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Edmondston-Alston House

Edmondston-Alston House: Our most recommended tours and activities

Charleston: Historical Walking Tour with Storytelling

1. Charleston: Historical Walking Tour with Storytelling

Stroll through Charleston’s oldest neighborhood on a guided walking tour, led by an expert guide. Learn about the women and men – both pirates and patriots – who first founded the city, as you discover its highlights. The tour begins in front of the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, one of Charleston’s oldest and most historical buildings. Continue down East Bay Street, passing Rainbow Row. See period mansions, and admire the views of Charleston Harbor and White Point Garden. Walk in the footsteps of pirates and their captors, as your guide tells you stories of looting and plundering. Wander the streets and alleys of Charleston’s South of Broad neighborhood. Learn about George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and the founding of America. Head back to the starting point, passing the Four Corners of the Law and the shops and residences on Broad Street. Your experience includes entrance to both the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art and Philip Simmons House.

Charleston: Holiday Decorations and History Walking Tour

2. Charleston: Holiday Decorations and History Walking Tour

Ring in the holiday season with a unique and festive guided walking tour around Charleston’s historical city center. View marvelous seasonal decorations as you learn about the city’s fascinating history. Walk past landmarks like the Four Corners of Law and The Battery and stroll through prominent neighborhoods dressed in their holiday best.  Get historic highlights and facts from your expert guide. Hear about old Charlestowne from 1670 through the Civil War to the present.  Enjoy magnificent views of Charleston Harbor as you visit the Edmondston-Alston House museum. Admire the mansion’s Christmas splendor and see a glimpse of 19th century Charleston.

Charleston: Self-Guided Highlights Walking Audio Tour

3. Charleston: Self-Guided Highlights Walking Audio Tour

Start by downloading the Action Tour Guide app, which will function as your personal tour guide, audio tour, and map all in one. Once downloaded, your tour begins at the intersection of Market Street and King Street. From there, you’ll stroll through historic Charleston and hear about its founding. At the historic Circular Congregational Church, you’ll get the story of a patriot who recruited hundreds to fight against the British during the Revolution. Then it’s on to Hibernian Hall, site of the chaotic 1860 Democratic National Convention. After that, you’ll come to the famous Four Corners of Law, home to some of the city’s most storied institutions. Next, pass a collection of beautifully preserved historic homes while you learn about Charleston’s role in the American Revolution. At the gorgeous White Point Garden, you’ll find out why South Carolina decided to secede from the Union at the outset of the Civil War. Plus, get a look at Fort Sumter across the water and hear about the battle that kicked off the war! Then, you’ll stop by another pair of historic homes, the Palmer Home and the Edmondston-Alston House, before learning about the Great Charleston Fire and the Union attack on Charleston’s harbor. Stop by the picture-perfect Longitude Lane next, before continuing on to Rainbow Row, a series of pastel-painted historic homes. Then pay a visit to the Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon, which the British once used to house American prisoners of war. Later, you’ll see a couple of sites where enslaved people were once bought and sold, and where you’ll hear about an attempted rebellion which predated the Civil War by a few decades. Finally, you’ll reach the Charleston Historic City Market, where you can find just about any kind of food or souvenir you might be looking for. Your tour concludes here.

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What people are saying about Edmondston-Alston House

Overall rating

4.6 / 5

based on 12 reviews

The History and Holiday walking tour was excellent. Our guide Lisa, made the local history fun and interesting by infusing local customs of the day into her explanations so we felt we were actually experiencing the holidays in Charleston 150 years ago. Her knowledge of the area was impressive, and she delivered her information with just enough humor without being cheesy. The pace of the tour was perfect for us in terms of being able to see everything without being rushed. I would recommend wearing comfortable walking shoes and bringing water to drink. We felt the value for this 2 hour tour was very good.

The tour guide provided details you can’t learn from reading signs and scanning the web. We got a great deep dive into this city’s history and walked away with a deeper appreciation for Charleston.

We had a great time. Larry Gerald is very knowledgeable and quite the historian. He truly made our trip more complete. We could have spent another 2 hours with him,

Great experience. Jack was a wonderful guide, very knowledgeable and personable. He shared many interesting stories about the history of the city.

This was one of the best walking tour we ever had. Guide was very knowledgeable. We learned so much about the history of Charleston.