The Charleston Museum is grateful to Mr. Thomas Sandage, of Columbia, SC, who passed away in 2022, for a significant bequest he made for the Joseph Manigault House. Mr. Sandage had a love for South Carolina history, his favorite place was Charleston, and he held a great admiration for the Manigault House. We are honored to have had such a friend. These funds will be combined with other funds designated for the Museum’s historic houses and used for annual preservation maintenance projects at the Manigault House.

YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Explore “The Charleston Battery Scene," c. 1840 with Virginia Theerman, Curator of Historic Textiles at The Charleston Museum. This spectacularly unique work of figural textile art was likely made by Martha Cannon Webb Logan. The creative use of color, pattern, and skillful appliqué provides rich depth to the scenes of the seaport town. The multi-colored quilt panel provides insight into daily life of bustling nineteenth century Charleston, SC.

In conjunction with The Charleston Museum's 250th anniversary in 2023, the Museum will release a monthly video to highlight important objects in the collections. We invite you to check back with our channel monthly to explore each object with our curatorial staff.

YOUTUBE CHANNEL

TOURS

From Birds to Batteries
Saturday, April 22 | 9:30 - 11:30 AM

Representing the largest area of privately protected land on James Island, the Dill Sanctuary is a 580-acre wildlife refuge rich in historic features. A microcosm of Lowcountry cultural history and ecological diversity, it was the site of three plantations during the colonial and antebellum periods, which used enslaved labor to produce primarily food crops for the Charleston market. The property also contains four earthen Confederate fortifications that were part of the Civil War defenses of Charleston.

Join Chief of Collections, Jennifer McCormick, and Curator of Natural History, Matthew Gibson, with special guest, Dr. Walter B. Curry, Jr. for an in-depth tour of Fort (Battery) Pringle. Along the way, discover birds that call the Dill Sanctuary home and why the Sanctuary is an important stop along migration routes.

Dr. Curry is a direct descendant of Lavinia Corley Thompson, an enslaved cook who, at only 19, was forced to follow her enslaver, Private Samuel G. Webb, into the Confederate Army. They would eventually end up stationed at Battery Pringle in the fall of 1864 where she cooked and served meals. Curry will talk about Lavinia’s early life on the plantation in the Barnwell District, her time serving on the frontline feeding a poorly supplied group of soldiers, and what her life was like after the Civil War.

Please note: this walking tour will be approximately 1.5 miles and is an “off-road” location with steep inclines and unprepared terrain. Closed toed shoes are required. Walking shoes/boots are recommended.

Reservations required.
$40 Museum Members | $55 Non-Members
Register online or call 843.722.2996 ext. 235

In the Footsteps of Washington Walking Tour with Curator of History Chad Stewart
Tuesday, May 2 | 3:00 PM

Charleston was the longest stop of President George Washington's tour of the Southern states in the spring and summer of 1791. The nation's first president, still in his first term in office, spent a week here in early May of that year taking in the sights, attending functions, and coming face-to-face with the people of South Carolina in an age before mass communication.

Join Curator of History, Chad Stewart for a walking tour retracing the footsteps of George Washington, visiting sites associated with his visit to the Lowcountry. Tour participants will visit the Heyward Washington House, Washington's home base during his visit, where a sample of objects from the Museum's collection related to his visit will be on display in the Drawing Room. The group will tour St. Michael's Church to see where he worshiped in pew number 43, before taking a guided tour of the church's iconic steeple to view Charleston from above just as Washington did, taking in a "view of the city, harbor, rivers, and the adjacent country, with which he was much pleased.” Crossing Broad Street we will discuss the Exchange visible in the distance before our last stop, Charleston City Hall where guests will view the portrait of Washington by John Trumbull commissioned by the City to commemorate his visit.

Participants in this special access tour should be prepared for a strenuous climb, navigating tight spaces, and narrow staircase. The steeple climb will require participants to complete an insurance waiver for St. Michael's church prior to participation. Please dress comfortable and minimize excess baggage/belongings.

Space is limited. Reservations required.

$40 Museum Members | $55 Non-Members
Register online or call 843.722.2996 ext. 235.

WORKSHOP

Intro to Natural Dyeing Workshop with
Kristy Bishop
Saturday, April 29 | 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Charleston fiber artist, Kristy Bishop, will lead workshop participants through the exciting world of natural dyes. We are surrounded by plants that may seem ordinary, but with some knowledge they can yield the richest and most beautiful colors. Whether its onion skins or annatto seeds from the local grocer, goldenrod picked from a roadside, or a more exotic dyes such as indigo, cochineal or madder root that have been cultivated and traded worldwide, participants will learn how to extract color that is lightfast, permanent, and brilliant!

Participants will dye fabric samples of linen, silk, cotton gauze, and wool yarn and record results on dye recipe cards. We’ll learn about the fundamentals of dyeing using mordants and afterbaths and how these variables can alter the color of the dyed fabric. Participants will be able to dye a silk/wool blend 11” x 60” scarf after experimenting with their recipe fabric samples.

All materials and instruction provided in this workshop.

Space is limited. Reservations required.
$120 Museum Members | $150 Non-Members
Register online or call 843.722.2996 ext. 235

CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS

Homeschool History Day: World War II
Thursday, April 20
10:00 - 11:00 AM & 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Everybody did something. Join us as we learn all about World War II and the role people in Charleston played in helping the war effort. Plant your own victory garden, learn how to spot airplanes flying high above, and play a rationing game! Homeschool History Day programs feature a field trip experience, a chance to go through the Museum, and an educational activity.

Reservations required. Two sessions offered: 10 – 11 AM and 11 AM – 12 PM
$5 for Museum Member Students | $10 for Non-Member Students
Free for Museum Member Adults | $12 for Non-Member Adults
For more information: call 843-722-2996 ext. 236

CHILDREN EVENTS

MUSEUM BLOG

A False-Toothed Giant
The Charleston Museum has a vast collection of Lowcountry fossils which contains many rare one of a kind specimens. Several have been published as new species and are the focus of ongoing research. One of the most famous is the skeleton of Pelagornis sandersi, a giant bird that was discovered from an excavation at the Charleston Airport.

CURRENT EXHIBITS

America’s First Museum: 250 Years of Collecting, Preserving, and Educating Part 1

December 17, 2022 - June 4, 2023

Historic Textiles Gallery

A Historical Timeline of America's First Museum: 1773 - 2023

NOW ON VIEW

Lowcountry Image Gallery

UPCOMING EXHIBITS

Eliza Lucas Pinckney: A Legacy in Silk

May 13 - July 9, 2023

Loeblein Gallery of Charleston Silver

PERMANENT EXHIBITS

BUY TICKETS

COVID-19 Resources

Coronavirus Resource Guide Preppers Guide

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