The Charleston Museum, Heyward-Washington House & the Joseph Manigault House are OPEN.
Tours at the Historic Houses begin on the hour starting at 10 AM and ending at 4 PM.
Last tour of the day at the Historic Houses begins at 4 PM.
EFFECTIVE JULY 1: Per Charleston City Council ordinance all persons are required to wear face coverings when entering buildings open to the public within the City limits. Masks must be worn while visiting The Charleston Museum and its historic houses. Thank you for your cooperation and for helping our community to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The Charleston Museum is pleased to present Kidstory, a fun and exciting, hands-on exhibit for children, where the fascinating history of Charleston and the Lowcountry comes alive.
Walk through Kidstory
Natural Discoveries
In Natural Discoveries, explore the extraordinary ecosystem of the South Carolina Lowcountry. Get a close up view of feathers and insects using the large screen microscope and identify animals that make the Lowcountry home by their tracks, burrows, calls and scat.
Lighting Up the Coast
Light up a replica of the Morris Island Lighthouse that guided ships into Charleston’s harbor, and learn what life was like for the family of a lighthouse keeper living on the island in the 1880s.
The Port City
Hoist a “jolly roger” pirate flag, rummage through crates to find what went through the port of Charleston, and learn to tie sailor’s knots as you discover the Lowcountry’s historic connection to the sea. Learn about the crops that generated the region's great wealth and the enslaved Africans who helped create that wealth. Understand how the slaves arrived here and the knowledge they brought with them. Find out about the pirates who once terrorized the South Carolina coast.
Heyward-Washington House
Step through the door of a “kid-sized” version of The Charleston Museum's Heyward-Washington House and experience the life of a child in colonial Charleston. Play with toys like those that belonged to colonial era children, have a tea party next to the fireplace, or try on reproduction 18th century child clothing.
Lowcountry Stories
Hear tall tales of the South Carolina Lowcountry in Lowcountry Stories, which features an interactive storytelling station with video of local storytellers telling entertaining tales of Charleston, Gullah people, Native Americans, and more.
Mini-Exhibits
Kidstory also features regularly rotating exhibits inspired by children. Currently on display is Feathered Friends, featuring mounts of birds from around the world.
In the Museum’s Armory, see excellent examples of historic weaponry, dating from 1750 to the twentieth century, with uses that ranged from military to more personal applications such as hunting and dueling.
In the Historic Textiles Gallery, the Museum features regularly rotating exhibits from its rich historic textiles and clothing collection, one of the finest in the southeastern United States.
In The Charleston Museum: The Early Days gallery, see exotic collections from around the world, representative of the Museum’s nineteenth century cosmopolitan collecting focus.
In the Lowcountry History Hall, see materials relating to the Native Americans who first inhabited the Lowcountry and the African American and European settlers who transformed the region into an agricultural empire.
In the Natural History gallery you will see an extraordinary array of birds, reptiles and mammals that have called the South Carolina Lowcountry home since prehistory, including contributions from noted naturalists.
The Charleston Museum is pleased to present Kidstory, a fun and exciting, hands-on exhibit for children, where the fascinating history of Charleston and the Lowcountry comes alive.
In the Loeblein Gallery of Charleston Silver discover the impressive work of the South’s finest craftsmen and women, from the colonial era through the Victorian Age.
