Homepage
September 28 - 30
Fall 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 sites, from herbaceous plants to woody perennials to evergreens.
Today at Historic Columbia
Start your experience at the Gift Shop at Robert Mills (1616 Blanding Street)
House Tour
Robert Mills House
3 p.m.
House Tour
Journey to Freedom Tour: Mann-Simons Site and Modjeska Monteith Simkins House
3:00 p.m.
Public Garden Hours
Gardens at Hampton-Preston Mansion
1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Public Garden Hours
Gardens at Robert Mills
1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Preserving Our Stories
Kugels & Collards: Stories of Food, Family, and Tradition
What began as a blog in 2017 as a part of the Columbia Jewish Heritage Initiative is now a book.
Building Richland County
Building Richland County (BRC) is a new interactive, geographic database of Richland County’s historic places and districts.
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 Events28 Sep
Thursday, September 28th: 4 — 6:30 p.m.
Members-Only Early Access: Fall Plant Sale
1615 Blanding St., Columbia, SC 29201
Join us in the lush gardens of the Hampton-Preston Mansion for the 2023 Fall 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...
29 Sep
Friday, September 29th: 11 a.m. — 6 p.m.
1615 Blanding St., Columbia, SC 29201
Join us in the lush gardens of the Hampton-Preston Mansion for the 2023 Fall 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...
30 Sep
Saturday, September 30th: 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 Fall 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...
01 Oct
Sunday, October 1st: 1 — 2:30 p.m.
1101 Lincoln Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Explore Main Street with Historic Columbia on Sunday, May 14, 2023.
06 Oct
Friday, October 6th: 6 — 8 p.m.
"Kugels & Collards" Launch Party & Book Signing
1601 Richland Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Join the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina and Historic Columbia for a book signing celebrating the launch of Kugels & Collards , a lively collection of South Carolina Jewish stories and special family recipes. In this book, authors Rachel Gordin Barnett and Lyssa Kligman Harvey explore the food history...
08 Oct
Sunday, October 8th: 11:15 a.m. — 1:30 p.m.
Tour of the Hebrew Benevolent Society Cemetery
714 Blanding Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Explore the Hebrew Benevolent Society Cemetery with Historic Columbia on Sunday, October 8, 2023.
12 Oct
Thursday, October 12th: 5 — 7 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 5:00 p.m. The concert will begin at 6:00 p.m. and last an hour. Bring your own blanket or...
12 Oct
Thursday, October 12th: 6 — 7:30 p.m.
Greenview Neighborhood History
5306 North Main Street, Columbia, SC 29203
Join Richland Library as they host Eric Friendly, Curator of History at Historic Columbia, who will discuss the history of Columbia's Greenview neighborhood. Also, Margaret Dunlap of the Walker Local and Family History Center will briefly highlight ways that researchers can use Richland Library resources to discover more about their...
15 Oct
Sunday, October 15th: 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.
19 Oct
Thursday, October 19th: 5:30 — 7 p.m.
Historic Columbia's Annual Meeting
1616 Blanding St, Columbia, SC 29201
Please join Historic Columbia for our Annual Meeting. Executive Director Robin Waites will present on staff accomplishments for Fiscal Year 2022-2023 and unveil our new collections database. Light refreshments will be available immediately after the meeting, followed by the 19th Annual Palladium Silent Auction at the Hampton-Preston Mansion.
19 Oct
Thursday, October 19th: 7 — 10 p.m.
19th Annual Palladium Silent Auction | Bidding & BBQ
1615 Blanding Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Join us on October 19, 2023 for the 19 th Annual Palladium Silent Auction | Bidding & BBQ! This annual celebration of live music featuring Prettier Than Matt, delicious barbecue, and specialty drinks will be held on the grounds of the Hampton Preston Mansion and Gardens , located at 1615...
22 Oct
Sunday, October 22nd: 1 — 2:30 p.m.
1800 Lincoln Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Explore Arsenal Hill with Historic Columbia on Sunday, August 13, 2023.
25 Oct
Wednesday, October 25th: 5:30 — 7 p.m.
1616 Blanding St., Columbia, SC 29201
Put on your costume and join us as we bring the fun of Halloween to the Robert Mills House during Trunk or Treat! Children will enjoy trick-or-treating with a twist in a safe and fun environment at this free event. Community members and organizations will display decorated trunks filled with candy in the parking lot of the Robert Mills House.
04 Nov
Saturday, November 4th: 9 a.m. — 12 p.m.
Bulb Bonanza | Cultivating Spring Bulb Gardens with Jim Martin & Jenks Farmer
1616 Blanding Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Join us for a lively morning of all things bulbs! Columbia-grown horticulturists Jim Martin and Jenks Farmer have envisioned, planted, and enlivened more public spaces in the state than any other duo. Since their passions for spring bulbs vary wildly, you’ll get a morning full of fun and diverse bulb...
01 Dec
Friday, December 1st: 10 — 11 a.m.
Columbia Canopy Project Launch Celebration
2101 Walker Solomon Way, Columbia, SC 29204
Join Historic Columbia and Columbia Green on Arbor Day as we celebrate the launch of the Columbia Canopy Project. The Columbia Canopy Project commemorates the leaders of historically marginalized communities and addresses the impacts of structural racism through neighborhood histories and memorial trees. This event will include a short program...
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 Today