A good place to start a tour of Charleston is the Visitor Center at 375 Meeting St. (between John and Ann Sts.) (tel: 1-800-774-0006), not far from the terminus of I-26 northwest of downtown. At the Visitor Center, a traveler can find maps and guides, tour a small museum dedicated to the history of Charleston, book sightseeing tours, and view an introductory film to Charleston. All the free DASH trolley routes serve the visitor center, so it's also a handy place to park your car and start exploring downtown.

Historic attractions

Charleston's primary attraction to visitors is its historical setting and landmarks. A list of some sites to visit includes:

• Charleston Museum

  , 360 Meeting St (across the street from the Visitor Center). Open daily. Start with this museum to learn about Charleston's history. 
• Fort Sumter. The island site of the start of the Civil War, now a National Monument. One must board a ferry for an additional fee at either Liberty Square in downtown or Patriot's Point in Mt. Pleasant. The ferry ride is about 30 minutes. Fort Sumter is in ruins, but there are markers telling you where things used to be, as well as a museum.
• French Quarter. Between S. Market and Tradd, Meeting and the waterfront, where the English colonial Walled Town once stood. Known for its art galleries, St. Philips Church, French Huguenot Church, and historic architecture.
• The Market. An old shopping district at the foot of Market St. where vendors still sell wares. Contrary to popular legend, the Market was never a slave exchange. However, the remnants of an old slave market are located a few blocks away.
• Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site. Off US 171 on the west bank of the Ashley River, about 3 miles northwest of downtown.
• The Citadel. Historic military college founded in 1842. Full dress parades generally occur every Friday afternoon while school is in session and are free to the public. The campus is typically open to visitors and tours can be arranged by calling the school or stopping by the Admissions Office located in Bond Hall.
• The College of Charleston. Founded in 1770, the College of Charleston is the oldest institution of higher education in the state of South Carolina and the thirteenth oldest in the United States.
• Randolph Hall. At the College of Charleston. Built in 1828. Popular civil war movie-making site.
• Longitude Lane (Longitude Lane), off E Bay St. Colonial cobblestone lane built on a longitude line.
• Fireproof Building, 100 Meeting Street, ☎ +1 843-723-3225. M-F 9 AM-4 PM. A National Historic Landmark constructed in 1827 and believed to be the oldest building of fireproof construction in the United States. The work of Robert Mills, the first native-born American to be trained as an architect, and a Charleston native who worked with other important early American architects such as Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Latrobe. Mills was responsible for the Washington Monument and many other public buildings. The building consists primarily of solid masonry in a simple Greek Doric style. An oval hall contains a cantilevered stone staircase lit by a cupola. The building serves as the headquarters for the South Carolina Historical Society, a private non-profit organization founded in 1856.

Parks and gardens

• The Battery and White Point Gardens. A park located at the southern tip of the Charleston peninsula with beautiful views, especially along the Battery Promenade by the Cooper River. Don't miss the elegant historic mansions along the Promenade, some of which have sold for nearly $20M.
• Liberty Square, at the east end of Calhoun St. fronting the Cooper River. Has the South Carolina Aquarium and the Fort Sumter National Monument Visitor Center, both offers views of the Ravenel Bridge. This is also where you may take a boat tour to Fort Sumter.
• Waterfront Park, from Vendue Range south to Water St. along the Cooper River. A popular park with plenty of lovely fountains and benches for people-watching. A couple of the fountains are designed for wading, including one shaped like a pineapple. The Wharf at Vendue Range offers views of the cruise ship terminal and the Ravenel Bridge.

Museums

• Gibbes Museum of Art, 135 Meeting Street, ☎ +1 843-720-1682. Since 1905, this striking Beaux Arts building has housed a premier collection of over 10,000 works of fine art, principally American works with a Charleston or Southern connection.
• South Carolina Aquarium, 100 Aquarium Wharf (at Liberty Square at the end of Calhoun St.), ☎ +1 843 577-3474. Daily 9 AM–5 PM (until 6 PM in summer); last admission one hour before closing. 

Historic places of worship

One of Charleston's nicknames is "the Holy City," owing to its many historic churches which dot the downtown peninsula, but also because the city provided religious tolerance to many who fled persecution, including the French Huguenots, Church of England dissenters, and others. The first places of worship organized in the late 17th and early 18th century were located around the old walled town, the present French Quarter. As the town grew outward, later places of worship were mainly located towards the upper wards north of Boundary Street, the present Calhoun Street. Colonial Charleston was the wealthiest English town in America, which is reflected in the sophisticated architecture of many of the churches. If visiting over the weekend, consider attending a service at one of these places to see them up-close.

• Circular Congregational Church, 150 Meeting St. Congregationalists, Scotch and Irish Presbyterians, and French Huguenots of the original settlement of Charles Town founded this dissenting congregation, known as the Independent Church, around 1681. They met at the White Meeting House, for which Meeting Street is named.
• French Huguenot Church, 44 Queen St (at Church St.). Organized around 1681 by Huguenot refugees from the Protestant persecutions in France; first church at present site built in 1687.
• St. Philip's Episcopal Church, 146 Church St. Organized around 1681 at site now occupied by St. Michael's.
• First Baptist Church, 61 Church St. Organized around 1683; present site donated in 1699. Oldest Baptist church in the South, and often referred to as the "Mother Church of Southern Baptists".
• First Scots Presbyterian Church, 53 Meeting St. Organized in 1731.
• Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, 90 Hasell St (near the Old Market). Organized in 1749. The oldest surviving Reform synagogue in the world.
• St. Michael's Episcopal Church, 71 Broad St. Organized in 1751.
• St. Mary's Catholic Church, 89 Hasell St. Organized in 1789. Oldest Catholic church in the Carolinas.
• Trinity United Methodist Church, 273 Meeting St. Organized in 1791.
• Second Presbyterian Church, 342 Meeting St. Organized in 1809.
• Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, 120 Broad St. Organized in 1821.
• St. Matthews Lutheran Church, 405 King St. Organized in 1840.
• Citadel Square Baptist Church, 328 Meeting St (at Calhoun St.). Organized in 1854.
• St. John's Lutheran Church, 5 Clifford St. Organized 1742.