In old trees - like the Angel Oak - branches will often grow so large they rest on the ground.
Visitor 411: 3688 Angel Oak Road, Johns Island, SC 29455 | 843-559-3496
Irvin-House Vineyard
Irvin-House Vineyard combines the physical beauty and tasteful flavor of the South as Charleston’s only domestic winery. They grow and harvest the grapes, make the wine and bottle it on property.
The wine is made from muscadine grapes, a sweet grape with a fruity aroma that is prevalent in the South. Irvin-House produces five varieties of muscadine wine. Wine tastings are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Sample all five wines and take home a souvenir glass for $4. Also, on Saturdays, Irvin-House Vineyards hosts Sippin’ Saturdays with food vendors, live music and free tours.
Visitor 411: 6775 Bears Bluff Road, Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487 | 843-559-6867 | charlestonwine.com
Charleston Tea Plantation
The Charleston Tea Plantation on Wadmalaw Island is a working tea farm producing the tea used for the American Classic Tea brand. It uses the Camellia Sinensis plant, which first arrived in the United States from China in the 1700s.
Visitors can tour the factory, learning about the history of tea as well as the production and harvesting of tea on the plantation. Take a Trolley Ride through the tea fields and then relax with - what else - a cup of tea.
Visitor 411: 6617 Maybank Highway, Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487 | 843-559-0383 | www.charlestonteaplantation.com
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