Cultural Attractions in Charleston

Charleston abounds with art galleries, museums, theaters, historic churches and cemeteries, perfect for those who prefer a little enrichment on leisurely getaways. With its ideal location in Charleston's historic French Quarter, The Anchorage Inn is within walking distance of many of the city's most prized cultural destinations. And because we're just half a block from the stop for the city's free trolley service, getting to museums and galleries is simple.

Charleston Cultural Attractions

The Charleston Museum

America's first museum, The Charleston Museum showcases art pieces that portray the cultural and natural history of Charleston and the South Carolina Lowcountry. From tribal cultivation tools, old photos and jarred biological specimens preserved in rum to antique pistols, alligator skeletons and George Washington's christening cup, The Charleston Museum has an extensive collection of interesting relics from the South's past.

Gibbes Museum of Art

Located just a couple blocks from The Anchorage Inn, the Gibbes Museum of Art features over 10,000 works of fine art focusing chiefly on works by Charleston and Southern-region artists.

Old Slave Mart Museum

This museum focuses on the history of the inter-state slave trade in Charleston, particularly the history of this particular mart. Opened in 1856 when a city ordinance prohibited the public sale of enslaved African Americans, this mart was once part of a complex that consisted of a kitchen, "barracoon", which was a slave jail, and a "dead house", which was a morgue.

Macaulay Museum of Dental History

View the large collection of dental memorabilia at the Macaulay Museum of Dental History. Here you'll find a collection of antique dental chairs, dental devices, a traveling dentist's chest from the Civil War era, and a dental office from the early 1900s.

Charleston Stage

Founded in 1978, Charleston Stage is the state's largest professional theater company, and performs at the Historic Dock Street Theatre. Past productions include musicals, comedies and dramas such as Huckleberry Finn, A Christmas Carole, Legally Blonde the Musical, Chicago, The Producers, Fiddler on the Roof and Hairspray.

Charleston's Museum Mile

Featuring a number of cultural sites in one walkable one-mile strip of Meeting Street, Charleston's Museum Mile is home to six museums, five historic homes, a powder magazine from the Revolutionary War, churches and the City Market. There are also four parks in the area where you can relax on benches and take in the lovely Charleston scenery.