Making plans to visit Columbia SC with teens, either for a college tour or a weekend away, just got easier with our teen-suggested list of favorite spots and activities.
Theatre Enthusiast
Check out the schedule for Broadway in Columbia, and plan your visit around one of the upcoming shows for the 2025-2026 season including Broadway blockbusters like Clue, Chicago and Wicked performed in the beautiful Koger Center for the Arts, walkable to downtown and the USC campus. Catch an indie film on Main Street at Nickelodeon Theatre, South Carolina’s only nonprofit arthouse cinema, followed by ice cream at nearby Sweet Cream Co. Gallery hop in The Vista at City Art, Lewis + Clark, One Eared Cow Glass and Stormwater Studios.
Sports Fan
Pretty much any day of the week you will find collegiate sports happening across the region featuring the South Carolina Gamecocks, Benedict Tigers, Columbia College Koalas and the Allen University Yellow Jackets. Notable picks that the locals love: Benedict College Football and Gamecock Women’s Soccer. Catch a Columbia Fireflies (single A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals) baseball game at Segra Park in the BullStreet District where you will also enjoy restaurants like Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen and Publico. Don’t miss stopping by landmarks like Williams Brice Stadium or Colonial Life Arena (and the Aja Wilson statue out front!) for a photo opp.
Style Icon
Being a college town contributes to our next-level boutique scene in Columbia. Make your way to Devine Street for Slate, Brittons, Monkees, Just the Thing, My-Kim and more. Five Points beckons with Vestique, A Little Happy and some cool second-hand shops like ColaKicks, Revente and Pannerpete Vintage. For those who like to see and be seen, brunch is a must. Try The Gourmet Shop or Market on Main for prime people-watching and delicious food. For that iconic Columbia shot, make a stop outside Hotel Trundle and take a photo with the wings.
Outdoor Adventurer
Columbia’s unique position along three rivers makes it the perfect spot for water adventures. Rent a tube from Palmetto Outdoor and tube the Saluda River. Or get off the beaten path at Congaree National Park to hike or kayak Congaree Creek. Into biking? Make sure Harbison State Forest is on your list. If staying in a traditional hotel is not your scene, camping and cabins are available at Dreher Island State Park. Make a stop at REI or Mast General Store for any gear you may need for your adventures.
Forever Young
Sometimes your teen wants to be an adult. And sometimes they just want to be a kid. Riverbanks Zoo & Garden is home to 3,000 animals and the brand-new Saluda Skyride, a gondola ride that takes you across the Saluda river for prime views as you travel from one side of the zoo to the other. South Carolina State Museum boasts four floors of exhibits, from a telescope gallery to a planetarium and 4D theatre. Now through January 4 of 2026, don’t miss Heroes & Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume exhibit where you will find over 70 authentic costumes from live action Disney films that both you and your teen will remember (like Cinderella, Mary Poppins Returns, Hocus Pocus, and Pirates of the Caribbean). Enjoy an ice cream cookie treat at The Baked Bear in Five Points or a giant slice of cake from Kaminsky’s Dessert Cafe in the Vista.
Yes, we have that: We love it when our visitors try our local shops and restaurants, but sometimes a teen needs what a teen needs. Lululemon, Anthropologie, Athleta, Orvis, Ivy and Leo, Kendra Scott, Urban Outfitters, Local Boy Outfitters, Half Moon Outfitters, multiple places to grab Starbucks and Target are here for you, too.
Pro tip: To build your trip itinerary, simply click the heart icon on each of the hyperlinked listings in this article that you want to include. Learn more about building your trip itinerary here.