Rainy day · Charleston · United States
8 things to do in Charleston when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Juliancolton, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Charleston City Market, Nathaniel Russell House and Aiken-Rhett House. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 10–12 hours across 4 areas; 1 is free. July is usually the wettest month, with about 14 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 1
- Time to see them all
- 10–12 hours
- Areas
- French Quarter and Market area, South of Broad and Upper King
Charleston on a rainy day
Market · French Quarter and Market area
1.Charleston City Market
Buy sweetgrass baskets directly from the weavers, who often make them on the spot and can tell you how long each one took.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- Kids
- Rainy day
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Historic site · South of Broad
2.Nathaniel Russell House
A combination ticket also covers the Aiken-Rhett House, which shows the opposite approach: preserved, not restored.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Historic site · Upper King
3.Aiken-Rhett House
Spend time in the kitchen and slave quarters at the back; the self-guided audio tour is strongest there.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · French Quarter and Market area
4.Old Slave Mart Museum
Pair it with the International African American Museum for the fuller story from arrival to emancipation.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes–1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Ansonborough
5.International African American Museum
Leave time for the African Ancestors Memorial Garden, where the outline of a slave ship is set into the ground beside the harbour.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Art
Gallery · French Quarter and Market area
6.Gibbes Museum of Art
Look for the miniature portrait collection on the upper floor, one of the largest in the country.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · Upper King
7.The Charleston Museum
It faces the visitor centre on Meeting Street, so it is an easy first stop to get your bearings on a rainy morning.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
Historic site · French Quarter and Market area
8.Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon
Ask about the section of the original 18th-century sea wall visible in the dungeon.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| French Quarter and Market area | Charleston City Market, Old Slave Mart Museum, Gibbes Museum of Art and Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon | 1 hour + 45 minutes–1 hour + 1–1.5 hours + 1 hour |
| South of Broad | Nathaniel Russell House | 1 hour |
| Upper King | Aiken-Rhett House and The Charleston Museum | 1 hour + 1.5–2 hours |
| Ansonborough | International African American Museum | 2–3 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 1 free, 2 low cost, 5 mid-priced. Book ahead for International African American Museum. The longest visit is International African American Museum; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- International African American Museum: Entry is by timed ticket; reserve online, especially for weekends.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (French Quarter and Market area): Charleston City Market → Old Slave Mart Museum → Gibbes Museum of Art → Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (South of Broad and Upper King): Nathaniel Russell House → Aiken-Rhett House → The Charleston Museum, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Ansonborough): International African American Museum, at least 2 hours.
The wettest months
- July: highs of 33°C (91°F), about 14 rainy days, busy crowds. The hottest month; plan sightseeing early and late, and expect daily storms in the afternoon.
- August: highs of 32°C (90°F), about 14 rainy days, moderate crowds. Steamy and stormy, with hurricane risk building; summer family crowds thin out after mid-month as schools return.
- June: highs of 31°C (88°F), about 12 rainy days, busy crowds. Hot and humid with afternoon thunderstorms; mornings and beach days are the way to enjoy it.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- South of Broad — Grand single houses, walled gardens and the Battery promenade at the tip of the peninsula
- French Quarter and Market area — Cobbled lanes, the City Market and harbour-front Waterfront Park
- Upper King — Restaurants, cocktail bars and design shops north of Calhoun Street
- Ansonborough — Restored 19th-century houses between the Market and the harbour aquarium
- Harleston Village — College of Charleston campus, Colonial Lake and leafy side streets
More of Charleston
All things to do in Charleston · Where to stay · When to go.
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Charleston?
Charleston City Market. Four blocks of open-sided sheds run from Meeting Street to East Bay Street, with the 1841 Greek Revival Market Hall at the head.
+Which of these are free in Charleston?
Charleston City Market.