Brimming with southern charm, rich history, and incredible dining and recreation experiences, a Charleston, SC family vacation truly has it all. It’s easy to find activities that will please children of all ages — including the young at heart.
Explore the City
Unique treasures await at the Historic Charleston City Market, an open-air bazaar that features paintings, handmade crafts, and souvenirs. If you stay long enough, you might even get to see an artisan weaving one of the area’s signature sweetgrass baskets by hand. Tag along on a Charleston Pirate Tour to get a rem-“arr”-kable walking history lesson from a parrot-toting buccaneer, or let the kids play make-believe in the medieval castle at the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry.
Food and Fun
For affordable dining with a beautiful view, look no further than Fleet Landing. The wide variety of dishes at this waterfront favorite range from fresh seafood platters to old-fashioned burgers, and are sure to satisfy even the pickiest of palates. If you’re in the mood to get messy, roll up your sleeves and get down to business at Folly Beach Crab Shack, where big steamed buckets of shrimp, oysters, clams, and the restaurant’s namesake are what it’s all about. Head to Sweet CeCe’s for delicious dessert that you can feel good about. In addition to a full juice bar, this downtown spot serves up more than 50 flavors of vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, and fat-free frozen yogurt. Plus, CeCe’s boasts the only walk-in “toppings silo” in the world, standing at 14 feet tall. You’ve never added fixins to your fro-yo like this.
Make a Splash
Charleston’s year-round temperate climate means that there’s an abundance of opportunities for water-lovers. Bypass the crowds and get your fill of sun and sand on Sullivan’s Island Beach, which is popular with Charleston locals. In the mood to turn things up a notch? Check out the 200-foot-long slides or 500-foot-long lazy river at Splash Zone Waterpark. On especially hot days, little ones will love cooling off in the fountain at Waterfront Park, and the stunning marine life at the South Carolina Aquarium is always worth a visit, rain or shine.
Whatever you decided to do on your Charleston family vacation, remember to relax and enjoy. After all, it’s the southern way!
