Charles Towne Landing

Frommer's Review

This 663-acre park is located on the site of the first 1670 settlement. Underground exhibits show the colony's history, and the park features a re-creation of a small village. A brand new visitors center/museum has been added with lots of interactive exhibits. Because trade was such an important part of colonial life, a full-scale reproduction of the 17th-century trading vessel Adventure is an excellent addition to the site (closed until winter 2008). After touring the ship, you can step into the Settler's Life Area and view a 17th-century crop garden where rice, indigo, and cotton were grown. There's no flashy theme-park atmosphere here: What you see as you walk under huge old oaks, past freshwater lagoons, and through the Animal Forest (with the same species that lived here in 1670) is what those early settlers saw.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.