South Carolina’s art and history museums allow you to enter the vibrant tapestry of the state’s past, where rich arts and cultural heritage intermingle. Bring home a piece of this culture from the many specially curated museum gift shops. Artistic Traditions MCG PHOTOGRAPHY Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia Catawba tribe’s traditions and legends in the temporary exhibit, The Language of Clay: Catawba Indian Pottery & Oral Traditions, on view through June 14, 2025. unique history, culture and culinary traditions. The Johnson Collection TJC Gallery in Spartanburg is home to a vast chronicle of Southern art from the 1700s to the present. The collection highlights women, African American artists and well-known regional artists. Stop by for regularly scheduled programming, from yoga in the gallery to the Third Thursdays Artwalk. The Rice Museum The Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston Columbia Museum of Art The Gibbes Museum of Art The Gibbes’ collection in Charleston examines Southern themes through the perspective of regional artists. Get in-depth insights with artist lectures and expert-led tours during the annual Art Charleston festival, held April 23–27, 2025, and peruse regionally The CMA in Columbia features global treasures and artworks throughout 27 galleries. Don’t miss the Our Story Matters Gallery, devoted to exhibitions on African American life and culture from the Reconstruction era through 1970s activism. made pieces in the well-stocked gift shop. the gift shop, a treasure trove of books on historical interest. Besides its rotating exhibitions of exceptional regional art, this Georgetown spot also has a fantastic gift shop brimming with local arts, crafts, books and culinary goodies. Take a guided tour to learn more about the story of rice culture within the area. Elloree Heritage Museum & Cultural Center Focused on South Carolina’s rural past, this Elloree museum portrays rural life in the 1900s by recreating Cleveland Street’s stores, hotel and bank. Stop into the Snider’s Store gift shop for history books, cotton boll wreaths and books by local authors. Florence County Museum This Florence museum is home to the Pee Dee History Gallery, a massive space that displays regional artifacts that range from prehistory to the present. Take some time to peruse Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage Edisto Island Museum & Gift Shop A highlight of this Ridgeland gem includes a remarkable diorama of the Battle of Honey Hill. Explore the Indigenous As keeper of Edisto’s rich past, this museum has exhibits that explore Gullah and Native American history. The cozy gift shop has dozens of small-batch books about the island’s DiscoverSouthCarolina.com 39
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