SC State House
Strategically centered within downtown Columbia, the current South Carolina State House is the result of construction which lasted half a century-spanning from 1855 to 1907. Built primarily out of blue granite, South Carolina’s official state stone, the State House is completely fireproof allowing it to safely store many important state documents and house two of our three
branches of state government.
Both the executive and legislative branches meet in the lower and upper State Hose lobbies, respectively. The building contains several unique architectural features that can be observed from both the exterior and interior, including a false dome centered within the main lobby and an outer dome made of copper centered to the outside of the building. Between the years of 1995 and 1998 an extensive renovation took place and it was during this time that the State House became reinforced with seismic isolators to protect the historic building from earthquakes. Many other functional and cosmetic changes took place during this time as well in order for the State House to match as closely as possible the original architectural plans.
We invite you to walk the 100 year old floors of this building where you will be captivated by the stories of the past and will be able to witness history in the making for years to come.
State House Tour Operations
The Tour Service offers both guided and self-guided tours of the State House. While the legislature is in session, from the month of Jan. to June, tours are offered every half hour beginning at 9:30 AM and ending at 3:30 PM. Following session, from the month of July to Dec., tours are available every hour on the half hour beginning at 9:30 AM and ending at 3:30 PM.
Please call ahead if you plan on bringing a group larger than 10. If you have more than the maximum of 50 tour attendees, multiple times must be reserved for the groups.
Please call 803-734-2430 to reserve your tour time.
State House Gift Shop
The State House Gift Shop provides tourists and other guests with an opportunity to buy an array of items reminiscent of South Carolina to help commemorate their trip to the capitol. Whether adorned with our notable palmetto/crescent logo or the official state seal of the state, the gift shop contains an assortment of items in many categories including, but not limited to: apparel, house décor, jewelry, and office supplies.
The Gift Shop is also the only provider of South Carolina’s official dinnerware, made by Vietri. Regardless of the occasion, the Gift Shop is a wonderful retail outlet to purchase South Carolina merchandise.