Free Things to Do in Charleston, SC

At a glance

• Where: Charleston, South Carolina: downtown peninsula, Johns Island and Daniel Island
• Hours: Typically daily for parks; churches have set weekday windows. Check each official site before you go
• Cost: No admission fee listed for the eight picks below. Fort Moultrie, Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon and Drayton Hall charge admission

The best free things to do in Charleston, South Carolina, are Angel Oak on Johns Island, White Point Garden at the tip of the peninsula, Hampton Park, Marion Square and the Charleston City Market. Several of the city's most famous sights are not free, so this guide separates the two honestly.

Every pick below sits inside the City of Charleston and was checked against an official or authoritative page. Where an official page states a price, we quote it. Where a page simply lists no fee, we say that instead of pretending it promised free entry.

Which famous Charleston sights are not free?

Fort Moultrie, the Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon and Drayton Hall charge admission, and Fort Sumter is free only once you have paid for the ferry. Here is the plain ledger, plus one famous park we left off the list for a different reason.

Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park

The National Park Service says it does not charge an entrance fee to Fort Sumter, but you can only reach the fort by ferry, and the ferry is a paid ticket. The park's fee page also states that ferry fees are not covered by annual passes or National Park Service Fee Free Days. The Fort Sumter Visitor Center is at 340 Concord Street in Charleston and typically opens daily from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, except New Year's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Fort Moultrie is a different story. It is at 1214 Middle Street on Sullivan's Island, which is its own town and not the City of Charleston, and the park charges a site fee of $10 per adult. Fort Moultrie has its own free days, and the park says they apply only to Fort Moultrie and not to other national park sites. The free days change every year, so check the National Park Service fees page for the current dates. If you are on the island anyway, see our Sullivan's Island guide.

Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon

The Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon at 122 East Bay Street downtown is not free. Its site lists adult admission at $16 and children's admission at $12, with no free days listed. The building dates to 1771, and it is worth paying for, but it does not belong on a free list.

Drayton Hall

Drayton Hall, at 3380 Ashley River Road, is not free either. The house tour is listed at $30 per person online and $35 on site, with youth and under-7 rates listed separately, and no free days. It is typically open Wednesday through Monday and closed Tuesdays.

Joe Riley Waterfront Park

The City of Charleston describes Joe Riley Waterfront Park as an eight-acre park with garden rooms, fountains, open lawns, a pier with picnic tables and wooden swings, and a walking path. The city's directory page lists no admission fee or hours, so we cannot quote an official free-entry statement for it. In practice it is a public park you walk into, but check with the city before you plan around it.

How we chose

We started with places Charleston is known for and checked each one against its own official page, or a city or parks-conservancy page. We kept only places that were open and inside the City of Charleston, and we dropped anything with a posted admission fee. We also dropped places we could not confirm: the Charleston Library Society is a members' library, and Brittlebank Park's city page says its pier is temporarily closed for repair.

The word free needs a caveat. Angel Oak is the only pick whose official page says free in so many words. For the parks, churches and market, the official pages list no admission fee, and we say so in each entry.

What are the best free things to do in Charleston?

These eight are open, inside the city and listed without an admission fee. Hours change, so check each official page.

1. Angel Oak, Johns Island

Angel Oak is a live oak at 3688 Angel Oak Road on Johns Island, run by the City of Charleston. The city says admission to the general public is free, though donations are gladly accepted, and that it is open seven days a week and closed on holidays. The city estimates the tree at 300 to 400 years old, about 65 feet high with a circumference of 25.5 feet. Insider tip: the city bans tripods, blankets and food at the tree, so pack light and plan to stand, not picnic. See the city's Angel Oak page.

2. White Point Garden, South of Broad

White Point Garden sits at 2 Murray Boulevard at the tip of the peninsula in South of Broad. The Charleston Parks Conservancy lists hours as 9 AM to sunset, seven days a week, and says the city manages the park. It has Civil War cannons, monuments and views toward Fort Sumter. The conservancy page lists no fee. It is our pick for a free harbor view without buying a ferry ticket.

3. Hampton Park, Hampton Park Terrace

Hampton Park is a 60-plus-acre City of Charleston park at 30 Mary Murray Drive beside The Citadel, in Hampton Park Terrace. The Charleston Parks Conservancy lists hours as sunrise to sunset and points to a rose collection near the Rose Pavilion. The city's page lists no fee. The city also runs a Walk, Run & Roll program that restricts vehicles around the park at set times; check the city's Hampton Park page for the current schedule, because those windows are the calmest time to stroll it.

4. Marion Square and its Saturday farmers market, downtown

Marion Square is a 10-acre downtown park at 329 Meeting Street with free Wi-Fi, per the Charleston Parks Conservancy, and park hours of sunrise to sunset. The City of Charleston runs a Saturday farmers market there, typically from early spring into late November, from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM, with a few extra market days listed around the holidays. The city lists no admission fee for browsing. Confirm the season on the city's farmers market page.

5. Charleston City Market, downtown

The Charleston City Market at 188 Meeting Street describes itself as more than 300 vendors across four city blocks, including sweetgrass basket weavers. It typically opens daily at 9:30 am, and the site lists a Night Market on Friday and Saturday evenings, so check the closing time on the official site. Its pages list no admission charge, and walking the sheds costs nothing. It is closed December 25.

6. St. Michael's Episcopal Church, downtown

St. Michael's Episcopal Church at 71 Broad Street opens its church and churchyard Monday through Thursday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, and is closed Friday and Saturday. It may close without notice for a funeral, wedding or other event. The church's site lists no admission fee or suggested donation, so call the office at 843-723-0603 if you want certainty. The church says self-guided tours are available whenever it is open to the public. See the church's visitor page.

7. Unitarian Church in Charleston churchyard, downtown

The churchyard at the Unitarian Church in Charleston, 4 Archdale Street, is listed as open Monday through Saturday, 10 AM to 2 PM. The church's page gives only donation links and no admission wording, so treat this as a quiet, donation-friendly stop and confirm on the church's site. The short window is the catch: plan your walk around it.

8. Daniel Island Waterfront Park, Daniel Island

Daniel Island Waterfront Park, at 101 River Landing on Daniel Island, is a City of Charleston park on the Wando River with a playground, riverfront trails and a fishing pier. The city's facility page lists no hours or fee. Daniel Island is inside the city limits, which surprises many visitors, since it feels like its own town.

Save this: a free day downtown

This route is a Monday-to-Thursday walk, because that is when St. Michael's is open. It stays on the peninsula and needs no car.

1. Start at Marion Square on Meeting Street. On a Saturday, the farmers market is there; on a weekday, just enjoy the open lawn.
2. Walk south on Meeting Street to the Charleston City Market and browse the sheds before the crowds.
3. Detour to the Unitarian Church churchyard on Archdale Street before 2 PM.
4. Continue to St. Michael's Episcopal Church on Broad Street before 4 PM.
5. Finish at White Point Garden, and watch the harbor toward Fort Sumter.

Add Hampton Park on a second day, and Angel Oak on a third. Both are a short drive from downtown and neither shares the route.

Is Fort Sumter free?

The fort itself has no entrance fee, but the ferry that takes you there is a paid ticket, so a visit is not free in practice. White Point Garden is the free alternative for harbor views.

Practical tips

• Parking is not covered by the fee-free status of any park. Check posted rates before you leave a car.
• For free music, markets and festivals, browse our events guide.
• Hot afternoons and floods happen: see our Charleston weather page before a long walk.
• Browse other neighborhoods on our areas page.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best free things to do in Charleston, SC?

Angel Oak on Johns Island, White Point Garden, Hampton Park, Marion Square and the Charleston City Market are good free options. Angel Oak is the one whose official city page explicitly states free admission. The others have official pages that list no admission fee.

Is Fort Sumter free?

The National Park Service does not charge an entrance fee to Fort Sumter, but you can only get there by a paid ferry. Ferry fees are not covered by annual passes or Fee Free Days.

Is Fort Moultrie free?

No, Fort Moultrie charges a site fee of $10 per adult, according to the National Park Service, except on its own listed free days. It is on Sullivan's Island, not in the City of Charleston.

Is the Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon free?

No. The Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon at 122 East Bay Street lists adult admission at $16 and children's admission at $12, with no free days listed on its site.

Is Angel Oak free to visit?

Yes. The City of Charleston says admission to Angel Oak is free to the general public, though donations are gladly accepted. It is at 3688 Angel Oak Road on Johns Island.

Is Drayton Hall free?

No. Drayton Hall lists its house tour at $30 per person online and $35 on site, and it lists no free days. It is typically closed on Tuesdays.