Historic Columbia
Our roots run deep here in Columbia. From the destruction brought upon the city during the Civil War to the fight for equality through the powerful Civil Rights Movement, the capital city has a story to tell. In the heart of the Historic House & Garden District, Historic Columbia honors our city’s rich history and continues to tell its story. Our five historic house museums, with more than 6,500 housed artifacts, share the history of the people who lived and worked in our city over the past 200 years. Historic Columbia also offers 14 acres of free public gardens open daily, where guests can explore the living collection and engage with wayside signage that connects our natural and built environments.
In the heart of the Historic House & Garden District you’ll find stories of the Civil Rights Movement, beautiful gardens filled with native plants, and one of only five National Historic Landmarks showcasing the skill of Robert Mills, the architect who designed the Washington Monument.
On Hampton Street you will find the Woodrow Wilson Family Home, which is the nation’s only museum dedicated to interpreting the post-Civil War Reconstruction period. Through panel exhibits, interactive technologies and guided tours, visitors learn all about Columbia’s late 19th-century history.
If you are in search of beautiful gardens filled with native and exotic plants, the capital city’s oldest estate should be your next stop. The Hampton-Preston property features magnolias and live oaks as well as beautiful fountain garden that provides a dynamic setting. If you need a place to stop and take in the views, there are pergolas and a gazebo. After you’ve taken in views, and you’re still wanting more head over to the northwest section of the gardens to the new Boyd Foundation Horticultural Center. At the Center you will find a state-of-the-art greenhouse, which transforms the property into a hub for horticultural research, propagation, interpretation and programming.
The Mann-Simons Site, home to the same entrepreneurial African American family for nearly 130 years, traces the journey of Columbia’s African American community from enslavement through urban renewal. After a decade of research, archeological have uncovered thousands of artifacts, which has led a new permanent exhibit. The new outdoor museum now features five “ghost structures,” that include a grocery store, lunch counter, and residences.
Continuing the African American history of Columbia, the Modjeska Monteith Simkins House honors the woman for whom it was named, one of South Carolina’s greatest human rights advocates. While living in the home, she worked with many local and national civil rights leaders, including Thurgood Marshall, who even stayed in the home. The artifacts and exhibits in the home showcase her career as a public health working and state secretary of the South Carolina NAACP.
Explore these spaces with one of Historic Columbia’s guided tours.
