Columbia (founded 1786), capital of South Carolina, lies roughly in the centre of the state on the Broad and Congaree Rivers. The imposing State House (Main and Gervais Sts.) with its dome and its massive granite columns was built between 1855 and 1907. Bronze stars mark hits by Sherman's artillery during the siege of the town. Opposite State House is Trinity Church (1846), one of the largest Episcopal churches in the United States. To the south is the large campus of the University of South Carolina (founded 1801), the central element in which is the brick complex known as the Horseshoe.
A number of antebellum houses have been preserved in the north-east of the town, including the Hampton-Preston Mansion (1818), the Robert Mills Historic House (1823) and the Mann-Simons Cottage (1850). The Woodrow Wilson Boyhood Home, in which the 28th President of the United States spent his early years, was built after the Civil War.
The South Carolina State Museum, located in a historic building, offers four floors filled with the natural history, science and technology, art and cultural history of South Carolina. The museum features educational hands-on exhibits, a science theatre, and changing exhibits. Also on site are a store and café.
Dinosaur Gallery at the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia.
Art Gallery at the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia.
Hours:
May 31 to September 5: 10am-5pm; Sun:1pm-5pm
September 6 to May 30: 10am-5pm; Sun:1pm-5pm; Closed: Mon
Always closed on: Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Easter - Christian
Tips: Admission is only $1.00 on the first Sunday of each month.
Disability Access: Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
Facilities: Gift shop, Restaurant or food service, Wheelchair loan or rental
The Columbia Museum of Art features Italian Renaissance and Baroque paintings from the Samuel H Kress collection. The museum also features a large collection of decorative arts.
Hours:
10am-5pm; Sun:12pm-5pm; Closed: Mon
Tips: Free admission every Sunday. First Friday of every month open 10am to 8pm except December.
The EdVenture Children's Museum in Columbia provides 350 hands-on exhibits for children 12 and younger and their families. Visitors can talk to a skeleton, anchor the news, drive a fire truck, climb on a camel and explore the inside of EDDIE - the world's largest child!
Fort Jackson was established in 1917 in Columbia as a U.S. Army Training Center. The Fort Jackson Museum was established in 1972 and features military weapons, uniforms and other equipment to illustrate how the American soldier has been trained to perform his duties in peacetime and war. Several typical military vehicles and artillery pieces from World War I to the present are displayed outside.
Hours:
9am-4pm; Closed: Sun, Sat
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Martin Luther King's Birthday - USA (3rd Monday, January ), President's Day - USA (3rd Monday, February ), Memorial Day - USA (last Monday, May ), Labor Day - USA (1st Monday, September), Columbus Day - USA (2nd Monday, October ), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Veteran's Day - USA (November 11), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
The McKissick Museum is located on the campus of the University of South Carolina in Columbia. The museum's collections include folk art, culture and the natural environment.
Address: McKissick Museum, College of Liberal Arts, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, United States
Phone: 1 (803) 777-7251, Fax: 1 (803) 777-2829
Hours:
8:30am-5pm; Sat:11am-3pm; Closed: Sun
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Easter - Christian
Parking: Pay
Disability Access: Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
Riverfront Park is located beside the Columbia Canal in Columbia. It has a trail for cycling and hiking. Visitors can walk through one of the old pump houses to learn about the history of the Columbia canal and Water Works.
The South Carolina Archives and History Center in Columbia has governmental records dating back to 1671. Quarterly exhibits feature the historic and cultural heritage of South Carolina.
Address: South Carolina Archives and History Center, 8301 Parklane Road, Columbia, SC 29223-4905, United States
Phone: 1 (803) 896-6100, Fax: 1 (803) 896-6198
Hours:
8:30am-5pm; Closed: Sun, Mon
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), American Independance Day (July 4), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Easter - Christian
The South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Museum in Columbia is located in the former Columbia Mills building. The museum contains military relics reflecting state military history.
Hours:
10am-5pm; Closed: Sun, Mon
Tips: Open the 1st Sunday of each month 1pm to 5pm.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame in Columbia is a memorial to law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty and in recognition of all law enforcement officers in the day-to-day performance of their duties. Exhibits include photographs, artifacts, uniforms and a firearms collection.
Address: South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame, 5400 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC 29212-3553, United States
Phone: 1 (803) 896-8199, Fax: 1 (803) 896-8067
The South Carolina State House is located in Columbia. It was built using native granite between 1855 and 1907. Other features of the building include a copper dome, marble floors, stained glass windows and six bronze stars on the exterior that mark the location where cannonballs struck the building during the Civil War.
The white South Carolina State House in Columbia.
The grand front entrance to the State House in Columbia.
The Trinity Cathedral in Columbia began as a small Mission outpost in 1812. It was established by the Protestant Episcopal Society for the Advancement of Christianity in South Carolina. The church features a baptismal font designed by the sculptor, Hiram Powers, the Trinity or West Window over the main door, the Carrara marble altar, and the inscribed marble tablets in the sanctuary.
Front view of the Trinity Cathedral in Columbia.
Address: Trinity Cathedral, 1100 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29201-4249, United States
Phone: 1 (803) 771-7300, Fax: 1 (803) 254-4885
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South Carolina State Museum, Columbia
South Carolina State House, Columbia
South Carolina State Museum, Columbia
South Carolina State House, Columbia
Trinity Cathedral, Columbia
Columbia
