A Walking Tour of Historic Charleston.

Charleston is a very walkable city. It’s pretty flat, the pace is slow, and it’s pretty easy to navigate. During our visit to Charleston this is the self guided walking tour we did. It was fairly easy and we really enjoyed it!

Begin your walk at St. Phillips Church and Cemetery 142 Church Street.  The Cemetery is across the street from the church, and is definitely worth exploring.

The sanctuary is generally open to visitors Monday through Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Fridays 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. These hours may change due to volunteer scheduling issues, special events, maintenance, funerals, and other circumstances. Please call the church office before making a special trip: (843) 722-7734.

The cemetery and graveyard are generally open during office hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Friday) and on Sundays during worship (8:15 a.m. to about noon). These hours may change due to weather, maintenance, funerals, and other circumstances.

After finishing at St Phillips, walk down Church Street past The Dock Street Theatre, which is sometimes open and worth a quick stop.

You will see The French Huguenot Church is across the street. 

Turn Left on Chalmers Street, The Pink house will be on the right. 

Continue to Old Slave Mart Museum on the left. 

The Old Slave Mart Museum, located at 6 Chalmers Street, tells the story of Charleston’s role in the domestic inter-state slave trade from 1856 to 1863. The Old Slave Mart is Open from 09:00 - 5:00 PM.

Continue down Chalmers, turn right on State Street, then left on Broad Street. At the end of Broad Street on East Bay Street is the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon.  

Admission to the Old Exchange includes a self-guided exhibition on the top two floors of the building and a 25 minute guided tour of the bottom floor cellar, otherwise known as the Provost Dungeon. Docents and other staff members are available throughout the building to share more of the site’s history with visitors of all ages and answer guest questions.  Most visitors spend between 45 minutes and 1 hour on site, though guests are welcome to take as much or as little time as they like exploring the self-guided exhibition.  Hours are 9:00AM - 5:00PM. Tours start every 1/2 hour. 

After the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, head up East Bay Street, Turn right on middle Atlantic Warf.  Continue to the  8 acre Waterfront Park (home to the Giant Pineapple Fountain featured on many Charleston postcards).

Stop and enjoy the view and maybe take a couple pictures. Continue walking south through Waterfront Park.  Past the Public Pier turn right onto S. Adgers Warf, Notice the charming houses on this street. Turn right on East Bay Street, then on your left you’ll come across a row of 13 pastel-colored row houses lovingly referred to as Rainbow Row.

It’s one of the most photographed areas of downtown, What’s interesting about this stretch of homes is that it wasn’t always what it is today. In fact, it became so rundown during after the Civil War that it was considered a slum. In the early 1930s, a woman named Dorothy Porcher Legge invested in a section of the homes and began to paint them pastel colors. Over time, other people purchased the surrounding homes and followed suit. 

After Rainbow Row continue south on East Bay Street just past the playground and Charleston City Recreation, you will see a picturesque Alley way on your right, known as Stolls Alley. 

Continue down East Bay Street towards the water on your left. It will turn into East Battery Street. Then follow the walking paths along the water on East Battery Street for the the nearly mile-long stroll to White Point Garden.

As you’re walking, you’ll notice the water on one side, with elegant antebellum homes lining the other. Many of these homes have been preserved and restored to their original grandeur, including the Edmondston-Alston House, 21 East Battery (Guided Tours 10:00 AM - 4:00PM) and the William Ravenel House (13 East Battery Street).

Known for its beautiful waterfront and antebellum-style homes, The Battery is one of the most popular places downtown for walking, biking, and enjoying scenic views. The Battery was a defensive fortification for the civil war to avoid invasion by Union troops. The seawall had cannons and weapons stationed there.

You get phenomenal views of the harbor, Fort Sumter, and the Ravenel Bridge. Many travelers say you can't leave Charleston without strolling this historic seawall along the city's southern tip, which they call both beautiful and what makes Charleston special.  Save time for a break beneath the old live oaks in nearby White Point Garden where several Civil War relics, cannons and memorials that commemorate the city's role in the battle.

Once you have finished enjoying the Battery and White Point Garden, Head up Meeting Street to the Williams (Calhoun) Mansion, 16 Meeting Street (On right) continue up Meeting St. to Ladson St, turn left, then left on King Street the Miles Brewton House is on the right side across from Ladson Street. 

Continue south on King Street and turn right onto Lamboll Street. Walk one block, then Turn Right on Legare Street. See the iconic Pineapple House (at 14 Legare St).  You will see the Simmons Edwards House on the right, Just before 16 Legare. 

Continue North on Legare Street. Turn Right onto Tradd Street which is one of the oldest and most historic streets in Charleston, full of beautiful architecture, well-preserved buildings, manicured gardens, and charming character. The street was originally named after Robert Tradd, a wealthy landowner who owned much of the land in the area during the 18th century.  The cobblestoned street was once home to some of Charleston’s most prominent families, and many of the historic homes and buildings that line the street today date back to the early 19th century.

At 106 Tradd, on your left you will see  Colonel John Stewart’s house.  

Continue walking down Tradd Street, cross Orange Street.. On the corner  of Tradd and King Street is the Samuel Wainwright House.  Continue  on Tradd.  At 70 Tradd on the left side just before the corner is the John Robert Pringle House.

Next to it is the Branford Horry House, on 59 Meeting Street, Turn left on Meeting Street. Walk up Meeting Street, just past the South Carolina Society Hall on your right you will see St. Michaels Alley.  

After the alley continue to St. Michael’s. (Don’t miss the graveyard or the adjacent alley—it’s a prime example of the city’s famed picturesque passages.)  Charleston’s oldest church.  Open Fridays 9:00-12 pm.

After St. Michaels continue down Broad to the John Rutledge House Inn, 116 Broad Street. It’s a National Historic Landmark and not to be missed on your first trip. It was built in 1763 for John Rutledge, the first governor of South Carolina, and has since been restored into a boutique hotel.

This Walking tour will only take a couple of hours.  Although, if you don’t have much time just take a walk down Tradd Street and walk along the Battery.  There you can soak up all the Southern beauty!