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Things to do in Columbia

There are some many ways to enjoy your time in Columbia, here are a few attractions to get you started!

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden

  • A 170 acre zoo, aquarium, and botanical garden

  • 3.5 miles from the USC Horseshoe on I-26

  • Approximately 1,000,000 Visitors per year

  • 4 time winner of the South Eastern Tourism Society's Shining Example Award

  • Check out their website!

Congaree National Park

  • A 26,276 acre of designated wilderness visitors can explore by foot, kayak, or canoe

  • Located 26 miles southeast of the USC Horseshoe

  • Contains one of the tallest and oldest forests in the southeast

  • Park activities include:

    • Hiking

    • Canoeing / kayaking

    • Fishing

    • Ranger Led Programs

    • Camping

  • Check out their website at!

South Carolina State Museum

  • Features a 4D interactive theater, observatory and a digital dome planetarium

  • Has 4 dynamic changing exhibits

  • Reflects the history, fine arts, natural history, scientific and industrial resources of South Carolina

  • Contains the South Carolina Confederate Relic and Military Museum

  • Is an affiliate of the Smithsonian, and apart of the American Alliance of Museums

  • Additional information can be found here!

South Carolina State House

  • Houses the government of the State of South Carolina

  • Located at 1100 Gervais Street 2 blocks from the Horseshoe

  • Built in 1855 of the Classic Revival style of architecture

  • Self guided tours occur M-F 8AM - 4PM

  • Additional information can be found here!

Woodrow Wilson Boyhood Home

  • Woodrow Wilson was the 28th president of the United States

  • Located at 1705 Hampton Street 1.2 miles from the USC Horseshoe where President Wilson for 4 years

  • On the U.S National Register of Historic Places

  • This house is the museum dedicated to interpreting the post Civil War Reconstruction period in the US

  • Historic Columbia also offers 4 historic homes you can tour as well including the Mann-Simons cottage which was owned by a freed black family from 1843 to 1971

  • Schedules and tickets can be found here!

Edventure

  • Largest children's museum in the southeast US

  • Located on the grounds of the SC State Museum

  • 8 galleries covering 92,000 sq ft.

  • 2 resource centers and a 200 seat theater

  • 350 hands on exhibits including laboratories

  • Dedicated to creating new generations of lifelong learners though museum experiences, programming, and camps

  • Additional information can be found here!

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