South Carolina’s art and history museums allow you to enter the vibrant tapestry of the state’s past, where rich arts and cultural heritage intermingle. Bring home a piece of this culture from the many specially curated museum gift shops.
Artistic Traditions
The Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia features global treasures and artworks throughout 27 galleries. Don’t miss the Our Story Matters Gallery, devoted to exhibitions on African American life and culture from the Reconstruction era through 1970s activism.
Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage
A highlight of this Ridgeland gem includes a remarkable diorama of the Battle of Honey Hill. Explore the Indigenous Catawba tribe’s traditions and legends in the temporary exhibit, The Language of Clay: Catawba Indian Pottery & Oral Traditions, on view through June 14, 2025.
The Gibbes Museum of Art
The Gibbes’ collection in Charleston examines Southern themes through the perspective of regional artists. Get in-depth insights with artist lectures and expert-led tours during the annual Art Charleston festival, held April 23–27, 2025, and peruse regionally made pieces in the well-stocked gift shop.
The Rice Museum
Besides its rotating exhibitions of exceptional regional art, this Georgetown spot also has a fantastic gift shop brimming with local arts, crafts, books and culinary goodies. Take a guided tour to learn more about the story of rice culture within the area.
Florence County Museum
This Florence museum is home to the Pee Dee History Gallery, a massive space that displays regional artifacts that range from prehistory to the present. Take some time to peruse the gift shop, a treasure trove of books on historical interest.
Edisto Island Museum & Gift Shop
As keeper of Edisto’s rich past, this museum has exhibits that explore Gullah and Native American history. The cozy gift shop has dozens of small-batch books about the island’s unique history, culture and culinary traditions.
Elloree Heritage Museum & Cultural Center
Focused on South Carolina’s rural past, this Elloree museum portrays rural life in the 1900s by recreating Cleveland Street’s stores, hotel and bank. Stop into the Snider’s Store gift shop for history books, cotton boll wreaths and books by local authors.
The Johnson Collection
TJC Gallery in Spartanburg is home to a vast chronicle of Southern art from the 1700s to the present. The collection highlights women, African American artists and well-known regional artists. Stop by for regularly scheduled programming, from yoga in the gallery to the Third Thursdays Artwalk.
Featuring a variety of great stories and exciting trip ideas, the 2025 South Carolina Vacation Guide makes planning your next getaway to the Palmetto State easy. Request your free copy or download the guide today.
