14 Significant Revolutionary War Sites in South Carolina

The American Revolution began with the “shot heard ‘round the world” in Massachusetts. It ended with Cornwallis’ surrender at Yorktown in Virginia. But in between, for two long years, the fate of the fight for independence was determined in South Carolina.

Hundreds of pitched battles between formal armies and skirmishes between militias took place throughout the state. Some battles were fought entirely by Americans, and nearly all the battles pitted Patriots against Loyalists.

Remarkably, many of these battlegrounds are preserved today. The National Park Service maintains Ninety Six, Cowpens and Kings Mountain. Local governments operate the battlefield at Musgrove’s Mill and Huck’s Defeat. Fort Fair Lawn, Eutaw Springs and Blackstock’s Plantation are also preserved.

Read on to discover the American Revolution in South Carolina, where to stay for your weekend getaway and things to do while you’re in town.

Aiken

Begin exploring the American Revolution in Thoroughbred Country at the Aiken County Historical Museum inside a gorgeous early-1930s mansion. Then, go for a hike at Audubon's Silver Bluff Sanctuary to see the archaeological dig at Fort Galphin overlooking the Savannah River—a local favorite spot for stunning sunsets.

Spend a few nights at The Willcox, a boutique hotel with roots in the city’s Winter Colony days. Take a walk along the pedestrian-only area The Alley for food and drinks at The Alley Downtown Tabroom or  Whiskey Alley or Fuse Restaurant. Finish your stay in Aiken with a visit to the Aiken Visitor Center and Train Museum and a guided tour on the city’s trolley bus.

Beaufort

The Beaufort History Museum is a great place to learn about the second-oldest city in the state, but you’ll get an education on the American Revolution at the Parris Island Museum. Continue exploring the Revolution in the Lowcountry at the Zion Chapel of Ease on Hilton Head Island.

For dinner, try Hearth Wood Fired Pizza, Q on Bay, Plums Restaurant or Old Bull Tavern. Get breakfast at Blackstone’s Café, where they say the Pledge of Allegiance every morning at 8 a.m. Stay at The Beaufort Inn in comfortable boutique rooms or cabins.

After leaving Beaufort, visit the Old Sheldon Church Ruins to see the remains of a mid-1700s church, then take a short drive to visit the gravesite of Thomas Heyward Jr., one of South Carolina’s signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Camden

The Revolutionary War Visitor Center in Camden is the definitive place to learn about the American Revolution in South Carolina. After exploring the museum, walk next door to Historic Camden to explore the Kershaw-Cornwallis House and a rebuilt redoubt from the British garrison. At the Camden Archives & Museum, you can explore an impressive gun collection and learn more about the battles throughout the Olde English District.

Visit Johann de Kalb’s gravesite beneath a monument in front of Bethesda Presbyterian Church. Then, go for a drive through the Quaker Cemetery to visit the gravesites of Patriots and the Loyalist doctor who attended to de Kalb. Go for a drive 10 minutes north to visit the Camden Battlefield and Longleaf Pine Preserve to see where the pivotal battle happened.

Begin the evening at Camden’s exclusive self-serve wine bar at Broad and Vine. Then, get dinner at Camden House of Pizza or Sam Kendall’s for savory local food.

Charleston

The Charleston Museum is the oldest in the country, and its permanent exhibit Becoming Americans: Charleston in the Revolution is a great place to learn about the American Revolution in Charleston. Visit The Powder Magazine to learn about how gunpowder was carefully stored. Then, take the guided tour at the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon to learn about the infamous basement prison and buried gunpowder.

Visit Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park to learn about the Battle of Sullivan’s Island and the story behind the state’s moniker, the Palmetto State. At Charles Pinckney National Historic Site, you’ll learn about the “forgotten founder,” a Revolutionary War Patriot who was instrumental in drafting the United States Constitution.

Go for a drive along Ashley River Road to visit Drayton Hall, the family home of Arthur Middleton and British headquarters during the Revolution. A few miles further up the road, Middleton Place is the final resting place of the Revolutionary War Patriot Arthur Middleton and home of the oldest landscaped gardens in the country.

Clemson

In the Lake Hartwell District, go for a walk to the site of Fort Rutledge to learn about the stockade fort built in 1776 during the American Revolution. Located on Clemson University’s campus near the lake, Sole on the Green is an excellent place for lunch or dinner just minutes from the fort’s site.

At Old Stone Church, you can visit the gravesite of Andrew Pickens—the “fighting elder” and leading Patriot during the American Revolution. Take a guided tour of Woodburn House nearby to learn about early permanent settlers in the area.

At the Museum of the Cherokee in South Carolina in nearby Walhalla, you can learn about the history of the Cherokees in the state, ending with their exodus during the Revolutionary War.

Columbia

In the Capital City region, start at the South Carolina State Museum to explore three floors of exhibits and a recreation of Fort Sullivan, and learn about the American Revolution in the state. The South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum, located in the same building, features exhibits on the battles of all wars fought in the state.

Go for a walk around the State House to see the life-size statue of George Washington and monuments dedicated to the Patriots, and take a guided tour inside the Senate Chamber to see portraits depicting people and battles of the Revolutionary War.

At the Cayce Historical Museum, you can learn about Fort Granby, the stockade fort built around Joseph Kershaw’s trading post along the Congaree River that was captured by the British. The Lexington County Museum is a fascinating walk through history with nearly 30 historical structures.

Gaffney

Gaffney will soon be home to the Revolutionary War Discovery Center, an immersive visitor center inside a former Carnegie Library that tells the story of the American Revolution in South Carolina. James Williams, a Patriot colonel who died at the Battle of Kings Mountain, is buried in front of the building.

At Kings Mountain National Military Park, walk the paved trail looping through the pivotal battlefield. See where British Colonel Patrick Ferguson is buried, visit the memorials to the Patriots, and watch a reenactment film at the visitor center.

Georgetown

While visiting the Myrtle Beach area, take a day trip to the Georgetown County Museum to learn how the American Revolution affected the state’s third-oldest town. During a guided tour of the Kaminski House Museum, you’ll learn about Paul Trapier Jr., the Patriot-supporting merchant who built the house for his daughter.

Nearby, take a guided tour at Hampton Plantation State Historic Site to learn about the country estate of Patriot colonel Peter Horry and Harriott Lucas Pinckney. Then, take the guided tour at Hopsewee Plantation, the birthplace of Thomas Lynch Jr., one of South Carolina’s signers of the Declaration of Independence.

During your time in Georgetown, go for a walk on the scenic Harborwalk. Get dinner at River Room Restaurant, Big Tuna Restaurant & Raw Bar or Buzz’s Roost.

Greenwood

At Ninety Six National Historic Site, go for a walk on the 1-mile paved loop trail to visit the remarkably intact Star Fort, the site of the longest siege during the American Revolution. See the location of the original village and a re-creation of a stockade fort where the first South Carolinian died in the Revolutionary War.

Visit the Greenwood Museum to learn about the town’s history and see life-size dioramas that bring it to life. After shopping for local arts and crafts at Main & Maxwell, get something to eat at The Mill House and finish the evening at Maxwell Axe Company.

Before leaving the Old 96 District, stop at the Battle of Musgrove Mill State Historic Site to learn about a surprising Patriot victory during the Revolutionary War.

Florence

The Florence County Museum is a modern, gorgeous building with exhibits about the region’s Revolutionary War history—particularly Francis Marion. At the Marion County Museum, about half an hour away, you’ll learn everything about the county’s namesake in a room dedicated to the Swamp Fox.

Get dinner downtown at Town Hall and head upstairs for drinks at The Dispensary, the city’s only rooftop bar. At Tubb’s Shrimp and Fish Co., order the seafood platter filled with fresh-catch seafood from Maine to the Gulf.

Moncks Corner

You won’t learn anything about the Revolutionary War at Cypress Gardens, but you can enjoy a walk through the beautiful botanical garden where scenes from The Patriot were filmed. Take a guided tour at Mepkin Abbey to learn about the history of Henry Laurens, a wealthy Patriot and statesman during the American Revolution. Stop at Biggin Church to see the ruins of a brick church destroyed by fire three times, including once by the British.

At Old Santee Canal Park, go for a 1-mile walk to the recently rediscovered Fort Fairlawn, a British earthen fort built during the Revolutionary War. Explore the Berkeley County Museum to see exhibits on the local battles and significant people who fought for independence.

Rock Hill

Rock Hill is an exciting hub for seeing Revolutionary War sites in the Olde English District. Go for a hike at the Anne Springs Close Greenway to hike a portion of the Great Wagon Road, an important route between Philadelphia and the southern colonies used by armies during the Revolution. At Historic Brattonsville, learn about the Battle of Huck’s Defeat and explore the home of Revolutionary War Patriot William Bratton. Then, go for a drive to Andrew Jackson State Park to learn about the president’s childhood encounter with the British.

Explore the downtown shops and restaurants in Rock Hill. Get dinner at Kounter Dining, Millstone Pizza & Taphouse, or Legal Remedy. In the morning, breakfast at Amélie’s French Bakery and Café is almost a requirement.

Spartanburg

Sumter was named after the famed Revolutionary War militia leader, Thomas Sumter,  whose gravesite you can visit about fifteen minutes from town. At the Sumter County Museum, you can learn trivia-level details about the Gamecock in a room dedicated to Sumter. Go for a walk downtown and get dinner or lunch at J. O’Grady’s, then head across the street to the Sumter Original Brewery, the town’s only craft brewery with a rooftop terrace.

After leaving Sumter, head toward Manning at I-95 and explore the town’s Swamp Fox Murals. Dozens of murals painted on buildings and signs depict key moments of Francis Marion’s life.