Top 5 Attractions in Charleston, South Carolina

Tour the Top 5 Attractions in the historic city of Charleston, South Carolina and tour a host of historic buildings. Feel as if you are waltzing through time, back to the Civil War era and past ornate antebellum mansions. You can take a boat ride to Fort Sumter and see firsthand where the battle between the states officially began. The city was also the setting for many novels by the famed author, John Jakes. You can follow in the footsteps of Jake's characters from the novel "North and South" by walking along "The Battery" near downtown.

1- Magnolia Plantation
The 17^th century plantation is the gem of South Carolina historic mansions. The facility houses America's largest collection of camellias and azaleas. Some of the on-site gardens date back to the late 1680s. The original main house was destroyed during a fire set by raiding Union soldiers. The home was rebuilt in 1873 and surrounded by 60 acres of Cypress Trees along the Aubudon Swamp.

2- Boone Hall Plantation
The plantation's "Avenue of Oaks" line the entrance to the mansion and have been featured in multiple movies and television shows. Boone Hall Plantation was built during the late 1790s and has earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. Guided tours of the main house, gardens and former slave cabins are led by costumed interpreters. Special events and festival held annually on the grounds include the Lowcountry Oyster Festival, Scottish Games and Highland Gathering, the Taste of Charleston and Civil War battle re-enactments.

3- Fort Moultrie and Fort Sumter National Monument
Fort Moultrie was used in Charleston's coastal defense during the Revolutionary War. A hurricane in 1804 destroyed the site's structures. The fort as it exists today was built in 1809 and encompasses much of Sullivan's Island. Fort Moultrie is a part of the Fort Sumter National Monument complex and is located adjacent to the Liberty Square Visitor Education Center. Tour the remains of Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired on April 12, 1861. Union forces lost control of the fort less than three days later.

4- Edmonston - Alston House
The mansion was built in Federal style in 1825 but was remodeled in Greek Revival style in the1830s. Visitors gain one of the best views of Charleston Harbor from the second floor windows. Guided tours of the home allow guests to view antique furnishings, silver and historic documents.

5- Drayton Hall
The mansion was built in the later 1730s in a Georgian-Palladian style. The estate is one of the most ornate and oldest estates built in the Georgian-Palladian architectural style in the United States. The home was the only plantation in the Charleston left unharmed during the Civil War. The quick thinking owner, John Drayton told Union officers who converged upon the property that the home was being used as a smallpox hospital.