10 Quirky Little Towns In South Carolina

With its gorgeous flowers, moss-draped live oaks, mouthwatering barbecue, and famously warm hospitality, South Carolina might not seem like the place to surprise you with eerie stories and unusual landmarks. Yet from the Stumphouse Mountain Tunnel, carved more than a mile into the mountainside, to tales of ghosts warning residents about coming hurricanes, several small towns hold more mystery than you might expect. Here are ten of the most wonderfully weird little towns in South Carolina.

Ridgeway

Ridgeway is a calm, small-town escape in the South Carolina Midlands with a carefully preserved historic district and a quirky personality. It is home to both the largest barbecue cook-off in the state and the smallest police station in the world. The tiny hut on Highway 21 that once served as the town’s police station is no longer used for law enforcement, however. Since 1990, it has functioned as a visitor kiosk and historic landmark, while the town’s police department now operates from a different building nearby.

As for the cookoff, Pig on the Ridge, the town’s major annual event, takes place the first weekend of November and celebrates barbecue in a big way, with a block party, craft vendors, and, of course, lots of great food. For dining the rest of the year, Sarah N’ Geo's is a popular pizza spot, while Olde Town Hall Restaurant & Pub serves American classics and comfort food in the town's former jail.

Walhalla

Walhalla sits on a ridge at the base of Stumphouse Mountain and serves as a gateway to the Blue Ridge Mountains. According to locals, drivers sometimes encounter a pale, expressionless man in a black raincoat and muddy boots who asks for a ride between Moody Springs and a nearby overlook. Residents believe he is the spirit of a pilot who crashed in a storm during the 1950s.

Before you go searching for the Walhalla hitchhiker, explore Stumphouse Tunnel, an unfinished 1850s mountain tunnel, and the nearby trail that leads to Issaqueena Falls. Walhalla is also the beginning (or end) of the Palmetto Trail, a series of hiking and biking trails that span 500 miles across South Carolina. As for food, you can't go wrong with house-made burgers and local craft beer at the Garage On Main.

Latta

Latta has a chilling tale about a man named Bingham who was fatally struck by a train while walking along the tracks. Locals claim a flickering white or blue glow often appears near Dillon, sometimes accompanied by what people describe as a blood-stained smile. The town also features a giant wooden press built around 1798, which may be the oldest of its kind in the world.

Start your morning with a home-cooked breakfast at A&B Country Kitchen, a former gas station turned diner. Afterward, head to Little Pee Dee State Park for fishing and boating on Lake Norton or peaceful walks along the shoreline. You can also spend time at Latta Veterans’ Memorial Park, a relaxing green space with a dose of local history.

Walterboro

Although an architectural oddity with an interesting history contributes to Walterboro’s “weird” character, this town also exudes deep Southern charm, thanks to quiet streets lined with historic antebellum homes. The town’s skyline is dominated by the Walterboro Water Tower, a 133-foot-tall standpipe that once housed several small jail cells. These cells reportedly also provided sleeping space for stranded travelers in earlier decades.

On a more serious note, the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial offers interesting facts about the Second World War in a site that was once POW camp and base hospital, and the Colleton County Museum explores and celebrates the region's agricultural history. Meanwhile, Bucky's Seafood & Deep Southern Cooking is deliciously true to its name.

Gaffney

It would be normal for anyone to expect to see several peaches in Gaffney, especially because the small town is touted as the “Peach Capital of South Carolina.” Although this rural beauty contains thousands of peaches, some of which you can sample at places like Abbott Farms (It is a must-stop on I-85), one of them is abnormally huge and is reputed to be the record-holder for the world’s largest peach. The conspicuous fruit is 135 feet tall, with a sphere at the top sculpted to resemble a gigantic peach. Although it is known as the Gaffney Peachoid, it is actually a water tower.

If you can, experience Gaffney’s “peachy” side during its annual South Carolina Peach Festival, a local favorite held each July for over 50 years, featuring rides, games, and lots of food vendors. Meanwhile, the Cherokee County Museum has an eclectic range of displays and exhibits about the town's agricultural history, and Osaka Sushi & Steakhouse boasts a diverse menu that includes fresh rolls and tables with hibachi grills.

Fort Mill

Fort Mill is home to The Upper Room Chapel. It was built as part of the Heritage USA complex and was designed as an identical replica of the real Upper Room in Jerusalem, which is believed to be the site of the Last Supper. Heritage USA was once the third-largest amusement park in the United States, behind Walt Disney World in Florida and California's Disneyland, but after several financial scandals involving developer and televangelist Jim Bakker, the park shut down. The abandoned 21-story Heritage USA Hotel, now empty and looming over the landscape, remains a strange and haunting sight.

Start with fresh pastries at Poppyseed Kitchen, a cozy cafe on Tom Hall Street, then stretch your legs at Walter Y. Elisha Park, a 12-acre community park featuring a short walking trail, playgrounds, and even fitness stations for a quick workout. History buffs can also check out the Fort Mill History Museum, where exhibits and artifacts trace the region's past from Native American settlement through the colonial era, textile-mill boom, and more recent developments.

Bishopville

Bishopville is famous for the first reported sighting of the Lizard Man. According to the story, a young man heading home from work blew a tire near Scape Ore Swamp. While checking the damage, he heard footsteps approaching. Moments later, he saw a towering creature with green scales, red eyes, and three toes on each foot. The sighting made headlines around the world. To keep the story of the Lizard Man alive, Bishopville organizes a unique festival called the Lizard Man Stomp, which features food, live music, and art and crafts.

Outdoor venues in and around Bishopville include Lee State Park, a 2,800-acre preserve along the Lynches River with trails and boardwalks for birdwatching and wildlife spotting, and the Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden, a unique 3-acre garden where self-taught artist Pearl Fryar created more than 300 imaginative topiary sculptures that draw visitors from around the world.

Irmo

Irmo made headlines in 2024 when a large snake was found blocking the door of its post office, but that's not the only quirky thing about this town. It is also home to the Okra Strut, a long-running festival born in the early 1970s as a fundraiser to build a community library. What began as a small arts-and-craft fair has grown into a two-day celebration featuring live music, a big Saturday parade, amusement rides, arts and crafts, and a wide variety of food vendors. Each year, thousands attend, and proceeds go toward supporting local civic groups, schools, and public-space improvements.

If you aren't able to make it to the festival, you can still relish a plate of fried okra at Roy's Grille, then head over to Frankie's Fun Park for mini-golf, arcades, and go-karts. Moore Park is another local favorite, featuring a serene outdoor space with walking trails, a playground, an amphitheater, and a small pond.

Ninety Six

What's in a name? For the town of Ninety Six, nobody is completely certain; however, the most widely-believed theory about the origins of the unique name is that it refers to the approximate distance between the town and the Cherokee village of Keowee, though today we know that this distance is actually much shorter. When in the area, pass by the Ninety Six National Historic Site, which features a well-preserved battlefield from the Revolutionary War and interesting stories about the town’s early years. After this, grab some roasted pecans at the 96 Pecan Company, then walk along the lakeshore or cast a line in the swoon-worthy Lake Greenwood State Park.

Pawleys Island

Pawleys Island is known for the Gray Man, a cloaked figure said to appear on the beach before hurricanes. Locals believe his arrival is a warning to leave the island before a major storm hits. The legend dates back to the early 1800s, when a young man traveling from Charleston became trapped in the mud while riding to Pawleys Island and died. His grieving fiancée later encountered his spirit on the beach, dressed in gray, urging her to flee. A storm arrived soon after.

When in the area, check out the Brookgreen Garden, a 9,100-acre oasis that includes a sculpture park and a zoo, or zip along the Waccamaw Neck Bikeway to Murrell's Inlet, or enjoy fresh oysters amid stunning water views at Tide to Table. If spending the night, stay at the Pelican Inn, where rumor has it you may just have an eyeball-to-eyeball encounter with Gray Man.

So, while South Carolina may be filled with peaceful, friendly towns, beneath the surface lies a fascinating world of unusual festivals, lingering spirits, mysterious landmarks, and forgotten ruins. Spend a little extra time exploring, and you will discover a side of the state that is surprising, eerie, and wildly unforgettable.