Charleston has so many memorable places to visit. However, there are two essential things to do in Charleston: The Old Slave Mart Museum and Boone Hall Plantation. Both are requisite experiences – – unforgettable and very moving. They should be on the top of your list of sites to visit while in Charleston.
These destinations confront their cultural heritage and encourage a frank discussion of a not-so-proud past. They explore their racial history and provide a glimpse of what life was like for slaves in that era. The displays provide an insight into the humanity and pain of the enslaved Black people. You can’t but reflect on the troubling history of slavery and colonialism.
Essential Things to Do in Charleston: The Old Slave Mart Museum
Walking down a quiet residential street in Charleston, you will notice an oddly shaped, small structure nestled between a simple white house and a fire station that looks like a small castle. At first glance, you think it’s a parking garage. In fact, its unassuming entrance is similar to something you’d find to enter into a small walled city or a medina in a Middle Eastern town.
However, look a little closer. On the façade are big bold iron letters that spell “M A R T”. And, on closer inspection you notice smaller faded letters above the arch that spell out “Old Slave Mart Museum”. Yes, this is one of the places in Charleston where slaves were sold. Like many states in the South, the Plantation Economy was heavily dependent on slave labor.
History of the Slave Mart . . .
While most slave ‘marts’ have been destroyed, this one has been preserved and turned into a museum. Built in 1859, the Old Slave Mart Museum is considered to be the last surviving slave auction galleries in South Carolina. In 1975, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Charleston had played an important role in the slave trade. In fact, its port was where as many as 35-40% of all slaves entered the United States. Typically in Charleston, enslaved families and individuals had been sold in an open area north of the city’s Old Exchange Building. However, in 1856, an ordinance prohibited the sale of slaves in public. This resulted in the opening of a number of indoor auction markets such as the Old Slave Mart.
The Old Slave Mart was once part of a larger complex known as Ryan’s Slave Mart, consisting of a four-story brick building, a slave jail, a kitchen and a deal house, all enclosed by a high brick wall. Slaves were brought here, placed in a holding area, and put on display while wearing shackles so they could be examined prior to their sale. This was certainly an inhumane business. The Old Slave Mart didn’t operate very long because the Civil War ended slavery in the South a few years after the mart had opened. After the Civil War, the property was used as housing and as an auto shop.
The Museum . . .
The museum is not very large and its curators did not recreate the interior to look as it did during the slave trading days. Instead, it is filled with a variety of multimedia exhibits and artifacts, thoughtfully presented and effectively displayed. There’s a lot to read, examine, and hear so make sure that you allot a couple of hours there. Some of the information focuses on the place itself while some of it covers the state of slavery in South Carolina. All of it is fascinating and very moving. Undoubtedly, it makes a big impact.
In all, spending time here is incredibly poignant and thought-provoking. Unlike many other places, the Old Slave Mart museum faces “head on” the horrors that happened on its site. And, it also explores in a frank manner this horrendous chapter of U.S. history. Moreover, by focusing on the details of a particular business operation, the museum captures the cruelty, misery and brutality of slavery on a more personal level making slavery real and incomprehensible. The museum’s emphasis on the business of selling people as chattel is incomparable. Do not miss this unique, heartbreaking and essential opportunity.
Essential Things to Do in Charleston: Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens
Another of the essential things to do in Charleston is to visit Boone Hall Plantation. Located in Mount Pleasant just outside of Charleston, this is a plantation that dates back to 1681. It is a place that will transport you back in time.
Unlike many of the other plantations in Charleston, a visit to Boone Hall is not about romanticizing plantation life ala Tara in “Gone with the Wind”. Admittedly, there is a bit of a GWTW moment driving through the entrance to Boone Hall, which features 80 gorgeous giant oak trees draped with Spanish moss. After all, a photo of the Avenue of Oaks was actually used as a backdrop in the movie. However, the actual plantation mansion wasn’t built until 1936. While it incorporated materials from the farmhouse that once stood there, the structure is somewhat grand but not that impressive. Moreover, there is not much historical significance to it.
The Slave Street . . .
The real reason to visit Boone Hall is to explore the nine cabins that made up the slave quarters. Because they were built out of brick, not wood, they are some of the few slave quarters in the country that still exist. Lined up in a row on the left side of the property, before reaching the entrance to the mansion, they form a little street. You can’t miss them, which may have been intentional because slave-owners often displayed their slave cabins as a sign of wealth. The cabins are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
History of the Slave Street . . .
Built between 1790 and 1810, each of the nine buildings focuses on a different aspect of Black history in the United States as well as slavery at Boone Hall. A couple of the cabins contain bits of furniture, tools used by the slaves, and other artifacts.
Each cabin is just one large rectangular room with a fireplace in the center of the back wall. Often several families and perhaps more than 10 people lived in a cabin. Sometimes, a loft was added for more sleeping space. (The cabins were occupied until the 1940s.)
Cabins 3, 4 and 5 are especially worthwhile because they discuss details about the life of a slave (family, work, religion, food) and display findings from excavations from under and around the cabins. Other aspects such as crafts, the making and heritage of sweetgrass baskets, Gullah culture and language, and the struggle for civil rights are explored in other cabins. Boone Hall offers either self-guided or guided tours. Furthermore, each cabin has a very informative recorded narration on specific subjects.
In addition to the slave cabins, Boone Hall features several live shows that discuss and demonstrate various aspects of slave life and the Gullah-Geechee culture of enslaved Blacks in South Carolina. There is even a theater offering live performances and discussions which are included in the price of admission. In fact, some of these shows are presented by descendants of the Gullah people.
Other Attractions at Boone Hall Plantation . . .
Boone Hall is still a working plantation and offers a lot of other attractions. For instance, there are farm field tours, garden tours and house tours. Likewise, there are live programs on a variety of subjects such as the economic history of South Carolina, native flora and fauna, and a history of the entire plantation.
The entire experience of Boone Hall is worthwhile. However, the Slave Street and the live Gullah presentations make a visit to Boone Hall unique, compelling, touching and fundamental. It is a “must visit” attraction during your stay in Charleston.
Don’t Miss This Experience
These two essential things to do in Charleston will add so much depth to your visit there. Because they are so unique and thoughtfully presented, visiting them will be incredibly provocative and highly interesting. It will definitely leave a lasting impression. In the end, isn’t that what you want when you travel?
