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Charles Towne Landing

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Charles Towne Landing Park is located on the original site where English settlers landed in 1670 and set up the first permanent European settlement in South Carolina. The park boasts a 12-room exhibit hall with interactive exhibits, a replica of a 17th-century sailing ship, and an Animal Forest natural habitat zoo. Visitors can tour the ship, take a peek at otters, bears, bison and more, or take an audio tour on the self-guided history trail. Bicycles can be rented by the hour or by the day for use on the 7 miles of paved and unpaved trails. The park has a small gift shop and offers free WiFi at the Visitors Center. Paid Admission is required to enter the park. 

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Charles Towne Landing Photos

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Charles Towne Landing Hours and Admission

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Charles Towne Landing Address and Map

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Features and Amenities of Charles Towne Landing

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Current and Upcoming Events
at Charles Towne Landing

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What: From the Ground Up: Charles Townes Architecture
When: Feb. 20, 23 & 24, 2023
Time: 10 am - 12 pm & 2 pm - 4 pm
Where: Common House
Admission: Regular Admission

You need a roof over your head as quickly as possible. Where do you begin? Find out how the colonists built Charles Towne’s first houses as you interact with a park educator inside the Common House. Learn about earthfast construction, mortise-and-tenon joints, and other curious aspects of Charles Towne’s architectural history.

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What: The Open Hearth: Historic English Foodways
When: Feb. 11, 2023
Time: 11 am - 3 pm
Where: The Common House inside the Palisade Wall
Admission: Regular Admission

The cuisine of a given culture derives from a host of variables, ranging from climate to tradition to the availability of certain ingredients. Our tastes, too, may change over time as some foods fall out of fashion and new ones are adopted. If you opened an English cookbook from the 17th century, do you think that you would find the cuisine familiar? See what’s on the menu at the Common House and savor the aroma of open-hearth cooking as educators dressed in period attire prepare authentic, 17th-century recipes. Food is for demonstration purposes only.

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What: A Renaissance Woman: 'Ferdi' and the Gardens of Old Town
When: Feb. 5, 12 & 19, 2023 
Time: 2:30 pm - 3:15 pm 
Where: Inside the Visitor Center
Admission: Regular Admission

Join a park ranger on Charles Towne Landing’s very own Home and Garden tour. Take in the beauty of historic Old Town Gardens and experience the elegance of the Legare-Waring House, as you learn about the life’s work of a true “renaissance woman”, Ferdinanda Legare Waring. Affectionately known as "Ferdi", Mrs. Waring was not only an accomplished gardener; she was also a preservationist whose vision led to the creation of Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site. Participation is limited to 9 people and social distancing is required. Participants will only have access the first floor of the Legare-Waring House and only one family unit may enter at a time due to COVID-19 protocols.

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What: There's Still A "Lot" to Learn
When: Feb. 5, 7, 11, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 25, 26 & 28 
Time: 10 am - 12  (Feb. 13, 16 & 17: 10 am - 12pm & 2 pm - 4 pm)
Where: The Archaeology Shelter at the Structure 2 Excavation
Admission: Regular Admission

Step inside the shelter at the Structure 2 excavation and discover what archaeologists have unearthed, thus far, at the site of one of Charles Towne’s most dynamic lots. Talk with a park educator about the intriguing finds made here over the past decade, and what the evidence tells us about the people who lived and worked on the property in the 1670s.

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What: The Colors of a Kingdom
When: Feb. 6, 9, 10 & 12, 2023
Time: 10 am - 12:00 & 2 pm - 4 pm 
Where: The Adventure Wharf Area
Admission: Regular Admission

Flags, also known more poetically as “colors,” are powerful cultural symbols that can represent people, places, and even ideas. In early-modern England and its colonies, flags were flown both on land and at sea, provoking a wide array of emotions from friend and foe alike. Explore the vivid world of vexillology (the study of flags) with a park educator and learn about the colors that would have fluttered in skies across the English empire, including the province of Carolina, during the late 17th century.

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What: Shorebird Snacks
When: Feb. 17, 2023
Time: 1:30 pm - 2 pm
Where: Shorebird Aviary
Admission: Regular Admission

Join rangers to discuss the many species of shorebirds in our aviary, all while the birds enjoy a salty snack.

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What: The Bear Facts
When: Feb. 11, 18 & 25, 2023
Time: 11 am - 11:30 am
Where: Bear Habitat
Admission: Regular Admission

Get bear-y excited to chat with rangers and zookeepers about the North American black bear. Learn the unique adaptations of this species and the way colonists and natives at Charles Towne interacted with them.

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What: Bald Eagle: Symbol of Survival
When: Feb. 19, 2022
Time: 11 am - 11:30 am
Where: Bald Eagle Habitat
Admission: Regular Admission

Come see our bald eagle and listen to a harrowing tale of survival. Thanks to the combined efforts from lawmakers, conservationists, biologists, and scientists, the bald eagle population rebounded and they were taken off the threatened and endangered list in 2007. The bald eagle story is exemplary of success in conservation efforts.

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What: GPS Before the Digital Age: Navigation in the Early Modern Period
When: Feb. 25, 2023
Time: 12 pm - 2 pm
Where: The Adventure Wharf
Admission: Regular Admission

Global Positioning Systems (GPS) have become commonplace in modern life. We have them in our automobiles as well as in our purses and pockets. A few quick taps on our smartphones, and, presto, we know our exact location on planet Earth. But how did people find their way, especially at sea, before the advent of such technology? With no landmarks to guide them, mariners had to rely on the stars and applied mathematics to help them find their way. Embrace your inner astronomer as you learn about the art and science of navigation during the age of sail, when GPS tools were made of wood, sand, glass, and rope.

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What: Great Guns on the Ashley (Artillery Demonstration)
When: Feb 4, 2023
Time: 1 pm - 3:20 pm
Where: The Gun Platform along the History Trail.
Admission: Regular Admission

Feel the ground shake beneath your feet and smell the brimstone as the Charles Towne Militia fires replica, 17th-century cannons. Charles Towne, established on the edge of England’s North American empire, faced many threats, especially from England’s longstanding rival: Spain. Wary of a Spanish attack, the English colonists came heavily armed and formed a provincial militia for the defense of Carolina. This 20-minute program explores the Spanish threat, Charles Towne’s fortifications, and the citizen-soldiers who protected the early colony.

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What: A Defensive Posture (Musket Demonstration)
When: Feb 18, 2023
Time: 1 pm - 3:15 pm
Where: Along the History Trail inside the Palisade Wall.
Admission: Regular Admission

Cock your firelock. Present. Fire! The proprietors of England’s Carolina colony spent a small fortune outfitting the expedition that founded Charles Towne in 1670. The 200 flintlock muskets that they purchased for the provincial militia ranked third on the list of most-expensive items. Learn why they thought that muskets were necessary for Carolina’s defense and experience the smoke and fire of historic weapons as educators dressed in period attire demonstrate reproduction, 17th-century small arms.

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What: Creature Feature - Starring "Our Animal Ambassador"
When: Feb 17, 23 & 24 2023
Time: 11:00 am - 11:30 am
Where: Outdoor classroom in the Animal Forest.
Admission: Regular Admission

It's not nighttime. It's not scary. And it's not on television. No monsters here - this live Creature Feature just might make you laugh! Meet the Animal Forest's Animal Ambassador, the opossum, as he helps you discover why the only North American marsupial is so fascinating.

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What: An Act for Destroying Beasts of Prey
When: Feb 9, 2023
Time: 11:00 am - 11:30 am
Where: Puma Habitat
Admission: Regular Admission

A puma, catamount, mountain lion, all words to describe the incredible beast. Join us to learn about colonial predator bounties, and why the species was dubbed the enemy of the planter.

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What: Pig-Casso Painting Party
When: Feb 4, 11, 18 & 25, 2023
Time: 10 am, 11 am, 12 pm & 1 pm
Where: Outdoor Classroom in the Animal Forest
Admission: Regular Admission

At the Pig-Casso Painting Party, children watch as our resident Guinea Hog reveals her artistic side. You will learn how zookeepers train animals, and why training is an important practice in zoos. Put paint to canvas as you create your own personal piece of art. There is a catch… you will have to paint like Madam Mazell. Look Mom, no hands! This is a snouts only art class, when you paint like a pig you can really go hog-wild! 4 sessions lasting approximately 30-45 minutes, starting at the top of each hour, are available to choose from. Follow the "Book Now" button to reserve your spot in your preferred time slot. Park admission is not included in the price of the program.

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What: Founder's Day Festival
When: Apr 8, 2023
Time: 10 am - 5 pm
Where: Charles Towne Landing
Admission: Regular Admission

Travel back in time at Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site and help us celebrate “the birth of South Carolina” at our annual Founders' Day Festival. Living history staff will bring to life the site’s fascinating history through a variety of programs and activities. Several groups of seventeenth-century re-enactors will interact with visitors in authentic encampments located within the reconstructed palisade wall that protected Charles Towne in the 1670s.

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