South Carolina Museums and Culture

EdVenture’s mission is to inspire children to experience the joy of learning and to create new generations of lifelong learners.

Come "Touch, Explore, and Play..." while learning about your world through the interactive exhibits and programs at The Children's Museum of South Carolina. The Children's Museum of South Carolina serves our state and local communities, as well as visitors to Myrtle Beach's Grand Strand area.

Welcome to The National Steeplechase Museum which stands on the historic Springdale Race Course in Camden, South Carolina's oldest inland town. It is the only museum in the United States that is dedicated to the horses, trainers, owners, riders and races that tell the story of American Steeplechasing. Visitors will enjoy a myriad of exhibits and tour the surrounding 600 acres which is seasonal training ground for horses that jump and home to the famed Carolina and Colonial Cup Races.

The Mission of the Union County Museum is: To discover, identify and collect the archives, and genealogical and historical materials which may help to establish and illustrate the history of Union County, South Carolina. To provide for the preservation of such material and for its accessibility, as far as may be feasible, to all who wish to examine or study it. To serve as a focal point for the dissemination of information regarding Union County, South Carolina and its history.

The Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry (CML) is Charleston’s first hands-on learning environment designed just for children ages 3 months to 12 years and their families. Since opening its doors on September 21, 2003, more than 450,000 visitors have explored the museum’s eight interactive exhibits, ranging from a full-scale shrimp boat to an area just for infants and toddlers. CML is the perfect family destination—many parents seize the opportunity to be a kid again and discover the exhibits with their child(ren), and each exhibit offers something for children of any age.
The mission of the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry is to spark the love of learning in all children of the tri-county area. Through hands-on, interactive experiences with the arts, sciences and humanities, children will develop creative thinking and problem solving skills and a belief in their own potential.

The Museum has four large floors devoted to the disciplines of art, history, natural history and science/technology. It houses both long-term exhibits and five changing exhibit galleries. On Oct. 29, 1988, the South Carolina State Museum opened its doors, bringing to the citizens of the Palmetto State the newest, and one of the finest, state museums in America. Since that day it has awed, delighted and enlightened millions of visitors. The State Museum has more than 70,000 artifacts in its collection, and it is still a very young institution. The State Museum has been voted Best Museum in the Midlands five years in a row by Columbia Metropolitan magazine, and was designated Best Museum of 2007 by the readers of the Free Times newspaper.

The mission of the Carolina Art Association (the Gibbes Museum of Art) is to offer through collection, exhibition and interpretation a thorough knowledge of the visual culture of Charleston, the Lowcountry and the American South from the colonial era through today.

Located at the corner of Fifth Street and Home Avenue, the Hartsville Museum and the Sculpture Courtyard anchor the cultural plaza in downtown Hartsville, SC. The museum, founded in 1980, is a local history museum. Housed in a 1930’s Post Office Building, the museum has kept many of the unique architectural features of the building. The skylight, original to the building, has been retrofitted with stained glass panels depicting the flora and fauna significant to the area. The Sculpture Courtyard added in 2000 features many different types of sculpture. The Showcase Gallery presents special exhibits focusing on history, the arts or present day events.

The Summerville-Dorchester Museum is located in the former Summerville Police station. It is a tribute to the vision of our Board of Directors, members and volunteers; and is a successful example of recycling an old building into a useful community facility.

The American Military Museum in Charleston, S.C., offers a one-of-a-kind experience in military history for travelers and residents.
Located in Aquarium Wharf adjacent to the debarkation point for tours to historic Fort Sumter, the Museum is filled with authentic artifacts from 14 American conflicts from the Revolutionary War through the recent war in Iraq.

Welcome to the Greenville County Museum of Art. The Museum is open Tuesday–Saturday from 11–5, remaining open until 8 on Thursday evenings. On Sundays, we're open from 1–5. Galleries are closed on Mondays and major holidays. Admission is always absolutely free

The Rice Museum, known locally as The Town Clock, is located in the Old Market Building and is a prominent symbol of Georgetown County. Through dioramas, maps, artifacts and other exhibits, visitors to the Museum are enlightened to the history of a society dependent on the rice crop. In 1750, George Town became the center of rice production in the colony. By 1840, the Georgetown District (later County) produced nearly one-half of the total rice crop of the United States. The 1850s proved to be the most profitable decade for the rice planters. The Rice Museum chronicles this most important American timeline and its impact on not only South Carolina, but internationally as well.

The Upcountry History Museum's mission is to promote, present and preserve the history of Upcountry South Carolina through education, research and service.

The South Carolina Railroad Museum's mission is the preservation and interpretation of railroading in South Carolina.

The Columbia Museum of Art seeks to inspire, educate and enrich the lives of the community, South Carolinians, tourists and visitors by collecting and preserving fine and decorative art from around the world, exhibiting highly regarded work from a broad range of cultures and providing dynamic educational and cultural programs.

The Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum celebrates the great tradition of racing, and Aiken’s vital role in it. Thirty-nine Champion Thoroughbreds have trained at the famed Aiken Training Track. The Hall of Fame immortalizes each in the Iselin’s charming, old carriage house. The Hall of Fame features both flat racers and steeplechase horses, from 1942 through the present. Photos, trophies and other memorabilia highlight these outstanding horses.

The Museum and Library of Confederate History is dedicated to an accurate portrayal of the history of one of the most tragic periods in America's past: 1861-1865. We show the events as they were, without embellishment or revisionism. The museum is home to numerous artifacts and displays portraying the war and home life in the South during that time.

The Bob Jones University Museum & Gallery, recognized as one of America's finest collections of Italian paintings, is praised for its thorough presentation of the development of Western culture through paintings of the Old Masters. Located in Greenville, South Carolina, and housed on the campus of Bob Jones University, the Museum & Gallery displays Italian, Spanish, French, English, Flemish, Dutch, and German sacred art from the 14th through the 19th centuries in over 25 galleries. Works by major artists such as Rubens, van Dyck, Reni, Tintoretto, Le Brun, Cranach, Ribera, and Murillo are aesthetically exhibited with period furniture, sculpture, tapestries, and porcelains to lend a period ambience to the galleries and to give patrons a panoramic view of ages past.
Immerse yourself in the relaxing, thought-provoking atmosphere of M&G and experience a treasure many have called “Greenville’s best-kept secret.”