300 Years of War and Peacetime: Charleston’s French Quarter and Beyond

Charleston, South Carolina, United States

(7)

Walking Tour

120 mins

2.2mi

About the Tour

Take a journey through over 300 years of history on this walking tour around the colonial powerhouse known as Charleston.

The tour starts at the famous City Market, giving you a chance to grab a cup of coffee or a quick bite before we step into a time machine to explore Charleston’s rich and fascinating past. From there you’ll see many of the French Quarter’s iconic sights, including the Old Customs House, the scenic Pineapple Foundation in Waterfront Park, the Old Slave Mart, and The Old Exchange and Provost Building.

Our journey continues past Rainbow Row and its colorful houses, to Battery Park. Then it’s a stroll down memory lane to visit some of the city’s oldest and best preserved homes, to the Powder Magazine: the oldest surviving structure in Charleston.

Some of the nuggets you’ll hear along the way include:

• What role the city played in the Revolutionary and Civil War
• Charleston’s connection to the slave trade
• Why George Washington stayed here for three days straight during his tour of the South
• The significance of the pineapple in the South
• What Robert Smalls, Ann Bonny and DuBose Heyward have to do with Charleston

This tour is great for history buffs and curious visitors who want to hear the stories behind Charleston’s buildings.

Tour Producer

Phil Biedron

Hello I'm Phil. A Chicagoan by way of Los Angeles and now in Atlanta. In addition to hosting tours, I am also a working actor; probably on some shows you have seen!
Contact me at [email protected]

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Map

Major Landmarks

City Market
US Customs House
Old Slave Mart
Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon
Dock Street Theatre
Rainbow Row
Battery Park

Directions to Starting Point

The starting point is very easy to find. Google City Market and you'll be right on the corner of Meeting St and S and N Market street. We start right under the two staircases.

Show Directions

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Blind Tiger Pub or Tommy Condon's Irish Pub near the Powder Magazine has a lively scene with music most nights.

Best time of day

From dawn to dusk. I recommend going before dark due to limited street lamps on Church street and not being able to see the waterfront.

Precautions

Charleston is extremely safe. Avoid anyone trying to sell you a rose or any other item made from palms. Only purchased from licensed vendors.

Comments

Mostly just pointing out landmarks and giving directions with very scarce additional info. Basically an interactive map.

Posted by Anonymous Explorer , 15 days ago

I'm sorry you feel this way about the tour. The script is about 7,500 words long, which is roughly 50 minutes of audio – and if this was an average paperback, it'd be between 25 and 30 pages long. I know that doesn't say much about how the information is related, but in our experience, the tour's length is just right for most listeners. It's also an excellent launching off point for your own reading.

Thanks for the feedback all the same.

Posted by Iain , 14 days ago

Phil has the best walking tour ever with lots puns you'll never get bored! The tour will leave you with 2 miles of fun and lots of history to learn about! Definitely recommend his tours! c:

Posted by Jennifer Sarlo , 5 months ago