Top 5 Things to do for Families in Charleston

Charleston is a charming and historical Southern city to explore! We visited Charleston on our Southeast road trip from Savannah, Atlanta, Helen, Greenville and Pigeon Forge. For us, two days exploring Charleston was plenty of time. Here are the top 5 things to do for families in Charleston.

Rainbow Row

1. Charleston Market and City Tour

This city was the heart of the South for many years. There is a great deal of history everywhere you turn, so we decided to start our tour by parking near the Old City Market. The Charleston Market is an covered "open air" market with local shops and restaurants. As touristy as this sounds, it was a great place to visit. You can see the architecture of the colonial houses as you walk by, and see people taking carriage rides down King Street as well. This is definitely a top thing to do for families in Charleston.

2. Charleston Waterfront

After the city market, we walked towards the Charleston Waterfront area (try to take side streets as they are loaded with charm). Along the way, we saw old mansions, a former slave market and gorgeous fountains. Once you arrive at the waterfront, there is a covered pier and some swings that the kids enjoyed relaxing on. We spend about 20 minutes hanging around and taking in the views of the harbor.

We continued our walk down to the Battery (which is a nice waterfront area with a park). On a clear day you can see Fort Sumter in the distance.

3. Fort Sumter

This was a highlight for me (since I have taught American History for many years). To be standing in the place where the first shots of the Civil War were fired was a great history nerd moment!

In order to get to Fort Sumter, you need to take a ferry (it is located on an island). Once you are there, the views of Charleston are pretty nice. The fort itself is in good shape and there are many artifacts from the time (including cannons and artillery). The rangers here are very helpful and explained the how the war started in a very kid friendly manner. It was a great learning experience for the kids, and an educational thing to do for families in Charleston.

Fort Sumter

4. Patriots Point

This is a great place to visit with kids in Charleston. It is located in Mount Pleasant (across Charleston harbor). For about $20 you can tour an old World War II Aircraft Carrier, a fighter ship and a submarine. The kids absolutely loved this! There were many World War II era planes and historical artifacts on the ship. There was also a Cold War era and Vietnam outdoor exhibit, which the kids were able to explore and learn about.

View of the USS Yorktown, USS Laffey and USS Clamagore

Inside the submarine USS Clamagore

Patriots Point Charleston

5. Eat

Charleston has become a food mecca in the South. There were no shortages of "foodie" restaurants here. Below is a list of places we went:

FIG and HUSK (delicious, but pricey and not very kid friendly)

HIGH COTTON

HOMINY GRILL (highly recommend shrimp and girts)

Where we stayed

We stayed at a Hampton Inn across the river in Point Pleasant because we had rewards points I wanted to redeem. I am always trying to save money when we travel and even though it would have been nicer to have stayed in the downtown area, I chose free! Click to see how we travel for cheap or free and how we get free hotel stays.

Staying near the Historic District is a great idea if you can.

Heather from Trimm Travels recommends:

The Embassy Suites Charleston Historic District is the perfect place for families. For starters, every room is a suite giving that extra space a family needs. It's conveniently located right in the heart of Charleston and is in walking distance to so many area attractions. Throw in a complimentary made-to-order breakfast and nightly cocktail/hors d'oeuvres receptions and it's perfect! Oh, and kids will love its castle-like exterior. It was once the location of the original Citadel Military College! 

Check out the rates to popular Charleston hotels by clicking the picture below.

Extra - Visit a plantation nearby

The city of Charleston gained its wealth due to its location as a port city and the acres of cotton plantations nearby. There are still many plantations in operation today (Boone Hall, Magnolia, and McLeod are all 10 minute drives from Charleston). Your family can tour the grounds, the mansion and slave quarters. If you have time, it is quite an experience to step into the past and relive part of history with your family. Click here to see other cultural and fun activities to do in Charleston.

Visiting during the holiday season? Check out this guide - Charleston at Christmas.

Check out this post for more about Charleston from a local's perspective. If you would like more ideas on what to do in Charleston, check out Viator's tours by clicking the picture below.

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