Rainbow Row Tours

Rainbow Row featuring street scenes as well as a small group of people

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It was built from 1767-1771 as the Royal Exchange. The first cupola was damaged by a hurricane in the early 1800s, the second deteriorated before the Great Earthquake of 1886, and the third was not placed until 1981 when the building opened as a museum.

The structure has served as a customhouse, mercantile exchange and military prison and barracks. The building was badly damaged by Union artillery fire during the Civil War and the great earthquake of 1886; it was repaired after each occasion.

In 2012, a study was completed of the building's use as a British prison during the Revolutionary War. Soon after taking control of Charleston in 1780, the British started housing prisoners in the Exchange, but not exclusively in the "dungeon". The investigation was able to document at least 120 prisoners held in the Exchange, but there were many more whose identities could not be discovered. The facility was not exclusively used for Colonial prisoners, and at least some British soldiers were held there too.

Old Exchange Provost and Dungeon

You can find out about the history of Charleston with a stop at Old Exchange Provost and Dungeon. Wander the area's beautiful beaches or simply enjoy one of its lively bars.

Heyward-Washington House

Admire the architecture, historic furnishings and formal gardens of a Charleston home once owned by a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Old Slave Mart Museum

You can browse the exhibits at Old Slave Mart Museum, a museum with a storied past, during your travels to Charleston. Discover the area's shops, or seek out its local tours.

Pink House Gallery

You can browse the exhibits at Pink House Gallery, a museum with a storied past, during your travels to Charleston. Add the area's churches or shops to your travel plans.

Washington Square

Meet, mingle and move in this verdant park in the heart of downtown Charleston, a quiet retreat near several of the city’s top attractions.

The Dock Street Theatre is Charleston's last surviving hotel from the antebellum period. The silhouette of its wrought iron balcony against the spire of St. Philip's church may be the single most photographed spot in the city. The main portion of the building was constructed around 1809 as Planter's Hotel. The hotel was built by Alexander Calder and his wife, who did so by renovating several pre-existing buildings at the site. The main entrance may not have been built until 1855 by J.W. Gamble.

The hotel was used extensively by planters from the midlands of South Carolina, who traveled to Charleston during horse-racing season. It was noted for its wonderful food and drinks during this era, and the South's famous Planter's Punch may have originated here. Guests to the hotel passed through the recessed porch with brownstone columns, into the lobby, and up a grand staircase that ascended to a drawing room. While much of the interior has been altered, these elements of the antebellum hotel remain and were adapted in subsequent uses of the building. A series of additions to the hotel throughout the 19th and 20th centuries can be easily identified by differences in brick coloration.

This theater is said to have been the first building built specifically for theatrical performances in America. Planter's Hotel occasionally housed one of the city's theatrical troupes, which performed at the nearby New Theatre during the mid-19th century. The most notable actor of this troupe was Junius Brutus Booth. Booth was the patriarch of an outstanding family of actors, which included John Wilkes Booth, President Lincoln's assassin. Junius Booth, who stayed at the Planter's Hotel, allegedly tried to kill his manager here in 1838. Today the Dock Street Theatre is home to the Charleston Stage Company, South Carolina's largest professional theater production company, and houses the city's Cultural Affairs office as well as The City Gallery, an exhibition space for local artists.

Dock Street Theater

Enjoy a show at Dock Street Theater, a storied theater in Charleston. Discover the area's churches, or seek out its local tours.

Best Lodging Options Near Rainbow Row

The Francis Marion Hotel

387 King St, Charleston, SC

Emeline

181 Church St, Charleston, SC

The Ryder Hotel

237 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC

The Charleston Place

205 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC

Mills House Charleston, Curio Collection by Hilton

115 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC

Embassy Suites by Hilton Charleston Historic District

337 Meeting St, Charleston, SC

The Vendue

19 Vendue Range, Charleston, SC

The Restoration

75 Wentworth Street, Charleston, SC

Planters Inn

112 N Market St, Charleston, SC

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