South Carolina State Museum

South Carolina State Museum The South Carolina State Museum is a state-of-the-art facility featuring four floors of SC history. The museum has health and safety measures in place.
(3755)

Please visit the museum's website for more information at http://scmuseum.org/visit/hours-admission/

Some of the sights from our previous Artist Talk that featured Corey and Corren Alston! Guests had the opportunity to he...
06/02/2026

Some of the sights from our previous Artist Talk that featured Corey and Corren Alston!

Guests had the opportunity to hear from these fifth and sixth-generation sweetgrass basket weavers as they shared their family's artistic legacy, the importance of preserving Gullah Geechee traditions, and their goal of carrying this meaningful craft into the future.

Visitors also explored Corey Alston's powerful work, "Big Percy, currently on view at the Museum, and learned more about the generations of artistry behind sweetgrass basket weaving in South Carolina.

Thank you to every who attended and helped celebrate this rich cultural tradition with us!

Our next Artist Talk will be with nationally recognized illustrator and comic book artist Sanford Greene on 6/19!

Corey Alston Gullah Sweetgrass Baskets

Harvesting Heritage is more than a good meal and engaging conversation. ✨Each event brings together incredible food, mea...
06/01/2026

Harvesting Heritage is more than a good meal and engaging conversation. ✨

Each event brings together incredible food, meaningful discussion, music, community, specialty drinks, and hand-selected objects from the Museum’s collection to create an experience that celebrates the rich history and creativity of Black foodways in South Carolina.

See for yourself at Harvesting Heritage: Voices from the Mosquito Fleet. 🌊
📅 Saturday, June 6
⏰ 6:30 p.m. (discussion starts)
📍 301 Gervais Street, Columbia, SC
🔗 More info + tickets: https://scmuseum.org/events/harvesting-heritage-voices-mosquito-fleet

05/31/2026

Dr. Scott Persons, Curator of Natural History, and Eddy Armstrong, Collections Digitization Assistant, are currently on a three-week expedition through the Wyoming badlands. 🔎

In partnership with the Glenrock Paleontological Museum, the team is searching for fossils and uncovering clues about the prehistoric animals that once lived across a variety of ancient ecosystems. 🦴

Follow along as we share updates, discoveries, and behind-the-scenes moments from the field! 👀

05/30/2026

🎉 Our Summer Curator Talk Series is back!

Join us every Friday this summer as our curators bring out favorite treasures from the collection — from hidden gems in storage to fascinating objects currently on exhibit — and share the stories, traditions, and histories behind them.

We’re kicking things off on Friday, June 5th with Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs Paul Matheny for a special “Stump the Curator” edition! 🏺🎨

Paul and our Director of Collections will pull mystery objects from our art collection to see if he can identify them all… or if he’ll be stumped. 👀

You won’t want to miss the surprises, the stories, and the fun all summer long!

📅 Friday, June 5

05/29/2026

Did you know the next full moon is both a Blue Moon and a Micro Moon? 🌑

Join SCSM Observatory Manager Matthew Whitehouse as he takes us on a closer look at the Moon through the Boeing Observatory telescope. From ancient impact craters to dark lava plains, called Maria, there's so much to discover 🔭✨

On May 31, look up for this rare lunar event:
• A Blue Moon - the second full moon in a calendar month
• A Micro Moon - a full moon occurring when the Moon is farthest from Earth, making it appear slightly smaller in the sky

It may not look dramatically different, but it's the perfect excuse to spend some time moon hunting!

Harvesting Heritage: Voices from the Mosquito Fleet - Panelist Spotlight! 👇 🔹Tia Clark - A Charleston, South Carolina na...
05/28/2026

Harvesting Heritage: Voices from the Mosquito Fleet - Panelist Spotlight! 👇

🔹Tia Clark - A Charleston, South Carolina native and food and beverage veteran who started Casual Crabbing with Tia in 2017 when health problems led her to make an overhaul of her diet and lifestyle. She now hosts an Airbnb Experience, "Let's Go Crabbing," recognized as one of Airbnb’s best in the world.
🔹Chef Amethyst Ganaway - Specializing in Southern and African American foodways and the foodways of the African Diaspora. She uses her position as a chef and food writer to tell the stories of the region’s history, culture, art, cuisine, and environment.
🔹Bill "Cubby" Wilder - Mr. Wilder was born in Charleston in 1940 and perhaps more than anyone else, has championed the revitalization of Mosquito Beach and has safeguarded its history.

🎤 Join us on June 6 to hear from our panelists and enjoy a fish fry from Chef Reggie Miller of Miller Cuisine,LLC , red rice from Chef Amethyst Ganaway, and handcrafted cocktails from Will Green!

🎟️ Get your tickets today - https://scmuseum.org/events/harvesting-heritage-voices-mosquito-fleet

In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we’re highlighting renowned photographer and educator Sam Wang, whose...
05/27/2026

In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we’re highlighting renowned photographer and educator Sam Wang, whose work and dedication to sharing his knowledge have left a lasting impact on generations of artists, students and creatives. 📸

After earning his MFA in photography from the University of Iowa in 1966, Wang went on to teach at Clemson University for 40 years, where he introduced photography and co-founded the university’s digital animation program. Following a sabbatical teaching at Nanjing University of the Arts in 2003, he continued traveling, lecturing and publishing internationally, particularly throughout China.

In recognition of his impact on the arts in South Carolina, Wang received the Elizabeth Verner / South Carolina Governor’s Award for the Arts in 2012. We’re proud to have several of his works in the Museum’s collection, including pieces currently on view in From the Vault: South Carolina Art from the Museum’s Collection in the Lipscomb Art Gallery.

📸 Sam Wang. "Winston Wingo in His Spartanburg Studio" c. 2008. Gift of the Medical University of South Carolina. SC2008.7.53
📸 Sam Wang. "John and Peggy Acorn in John's Pendleton Studio" c. 2008. Gift of the Medical University of South Carolina. SC2008.7.45

“Planting South Carolina Roots” is a native garden and community seed initiative in partnership with The Riley Institute...
05/26/2026

“Planting South Carolina Roots” is a native garden and community seed initiative in partnership with The Riley Institute at Furman DLI Midlands Cohort. 🌱

This weekend, with support from the South Carolina Wildlife Federation, we’ll begin planting our Carolina Fence Garden right outside the Museum. The garden will feature native plant species that support essential habitats while also creating new educational opportunities for guests and the community.

We’re excited to share this project and highlight each step along the way. Initiatives like this are made possible through partnerships and sponsorships, and we are currently accepting both in-kind and monetary donations to help support the project. 🤝

Ways to support can be found on our website: https://scmuseum.org/explore/planting-south-carolina-roots

05/26/2026

Newest addition to the SCSM Store! ✨

Stop by and explore this beautiful new display along with all of the incredible work now available in the store. 🧺

Today we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.This World War I Victory Medal was posthumousl...
05/25/2026

Today we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

This World War I Victory Medal was posthumously awarded to Harry Clyde Horton. Shortly after graduating from Clemson University in 1918, Horton joined the military and went overseas. Later that same year, he was killed during the Battle of St. Mihiel, the first major offensive launched by the United States Army during the Great War.
Horton is still buried in France in the St. Mihiel American Cemetery.

📷 Conseil Municipal of the town of Saint Mihiel. “World War I Victory Medal” 1936. Copper alloy and silk ribbon. Donated by Josephine P. Capers.

Address

301 Gervais Street
Columbia, SC
29201

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Telephone

+18038984921

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when South Carolina State Museum posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category