South Carolina

The South Carolina State House in downtown Columbia is beautiful inside, with stunning flora on the surrounding grounds. It is home to the South Carolina Governor and South Carolina Legislature.

Learn more about South Carolina State House history or plan your visit. The South Carolina State House Guide (PDF) is a downloadable resource with more detail on history and art in the State House. There is also a virtual tour.

My first trip to the South Carolina State House was in July 2021 during my COVID Road Trip of 2021 (and before I bought my State Capitols Passport). At that time, the quest to visit all state capitols was in the early stages, and I settled for an outdoor-only visit.  

Most of my outside photos were taken on this visit. The 18-acre grounds are beautiful and make a great spot to rest or picnic on a nice day. Learn more about the flora and monuments on site with the downloadable Capitol Grounds brochure (PDF).

The African American History Monument captures 300 years of black history in South Carolina, spanning slavery, freedom, and civil rights. At the base of the central obelisk are four rubbing stones from African regions where enslaved people were captured. The African American History Monument (PDF) brochure is a downloadable source of additional information.

There are Confederate monuments on the grounds, though the Stars and Bars have appropriately been removed. South Carolina is where the Civil War began at Fort Sumter in Charleston, and the consequences of the Civil War are still felt. The Monument to the Confederate Dead* stands in front of the state house on Gervais Street, and the Confederate Women’s Monument is located on the south side.

In September 2022, after purchasing the passport and refining my visits, I made a second trip; this time, I went inside. The highlight for me was the main lobby, which extends beneath the dome. The decor was unique and one of the most welcoming designs I have seen in my building tours.

*I do not believe in honoring the Confederacy itself because I do not support what they were fighting for. But we do need to remember that many men and women died in the Civil War on both sides, and remembering them, even if they were on the losing end, reminds us that they were people too. There is a difference between remembering them and honoring the Confederacy. I tried to remember this when visiting capitols in former Confederate states.

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