7 Prettiest Main Streetscapes In South Carolina
A good main street can hold your attention for a whole afternoon. Beaufort offers a two-mile walking tour past antebellum mansions under mossy oaks. Georgetown keeps boutiques and small museums along Front Street beside the Sampit River. Bluffton shows local paintings in the galleries of Calhoun Street's arts district. Camden fills Broad Street with pottery studios and antique markets in old brick storefronts. Walterboro still has a working soda fountain inside a pharmacy from the 1960s. These are seven of the prettiest main streetscapes in South Carolina.
Beaufort
Beaufort's historic downtown is so walkable that the town offers a nearly two-mile self-guided tour and has maps available to follow at the Beaufort Visitor Center, located in The Arsenal. The Arsenal building dates back to 1798 and also houses the Beaufort History Museum, so it is worth a tour in itself. The tour passes by those beautiful antebellum mansions that the town is so well known for, sitting stately beneath oak trees covered in Spanish moss. Other landmarks along the way include the John Mark Verdier House Museum, housed in a home built in 1804, and a scenic waterfront park. Top the day off with an elevated southern-inspired dinner at the Breakwater Restaurant & Bar.
Georgetown
Front Street is located in Georgetown's historic downtown area and serves as its "main street." It runs along the waterfront of the Sampit River and is lined with little boutiques for shopping, restaurants, and even a few museums. The Kaminski House, which dates back to 1769, provides a representation of what life in the lowcountry of South Carolina looked like from the 18th century through the Second World War. The South Carolina Maritime Museum tells the stories of the state's nautical history and offers free admission. Before stopping there, be sure to visit the Georgetown Marketplace for a truly local shopping experience. Just down the street from the maritime museum, about a two-minute walk away, stop at 631 Frank's on Front for waterfront views and fresh seafood.
Bluffton
There is a reason more than a handful of famous people live in the town of Bluffton. In fact, there are several. Its Old Town combines an active art scene with preserved history, lowcountry gastronomic experiences with a modern twist, and coastal character in a diverse natural setting. An ideal tour of Bluffton begins with a stop at the 1841 Heyward House, which now houses the welcome center. From there, stroll down Calhoun Street's Arts District to visit places like the May River Gallery or the La Petite Gallerie for local art. Then savor regional flavors sourced from local farmers and fishermen at FARM, and experience nature in Bluffton by booking a dolphin tour with May River Excursions.
Camden
Camden's downtown area is referred to as the "Cultural District," and it is easy to see why. All along Broad Street and in the general downtown area, you'll find culture on display in the 19th-century brick buildings and awning-covered storefronts. Paint your own piece of pottery at Dodo-n-Jeans Pottery Studio on Broad Street. Visit Sterling Fox Antiques or the Camden Antiques Market for a piece of history to take home with you. And end the day with a locally brewed beer at Greener Pastures Brewing Co. before heading over to B. Colson's Steak, Seafood & Bourbon to indulge in a delicious steak or fresh seafood.
Conway
Conway's walkable downtown makes the town worth a visit, and its historic character along Main Street is what makes it one of the prettiest main streetscapes in South Carolina. Historic oak trees canopy brick buildings that house unique shops and restaurants. That is what you will find in Conway. Take a picture with the Hanging Oak, one of several protected historic oak trees in the town. See a show at the Theatre of the Republic, which has been entertaining locals and visitors since 1969. Then stroll along the one-and-a-half-mile Conway Riverwalk that begins at Main Street. Stay at The Cypress Inn for easy access to the historic downtown area and an award-winning breakfast.
Abbeville
The town of Abbeville makes it easy to explore its historic Main Street and downtown area. The town has recently developed a new walking tour complete with stop numbers and signs with QR codes that can be scanned to learn the history and significance of each stop. Maps can be picked up at one of several locations, including the Welcome Center and City Hall. One of the stops on the tour is the historic Abbeville Opera House, which was established in 1908. Visit Indigenous Underground for eclectic southern cuisine with many regionally sourced ingredients and, on every first Friday, live music. And for a little rest and relaxation with a historical element added to it, stay at the famous Belmont Inn, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Walterboro
East Washington Street serves as the town of Walterboro's main street in the downtown area, and along it sit small boutique shops, antique stores, locally owned restaurants, and even a vintage soda fountain, at Hiott's Pharmacy, that has been in operation since 1969. The South Carolina Artisans Center is the go-to for handcrafted art from South Carolina artists. The first Thursday of every month is the perfect time to visit downtown Walterboro. On this day each month, you can watch live music at Waterfall Plaza and mingle with the locals while seeing what the shops, restaurants, and antique stores have to offer. Be sure to stop into Main Street Grille to refuel after a day of sightseeing in downtown Walterboro.
Where the Story of a Town Gets Told
A main street is more than the shops and restaurants along it. Its buildings, oaks, and storefronts record how a town grew and who built it there. Abbeville marks that history with QR-coded signs on its walking tour, while Conway keeps its story under protected oaks along the Riverwalk. In Walterboro, the record sits in a soda fountain that locals have used for more than fifty years. Spend an afternoon on foot in any of these towns and the history reads clearly.
