Don't forget to
check out our WebCams area for some really nice
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SPOTLIGHT:
THE ORIGINAL CHARLESTON WALKS
The Best Tours In Charleston’s History! ~ since 1994 ~ Provided by America by Foot
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston lends itself to walking tours. The
historic district is beautiful, concentrated, flat -- and the
city’s story is so rich that it needs the walking pace to be
fully appreciated. Several sites, moreover, are often open to
the public at no charge -- the oldest church building still
standing here, St. Michael’s Episcopal (c1761) and the lovely
Dock Street Theater (c1736), for example. In springtime, the
smells of Jessamine and tea olive alone make you want to linger
in the open air, and the view of the harbor from one or another
of the waterfront parks is simply splendid. So join for a walk –
it’s the way to go.
Charleston Single House & Garden
Thematic tours are especially
appropriate in Charleston because its past falls nicely into topical or
time-based slices, and because there are so many repeat visitors who
return year after year seeking something new and different after
exploring the more typical tours and attractions. Local history here has
national significance and is so multi-faceted that if offers occasion
for multiple angles of vision.
And there’s this -- walking is
healthy! You can gain an insight while you lose a pound.
Tour Descriptions-
The Original Charleston Walks offers
an appealing array of seven thematic walking tours in the heart of one
of America’s most historically significant and beautiful cities.
The Ghosts and Legends of Charleston –
the company’s most popular tour -- is a blend of ghost stories, eerie
anecdotal history and African-American (Gullah) folklore which has
delighted tour audiences for twelve years. Great fun!
The Charleston Walk gives you
the whole story, from the colonial underpinnings through the
wrenching Civil War experience to the contemporary rebound of
the city from Hurricane Hugo’s devastating effect in 1989.
This
tour is a rich assortment of historical observations and
anecdotes -- and very popular with the visiting public.
The Historic Homes Walk takes
you through the streets to view highlights of Charleston’s
buildings and gardens -- what sets them apart from most other
American neighborhoods -- and includes entry and a guided tour
through two especially lovely historic homes, the Nathaniel
Russell House (c1808) and the Edmondston-Alston House (c1825)
overlooking the harbor.
Nathaniel Russell House (c1808)
Edmondston-Alston House (c1825)
The Civil War Walk offers a richly
detailed account of Charleston’s role in America’s most painful war.
This is where secession began, where the war began, where the Black 54th
Regiment from Massachusetts attacked Battery Wagner (climax of the movie
Glory), and where one of the longest sieges in the history of modern
warfare occurred -- history drenched in drama.
The Patriots Walk reveals the
struggles of the early British colony, settled in 1670, the
emergence of great wealth based on rice, indigo and the slave
trade, the importance of South Carolina as a warfighting theater
during the American Revolution (as suggested in the movie The
Patriot), and the role Charlestonians played in the development
of the first great modern democracy. The tour includes a guided
visit to The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, considered the
country’s fourth most historically significant building. This
walk will make you hear the fife and drums!
The Old Exchange Building
The Slavery & Freedom Walk is a
thoroughly researched review of the African-American experience in the
Charleston area, from the treatment of slaves and how they coped both in
the city and on its surrounding plantations through their emancipation
in 1865 and on to the Civil Rights movement as it played out here. This
tour is academic in tone, somewhat challenging for children -- and
fascinating to adults.
The Pirates & Buccaneers Walk takes
you back to the early 18th century, when piracy in the waters outside
Charleston Harbor became a major problem. In addition to colorful
accounts of Blackbeard, Stede Bonnet and Anne Bonney, your guides will
give you a fascinating depiction of “how it really was” in pirate
circles -- how they fought, drank, divided the loot, loved and died.
Admission for all tours, except the
Historic Homes Walk, is $18.50 for adults and $10.50 for children ages
7-14yrs. Children 6 and under are free. The Historic Homes Walk includes
interior visits of two historic mansions and admission rates for this
tour are $29.50 for adults and $22.50 for children.
History buffs should look into the
WalkAbout Tour Pass, which includes admission for all of the tours at a
steeply discounted price.
For
information about accommodations, recreation, dining and much
more in this area and many other US destinations, take a moment
to visit our US Travel Directories:
