Soda City walking tour: From Civil War to Street Art in South Carolina’s capital

Immerse yourself in Columbia’s colonial and modern history on this walking tour from the State House to Main Street and back. I’ll show you the scars the building sustained from Union troops’ cannon fire in the 1860s, and the few rare pre-Civil War homes that weren’t destroyed in battle. Along the way, you’ll have a chance to take in impressive stately gardens, like the one at the Hampton Preston House.

You’ll hear about the church that survived the burning of Columbia when General William T. Sherman mistook it for a Catholic rather than an Episcopal church. I’ll also show you the First Baptist Church where the Civil War officially began, and tell you how it, too, was spared from destruction when Sherman’s troops were led to the wrong place by the city’s first black Baptist sexton. But this tour isn’t just about churches and the Civil War. You’ll see plenty of Soda City’s modern history too.

You’ll encounter a massive fire hydrant, a large Looney Tunes style art mural, and a gigantic steel chain that links two office buildings on Main Street. You’ll also see one of downtown’s only movie houses, the Art-Deco style Nickelodeon Theatre, and the Richland Library which has become an open canvas for local artists.

By the end of the tour, you’ll know the answers to questions like:

• Was Columbia America’s first planned city?
• Where and when did the Civil War start?
• How did an artist install a colossal artwork without the city knowing about it until it was finished?
• Who were the infamous Fighting Gamecock and Swamp Fox?
• Where can you find some classic South Carolina BBQ, and what is Carolina Gold?

By the time you return to the State House, you’ll know Columbia well enough to give your own tour! Allow 90 minutes at least to finish the walk, or two hours if you truly want to immerse yourself in the experience.