Ironworks artisan Philip Simmons with Kalin Thomas; (c) Soul Of America
Charleston Cultural Sites
Old Slave Mart Museum
DESCRIPTION: Hub of the African American National Heritage Museum and one of several locations where slaves were sold in Charleston. The last auctions at this market were held as late as 1863. Museum presentations and exhibits of the African American experience from the Middle Passage, Africans arrival into slavery and freedom in 1670 in Charleston and Low Country, Caribbean influences on America, Emancipation, Reconstruction Era, the arts, Low Country cuisine, and the modern Civil Rights Movement.
DAYS & HOURS: daily 9a-5p
ADDRESS: 6 Chalmers Street, Charleston, SC MAP
PARKING: on street and lots nearby
PHONE: 843-724-7395
WEBSITE: Link
Avery Research Center for African American History & Culture
DESCRIPTION: This site was also the Avery Normal Institute for African American students (1865-1954). The center strives to collect, preserve, and document African American history and culture in the Charleston area via conferences, lectures, exhibits and educational programs. Archive records and documents of public and ordinary individuals reveal much about the life of slaves and free blacks in early South Carolina.
DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Fri 12-5p
ADDRESS: 125 Bull Street, Charleston, SC MAP
PARKING: on street and lots nearby
PHONE: 843-953-7609
WEBSITE: http://www.cofc.edu/avery
Philip Simmons Garden
DESCRIPTION: The garden is dedicated to an artisan and master craftsman of decorative fences and gates. Simmons is honored in the Smithsonian Museum for his contribution to the craft of ironwork and to the black heritage of Charleston. His works, wit and manner are revered throughout the city.
DAYS & HOURS: daily
ADDRESS: Anson Street at George Street, Charleston, SC MAP
PARKING: on street
PHONE: 843-723-8018
WEBSITE: http://www.philipsimmons.us
Gullah Geechee Exhibit & Borough Project
DESCRIPTION: The Borough is a former African American community, which was demolished; the two houses on this land are the only two remaining structures still in African American ownership. These are monuments to the contributions of African Americans who made The Borough their home centuries ago.
DAYS & HOURS: call for tour hours
ADDRESS: 35 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC MAP
PARKING: on street
International African American Museum
DESCRIPTION: It will tell the story of more enslaved Africans who came through the ports of low country South Carolina, than any other State in the U.S. The museum will include artifacts, historical documents, photos & moving images, audio presentations, musical and story-telling performances, arts and crafts demonstrations, and interactive exhibits.
DAYS & HOURS: Coming
ADDRESS: Calhoun Street at Concord Street, Charleston, SC MAP
PARKING: on street and lots nearby
PHONE: 843-724-3776
WEBSITE: https://iaamuseum.org
Caw Caw Interpretive Center
DESCRIPTION: Immerse yourself in African American history, rice cultivation and Gullah culture. The innovative programs combine inquiry-based, hands-on science and social studies. In the Carolina Gold program, guests explore rice cultivation—the technical skills enslaved Africans used to construct rice fields and cultivate and process rice. During Carolina Gullah, guests analyze Gullah culture, its origins and the conditions, which allowed it to be retained in the Low Country.
ADMISSION: Cheap
DAYS & HOURS: Wed–Sun 9a–5p
ADDRESS: 5200 Savannah Highway, Ravenel, SC MAP
PARKING: Free on premises
PHONE: 843-889-8898
WEBSITE: http://www.ccprc.com
