Research Roundtable | Main Street Update
Join us to discuss the updated Main Street tour content, which includes expanded information about existing sites and brand new sites that provide a glimpse into this thoroughfare’s dynamic evolution.
“At its most basic, preservation is about protecting places that matter to each of us. We want our children to know these places. We want them to stand as beacons for us and for those who come after us—to tell our stories, and the stories of our communities and our lives.”
— Stephanie K. Meeks
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 VenueThursday, July 18th
10 — 11 a.m.
1615 Blanding Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Join Historic Columbia and Richland County Public Library for a special outdoor Storytime in the Gardens! Enjoy stories and songs at the Gardens of the Hampton Preston Mansion. In addition, participate in old fashioned historic games in gardens. This event is free and open to children of all ages.
Saturday, July 20th
2 — 3:30 p.m.
Saturday Roll | Lower Richland
1616 Blanding Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Explore Lower Richland with Historic Columbia on Saturday, July 20 during our Weekend Strolls and Rolls program.
Sunday, July 21st
1 — 4 p.m.
Dollar Sunday | Robert Mills House
1616 Blanding Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Residents of Richland and Lexington counties are invited to take a guided tour of one of our historic house museums on Dollar Sunday! On September 16, visit the Robert Mills House & Gardens, one of only five National Historic Landmarks within Columbia, and explore architecture and daily life in the 1820s in Columbia.
Tuesday, July 23rd
12 — 1 p.m.
Research Roundtable | Mainstreet Tour Updates
1601 Richland Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Join Director of Cultural Resources John Sherrer as we discuss the updated Main Street tour content, which includes expanded information about existing sites and brand new sites that provide a glimpse into this thoroughfare’s dynamic evolution. We will explore the work behind this upgrade, whose highlights include new materials made...
Wednesday, July 31st
6 — 7:30 p.m.
TBD, Columbia, SC 29205
Join Historic Columbia and Palladium for a tour of this newly renovated Shandon home! Presented by The Moore Company , the Renovation Rodeo series takes guests on tours of old homes and buildings in the Columbia area that have been refurbished and renovated while staying true to the roots and...
Thursday, August 1st
10 — 11 a.m.
1615 Blanding Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Join Historic Columbia and Richland County Public Library for a special outdoor Storytime in the Gardens! Enjoy stories and songs at the Gardens of the Robert Mills House. In addition, participate in old fashioned historic games in gardens. This event is free and open to children of all ages.
Thursday, August 8th — Friday, August 9th
9 a.m.—4 p.m.
1601 Richland St, Columbia, SC 29201
Join Historic Columbia for a two day professional development workshop on August 8 and August 9 from 9AM-4PM! Historic Columbia will present Reconstruction themed content and curriculum materials aligned with the NEW South Carolina Social Studies Standards, developed using resources provided by Historic Columbia, SCETV and the South Carolina Historical...
Thursday, August 8th
7:30 — 9:30 p.m.
Moonlight Cemetery & Secrets from the Grave Tours
501 Elmwood Avenue, Columbia, SC 29201
One hundred and sixty years of history will come to life during our popular Cemetery Tours! Grab your flashlight as we tour one of Columbia's oldest cemeteries and acres of carefully planned grounds.
Thursday, August 15th
5:30 — 7 p.m.
1615 Blanding Street, Columbia, SC 29201
We’re inviting South Carolina teachers to start off the school year with Historic Columbia’s first ever Teacher’s Night Out! Teachers are invited to join us Thursday, August 15th for an evening in the Gardens at the Hampton-Preston Mansion. Enjoy beer, wine, and hors d’oeuvres as you explore the site and...
Friday, August 16th
5:30 — 7 p.m.
Historic Happy Hour: Water Balloon Battle
1616 Blanding Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Join us for our fourth annual Historic Water Balloon Battle from 5:30 – 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 16. Using water balloons, guests will break into teams to learn about military tactics through history and battle on the grounds of the Robert Mills House & Gardens.
Sunday, August 18th
1 — 4 p.m.
Dollar Sunday | Woodrow Wilson Family Home
1705 Hampton 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 just $1 on Dollar Sunday! This month, visit the Woodrow Wilson Family Home, the nation's only museum dedicated to interpreting the post-Civil War Reconstruction period and South Carolina's only remaining presidential site.
Monday, September 2nd
12 a.m. — 11:59 p.m.
1601 Richland St, Columbia, SC 29201
Offices and properties will be closed for the holiday. Stay safe and join us for a tour tomorrow!
Thursday, September 5th
10 — 11 a.m.
1615 Blanding Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Join Historic Columbia and Richland County Public Library for a special outdoor Storytime in the Gardens! Enjoy stories and songs at the Gardens of the Hampton Preston Mansion. In addition, participate in old fashioned historic games in gardens. This event is free and open to children of all ages.
Thursday, September 12th
7:30 — 9:30 p.m.
Moonlight Cemetery & Secrets from the Grave Tours
501 Elmwood Avenue, Columbia, SC 29201
One hundred and sixty years of history will come to life during our popular Cemetery Tours! Grab your flashlight as we tour one of Columbia's oldest cemeteries and acres of carefully planned grounds.
Saturday, September 21st
11 a.m. — 6 p.m.
Jubilee: Festival of Black History & Culture
1403 Richland Street, Columbia, SC 29201
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 outdoor festival brings musician, artisans, dancers and storytellers together to celebrate South Carolina’s black history and culture on the grounds of the Mann-Simons Site.
Columbia City of Women
This month, we are celebrating Jean Hoefer Toal, the first woman elected to be an Associate Justice on the South Carolina Supreme Court and the first woman to serve as the court’s Chief Justice. Toal’s accomplishments as a lawyer, legislator, and South Carolina Supreme Court Justice are unparalleled. She continues to be an outspoken advocate for women’s rights, social justice, and education.
There’s no better way to finish Preservation Month than learning about two of Columbia’s key preservation advocates—Mabel Payne and Jennie Dreher—who were responsible for saving the Robert Mills House over 50 years ago. Mabel Payne, ca. 1961. Image courtesy of City of Columbia Planning Office Mabel Bradley Payne was born...
