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DonateGARDENS OPEN!
Visit Historic Columbia's gardens -- now reopened -- with additional safety measures for guest protection.
Why Join?
If you look around, you’ll see Historic Columbia’s advocacy work everywhere—from the Bull Street development to the new Palmetto Compress building…and we’ve got big plans to save even more historic properties from demolition, but we need the help of people like you to make it happen.
Join TodayWhy Join?
Your membership helps us create entertaining historical programming that brings people from diverse age groups and backgrounds together. Our educational programs help explain the connections between our past and present, using history as a prism for a deeper understanding.
Join TodayWhy Join?
As a member, you’ll get discounted admission and early access to our most popular events. Joining Historic Columbia is a great way to “plug in” to the city’s professional network and get involved in your community.
Join TodayTours
We offer historic house tours six days a week, garden tours for groups, off-site walking and bus tours and self-guided neighborhood web-based tours.
Take a TourRentals
Let your special day be one for the history books at any of our beautiful rental properties.
Rent a VenueTuesday, August 11th
12 — 1 p.m.
During its years as a private residence, enslaved women made up a significant portion of the sites residents, but left little to no records behind. Their white owners were predominantly women who had few rights of their own, but directed daily operations on the property. Years later the site became...
Tuesday, August 18th
12 — 1 p.m.
The Last 50 Years: A Modern State House Grounds
The nineteenth-century state house grounds has seen tremendous change since 1970: it has doubled in size, gained new buildings and monuments, and its paths and statues have been rearranged. This presentation will give an overview of the massive shifts in the ways in which South Carolina's government remembered its history...
Wednesday, August 26th
10 — 11 a.m.
Save the date! The annual She Did Day is August 26, and we'll soon roll out a schedule of online opportunities to recognize local women and the importance of the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment. Before then, participate in our #SheDidDay Challenge by sharing your accomplishments as a woman...
Friday, September 4th
9 a.m. — 5 p.m.
This year would have marked the sixth annual Water Balloon Battle hosted by Historic Columbia. Due to safety concerns, we will not be able to host the program in person, but would still like to virtually host a different kind of Water Balloon event. For every $5 "ticket" purchased, two...
Sunday, September 13th
2 — 3:30 p.m.
Second Sunday Stroll | University Hill
1619 Pendleton St., Columbia, SC 29201
Established between 1885 and 1950, the University Hill neighborhood features homes with a mix of architectural styles and designs from prominent regional and local architects.
Saturday, September 19th
11 a.m. — 6 p.m.
Jubilee: Festival of Black History & Culture
Join Historic Columbia at Jubilee: Festival of Black History & Culture from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21. Now in its 41st year, this free festival brings musicians, artisans, dancers and storytellers together to celebrate South Carolina’s black history and culture. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing recommendations, this year’s festival will take place online.
Saturday, October 3rd
9 a.m. — 12 p.m.
Family Day History Hunters at Robert Mills
1616 Blanding St., Columbia, SC 29201
Enter the world of the 19th century before tablets and television. How did kids entertain themselves? What were their daily lives like? Learn about what life was like before electricity through crafts, games, and an interactive tour of the Robert Mills House!
City of Women Honoree
From 1914 until 1920, Mrs. Reamer traveled the state petitioning for women’s suffrage. After the Nineteenth Amendment’s ratification in 1920, she served as the inaugural president of the League of Women Voters of Columbia. As an advocate for those underrepresented, SHE DID so that women could have a voice in government.
Postcard of the State House grounds, 1920. Historic Columbia collection By: Lydia Mattice Brandt, Associate Professor, University of South Carolina The South Carolina State House grounds feature dozens of monuments built over more than two centuries. Here are 10 key facts to help you learn about this site: 1. The...
