Charleston Historic District Walk
Photo: Chris Pruitt, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
This walk loops through the oldest part of Charleston, the colonial port that grew rich on rice, indigo and the trade in enslaved people. In about two hours and roughly 4.5 kilometers (just under 3 miles) of flat sidewalk, you will see the harbor, the pastel merchant houses of Rainbow Row, the steeples that gave Charleston its skyline, and the halls and courts where colonists argued their way toward independence. You will also see the places that tell the harder story: the auction sites, the Old Slave Mart and Mother Emanuel AME Church.
The tour starts at the Pineapple Fountain in Waterfront Park, at the foot of Vendue Range. It heads south along East Bay Street to the Battery, turns up Meeting and Church Streets, reaches north to Calhoun Street, and returns through the City Market to the park. Old sidewalks can be uneven, so wear comfortable shoes and carry water in warm weather. Several stops are working churches; go inside only when they are open to visitors.
12 stops on this tour:
Pineapple Fountain - Charleston's Front Porch
Old Exchange - Customs, Constitution and Captives
Rainbow Row - Merchant Houses in Pastel
The Battery - Seawall, Cannons and Pirates
St. Michael's Church - The Steeple Over Broad Street
Four Corners of Law - Church, City, County, Nation
Old Slave Mart - Where People Were Sold
Dock Street Theatre - A Stage Since 1736
St. Philip's Church - A Steeple That Guided Ships
Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim - A Temple from 1840
Mother Emanuel AME Church - Faith and Resilience
City Market - Four Blocks of Open Sheds
Plan your visit
- Route: 12 stops · about 3.2 miles · walking, one way
- Time: about 2 hours at an easy pace, with stops
- Start: Pineapple Fountain (directions)
- Cost: free tour
- Audio: narrated - tap ▶ Listen at the top of any stop
Stops on this tour
- Pineapple Fountain - Charleston's Front Porch
- Old Exchange - Customs, Constitution and Captives
- Rainbow Row - Merchant Houses in Pastel
- The Battery - Seawall, Cannons and Pirates
- St. Michael's Church - The Steeple Over Broad Street
- Four Corners of Law - Church, City, County, Nation
- Old Slave Mart - Where People Were Sold
- Dock Street Theatre - A Stage Since 1736
- St. Philip's Church - A Steeple That Guided Ships
- Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim - A Temple from 1840
- Mother Emanuel AME Church - Faith and Resilience
- City Market - Four Blocks of Open Sheds
More tours nearby
- Savannah (83 mi) - Walk the 1733 town plan from the riverfront bluff to Forsyth Park, one shady square at a time.