South Carolina State House
Free tours, with an African American History monument.
Columbia
South Carolina's capital, with a riverbank zoo and a statehouse still scarred by Sherman's cannonballs.
Bronze stars on the 1855 State House mark where Union shells hit in 1865. The University of South Carolina's Horseshoe is here.
- Best Time
- Spring and fall
- Time Needed
- Half a day
- Cost Level
- $$$$
- Open
- Year-round
- Getting There
- Columbia Metropolitan, about 2 hours from Charleston or Charlotte.
What to See
2 of 3 are freeRiverbanks Zoo
One of the South's best zoos and gardens.
Soda City Market
A Saturday street market on Main Street.
Know Before You Go
- Check opening hours before you go, especially on weekends and at state buildings.
Where to Stay
Stay downtown.
Where to Eat
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Go Next
Worth a DetourCharleston
South Carolina
Pastel houses, church steeples and some of the South's best cooking.
Full Guide
If You're NearbyCharlotte
North Carolina
A banking city with the NASCAR Hall of Fame and the U.S. National Whitewater Center.
Full Guide
Worth a DetourLast checked 2026-11-01. Part of the Southeast list.