House Tour
The Museum of the Reconstruction Era
10:30 a.m.
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April 6-8
Spring Plant Sale
Purchase and learn about a wide array of plants propagated from the Living Collections across all of our historic sites. From herbaceous plants and woody perennials to evergreen plants, all of the selections that will be offered are integral to the stories we tell on our sites and most are either rare or not offered elsewhere.
Today at Historic Columbia
Start your experience at the Gift Shop at Robert Mills (1616 Blanding Street)
House Tour
Journey to Freedom Tour: Mann-Simons Site and Modjeska Monteith Simkins House
1:30 p.m.
House Tour
Robert Mills House
3 p.m.
Public Garden Hours
Gardens at Hampton-Preston Mansion
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Public Garden Hours
Gardens at Robert Mills
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Preserving Our Stories
Celebrating Our 60th Year
Three generations ago, on November 14, 1961, a group of impassioned citizens officially formed Historic Columbia Foundation.
LGBTQ+ Columbia History Initiative
The LGBTQ+ Columbia History Initiative documents the often unseen and untold stories of this diverse community through oral histories, archival collections, and historic site interpretation.
Tours
Connect with History
Our four house tours give you the chance to explore Columbia's history from antebellum to Civil Rights.
Upcoming Events
See All Events06 Apr
Thursday, April 6th: 4:30 — 6:30 p.m.
Members-Only Early Access: Spring Plant Sale
1615 Blanding St., Columbia, SC 29201
Join us in the lush gardens of the Hampton-Preston Mansion for Members-Only Early Access to the 2023 Spring Plant Sale! One of two plant sales Historic Columbia holds every year, attendees will be able to purchase and learn about a wide array of plants propagated from the Living Collections across...
07 Apr
Friday, April 7th: 3 — 6 p.m.
1615 Blanding St., Columbia, SC 29201
Join us in the lush gardens of the Hampton-Preston Mansion for the 2023 Spring Plant Sale! One of two plant sales Historic Columbia holds every year, attendees will be able to purchase and learn about a wide array of plants propagated from the Living Collections across all of our historic...
08 Apr
Saturday, April 8th: 10 a.m. — 2 p.m.
1615 Blanding St., Columbia, SC 29201
Join us in the lush gardens of the Hampton-Preston Mansion for the 2023 Spring Plant Sale! One of two plant sales Historic Columbia holds every year, attendees will be able to purchase and learn about a wide array of plants propagated from the Living Collections across all of our historic...
11 Apr
Tuesday, April 11th: 3 — 4:30 p.m.
1615 Blanding Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Meet us in the Hampton-Preston Gardens to celebrate Richland Library's Mini Learn Freely Fest, where kids can choose from fun and informative activities – make art, get active and discover new stories!
13 Apr
Thursday, April 13th: 6 — 7 p.m.
Columbia Conversations | Black life in Columbia during the late Jim Crow era
1300 Pine Street, Columbia, SC 29204
Beryl Dakers, Columbia native and pioneering broadcast journalist, will lead a conversation with professor and historian Thavolia Glymph (Duke University) and professor and author Randall Kennedy (Harvard Law School). Both were born in Columbia in the early 1950s. Growing up in Columbia “was formative in how I think about the...
16 Apr
Sunday, April 16th: 1 — 4 p.m.
Free Sundays Presented by Still Hopes | Hampton-Preston Mansion and Gardens
1615 Blanding Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Every third Sunday of the month, residents of Richland and Lexington counties are invited to tour of one of Historic Columbia’s house museums for FREE! This month, visit the Hampton-Preston Mansion.
16 Apr
Sunday, April 16th: 1:30 — 6 p.m.
Palladium Tour | Columbia Craftsman
Melrose Heights, Columbia, SC 29205
27 Apr
Thursday, April 27th: 6 — 8 p.m.
1615 Blanding Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Performers from the South Carolina Philharmonic will join Historic Columbia to present a beautiful concert of light classics in the gardens at the Hampton-Preston Mansion. Please plan to arrive any time after 6 p.m. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. and last an hour. Bring your own blanket or...
11 May
Thursday, May 11th: 3:15 — 4:30 p.m.
1616 Blanding Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Meet us in the Robert Mills House Gardens for stories, songs, and an activity led by Richland Library and Historic Columbia staff!
11 May
Thursday, May 11th: 5 — 6:30 p.m.
2023 Preservation Awards Ceremony
701 Whaley St., Columbia, SC 29201
Join Historic Columbia as we celebrate National Historic Preservation month by recognizing exemplary work in preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, and revitalization in Columbia and Richland County.
21 May
Sunday, May 21st: 1 — 4 p.m.
Free Sundays Presented by Still Hopes | Modjeska Monteith Simkins House
2025 Marion St., Columbia, SC 29201
The third Sunday of the month, residents of Richland and Lexington counties are invited to tour of one of Historic Columbia’s house museums for FREE thanks to Richland County, with support from HC Board Liaison, Councilwoman Gretchen Barron! This month, visit the Modjeska Monteith Simkins House.
08 Jun
Thursday, June 8th: 10:30 a.m. — 12 p.m.
1616 Blanding Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Meet us in the Robert Mills House Gardens for stories, songs, and an activity led by Richland Library and Historic Columbia staff!
12 Jun
Monday, June 12th — Friday, June 16th: 9 a.m.—4 p.m.
1616 Blanding Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Each summer, Historic Columbia holds two sessions of a summer day camp where history comes to life through interactive activities and exploration of the gardens, grounds, and houses of Historic Columbia. Campers ages 8 to 12 are invited to take an adventure in time as we explore what it was...
18 Jun
Sunday, June 18th: 1 — 4 p.m.
Free Sundays Presented by Richland County | Mann-Simons Site
1403 Richland St., Columbia, SC 29201
Residents of Richland and Lexington counties are invited to tour one of Historic Columbia’s house museums for FREE once a month thanks to Richland County, with support from HC Board Liaison, Councilwoman Gretchen Barron! This month’s featured house is the Mann-Simons Site, where a collection of commercial and domestic spaces were once owned and operated by the same African American family from at least 1843 until 1970.
10 Jul
Monday, July 10th — Friday, July 14th: 9 a.m.—4 p.m.
1616 Blanding Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Each summer, Historic Columbia holds two sessions of a summer day camp where history comes to life through interactive activities and exploration of the gardens, grounds, and houses of Historic Columbia. Campers ages 8 to 12 are invited to take an adventure in time as we explore what it was...
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.
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