What to See in Columbia - Top Sights and Attractions

Museum in Columbia, South Carolina. The South Carolina State Museum has four floors of permanent and changing exhibits, a digital dome planetarium, 4D interactive theater and an observatory. The State Museum, is located along the banks of the Congaree River in downtown Columbia, South Carolina. It is the largest museum in the state, and is a Smithsonian Affiliate and part of the American Alliance of Museums. Positioned on an old shipping canal that dates back to pre-Civil War times, the museum is widely recognized as a resource for South Carolina history and lifestyle. The museum opened on October 29, 1988, and is housed in what it calls its largest artifact, the former Columbia Mills Building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. When the mill opened in 1894, manufacturing cotton duck cloth, it was the first totally electric textile mill in the world. It was also the first major industrial installation for the General Electric corporation. On certain levels of the museum, the original flooring has been kept intact, distinguishable by hundreds of textile brads and rings that became embedded in the floor while it was still being used as a mill. The South Carolina Confederate Relic Room & Military Museum is located within the Columbia Mills Building, and is the oldest museum exhibit in Columbia.

The museum represents four disciplines: art, cultural history, science and technology, and natural history. Exhibits include life-size replicas of the Best Friend of Charleston- the first American-built locomotive in 1830; and the Civil War's H.L. Hunley, the first submarine to sink an enemy ship in combat. The second floor on natural history is notable for its recreation of a 3.6 million-year-old megalodon, named Finn, suspended mid-air just around a corner, which has scared countless groups of young children, and for a life-size Columbian mammoth (which was once native to SC). There is also the Lipscomb art gallery on the first floor, which features an iron gate made by Charleston's Philip Simmons. And there is the Cotton Mill Exchange gift shop with South Carolina souvenirs and books. The museum has the Crescent Café with sandwiches. The museum has a 1989 mural of the nearby Gervais Street Bridge by Columbia's Blue Sky (artist) in a room next to the Café. It has topiary sculpted by Bishopville's Pearl Fryar in the parking lot. The Stringer Discovery Center for small children opened in 1997.

The museum has an "Official" Story Chair (named Sammy) designed and donated by Storyteller Mike Miller (greatstoryteller.com) for the benefit of children and storytellers.

Travelling exhibitions at the State Museum have included Body Worlds Vital in 2012, Titanic: the Artifact Exhibition (100 yr. anniversary) in '12, Secrets of the Maya in '12, King Tut in '13 and '03, Dinosaurs: A Bite Out of Time in '14, Julius Caesar: Roman Military Might in '15, "RACE: Are We So Different?" in '16, Savage Ancient Seas in '17, the 2017 Solar Eclipse in Columbia in the observatory, The Wizard of Oz in '17 for Halloweeen, Hall of Heroes (superheroes) in '19, 50 Years of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing (with items from SC astronaut Charles Duke) in '19, Sherlock Holmes: the International Exhibition in '20 (with items from the Museum of London), "Spanish Explorations in the Caribbean and the US, 1492-1570" (for the 500th anniversary of Columbus' discovery) in '90, WWII and SC in '91 (for 50 years since the Pearl Harbor attack), "Rock, Roll, and Remember: Hootie & the Blowfish and Other SC Greats" in '97, The World of Insects in '98, Star Trek: The Exhibition in '99, The Magic School Bus in '99, Inside Africa in '04, Prehistoric Predators in '04, Napoleon Bonaparte in '06, Aliens: Worlds of Possibilities in '07, Leonardo da Vinci in '08, an '08 exhibit on several of the movies (like The Patriot and Forrest Gump) filmed in SC ("Hollywood Comes to South Carolina"), "Football in the Palmetto State, 1889-2000" in '08, Pirates in 2010, and 150 years of the Civil War in SC in 2011.^[2]

Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. Williams–Brice Stadium is the home football stadium for the South Carolina Gamecocks, the college football team representing the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina. It is currently the 16th largest on-campus college football stadium in the NCAA and is located on the corner of George Rogers Boulevard and Bluff Road adjacent to the South Carolina State Fairgrounds. Carolina football teams consistently attract standing-room-only crowds to Williams–Brice Stadium. The atmosphere on game days has been voted "the best" by SECsports.com, and has been noted as being among the loudest environments to play in by opposing players. The stadium has been the site of many concerts, state high school football championships, and various other events. It hosted the annual Palmetto Capital City Classic between Benedict College and South Carolina State University until the last game in 2005.

The stadium is sometimes called "The Cock Pit" by Gamecock fans and local media, and the name has been commonly used by these groups since at least the early 1970s when the university held a fund-raising campaign to raise money for an AstroTurf playing surface, called "Carpet the Cockpit".^[3]

Arena in Columbia, South Carolina. The Colonial Life Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Columbia, South Carolina, primarily home to the University of South Carolina men's and women's basketball teams. Opened as a replacement for the Carolina Coliseum with the name Carolina Center in 2002, the 18,000-seat arena is also host to various events, including conferences, concerts, and graduation ceremonies. It is the largest arena in the state of South Carolina and the eighth largest campus college arena.

The naming rights were acquired in 2003 by Unum, a Portland, Maine–based insurance company, and it was renamed to the Colonial Center after the Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company, a Unum subsidiary headquartered in Columbia. On July 22, 2008, the USC board approved renaming the building to the Colonial Life Arena as part of the rebranding by Unum (which by then had moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee) of Colonial Life & Accident as Colonial Life.^[5]

Museum in Columbia, South Carolina. EdVenture is the largest children's museum in the Southeast United States, located in Columbia, South Carolina. It is second only to The Children's Museum of Indianapolis which is the largest children's museum in the world.

EdVenture opened to the public in 2003.It has 8 galleries covering 92,000 square feet (8,500 m2), plus hands-on exhibits, 2 resource centers, and a 200-seat theater. 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2) of the total 92,000 square feet (8,500 m2) is devoted to exhibit galleries, laboratories and visitor amenities. An additional 7,000 square feet (700 m2) of outdoor gallery space is located just outside the museum's front door. Within the total 92,000 square feet (8,500 m2) there are approximately 350 individual hands-on exhibits. There is also a statue of 'Eddie' on the first floor of the museum which children can climb into and learn about the insides of people.

EdVenture is located at 211 Gervais Street in midtown Columbia, next to the South Carolina State Museum.^[6]

State park in Richland County, South Carolina. Sesquicentennial State Park is a state park in the Sandhills region of South Carolina.Known to locals as Sesqui, the park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression and was given to the City of Columbia to mark 150 years following its incorporation. The park contains 1,419 acres and is approximately 12 miles from downtown Columbia, South Carolina.

The park has a retreat center with a kitchen and dormitory-style accommodations for group gatherings. Three picnic shelters, four picnic pads, and 84 standard RV or tent camping sites are also available. The park provides rental fishing boats, paddle boats, standup paddleboards, kayak, canoes, fishing access to the 30-acre (12 ha) park lake, and four trails providing over 12 miles (19 km) of recreational access. The Sandhills Trail is an ADA-accessible two-mile (3.2 km) loop around the park lake. The Bike Trail is 6.5 miles (10.5 km) of moderate sandy terrain with several changes in elevation. Sesqui is the only South Carolina State Park that offers a membership-only dog park that allows dogs to run off-leash and a full-scale splash pad. The park office sells firewood, ice, t-shirts, and novelty gifts.^[8]

Mansion. The Hampton–Preston House located at 1615 Blanding Street in Columbia, South Carolina, is a historic mansion that was the home of members of the prominent Hampton family. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on July 29, 1969.

Ainsley Hall, a wealthy Columbia merchant, had the house constructed in 1818. It was purchased a few years later by former War of 1812 general Wade Hampton I, a wealthy cotton planter. In turn, his son Wade Hampton II and grandson Wade Hampton III also resided in the home at various times, although ownership passed after Hampton I's death to his daughter Caroline and her husband, State Senator John S. Preston.

During the latter part of the American Civil War, the house was used as the headquarters of Union Maj. Gen. John A. Logan during the occupation of Columbia. The South Carolina Presbyterian Institute for Young Ladies acquired the mansion in 1890.

The house is of a post-Colonial, Classical Revival style, having a broad veranda across the front with Doric columns and a fanlight above. Inside is a sweeping circular stairway with mahogany rails. A crystal chandelier hangs in the middle of the hall. The rooms are spacious, and one is adorned with a white marble mantel by the sculptor Hiram Powers. The gardens covered a city block and were known throughout the state, but they have been plowed under and felled, eventually becoming a parking lot.

The Hampton–Preston House was restored and reopened to the public in 1970 as a museum that epitomizes the lives of the planter elite in antebellum South Carolina, and is operated by the Historic Columbia Foundation. It is located in the Columbia Historic District II.^[9]

Arch bridge in West Columbia, South Carolina. Gervais Street Bridge is a historic bridge in South Carolina in the United States and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is an arch bridge constructed from reinforced concrete. Construction began in 1926 and the bridge was completed in 1928. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

This is the third bridge to be built on this site across the Congaree River. The first, built around 1827, was burned down in the American Civil War and the second, built in 1870, was replaced by the current bridge. At the time of its construction it was the widest roadway in the state. It was the only bridge across the Congaree River until 1953.^[12]

Public university in Columbia, South Carolina. The University of South Carolina is a public research university in Columbia, South Carolina. It has seven satellite campuses throughout the state and its main campus covers over 359 acres in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House. The university is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities with Highest Research Activity". It also houses the largest collection of Robert Burns and Scottish literature materials outside Scotland, and the world's largest Ernest Hemingway collection.

Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, Columbia is the flagship institution of the University of South Carolina System and offers more than 350 programs of study, leading to bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. The university has a total enrollment of approximately 52,000 students, with over 35,000 on the main Columbia campus as of fall 2019, making it the largest university in South Carolina. USC also has several thousand future students in feeder programs at surrounding technical colleges. Professional schools on the Columbia campus include business, engineering, law, medicine, pharmacy, and social work.^[13]

Catholic church in Columbia, South Carolina. The Basilica of St. Peter, also known as St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, is located at 1529 Assembly St. in Columbia, South Carolina. This is the second building of the oldest Catholic parish in Columbia and the Midlands of South Carolina. On June 24, 2018, it was announced that the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments issued a decree granting Saint Peter's Catholic Church in Columbia the title ‘Minor Basilica.’ This makes the church the first basilica in South Carolina.

The St. Peter's Church was listed the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

The first resident Catholic priest came to Columbia in 1820. St. Peter's first church, designed by the South Carolina architect Robert Mills, was completed in 1824. This church was demolished in the early 1900s to build the new sanctuary.

The new church was designed by Frank Pierce Milburn, a Southern architect. The planning and fundraising was done largely by Father Thomas J. Hegarty. Construction started in 1906 and was completed in 1908. The dedication was in January 1909.

The Gothic Revival church was built with dark red brick with Bedford limestone and dull glazed terra cotta trim. The roof was Buckingham Slate. The spire is topped with a cross and is 163 ft (49.7 m) above grade.

The church has a cruciform plan with a high nave. It is 131 ft (40 m) long and 79 ft (24.1 m) wide. The nave is 64 ft (19.5 m) long and 51 ft (15.6 m) tall. The 3,500 lb (1,591 kg), 55 in (1.4 m) diameter bell was cast in 1911 by McShane Bell Foundry in Baltimore, Maryland.

The church graveyard is to the rear of the church.^[22]

Building in Columbia, South Carolina. The Koger Center for the Arts is an arts center located in Columbia, South Carolina, on the University of South Carolina campus. It was built in 1988, and has 2,256 saleable seats. The center is the home of the Columbia City Ballet, the South Carolina Philharmonic, and is also used for other functions such as The State of the State Address, The South Carolina Body Building Championships, The South Carolina Science Fair, Freshman Orientation, The Conductor's Institute, The Columbia Classical Ballet, and the dance concerts for the Columbia City Ballet, Southern Strutt's year-end concert and the university's doctoral hooding ceremonies.

The center is named for philanthropists Ira and Nancy Koger, who made a substantial donation for construction of the $15 million center. The descendants of Ambrose Elliott Gonzales, Narciso Gener Gonzales, and William Elliott Gonzales also made a large donation to the center and the Gonzales Hall auditorium was named in acknowledgement of their contribution.

The London Philharmonic Orchestra gave the first performance at the Koger Center on Saturday, January 14, 1989. James Taylor from Chapel Hill performed there in 1992 (he's performed there 3x). New Edition performed a benefit concert there on August 26, 2006, which was televised on BET. Ben Folds from Chapel Hill performed there in '06. Canadian Gordon Lightfoot performed there in '09. Comedian Daniel Tosh of Tosh.0 performed there in 2010, and reggae singer Matisyahu performed there in 2011. The Blue Man Group ('12), Art Garfunkel ('14), Weird Al Yankovic ('16), The Beach Boys ('17), Alice Cooper ('17), funk rock group The Time (band) with Sheila E. ('18), Riverdance, and Celtic Woman have all performed at the Koger Center in recent years.^[28]

Auditorium in Columbia, South Carolina. Columbia Township Auditorium, also known as Township Auditorium, is a historic auditorium located in Columbia, South Carolina. It was built in 1930, and is a three-story, brick building with a Doric order columned portico in the Georgian Revival style. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, and in 2009 it underwent a complete renovation/modernization that saw the architects/facility win national awards for historic preservation/renovation. The auditorium has a seating capacity of 3,072 for standard concert seating and 3,383 with general admission floor seating.

In the early years of the building the facility was a major tour stop in the Southeast USA with everyone performing there including Duke Ellington, The Ink Spots r&b group in '40, Louis Armstrong in '40 (for $1.20 a ticket) and '44, Count Basie & His Orchestra in '47, Elvis Presley in '56, Bill Haley & His Comets with Bo Diddley in '56, Florida's Ray Charles in '60, The Isley Brothers in '60, Johnny Cash in '63, Peter, Paul, & Mary in '63, Augusta's James Brown in '65, Macon's Otis Redding (d.1967) with Atlanta's Gladys Knight in '65, Beach Boys in '65, Greenwood's frat rock Swingin' Medallions in '66, Paul Revere & The Raiders in '67, Joan Baez in '68, and Loretta Lynn, just to name a few. Through the 70s and 80s the building was a major part of the success and growth of professional wrestling in the US. Pink Floyd played there in '72, Bruce Springsteen played there in '78, The Jacksons performed there in '79, Bob Seger played there in 1984, Blue Öyster Cult in '79, The Clash in '84, Athens' R.E.M. in '86, the Beastie Boys in '87, Red Hot Chili Peppers in '89, Blues Traveler played there in '92 and '97, The Smashing Pumpkins (3 times: in 1994, 2000, and 2007), Phish in '94 (Trey Anastasio has returned twice with his solo band in '01 and '05), Toad the Wet Sprocket in '95, Virginia's Dave Matthews in '97 and '99, Live in '99, Godsmack in '04, Alicia Keys in '05, Train in '06, and Switchfoot in '07. In 2010, Tony Bennett performed at the reopening of the Township. Although the building always had popularity, since the renovation the building has had more major shows come through like Jason Isbell, Cake in 2012, Rise Against with Florida's A Day to Remember in 2012, John Legend, Charlotte's K-Ci & JoJo and Anthony Hamilton, Mary J. Blige, Bob Dylan (5 times), ZZ Top, Pretty Lights, Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington (d.2017) in '13, Charleston's Band Of Horses in '13, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Jack White in 2014, Queens of the Stone Age in 2014, Skrillex in '14, Amos Lee, Alison Krauss, Greensboro's Daughtry, Charlotte's Avett Brothers in 2015, Rob Thomas (raised in Lake City, SC) in '15, John Mellencamp in 2015, Raleigh's Ryan Adams in 2009 and 2017, Modest Mouse in 2018, Upstate SC band Needtobreathe in '19, Chicago in '19, Diana Ross in 2020, a rap concert with Ja Rule, DMX, and Juvenile; the Atlanta rapper Future, Atlanta rap group Migos in '17, and Common in '19; and comedians Dave Chappelle in '04 and '20, Jerry Seinfeld in '05, Gabriel Iglesias in 2012, and Steve Martin with Martin Short in '21. Also as a special honor when the legendary jam band Widespread Panic from Athens celebrated their 25th Anniversary Celebration, they picked the Township Auditorium as one of their favorite places to play. Widespread Panic played there in 2013, '15, and '16. Also the king of blues music BB King played one of his final shows at the building before he died in 2015. Author Pat Conroy from Beaufort also spoke at the Township two years before he died in 2016. Zedd's October 2015 concert (on the True Colors Tour) was cancelled due to the flooding of Columbia. Breaking Benjamin's 2018 concert was also cancelled. Shinedown's 2020 concert was cancelled due to COVID-19. Nelly's 2021 concert was cancelled. There were no concerts at The Township (due to COVID-19) from Jerry Seinfeld on March 7, 2020 until The Isley Brothers concert on September 10th, 2021. Earth, Wind & Fire performed there on Oct. 9. Atlanta's Collective Soul played at the Township with Better Than Ezra and Tonic on Oct. 7, 2021. Jeezy and Monica performed there in November 2021. South Carolina musicians that played at the Township were James Brown, Swingin' Medallions, Rob Thomas, Jeezy, Band of Horses, and Needtobreathe.

https:www.setlist.fm/search?page=5&query=Township+Auditorium&venue=73d626c9

Pink Floyd '72 tour: Dark Side of the Moon Tour Springsteen '78 tour: Darkness Tour The Jacksons '79 tour: Destiny World Tour Rise Against 2012 tour: Endgame Tour

The facility is owned and operated by Richland County, with currently Aundrai Holloman serving as Executive Director and Andrew Horne serving as the Assistant Executive Director. Staff also includes Bo Abernethy Box Office Manager, Tresha Clark Marketing Manager, Trip Bradley Event Manager and Melanie Sims as Business Manager.^[30]

Building in Columbia, South Carolina. The South Carolina Governor's Mansion is a historic U.S. governor's mansion in the Arsenal Hill neighborhood of Columbia, South Carolina and the official residence of the governor of South Carolina. It is a Federal style home influenced by British Colonial plantations. The building has a white stucco exterior and originally served as faculty quarters for the Arsenal Academy, which together with the Citadel Academy in Charleston formed the South Carolina Military Academy. The Arsenal was burned along with the city of Columbia by Sherman's forces in February, 1865; the structure was the only surviving building and became South Carolina's executive mansion in 1868. On June 5, 1970, the building was registered with the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The mansion is located on a single city block, and is surrounded by magnolia plants, elm and oak trees, and various other plants. It is accessed by a circular driveway around a fountain in front on the residence's main entrance. The building has a flat roof and a large central pavilion around the main entrance. The mansion has 15 rooms. It is located in Columbia Historic District I. The mansion is currently occupied by Governor Henry McMaster and his family.^[32]