25 Best Things to Do in Columbia, SC: Museums & Rivers
People tend to skip Columbia on the way to Charleston, and they shouldn’t. South Carolina’s capital has one of the best zoos in the South, a lively Saturday market on Main Street, and three rivers running through town. Just 30 minutes away is one of the quietest and strangest national parks in the country, where giant cypress trees stand in a flooded forest.
The best things to do in Columbia, SC are visiting Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, hiking the boardwalk at Congaree National Park, touring the State House, browsing Soda City Market, exploring the Columbia Museum of Art and South Carolina State Museum, and walking the riverfront.
This list starts downtown and then moves outward. Keep going until you reach #16, the one thing here you can’t find anywhere else on the East Coast in quite the same way.
1. Tour the South Carolina State House
The State House offers free guided and self-guided tours of a handsome building with a story to tell. Look for the bronze stars on the outside walls, which mark where Union shells struck in 1865. Start here, and the rest of your visit will make more sense.
2. Walk the Capitol Grounds
The gardens around the State House are full of monuments and memorials, and you can explore them for free. Don’t miss the African American History Monument, which tells a story that many others here leave out. Go in the morning, because you won’t get much relief from the summer heat.
3. Shop at Soda City Market
On Saturday mornings, Main Street fills with food, crafts and music at Soda City Market. You’ll see the city at its most relaxed, so start your weekend here. Go hungry, and get there early for the shortest lines and the best parking.
4. See the Columbia Museum of Art
On Main Street, the Columbia Museum of Art has rotating exhibitions and permanent collections. Duck in for some quiet and air conditioning, with the market and restaurants close by. The museum’s site has current admission and any free times.
5. Explore the South Carolina State Museum
The State Museum covers art, history, natural science and technology across four floors, with a planetarium and observatory. Set in a historic textile mill, it works for all ages. You’ll want at least a couple of hours here.
6. Let Kids Play at EdVenture
Next door to the State Museum, EdVenture Children’s Museum is designed for children from toddlers to tweens. Save it for a rainy or hot day, and combine it with the State Museum if the family has the energy. Buy tickets in advance when you can.
7. See the Historic Homes
Historic Columbia runs tours of preserved homes, including the Hampton-Preston Mansion and the Ainsley Hall House. The city’s past comes through particularly well at the Mann-Simons Site, the home of a successful African American family. Choose at least one or two, and look up tour times before you go.
8. Visit the Woodrow Wilson Family Home
President Woodrow Wilson lived in this Italian villa-style home as a teenager, and it now runs as a museum on the politics of the Reconstruction era. You’ll get more than you’d expect from a presidential home, and you’ll understand the postwar South better. Ask Historic Columbia about times.
9. Stroll the University Horseshoe
The University of South Carolina’s historic Horseshoe is one of the prettiest corners of the city, with old brick buildings around a shady green. You can walk it for free, and it’s especially nice on a spring day.
Stop by the McKissick Museum while you’re there, for the culture and natural history of the region and a good excuse to get out of the heat.
10. Have a Night Out in the Vista
The Congaree Vista, known locally as just The Vista, is a former warehouse district now full of restaurants, galleries and bars. You won’t find a more polished neighborhood in the city, and it’s a short walk from the State Museum. Take a walk before dinner and stay for a late drink.
11. Experience Five Points
Near the university, Five Points is the livelier, younger neighborhood, full of students, music and casual places to eat. Expect a crowd on game weekends. You’ll have fun here in the evening, but if you’d like a quieter dinner, try the Vista instead.
12. Walk the Columbia Canal and Riverfront
The Columbia Canal and Riverfront Park has a free path along the water, great for walking or biking. You wouldn’t expect it so close to downtown, and it’s an easy way to burn off a big lunch. Bring water, because summer afternoons here can be intense.
13. Walk the Three Rivers Greenway
The Saluda, Broad and Congaree Rivers all meet here, and the Three Rivers Greenway follows them through the area. Look for spots to watch the current. Try the section at West Columbia’s Riverwalk, which stays quiet at sunset.
14. Paddle or Tube the Rivers
These rivers are good for kayaking and summer tubing, but they can be dangerous. Dam releases on the Saluda can cause sudden changes in water level, so go with a local outfitter who knows how to read the conditions. Always wear a life jacket.
15. Go Wild at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden
Located at 500 Wildlife Parkway, Riverbanks Zoo and Garden ranks among the best things in the state, with gorillas, koalas, penguins and sharks, as well as a beautiful botanical garden across the river. Kids love the daily animal demonstrations. Allow at least half a day, and look up current hours and prices.
16. Walk the Boardwalk at Congaree National Park
About 30 minutes southeast, Congaree National Park protects one of the largest remaining stretches of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the country, and entry is free. A 2.4-mile boardwalk loop takes you among giant trees to Weston Lake. Bring bug spray, and ask about conditions first, because flooding is a natural part of life here.
17. Paddle Cedar Creek
You’ll feel how strange Congaree is best from the water. Cedar Creek’s dark, quiet channel winds through cypress and tupelo, and you can book a guided trip or rent nearby. Go with someone who knows the route, and ask about the water level first. You might even spot an otter.
18. Spend a Day on Lake Murray
Just west of the city, Lake Murray is where the region goes in summer for boating, fishing and swimming. Rent a boat or find a lakeside restaurant for the sunset. Start exploring around Dreher Island State Park.
19. Catch a Columbia Fireflies Game
The city’s minor league baseball team, the Columbia Fireflies, plays at Segra Park in the BullStreet District. Tickets are cheap, and families feel at home. Try to catch a fireworks night, and you’ll finish a warm summer evening in style.
20. See a Puppet Show
The Columbia Marionette Theatre is an unusual stop for families, staging puppet shows for young children. Look at its calendar, since shows don’t run every day. Younger kids will love this sweet, simple outing.
21. Eat Local
Columbia has a good and growing restaurant scene, including barbecue with South Carolina’s famous mustard-based sauce. Try it at least once, since you won’t find it like this in most places. Start looking for dinner in the Vista and on Main Street.
22. Walk Main Street
Main Street has been revitalized in recent years, with restaurants, shops and public art. You’ll find the Art Museum and Soda City here, with the State House at the end of the street. Walk it early in your trip to get to know the city.
23. Attend a Gamecocks Game
If you’re here in the fall, a University of South Carolina football game is quite an experience, with a huge crowd and lots of tailgating. Hotels fill up early and prices rise, so plan well ahead. If that’s not your scene, avoid these weekends.
24. Catch a Show or Concert
See what’s playing at the city’s performing arts venues and outdoor amphitheaters, because Columbia has a busy calendar, particularly during the school year. Round out a day of sightseeing with a show. Many venues are near the Vista, so dinner beforehand is easy.
25. Take a Day Trip to Charleston
Charleston is about two hours away, a long day trip but a doable one. Better still, spend a couple of nights there. If you’re heading to the coast anyway, come through Columbia first to see Congaree.
Best Free Things to Do in Columbia
You’ll find a lot here for free. The State House tours, parks, rivers and lakes, and many monuments and museums cost nothing, and you can add the Horseshoe, Canal Park and Congaree National Park. Soda City Market is free to browse, as long as you can resist the food.
When to Visit Columbia and How Long to Stay
Spring and fall are the best seasons for walking around. Summers are famously hot, with the city’s slogan “Famously Hot” to prove it, so plan on early mornings and indoor afternoons. Fall football weekends are busy. Two or three days covers the city and Congaree nicely.
Where to next? Try our guides to Charleston, Charlotte and Myrtle Beach, or see the best things to do in South Carolina for the whole state. You can also browse all our travel guides on Decidel.
How we checked this guide: details were checked against official and published sources in November 2026. They can change, so confirm with the venue before you go.
