The Visitor Center/Gift Shop, office, Animal Forest, and Adventure will close at 4 PM. The park grounds will still be open until 5 PM. We apologize for the inconvenience.
The Adventure has returned to the park, as of March 1, but will remain closed for maintenance until April 1. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Bobcat Exhibit is closed for renovation.
Park Grounds: April 1st-October 31st 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily; November 1st-March 31st 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Visitor Center/Gift Shop: April 1st-October 31st 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily; November 1st-March 31st 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Closed Christmas Day.
Animal Forest and Adventure: April 1st-October 31st 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily; November 1st-March 31st 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. daily. Closed Christmas Day.
9 a.m. -5 p.m., daily
$12/adult; $7.50/S.C. Senior; $7/youth age 6-15; Free for children 5 and younger.
Pets are allowed in most outdoor areas provided they are kept under physical restraint or on a leash not longer than six feet. Pets and service animals are not permitted in the Animal Forest.? Please clean up after your pet and dispose of waste properly.
Walk in the footsteps of the original colonists on a tour of Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site. Learn how English colonists, Barbadians, Enslaved Africans, and Native Americans all had a role in "Creating Carolina."
Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site is pleased to announce school group opportunities for the upcoming year.
Charles Towne Landing is a great place to bring your class for a field trip. As the first settlement site of South Carolina, Charles Towne Landing allows students to experience first-hand the origins of their state. Outdoor exhibits, programs, and self-guided packages give your class a variety of experiences to choose from to make your visit to the “Birthplace of Carolina” a great educational experience.
We will begin scheduling reservations on the first Monday in August of each school year.
For 3rd and 4th grade field trips, we have standards-based program opportunities called Discover Carolina programs. These programs are offered September - December and March-May only.
This program explores the survival activities of the colonists who founded South Carolina's first permanent European settlement in 1670. It primarily focuses on trade with Native Americans and other English colonies, especially Barbados, as well as daily life in 17th-century Charles Towne.
Length of time: 4 hours (1.5-hour ranger-led walking tour and 1.5-hour interactive program)
Standards: 3-2, 3-2.1, 3-2.3, 3-2.5, and 3-2.6
Program price: 1-25 students $125; 26-40 students $200; 41-60 students $300.
Admission price: Students $4.00 each; 1 free teacher/chaperone per 10 students; each additional adult $4.00.
Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site offers history-based tours for Grades 3-12 and nature-based tours for Grades K-5. Descriptions of the tours are located below. History-based programs are covered in the “Exploring the Colonial Past” section and nature-based programs may be found in the “Animal Forest Encounters” section.
Choose from one of three grade-appropriate programs described below. Each tour focuses on a specific theme, but also provides essential background information, placing the founding and growth of Charles Towne and the Carolina colony in greater historical context.
These ranger-guided programs are offered in the Fall and the Spring. Program times: 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Designed to engage students through interactive experiences, these programs can accommodate one class, with a maximum of 30 students per tour and 60 students per day. Groups with more than 30 students will be split in two, with one tour leaving at 9:30 a.m. and the other at 11:00 a.m.
Imagine moving to a strange, new place and having to start from scratch – no house is waiting for you; there are no grocery stores, restaurants, or malls. This is what the English colonists experienced when they arrived in Carolina in 1670, and they definitely had their work cut out for them. Join a park educator on a 45-minute guided walk whose theme is creating a colony, with emphasis on the unique cultures that helped shape the Carolina colony. This tour includes stops at the Palisade Wall, the Stocks & Pillory, the Common House, and the Adventure.
Applicable curriculum standards: 3-2.2, 3-2.3, & 3-2.4 / 4-2.1 & 4-2.4
Program price: $10.00/student; 1 free teacher/chaperone per 10 students; each additional adult: $10.00.
The prospect of a better life and the potential to grow wealthy lured many colonists to Carolina. In pursuit of prosperity, they converted natural resources into profit through trade and experimented with agriculture in search of a viable cash crop. Join a park educator on a 45-minute guided walk that revolves around the economic themes of trade and mercantilism. This tour includes stops at the Cassique Statue, the Palisade Wall, the Crop Garden, and the Adventure.
Applicable curriculum standards: 6.6-1 & 6-6.4 / 7-1.1, 7-1.3, & 7-1.4 / 8-1.2, 8-1.3, & 8-1.5
Program price: $10.00/student; 1 free teacher/chaperone per 10 students; each additional adult: $10.00.
The early Carolina colonists faced many threats, from both foreign and domestic sources. Join a park educator for a 45-minute guided walk to find out whom the colonists feared, and why. The primary theme of this program is competition for empire, focusing specifically on the imperial rivalry between England and Spain, and how it influenced early Carolina’s development. This tour includes stops at the Palisade Wall, the Stocks & Pillory, the Cannon Platforms, and the Adventure.
Applicable curriculum standards: MWH-4.2 & MWH-4.6
Program price: $10.00/student; 1 free teacher/chaperone per 10 students; each additional adult: $10.00.
Choose from one of two grade-appropriate programs described below. These zookeeper-guided programs are only offered on Wednesday mornings. Program times: 10:00 a.m. and 11 a.m. Designed to engage students through interactive experiences, these programs can accommodate one class, with a maximum of 30 students per tour and 60 students per day. Groups with more than 30 students will be split in two, with one tour leaving at 10:00 a.m. and the other at 11:00 a.m.
Survival is the name of the game for animals, and is also the theme of this tour! Join our zookeepers to learn about the differences and similarities of what animals need in the wild and in captivity. Discover how changes affect them and identify the ways in which zookeepers care for captive animals. Students will visit three habitats during their experience.
Program price: $10.00/student; 1 free teacher/chaperone per 10 students; each additional adult: $10.00.
Applicable curriculum standards: K-2.4, K-2.5, & K-5.1 / 1-2.1, 1-2.3, & 1-2.6 / 2-2.1, 2-2.2, & 2-2.4
An animal’s most basic needs are food, water, shelter, cover and space. If a habitat doesn’t provide for these needs, the animals must adapt, leave or die. The themes of this program are habitat and animal adaptations. Join our zookeepers to explore how different animals have adapted to their specific environments. Discover how humans have impacted wild animal populations and see how zookeepers provide for these species in captivity. Students will visit three habitats during their experience.
Program price: $10.00/student; 1 free teacher/chaperone per 10 students; each additional adult: $10.00.
Applicable curriculum standards: 3-2.2, 3-2.3, & 3-2.4 / 4-2.2, 4-2.3, & 4-2.5 / 5-2.2, 5-2.3, & 5-2.5
For more information, please contact our park office at (843) 852-4200. We’ll be glad to help you with your self-guided school group planning needs. To make your reservation go smoothly, please have your school’s mailing address, phone number, and number of students and adults that will be on the trip
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