Charleston Hotels

South Carolina Aquarium
The excellent South Carolina Aquarium covers 69,000 sq ft, almost all of which are devoted to South Carolina habitats, flora and fauna. The best part of the aquarium is the 330,000-gallon Great Ocean Tank, where sharks, massive fish and a giant loggerhead turtle swim behind a two-story window.

Aiken-Rhett House
The 1818 Aiken-Rhett House is the only surviving urban plantation. It was owned by a South Carolina bigwig who stuffed the house with plunder from his European travels. It has grand chandeliers, an imposing marble staircase, its own art gallery and well-preserved slave quarters.

Charleston Museum
Founded in 1773, the Charleston Museum claims to be the country's oldest, with exhibits from various periods of Charleston's long and storied history, from Washington-era silver to slave tags, as well as a collection of stuffed and mounted prehistoric animals. It is situated on Marion Square, a 10-acre greenspace that was formerly home to the state weapons arsenal.