Come see as we take you on a journey through our four historic house museums in the heart of the Robert Mills Historic District. Our houses explore the early 19th through mid-20th centuries.
Our house tours are offered Tuesday - Saturday between 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and on Sunday between 1 - 5 p.m. All tours are guided and begin at the Gift Shop at Robert Mills which is temporarily housed in the Robert Mills Carriage House.
1616 Blanding Street | Columbia, SC 29201
One of only five National Historic Landmarks in Columbia, the Robert Mills House showcases the skill of the architect who designed some of our nation's most prominent buildings, including the Washington Monument.
History of the Robert Mills House
Tuesday – Saturday: 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Sunday: 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Please purchase your tickets at the Gift Shop at Robert Mills (temporarily housed in the Robert Mills Carriage House) 10 minutes before your tour begins.
1615 Blanding Street | Columbia, SC 29201
One of Columbia's oldest remaining structures, the Hampton-Preston Mansion explores the lives of enslaved workers and their planter-class owners.
History of the Hampton Preston Mansion
Tuesday – Saturday: 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Sunday: 2:30 p.m.
Please purchase your tickets at the Gift Shop at Robert Mills (temporarily housed in the Robert Mills Carriage House) 10 minutes before your tour begins.
1403 Richland Street | Columbia, SC 20201
While only one house stands today, the Mann-Simons Site historically was a collection of commercial and domestic spaces owned and operated by the same African American family from at least 1843 until 1970.
History of the Mann-Simons Site
Tuesday – Saturday: 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Sunday: 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Please purchase your tickets at the Gift Shop at Robert Mills (temporarily housed in the Robert Mills Carriage House) 10 minutes before your tour begins.
1705 Hampton Street | Columbia, SC 29201
The nation's only museum dedicated to interpreting the post-Civil War Reconstruction period and South Carolina's only remaining presidential site, this distinctive circa-1871 Italian villa-style residence was home to a 14-year-old boy named "Tommy" Woodrow Wilson.
History of the Woodrow Wilson Family Home
Tuesday – Saturday: 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Sunday: 2:30 p.m.
Please purchase your tickets at the Gift Shop at Robert Mills (temporarily housed in the Robert Mills Carriage House) 10 minutes before your tour begins.
2025 Marion Street | Columbia, SC 29201
Built between 1890 and 1895, this one-story cottage was home to Modjeska Monteith Simkins, considered "the matriarch of Civil Rights activists of South Carolina," from 1932 until her death on April 5, 1992.
History of the Modjeska Monteith Simkins House
This house is not open for daily tours; however, it is available for group tours and meetings.
We recognize that 19th-century architecture poses some accessibility challenges and are always working to improve access to our homes for all our visitors. If you or your group have any accessibility concerns, please call 24 hours in advance of your tour so that we may best accommodate your needs. There is a small step to gain access to the Gift Shop where admission must be purchased. With 24-hour advance notice, we can place a ramp at the entrance to allow wheelchair access. Please contact 803.252.1770 ext. 24 for more information about accessibility at any of Historic Columbia's properties. Weekend visitors should contact Historic Columbia during regular weekday business hours to plan for an upcoming visit.
Wondering which tour is right for you? Let us help you decide.
