The City of Columbia is full of exciting, informative, and entertaining museums! Whether it’s history, art, military, or education, we’ve got it all! Check out our list of Columbia area museums, and take your pick. No matter where you go, you won’t be disappointed!
Cayce Historical Museum
Housed in a replica of a 1765 Cayce trading post, the Cayce Historical Museum aims to share the rich history of the Cayce, Old Saxe Gotha, Granby, and West Columbia areas with visitors. Mondays & major holidays: Closed | Tues – Fri: 9am – 4pm | Sat & Sun: 2 – 5pm | 1800 12th Street | 803-739-5385 | Admission
Columbia Museum of Art
The Columbia Museum of Art is among the leading art institutions in the country, with over 25 galleries that house art that spans 5,000 years of history! Happening: A Life with Art – thru May 19; Shades of Green – thru June 23; Latinidad – thru Sept 1; Mimi Katio: Ordinary Sagas: June 15-Sept 8; Wow Pop Bliss: Jimmy Kuehnle’s Inflatable Art: June 15-Sept 8 | Monday: Closed | Tues – Fri: 11am – 5pm (Open until 8pm on the first Thursday of each month) | Sat: 10am – 5pm | 1515 Main Street | 803-799-2810 Admission
Edventure Childrens Museum
All exhibits at EdVenture are hands-on and experiential. Introduces kids to the worlds of flight, the human body, pets, cooking, making things, the natural world and more. Toddler Takeover: Mondays-Wednesdays throughout June. Monday-Sunday: 9am-5pm | 211 Gervais Street 803-779-3100 | Admission
Historic House Museums
Five house museums each give insight into the lives of generations of Columbians, beginning back in the early 1800’s. Tours start at 10am Tuesday-Saturday; Sundays at 1pm. Hampton-Preston Mansion Women’s Tour: May 19, from 1-4pm; Moonlight Cemetery and Secrets from the Grave Tours: May 9, June 13 and July 11 from 7:30-9:30pm. Start in the gift shop for tickets -1616 Blanding Street. 803-252-7742. Admission
Lexington County Historical Museum
Through its 36 historic structures and furnishings, the museum focuses on the early history of Lexington County and its residents. Open Tues – Sat: 10am – 4pm | Sun: 1 – 4pm. 231 Fox Street | 803-359-8369
South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum
Collects, preserves, and exhibits South Carolina’s military culture from the colonial era to the present. The museum was founded in 1896, and is the third oldest museum in the state. Explore South Carolina’s military history through informative and award-winning exhibits, featuring many rare and one-of-a-kind artifacts. Open Tues – Sat: 10am – 5pm | First Sunday of the Month: 1 – 5pm | 301 Gervais Street | 803-737-8095 | Admission
South Carolina Military Museum
One of the largest National Guard museums in the country. 1 National Guard Rd. Mon – Sat. 10am – 4pm except closed on USC Football Game Saturdays | 803-299-4440 | Free
South Carolina Railroad Museum
Exhibits many pieces of rolling equipment, cars, cabooses and engines. Offers regular rides on its own track. Located in Winnsboro, 30 miles north of Columbia. 110 Industrial Park Rd. scrm.org
South Carolina State Museum
Four floors of permanent exhibits on history, art, natural history and science and technology as well as a variety of changing and traveling exhibits, a 55-foot digital dome planetarium, 4D theater, and 2,500 square foot observatory that features a 1926 Alvan Clark refracting telescope. Reflections on the River: Now Open; Apollo 50: Journey to the Moon: Now Open. Mon & Wed-Fri: 10am – 5pm | Tue: 10am – 8pm | Sat: 10am – 6pm | Sun: 12-5pm | 301 Gervais Street 803-898-4921 | Admission
USC’s McKissick Museum
Located on the University of South Carolina’s campus, the museum provides insight into the history of USC and the community, culture, and environment of the American South. Hot Buttons: Political Issues in the United States thru June 13; Extinction and Conservation of Southern Birds: thru June 30. Mon-Fri: 8:30am – 5pm | Sat: 11am – 3pm | 1501 Pendleton Street | 803-777-7251 | Free
