Givhans Ferry State Park
PARK PROGRAMS
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Maritime trade and travel were vital to the success of the young Carolina colony. Board Charleston's only reproduction 17th century sailing ketch, Adventure, docked in Old Towne Creek. Discover some of the many aspects of maritime trade and travel during the 17th century. See some of the tools used by sailors and some of the products they shipped.
Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site
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Watch a 17th/18th century town emerge from the past as archaeologists uncover one of the richest sites in South Carolina. Visitors can observe archaeologists as they sift through the remains of a town that included houses, markets, a school, a church, a boat yard and more. One of the most complete archaeological records of colonial America, Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site is a time capsule waiting for you!
Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site
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During the early years of the settlement, the Charles Towne colonists faced several threats, especially from their primary enemy and colonial rival, the Spanish. The Spanish fleet at St. Augustine, Florida was within three days travel of the fledgling English colony. Charles Towne, "here settled in the very chaps of the Spaniard," was a direct challenge to the claim of this disputed land.
Following a review of Charles Towne's fortifications and defenses, the program will culminate with the Charles Towne Militia living history team's demonstration of 17th century artillery.
Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site
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Broken bowls, bone tools and glass beads… These are types of Native American artifacts that archaeologists routinely find at Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site.
Such artifacts are tangible links to the Native cultures who once occupied this area. When the English arrived in 1670, they brought manufactured trade goods, such as glass beads and hatchets, that signaled a change in the traditional lifeways of local Native American groups, like the Kiawah.
Come participate in a Native American crafts programs where you can make your own clay pot or trade bead necklace. Pre-registration is advised as space is limited.
Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site
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During the early years of the settlement, the Charles Towne colonists faced several threats, especially from their primary enemy and colonial rival, the Spanish. The Spanish fleet at St. Augustine, Florida was within three days travel of the fledgling English colony. Charles Towne, "here settled in the very chaps of the Spaniard," was a direct challenge to the claim of this disputed land.
Following a review of Charles Towne's fortifications and defenses, the program will culminate with a demonstration of 17th century small arms.
Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site
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Travel back in time at Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site and help us celebrate “the birth of South Carolina” at our annual Founders’ Day Festival.
Living history staff will bring to life the site’s fascinating history through a variety of programs and activities. Several groups of seventeenth-century re-enactors will interact with visitors in authentic encampments located within the reconstructed palisade wall that protected Charles Towne in the 1670s.
Demonstrations will include the firing of blackpowder cannons and muskets, as well as cooking and other daily chores crucial to the colony's survival. Site archaeologists will be available at current excavations to show visitors what they are uncovering in the fortified area.
Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site
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Environmental enrichment is the process of providing new smells, tastes, objects and activities for zoo animals. These things frequently bring out "playful" and natural behaviors.
Enrichment Day gives you an opportunity to discover our secrets to keeping the animals healthy and happy. See how our keepers train the bears and otters using enrichment techniques. Join in the "Forage for Fun" game for your chance to win prizes.
Enrichment Day is a fun day for our animals and for you. When it's over, you can take some of these ideas home to use with your own pets!
Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site
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From the first days of the settlement, sailing ships were vital to the colonists at Charles Towne. Trade with Barbados, Virginia and England kept the colonists supplied with manufactured goods and gave them a market for raw materials leaving Carolina. Those ships also served as the line of communication between England and the settlers in Charles Towne. But what was it like to be a sailor in the late 1600s?
Visit the trade and wharf area to find out. Board the “Adventure,” Charleston’s only reproduction 17th century wooden boat. Step into a colonial sailor’s shoes and learn about all things nautical. Help lift a sail to the rhythm of a sea shanty. Learn to tie knots. Use a backstaff, a sounding lead and a windless. Hear about the colonists’ stormy passage to Carolina. The wharf area will be alive with stories, sailors’ skills, shanties and more.
There’s always more to do at Charles Towne Landing. Visit the museum, enjoy an audio tour along the History Trail, or walk through the Animal Forest to encounter the animals that roamed Carolina when the early sailors plied the waters.
Make a day of it. Pack a picnic lunch, or enjoy fine-dining taste in a picnic setting with food provided by L & B’s Caribbean Food.
Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site
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Come to Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site, and leave with our ship the Adventure, no piracy required!
The Adventure is a full scale replica of a 17th century trading vessel which is permanently docked at the park. Now when you bring your kids to see the ship, they can take home their own replica of the Adventure. Join in our model building workshop, where you and your children will receive step by step, guided instructions of the construction process. Arrive early, class size is limited. Appropriate for ages 8 and over, adult assistance is required for children 8-13.
Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site
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Before cotton was king and rice reigned supreme, South Carolina colonists struggled to find a cash crop that would provide them with a life of luxury. Colonists experimented with a variety of plants for both produce and profit. Join us at Charles Town Landing for “From Seeds to Shillings: Growing Wealth at Charles Towne”. See costumed interpreters working in the crop garden and ask them what they are growing. Learn how colonial crops were used as medicines, fragrances, and dyes. Talk to the apothecary about health and healing. Experience colonial colors and fragrances as you participate in indigo dying and in making your own sweetbag, a colonial form of perfume. Visit the communal lodging house to see what’s on the menu and watch how an indentured servant would have cooked meals over an open hearth.
Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site
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The indigo has been grown, the dye has been fermented, and it’s your turn to color the colony indigo-blue. Join us to learn about the history of the plant and dye in South Carolina, then participate in dyeing your own cloth. T-shirts and bandanas for dyeing can be purchased in the gift shop, or you can bring your own from home. Gloves are provided, but you might want to wear clothes you don't mind getting stained with indigo dye.
Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site
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Wild animals, the Spanish, Native Americans, disease! South Carolina’s colonists had many worries upon their arrival in the new world. Learn about the rationale for these fears and how the colonists protected themselves. Experience the smoke, sparks, and thunder of cannons and muskets as the Charles Towne Volunteer Militia “gives fire!” during black powder demonstrations. Hear stories about the Spanish threat and learn how the citizens fortified their vulnerable settlement against attack.
Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site
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Dig into history at Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site. Discover how archaeologists see beyond written records and learn about past cultures based on artifacts left behind. Visit us for “Piecing Together the Past with Archaeology” for a first hand look at Charles Towne Landing’s archaeological resources. Meet Charles Towne Landing’s archaeologists and tour dig sites where Native American and colonial finds have been unearthed. Try your own archaeology skills in hands-on programs and learn how flint was used as a weapon, tool, and fire starter. Join us to discover the science of archaeology and the history revealed below the surface.
Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site
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It's fall in the Animal Forest and the animals are looking to put on a little weight for winter. Discover how the zookeepers train the animals to better care for them. Watch the animals being enriched by games, treats and activities that bring out natural behaviors. You will also get a chance to be enriched as we have a pumpkin hunt throughout the animal forest. Join us for family fun in the "Forest."
Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site
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The days are getting shorter and colder. The hardwoods are shedding their leaves and the growing season has reached its end. Will Charles Towne survive through the winter? Will there be enough food and resources? Come and see for yourself.
This living history event will not only showcase some of the professional trades that helped support the fledgling colony, but will also focus on other daily-life chores and activities that were essential to the survival and success of Charles Towne.
Visitors will get a sense of what life was like in the early settlement as they interact with costumed interpreters and craftspeople at stations inside the fortified area. Experiences will include colonial foodways, deerskin processing, land surveying, black powder demonstrations, indigo dyeing, cloth weaving, and pottery making.
Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site
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December is a month full of traditions, celebrations, and family gatherings. Come to Charles Towne Landing during the month of December and imagine the English colonists’ first Christmas in the New World. Speak with costumed interpreters in the indentured servants’ quarters to learn about traditional English customs and how those may have been modified in the new colony.
Visit the Native American Ceremonial center to learn about Native American stories and spiritual traditions. Storytellers will also bring to life some of South Carolina’s early African-American stories and traditions that they brought to Carolina, helping to shape Charles Towne’s culture.
Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site
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 Ridgeville
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