ATTRACTIONS

Historic Homes & Buildings

• First African Baptist Church (circa 1865)
  The First African Baptist Church was the first church built by freed slaves in South Carolina.

• John Mark Verdier House (circa 1805)
  801 Bay Street • Beaufort, SC 29902
  Downtown
  843-524-6335
  "One of the finest architectural examples of the Federal Period", this beautiful Federal style home is filled with antiques and artifacts that depict the way of life in Beaufort during the 19th century. This house was taken over by Union soldiers as their headquarters during the Civil War. more...  map

• Penn Center (circa 1862)
  P.O. Box 126 • Beaufort, SC 29920
  Located on St. Helena Island
  843-838-2432
  The site of one of the country's first schools for freed slaves, the Penn Center is a National Historic Landmark and is a part of the Penn School Historic District. It includes 19 buildings, including the Brick Church, Darrah Hall, one of the oldest buildings on St. Helena Island; old burial grounds, the York W. Bailey Museum, and the Gantt Cottage where Martin Luther King Jr. lodged. Several programs are held each year. more...  map

• St. Helena's Episcopal Church (circa 1724)
  505 Church Street • Beaufort, SC 29902
  843-522-1712
  Once a hospital during the Civil War when its flat tombstones became operating tables, this historic 18th century church features a wooden altar that was carved by the crew of the USS New Hampshire which was stationed nearby during the Reconstruction. The church is open daily and tours are available. more...  map

• Tabernacle Baptist Church (circa 1724)
  911 Craven Street • Beaufort, SC 29902
  843-524-0376
  Colonial John "Tuscarora Jack" Barnwell, the famous Indian fighter and a founder of Beaufort Town, is buried beneath the dome vault of this brick and stucco church that was used as a Union Army Hospital during the Civil War.  map

Historic Sites & Monuments

• Chapel of Ease (circa 1740's)
  Land's End Road • Beaufort, SCLocated on Saint Helena Island
  Destroyed by a forest fire in 1886, the remains of the Chapel of Ease show that the ruins were made of brick and tabby, a concrete prepared with lime, sand, oyster shells and water.

• National Cemetery (circa 1863)
  1601 Boundary Street • Beaufort, SC 29902
  843-524-3925
  Established by President Abraham Lincoln, this cemetery is the last resting place for the soldiers who died in the Civil War. Of the 7,500 Civil War soldiers buried here, 4,019 are unknown Union soldiers and 117 are Confederate. In later years, soldiers of all wars were authorized to be buried at this cemetery.  more...  map

• Old Sheldon Church Ruins
  Old Sheldon Road off Highway 17 in Pocotaligo • Beaufort, SCLocated Less Than 30 Miles from Beaufort
  Deep in the Lowcountry forest, between Gardens Corner and Yemassee; the ruins of one of the first Greek Revival-style structures built in the United States stands. Built in the mid 1700's, Sheldon Church was burned in 1779 during the Revolutionary War, rebuilt in 1826, and again burned during the Civil War by Sherman's men in 1865.

Museums & Galleries

• Beaufort Museum
  713 Craven Street • Beaufort, SC 29902
  Downtown Beaufort
  843-379-3331
  Located in an arsenal that is one of the most significant historical sites in Beaufort built in 1798, this museum houses two galleries that displays stone tools, old-fashioned bathtubs, jewelry, vintage clothing, swords, photographs, and other items that trace the history of Beaufort and the Lowcountry.  more...  map

• Lowcountry Estuarium, The
  1402 Paris Avenue; P.O. Box 608 • Port Royal, SC 29935
  843-524-6600
  Open Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., the Lowcountry Estuarium is a coastal learning center designed to promote the conservation and preservation of the Lowcountry's marshes, creeks, rivers, and sounds by providing educational and recreational hands-on learning. more...  map

Tours & Cruises

• Ace Basin Tours
  1 Coosaw River Drive • Beaufort, SC 29902
  843-521-3099
  Climb aboard a 40-foot covered pontoon boat and take a three hour tour of the Ace Basin, where the Ashepoo, Combabee, and Edisto Rivers converge to form the largest estaurine preserve on the East Coast. Tours leave on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. from the Coosaw Marine Dock, the dock that was featured as the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company in the movie "Forrest Gump." more...  map

• Carolina Buggy Tours
  901 Port Republic Street • Beaufort, SC 29902
  Downtown Beaufort
  843-525-1300
  Step back in time during this 50 minute guided tour of the Old Point Neighborhood and the Historic District during this carriage tour that includes professionally trained guides showing you Hollywood movie sites and telling you Beaufort's history and local folklore. The green and white carriages are reminiscent of the carriage styles of the 1800's and are pulled by Belgian Draft horses. Tours start around 10:30 a.m. more...  map

• Spirit of Old Beaufort, The
  103 West Street Extension • Beaufort, SC 29902
  843-525-0459
  Learn about local history, architecture, horticulture, and Lowcountry culture during this tour that takes you on a journey through the Old Town with a professional guide dressed in period costume and includes houses that are not accessible on other tours. The tours last for two hours and are available Tuesday through Saturday. Tours depart from just behind the John Market Verdier House Museum.