We really enjoyed this state park! We came on a really hot day, so we opted to rent the bicycles. It was a great choice to see everything more quickly than walking and still enjoy the scenery. Many animals were no longer in the Animal Forest so thats why I rated 4 stars. The gift shop is super cute and the trees are majestic. It was like riding around in a fairytale scene but while sweating!

Local site for lots of history and it is on a nice, comfortable path that takes you around the park. You can bike or walk it and it is pet-friendly. Depending on when you go..., watch out for the spiders. Big ones!

Great photos can be had here. The site is great for whole family. Really enjoyed the visit here right on the river.

Great place for a date or to take your family. Excellent way to show visiting family the low country. Pick Nick areas, lots of walking/biking trails. Visit animals and experience the history of the settlers at your leisure.

Great outdoor place to relax and take a walk or bike ride. Plenty of paved walkways with enough room for pedestrians and bikes. Not many animals were out in the heat while we were there, but we really went for the walk.

Family fun in Charleston. The walk includes statues, historical markers and a zoo area. Free admission with your annual SC State Park pass.

I absolutely love this place and everything that it stands for! Beautiful landscaping and wonderful views. I do feel that their eagle needs a bigger habitat thou because he is a beautiful creature with no room to fly and be himself. Plz be humane and find it in your hearts to let that creature be himself more freely

This was a nice historical place to visit that is open to the public. It is filled with lots a wildlife naturally and in habitats. Abundant Nature trails, visitor center, Bird Sanctuary, gift shop, and beautiful flowers. The site is currently celebrating its 350th anniversary. This place is also filled with Pokemon stops and gyms.

Beautiful place! My son got married there yesterday! So so pretty! Great staff! Just a fabulous place to be all around

We get the annual pass every year and love it here. The views are awesome. The kids love the zoo.

Beautiful scenery and the animals that were out were active. The shorebirds enclosure allows you to get up close and personal, if you like birds lol. Plus, theres a chance youll see wild foxes and alligators. Grat place for a family outing or a date night and the staff are kind, patient, and helpful.

I love bring my kids here. Its rich in South Carolina history and has some animals for the kids to see. Ive only explored a small portion of what this place has to offer. Planning on making it an all day event once its not scorching hot outside.

We chose to tour Charles Towne and avoid the overpriced plantation tours. This was exactly what we were looking for. So much history and the grounds are beautiful!

Love going here on any nice day in Charleston. Especially love the otters in the small zoo. They also have a puma, bear, skunk, eagle, bobcat and wolf. They allow dogs which is an added perk. Bought the season pass which has a nice military discount and works at other state parks as well! They offer bike rentals. Parking is free and there is plenty of it.

Very neat park with lots to see, beautiful walking trails and the animals were an added bonus! Great value at only $12 per person

One of the most beautiful historic parks I have ever visited.

Great place to explore by foot or by bike. The perfect way to see history come alive. Beautiful place for photographs as well. There are many interesting and educational events offered here throughout the year. I love the ship and animal center.

I called to request an appointment for my 11 month old son. And I was highly disappointed that they decline to treat my son due to me declining vaccinations at this time.My thing is, what if I was a mother who wasn’t educated in vaccinations and they did treat him as a patient and they got a opportunity to educate me and help save his life.This world that we live in, if you don’t accept their terms you get declined. So sad.

Beauitful location. I enjoyed the historic nature trail more than the zoo. The forest zoo was a let down and the enclosures were not well kept. If you dont like spiders beware because you will see many throughout the zoo. Theyre marbled orb weaver spiders. Theyre not venomous just not fun to be around so many ...

Was nice to see where first settlers started in Charleston. Peaceful walk.

Fantastic park for young and old. Animals, history, gardens, alligators... you name it, this place has it. Really nice for a morning stroll with the kids. I would highly recommend this for an off the beaten path adventure in the Charleston area.

Very pretty spot with lots of historical interest. The interactive museum in the visitor center is excellent. My wife, an elementary school teacher, said it would be a great place for a field trip.

Beautiful live oaks! Lovely paths to walk and sights to see. Loved learning about the Legare-Waring house and getting to peek in the windows

One of my favorite places in the whole wide world.

Great local park. Beautiful place to walk and bring kids.

The most fun you can spend on a Saturday in Charleston! So much history and room to run around. The animals are also quite interesting!

I Learned so many new things about where Charleston truly started and enjoyed the hospitality from Beth & Chelsea. They were very friendly, knowledgeable, and easy to chat with.This is a great park for people of all ages! There is a very interesting inside exhibit and a beautiful outdoor park filled with history.

I absolutely LOVE Charles Towne Landing. As the original settlement landing that later became Charleston, I love the historic aspect. Being a state park makes entry more affordable than many of the other historic plantations along the Ashley River. But best of all, the staff is super friendly and nice to work with. I photograph a lot of weddings, proposals, engagement, bridal, and family sessions in this picturesque park...and it never fails to inspire creativity with its scenic low-country backdrops!

This is an amazing place to bring the family. If you have a pass you get in free. Kids 5 and under are free! Animal zoo with deer, bears, and various other animals.

Self guided tour of the old colony site was fun and interesting with the provided audio player. The park employees staffing the vessel docked on the creek are incredibly knowledgeable and great at story telling.

Awesome experience. The Park is perfect for a little stroll and at the same time, there is a lot that can be learned there, as well. My Personal Highlight? The Ketsch / Ketch at the Dock...

Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site is a great state park and an unique way to experience history and South Carolina. I like all of the features and activities that the park has to offer and there is enough to keep you interested all day. The park is well managed and maintained throughout. I have been coming here from ever since I could remember and have had fun here each time. Charles Towne Landing is awesome.

Peaceful and educational. Good for kids and bike riding.

Very well kept and beautiful grounds. A lot of historic information about the area and about the indigenous people inhabiting the land. Also a pretty impressive zoo area with a bunch of interesting and fun animals to look at. My personal favorite is the birdcage you can just walk in and see stunningly beautiful birds. Miles of trails to walk/run and a really nice visitor center. Highly recommended. I’ve gone many times and loved every visit.

A wonderful place to spend time with the family and friends...

First, if you have a SC state park pass, you and your family/group get in free. You will just need to bring it in the visitor center. Speaking of which, the visitor center is a beautiful building, built on a pond with a massive glass outer wall, and a neat museum, shop, and rents bikes. You can also borrow a wagon (FREE) to help carry your stuff/kids.Our group consisted of my wife and I, my in-laws, and our 3 kids (4, 2, and 2 months). We all really enjoyed this place, as there was something for everyone. The kids particularly enjoyed the animal forest. The exhibits are set up so that you can almost always see the animals very close up. My favorite was the ship. It was fun and interesting to walk around and inside. However, what really made it special was the “captain” who answered questions about the ship. He interacted really well with our kids and showed them how to steer the ship and work the pump, yet was also very knowledgeable and able to answer a variety of questions that we had about the vessel and it’s uses and various parts.Fair warning, there is a good bit of walking, though it is very stroller friendly. Also, since this is in South Carolina, if you go in the summer (which is 11 months of the year here) it is going to be hot. Come prepared for that.

My wife and I visited Charles Towne Landing while in Charleston with our dog. The grounds are absolutely beautiful with live oaks draped in Spanish Moss. The site is the location of the first English settlement in what is now South Carolina. Lots of historical exhibits and ongoing archaeological work. The Adventure ship is a replica of a cargo ship from the time that visitors can check out. The Animal Forest is a small zoo with animals native to the area at the time of settlement. Dogs arent allowed so we took turns going through. Its a really beautiful and historic site and a must-see if visiting Charleston.

Growing up here, I spent a lot of time in the park. When I got married, my wife worked in the animal forest. Now that we live away from the area, it was fun bringing my 4 kids to visit. Been 10 years since visiting. This place has grown and evolved and such a spectacular location to explore the history of this area.

Very beautiful place to spend a day with your family and kids. It is nice to know the history a bit.

Really enjoyed this place with my wife and 20 month old. Wish we had come here before Middleton otherwise we wouldn’t have done Middleton. Lots of history.

Last time I visited this site, I was in elementary school. Took my kids out there and they enjoyed it as well.

Beautiful historical place. Great place to take family photos.

This is a super cute place to take the family. The grounds are well kept and so are all of the restrooms. The little zoo is cute. My kiddos loved it. There are lots of historical elements to this park as well. We loved the little ship and the employees are friendly and knowledgeable. There are lots of bugs so we will remember to bring bug spray on the next visit.

A beautiful, quiet state park in the middle of the Charleston area with history, walking trails, and a small zoo. We love visiting just for the fresh air and the natural beauty.

I have been going here since I was a child. I love the trails and gardens. The animal area is really neat too. The pirate ship used to be my favorite as a child. So many nice spots to sit and relax, bike or walk through. It is such a beautiful place. I have been to two weddings here as well in Founders Hall, which were both lovely. Always a nice place to visit, and will continue to keep coming back.

Absolutely BEAUTIFUL and quiet. A perfect place for a walk and nature splendor.

Cool place to visit!

This is a great park to ride bikes in and bring the family for a picnic.

This is a neat place for an afternoon with family. My kids enjoyed the animal exhibits and the replica ketch (sailing ship). We walked halfway, and took the free shuttle for the remainder. Our shuttle driver went out of his way to show us the wedding venue and gardens nearby, and to provide some additional interpretation.

On Sunday, Jul. 21st, My husband and I visited Charles Towne Landing. I have several lung conditions and usually don’t do these type of activities. However, I felt great and decided to try it. After going around the settlement and coming to the ship hull and restoration ship, I had a serious asthma attack. Fortunately, I had my rescue inhaler and used it. Because of the heat and my age (76), I was overcome by the heat and thought I was having a heat stroke. About that time, along came Tyler, an employee who could see I was in distress and immediately took me back to the office. I wanted to let the management know as I truly believe, I was on the verge of a serious and maybe deadly, considering my overall health problems, if he had not intervened. I thank him from the bottom of my heart and this old lady will start staying in air conditioning. Thanks Tyler

Took my daughter there one time, not sure if she really liked it that much. I did feel like they didnt have much to look at. They need more animals there.

My 16 month old daughter loves this place. She starts asking to see the bear the second we arrive. There is a zoo with native animals. My wife and I enjoyed the museum. The boat has been redone and it is very interesting because you can climb aboard. There are also great walking and biking paths. A full-size replica of the town is also very neat. You cant go wrong here.

A nice historic site to enjoy with family.

I like wandering on that path through the woods with all the fences. I saw an otter. Question for the park management: Did you know there is a bear in one of those fenced-in areas?

We visited this place to take professional pictures but at the same time we took a tour of this beautiful park with a wonderful volunteer named Dan he was super nice and informative. He really knew about the history of this park he made us feel welcomed. I also want to thank him and the park for being so accommodating to my husband who is disabled to help him enjoy the park without the need to make him walk.

What a wonderful location!Charles Towne Landing is what locals call the birthplace of South Carolina.Come and enjoy being part of the place where history started. Take a tour on a replica of the Adventure, the boat that brought a group of earearly English settlers to this part of America in 1670.Enjoy clean, blooming nature and talk to lovely interpreters that will share their knowledge about century old history with you in an entertaining way. Youll love it!We at PHILS WORLD TRAVEL recommend a tour of Charles Town Landing to all our customers visiting Charleston.

We enjoyed our visit w/ my very active 7-year old. I’d have enjoyed spending more time on the interactive display in the Visitor Center, but we rushed through it. We rented the tandem bike ($15/hr; $5/hr. for normal bikes, incl. helmets). If you’re pressed for time, this is a great way to cover a lot of territory. We saw a turtle, an alligator, a blue heron, snowy egrets. The trading vessel was away for maintenance. There was a carpenter in period dress and wood carving in the indentured servant cabin. We didn’t see much of the “animal forest,” just the red wolf & shore birds; this area felt like it could use a refresh. We also didn’t see the Legare Waring House (which apparently is used for celebrations). There was a nice picnic area in the visitors building, clean restrooms, a gift shop. I feel like for the admission ($10/adult; $6 youth), it was worth it (it’s a big operation). I’m glad we went. If you’re into nature, birdwatching or history, you’d definitely enjoy this visit.

On a day trip in the area, glad i checked it out. A++

I thought this place was mostly excellent. There are neat old buildings and replicas as well as people dressed up in period pieces. The grounds were beautiful to explore as well. I learned a lot about the history of Charleston. The zoo area kinda didnt hit the spot for me though. Seems like some of those animals would be pretty miserable in the summer months in their enclosures.

If you don’t have anything to do on a gorgeous day, go here! The grounds are well kept and the entire site is clean. They give you a map of the roads and exhibits when you pay and you can take your time and visit what you want to see. Dog friendly and there are water fountains throughout the park to keep your pup hydrated.

Absolutely beautiful! Cost us $20 to get in since both our children are under five. It was money well spent. We ended up staying all day. The animal exhibit had quite the variety and was well kept. The historical site was great. The highlight was being able to board an old ship.

Excellent park for history and nature. The different areas are well laid out, and volunteers do an exceptional job!

Great place to see some history and scenery. There are bikes for rent. Zoo is nice but the animals were being shy the day I went so we did not see most of them. Previous visit, they were all saying hi. Such is life. Animals seemed content and healthy. Good amount of walking, but paths are well kept and stroller/handicap friendly if required.

This sprawling historic site offers a lot to do, from tours that display early-colonial life, to a miniature zoo (animals are full-size), to biking trails. We accidentally spent a whole day here, having planned to stay only a few hours. Its the only State Parks site to which weve been able to take my mother, who has bad knees.

It was wonderful my grandkids lobed it

One of our favorite Charleston locations to spend time at. Reasonably priced admission per vehicle and very well kept.

Always nice to visit. Annual pass well worth it. Small zoo, animals are active in the evening.

Super funplace to go with the kids!

This is a GREAT place to explore Charleston history. Did you know there is a beautiful small zoo there? The staff is great, too.

I love walking the trails around Charles Towne Landing. Its a great, fun, inexpensive way to spend a few hours and senior citizens(65 and over) get in half price.

Very different than when I was younger. Old park was torn down and they built a more historically accurate sight. Had a small wildlife forest, recreated common house, ship that you can board with interpreter to give information. Tram ride for when you are tired of walking and very nice people. You can rent bicycles to travel the park as well. Great experience!

Nice people

One of our favorite places in the Lowcountry. Great for the family - the kids love the Animal Forest and The Adventure, a replica trading ship docked on Old Towne Creek that you can climb aboard and explore. Walk meandering paths and enjoy Mrs Warings lovely garden. Its also a great place to host an event with the Legare-Waring house and the Founders Hall venues located on property.

Very beautiful and cozy natural park with a lot of interesting history. Also a great park for bike riders!

Its a wonderful place to visit as a guest or a volunteer! I have so much fun dressing in period clothes to demonstrate colonial life every month! Everyone is very friendly and its a chance to do things you might not otherwise have a chance to do.

So much nostalgia but always a great day trip for just about anything.

Great place to immerse yourself in the early history of this region! The staff are extremely friendly, knowledgeable and helpful throughout the park. Plan for lots of walking among beautiful oaks and allow several hours to take it all in. The animal area includes species native to this region in the early days so warn your kids not to expect elephants and zebras....but with some patience expect a red wolf, bison, puma,bear, otters, elk and many others.

Nice to visit but too pricy and touristy for us to visit. I wish!

Okay. Animal enclosure is not the best. A tremendous amount of walking or bike riding. Points of interest are extremely spread out.

We had a blast last year visiting the animals, learning some history, and riding bikes that we rented with our 5 kids! The grounds are absolutely beautiful and the staff was very friendly and helpful! The oak trees were magnificent!

An excellent place for an afternoon stroll or a great stop for tourist and locals. Lots of shade and flowering gardens. Mighty old oaks and mossy oak. Lots of natural birds and wilflife. There is an animal forest zoo exhibit to show which animals were around with the first settlers of the charleston area. As well as a museum at the visitors center, a ketch boat you can board and ask about from an interpetor, and a common house.

The site was fantastic. We learned alot and had fun interacting with the exhibits. Its a nice walk with plenty of pic opportunities. We did not get to see the house as they were prepping for a wedding. The gift shop had reasonable priced snacks and drinks.

We were looking for fun things to do with our yorkie while we were in Charleston and we this was hands down the best place we visited with him. Plenty of paved walking trails and some nice nature trails as well as some historic sites. Dogs cant enter the visitors center-there is a sign near the entrance to tell you- (although I saw a couple of people take theirs in without any problem) and no dogs in the animal area. Even so, we walked about 10,000 steps while we were there. Our dog loved it! I saw a couple of restrooms that are accessible from outside as were water fountains. The staff was super friendly and everything was clean and well cared for. This definitely gets 5 stars from us.

Been going here since I was 11 years old. Used to have the old bike pass. Lots of changes after Hugo, not all good. Took out the snack bar and the old gift shop. Demolished the movie theater for no good reason and tore down the geodesic dome mostly to tick off the locals. Well that guy is gone and the new facility is grand. The boardwalk through the marsh and the improved interpretive sites are good additions. The canon crews demo, the musket demo, the original palisade archeology site and the palisade reconstruction are greatweekend offerings. Also, so glad that the animal forest was resurrected, rebuilt and reimagined to included the current offerings. The new museum is far better than the old and does a better job of interpreting the history. They keep doing things to reduce the publics opportunity to use the park as a park and focus solely on the historic site aspect. Unless you have big bucks to rent one the dedicated facilities. Oh well the constant is change and it has been mostly for good if not always better. Overall a great place for anybody to learn, have fun and relax. With good views of Charleston and an occasional dolphin fishing in the shallows of the creek.

A beautiful place with nature, history, native American culture and an animal forest where you can view otters, puma, bison and bear in their habitat. Large, mature live oak trees dating back hundreds of years are awe inspiring.

My first visit was by motorcycle many years ago. The steel grate bridges induced a severe pucker factor! Charleston is a lovely place...

Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site sits on a marshy point, located off the Ashley River, where a group of English settlers landed in 1670 and established what would become the birthplace of the Carolina colony. Charles Towne Landing introduces visitors to the earliest colonial history of Charleston. Interact with hands-on exhibits in the Visitor Center, talk to knowledgeable staff members, and take an audio tour on the self-guided history trail.Guests can step aboard and tour the Adventure, Charlestons only 17th-century replica sailing ship, see cannons fired, or take a peek at otters, bears, bison and more at the Animal Forest natural habitat zoo. The grounds also include 80 acres of gardens, with an elegant live oak alley and the Legare Waring House. One of Charleston’s favorite sites for weddings and other special gatherings, the Legare Waring House combines historic charm with unique and flexible space—come see it for yourself!

If youre visiting Charleston then you definitely have to visit the original site of the first Charles Town settlement. The grounds are massive and contain a wide variety of things to do and see including a small zoo, replicas of homes and an actual ship meant to demonstrate how they moved goods up and down the rivers and out to the Caribbean. Its beautiful out there to boot.

Great place to visit. Very large gardens, ponds with turtles, lots of paths and a really good local anamals zoo.

Great place to take the kids for an actual visual on history relics. Plan a moment of serenity as you take in the beauty of the magnificent trees and landscape that has survived the powerful hurricanes of yesteryear. One can only stand in awe and revel in the magestic magic.

Very nice place to visit.. There are several nature trails so please dress comfortably and wear comfortable walking shoes.. I went last summer and it was really hot so you will need to bring plenty of water to keep hydrated...Take a camera to take great photos of the animals and scenery...The have a gift shop to pick up souvenirs also.

If youre on vacation or a local looking to relax, come here. Beautiful views of the marsh and downtown. They have a museum if you want to meander around and a section full of animals; entertaining for children. They also rent bikes here. Ive spent alot of time here just hanging out on a bench reading a book. $10 is more than fair for admission here.

Always beautiful staff is friendly and it never gets old

The baby skunks were so cute ^_^

Not great

Great place to take the family. Love the history, reenactments, cannon firing. Has a great animal park/zoo as well.

Family favorite!

Just got married there. Julie showed us the place she gave me all the recommendations for vendors and they were all the most amazing people I have ever met. Truly what a joy. Thank you Julie and Lee for leading us up to the event. And thank you to the event managers that evening making sure things were running smoothly :)Andrea and Luke Robertson

This is a huge state park. Ive visited almost a handful of times, and I dont think Ive seen everything yet. There are a good number of animals you go and see... like a mini zoo but bigger than you might think. Invest in the SC State Park pass so you can visit as much as you like during the year.

Good slice of history to visit