Charleston Perspective Walking Tour

5.0 (6 reviews) 2 hours Free cancellation

out of 5

6 reviews

5.0

US Custom House — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Philadelphia Alley — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

Discover the history, architecture and culture of Charleston with a local guide. We will cover 350 years of history in a 2 hour stroll through the cobblestone streets and alleys of the old walled city district. You will see many historic attractions along the way as we discuss the history from the founding in 1670, religious diversity, wars, fires, hurricanes, Gullah/Geechee Culture, economic swings to current growth and expansion.

Charleston has more than tripled it's population in the last 25 years. Most walking tour and carriage tour guides are "from off", meaning they are new to Charleston. All Charleston Perspective walking tour guides are locals, born and raised in our Lowcountry. We will give you a unique perspective to this centuries old colonial town.

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At a glance

Duration: 2 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Up to 12 people
People per booking: 1–10
Guide: English
Operated by: Charleston Perspective Walking Tour

Ages: Infants (0–1 years) · Children (2–11 years) · Youth (12–17 years) · Adults (18–60 years) · Seniors (61–105 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Guided Walking Tour

Not included

Not included: Bottled water: Please bring your water bottle

Itinerary

U.S. Custom House

5 min

We will meet on the steps of the US Custom House located at 200 East Bay Street.
Philadelphia Alley

10 min

We will walk down Philadelphia Alley and discuss the brick making industry and the enslaved brick masons who built the centuries old structures of Charleston.
St. Philip's Anglican Church

5 min

We will discuss the religious freedom in Charleston from it's founding in 1670. We will also discuss the history of the founders and the structure.
French Huguenot Church

5 min

We will discuss the French Huguenot history in Charleston beginning in 1685, and the history and architecture of the structure.
Old Slave Mart Museum

15 min Admission not included

We will discuss the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the Rice Culture, the Gullah/Geechee culture and the African American history in Charleston, standing outside the structure on Chalmers Street.
Stop 6

10 min Admission not included

The People's Building was built in 1911 as a business office to try and rebuild the failing economy in Charleston from the time of the Civil War. It sparked a Preservation Movement to preserve and restore the centuries old structures in Charleston, which is still active today. We will stand outside the building while we talk about the Preservation Movement history.
Stop 7

Passing by

Oak Steakhouse is a restaurant housed in a historic structure on Broad Street with exposed brick walls and original heart pine flooring. We will pass through Four Post Alley on the west side of the building.
Rainbow Row

10 min

We will see iconic Rainbow Row and discuss the history of the buildings, the bustling waterfront port and the role of Charleston in the Revolutionary War.
Stop 9

10 min

Charleston was a walled city from 1680-1725. Recent archaeology has uncovered a massive foundation that still exists beneath the surface of modern day Charleston.
Stop 10

15 min

We will see the fortifications surrounding Charleston Harbor including Fort Sumter, Castle Pinckney, Fort Johnson, Fort Moultrie, Fort Wagner, High Battery, Low Battery. We will discuss Charleston during the Civil War.
Stop 11

10 min

We will pass through Stolls Alley and discuss the role of the Freed men and women in early Charleston history.
Stop 12

Passing by

First Baptist Church is the Mother Church of the Southern Baptists, founded in 1685. The structure there today was built in 1822 by Robert Mills, first native-born American Architect. He was the architect for the Washington Monument in DC, the Fireproof Building in Charleston, and many other monuments and courthouses up and down the eastern seaboard.
Heyward-Washington House

Passing by

The Heyward Washington House is an impressive pre-Revolutionary War museum house. Built in 1771 by Thomas Heyward, signer of the Declaration of Independence. It is flanked by two low rent tenement buildings dating from 1750s and 1780s. The 1780s structure is the setting for the book "Porgy" written by Dubose Heyward in 1925. Gershwin came to Charleston in 1935 and the opera "Porgy and Bess" was created from the book.
Stop 14

10 min

We will end the tour in the courtyard of 86 Church Street.