35 Awesome Things To Do in Columbia, SC | A Guide By Locals (2024)

Spending a few hours at Riverbanks Zoo is at the top of our things to do list for a reason– it’s amazing! It’s an especially fun thing to do with kids in Columbia, though it’s also great for all ages.

With over 2,000 animals calling Riverbanks Zoo home, there is no shortage of interesting creatures to see. Plus, Riverbanks is regularly ranked one of the best zoos in the US.

Some of our favorite animals at Riverbanks are the sea lions, the tiger, giraffes and gorillas. There’s also an aquarium and reptile house to explore, as well as a birdhouse with penguins.

Not only are there animals, but there are also fun activities and adventures at Riverbanks like a carousel, rock wall, sky-high safari, small train and even a playground.

Your zoo admission also includes entry to the botanical garden. It’s an attraction worthy of visiting on its own.

Columbia, aka “Soda City”, is home to one of the southeast’s most popular weekly farmer’s markets: Soda City Market. It is so much fun and definitely worth a visit if you haven’t been!

We like to say that the vibe at Soda City Market is more like a food fest than a farmers market. The Soda City market boasts about 150 weekly vendors ranging from food trucks to artists to produce stands.

Soda City Market is open year-round, rain or shine, every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm. The market attracts up to 5,000 patrons on a regular weekend.

Columbia is home to its very own Minor League Baseball Team: the Columbia Fireflies. They play in Segra Park in Columbia’s Bull Street District.

Attending a Fireflies game is a great outing for the whole family. Tickets are affordable (starting at $5) and it’s never too crowded.

You’ll find various events and specials each week at the stadium. Fireworks Night is every Saturday night featuring post-game fireworks. They have also ‘bring your dog to the game’ days, themed days and food specials.

Check the Fireflies’ promotions calendar for all of the details.

Columbia is home to the University of South Carolina Gameco*cks and there are so many fun opportunities to watch them compete.

Whether it’s Carolina football, baseball, basketball or even gymnastics, your kids will love rooting for the home team!

Columbia is home to the University of South Carolina Gameco*cks and there are so many fun opportunities to watch them compete. Whether it’s Carolina football, baseball, basketball or even gymnastics, your kids will love rooting for the home team!

The South Carolina State Museum has been an institution in Columbia since 1988. Located on the west end of The Vista on the banks of the Congaree River, the SC State Museum is housed in the historic Columbia Mills Building.

The Museum comprises four stories of exhibits including natural history, science and technology, cultural history and South Carolina art.

The exhibits throughout the museum have plenty to offer to the curious of all ages. One of our favorite areas for kids is the hands-on science area.

The South Carolina State Museum is a great spot to get lost for a few hours (especially on a Famously Hot or rainy day!)

Located across the parking lot from the SC State Museum, EdVenture Children’s Museum is such a fun kid-friendly thing to do in Columbia.

EdVenture is a 92,000-square-foot children’s museum and it has a plethora of interactive learning exhibits sure to pique your child’s interest.

You’ll find a firetruck to explore, a pretend grocery store, an airplane co*ckpit and even a 40-foot structure shaped like a kid (“Eddie”) that your little ones can climb in and explore. There’s also a great toddler area for your younger ones.

We may be biased, but in our opinion, the South Carolina State House is one of the most beautiful statehouse complexes in the country.

The SC State House issteeped in history, serving as home for the SC House and Senate Chambers as well as the Governor’s office.

Not only is it beautiful to stroll around (especially after visiting the Soda City Market on Saturdays…), but you can also tour the State House.

With just a 30-minute drive from Columbia, you can escape civilization and immerse yourself in nature at Congaree National Park.

The Congaree National Park is a 27,000-acre park with the Congaree River flowing through. Most of the park is a floodplain for the Congaree River and it’s home to the largest remaining tract of old-growth bottomland hardwood.

With over 20 miles of designated hiking trails, there is plenty of wilderness to enjoy. There are 10 named trails in addition to the popular boardwalk loop that begins and culminates at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center.

Located in the heart of Columbia’s Main Street District, the Columbia Museum of Art is home to a beautiful award-winning collection of art from around the world.

The collection boasts pieces in various mediums and styles, giving visitors the opportunity to learn while enjoying their beautiful works. You’ll find paintings from Renaissance masters, modern art, and regional cultural art from around the world at the Museum.

There are always traveling exhibitions on display at the Columbia Museum of art, so check out their website to see what is in town. And if you feel inspired to create your own masterpiece, they even offer art classes for all ages!

Columbia has a great craft beer scene with over 7 breweries in the area.

Our favorite brewery is the Hunter-Gatherer Brewery Hangar housed in an old airplane hangar at Owens Field (Columbia’s municipal airport.) The space is very cool and you can hang out on the observation deck and watch private planes take off and land.

Some other great ones to check out include Steel Hands Brewery and Columbia Craft Brewing Company.

Five Points is one of the most well-known areas in Columbia and one of our top recommendations for visitors and new residents! It’s right by Carolina’s campus and is always full of students, visitors and locals.

One of our favorite Columbia restaurants (Mr. Friendly’s!) is in Five Points as well as our top coffee shop in Columbia (Drip!) And another Five Points destination worth mentioning is the Gourmet Shop. It’s a great spot for chicken salad, fresh baguettes and even a few home goods.

When it’s 100 degrees in Columbia and you need to cool off, consider a trip to the zoo! Well, to the zoo’s splash pad!

Waterfall Junction is a 3 acre splash park located at Riverbanks Zoo. It’s open during the summer and features a 25-foot cascading waterfall, splash pad, dinosaur bone dig site and a giant treehouse.

You’ll find Waterfall Junction on the Botanical Gardens side of the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden complex so it is best to enter at the Botanical Gardens entrance at 1300 Botanical Pkwy. Admission to Waterfall Junction is included in the standard zoo and garden admission.

One of our all-time favorite places in Columbia is The Nickelodeon on Main Street.

If you aren’t familiar, The Nick is Columbia’s only independent movie theater. Their programming is comprised of a mix of first-run independent films, curated series, and one-off screenings of films of relevance to our community.

Make it a night by grabbing dinner before or after a show. One of our favorites just a few blocks away is Cantina 76. The Grand on Main is also right there as well as Smoked.

Historic Columbia

Historic Columbia offers the Journey to Freedom tour Wednesday – Saturday at 1:30 and again on Sundays at 3:00. It starts at the Robert Mills Gift Shop and includes a semi-guided tour of the Mann-Simons Site and the Modjeska Monteith Simkins House.

The Mann-Simons Site was home to the same entrepreneurial African American family for nearly 130 years. You’ll have a semi-guided tour there and then a self-guided tour at the next property where Modjeska Monteith Simkins lived from 1932 to 1992. She was one of South Carolina’s greatest human rights activists.

Transmission Arcade is anarcade and eatery in downtown Columbiaon Main Street.

You’ll find everything from a great food menu to craft beer, wine, co*cktails, pinball, skeeball and arcade games.

They have a ton of fun games available that cost 1-2 tokens each (4 tokens per dollar.) You’ll find everything from skeeball to pinball to Mortal Kombat!Check out their game lineup here.

The most unexpected part of Transmission is thattheir food is amazing! It’s worth going for even if you aren’t into games.And, they have a Sunday brunch!

Sometimes the best plans in Columbia involve getting out of Columbia.

Perhaps it’s a really hot day and you need some reprieve. Or maybe you are just looking to take a beach walk or breathe some mountain air.

Luckily there are several great cities worth checking out that are close to Columbia! We recommend heading to Charleston, Charlotte, Greenville or Asheville for a fun day trip from Columbia.

Speaking of, here’s a great itinerary for a first trip to Asheville!

Devine Street is a great shopping and dining district in Columbia. It has really exploded over the last couple of years with new boutiques, eateries, gyms, upscale apartments and coffee shops.

Most of the shops are local, which definitely adds to the charm of Devine Street. It’s a pretty walkable area, though be careful when parking because the spots are really close to the road! There is a parking lot behind the Blum/Duck Duck Goose shopping area, though.

And as far as eats go, we love Cantina 76, Azalea Coffee, Henry’s, Il Giorgione and Arabesque.

Lake Murray is about 20 minutes from downtown Columbia and is a great spot to cool down in the summer!

It’s a great lake for boating and there’s a beach located by the dam that is perfect for swimming. You can also walk between Irmo and Lexington at the dam.

Dreher Island State Park is located at Lake Murray. It spans three islands and has access to 12 miles of Lake Murray shoreline. They have cabins and villas available to rent as well as two lakefront camping areas.

Columbia’s Main Street District has such a classic downtown feel. You’ll find tree-lines streets, local shops and restaurants, a weekly market and even a trendy bowling alley!

It’s one of Columbia’s most popular places to stroll, dine and sightsee. This is especially true on Saturday mornings when multiple blocks of Main Street are closed off for theyear-round Soda City Market.

The Main Street area is also known for a gourmet culinary scene and a vibrant nightlife.

The Koger Center For The Arts features multiple Broadway in Columbia shows per year. 2024 Broadway shows include Hamilton, On Your Feet, Mean Girls and Shrek the Musical.

The Koger Center is located in downtown Columbia near the State House. It’s actually on Carolina’s campus– the campus is kind of all over the downtown area. It’s just beside the Darla Moore School of Business.

Apart from Broadway shows, the Koger Center also features orchestra concerts, ballets, an annual Nutcracker performance, comedy shows, music performers and more. There are just over 2,250 seats on three levels.

For good old-fashioned fun, Frankie’s Fun Park in Irmo can’t really be topped. The long list of fun activities at Frankie’s includes driving go-carts or bumper boats, playing mini-golf, hitting at the batting cages, playing laser tag and playing high-tech and old-fashioned arcade games.

They also offer food and snacks, making it a place to hang out all day!

Located in the Harbison area, Frankie’s Fun Park is about a 15-minute drive from downtown Columbia.

Don’t miss your chance to go strawberry picking in Columbia! Cottle Strawberry Picking is a popular family-owned farm located in Columbia, SC, that offers fresh and juicy strawberries for visitors to pick.

They are open daily during the season and offer U-pick and we-pick strawberries. Prices start at $5 for a quart.

It’s a fun and enjoyable experience for families to spend time together outdoors while enjoying the taste of locally-grown fruit.

Historic Columbia

The Hampton-Preston Mansion is a historic house museum located in Columbia, South Carolina. Built in 1818, the mansion was home to many prominent South Carolinians and played a significant role in the city’s history.

Today, visitors can tour the mansion and its gardens to learn about life in the antebellum South and the important role the Hampton-Preston family played in the city’s social and cultural scene.

With its beautiful architecture, stunning gardens, and rich history, the Hampton-Preston Mansion is a must-visit destination for anyone interested in exploring Columbia’s past.

The SC State Fair in Columbia is such a magical time! It’s always mid-October and is filled with fun rides and delicious fair food.

It’s held at the State Fairgrounds near Carolina’s campus. It’s actually right next to Williams Brice Stadium, and it’s a madhouse when the fair overlaps with a home football game.

The 2024 SC State Fair will be October 9-20, 2024.

The Vista in Columbia SC’s downtown area isan established arts and entertainment district. Situated between the State House and the Congaree River, the Vista is awalkable commercial districtfull of restaurants, shops, bars and businesses.

A few of our favorite restaurants in the Vista are smallSugar for breakfast in Columbia, Cola’s for a date night restaurant and Kao Thai for awesome Thai food.

St. Patrick’s Day in Five Points is one of Columbia, South Carolina’s most popular annual events. Five Points comes alive with green decorations, live music, and festive crowds.

Visitors can enjoy a range of activities throughout the day, including a parade, food and drink specials, and live music.

The Grand on Main is aboutique bowling alley and restaurantlocated in the heart of downtown Columbia.

You’ll findseven bowling lanesat The Grand in addition topool tables, shuffleboard, foosball, putting greens, retro video gamesand other fun finds.

They also have a large bar and agreat food menu, with items ranging from quesadillas to ribeye to seafood alfredo. The Grand offers aweekend brunchon Saturdays and Sundays.

There is nothing better than a slow brunch on a weekend morning. Luckily for all of us, there are a ton of restaurants with great brunch in Columbia!

A few noteworthy ones are Hampton Street Vineyard, Il Giorgione and Hall’s Chophouse, though our guide to brunches covers them all!

Columbia is home to the University of South Carolina, and it’s such a beautiful campus to stroll around.

One of our favorite spots on campus is the picturesque historic horseshoe. The horseshoe is home to twelve historic buildings dating back to the early 1800s surrounding a green space that is the core of the university’s original campus.

New Brookland Tavern is a popular bar and music venue located in Columbia’s Five Points. They host regular live music events featuring both local and touring bands.

They were originally in West Columbia but had to find a new building when their building went up for sale in 2023. Luckily, they quickly found a home at The Cotton Gin in Five Points.

It’s a bigger and better spot, so it worked out in the end!

The Columbia Marionette Theater showcases performances featuring handcrafted marionettes, offering visitors an experience unlike any other.

The shows are designed to appeal to both children and adults, with a variety of themes and storylines. The theater also offers workshops and classes to those interested in learning more about the art of marionette puppetry.

It is a must-visit destination for anyone interested in the arts and looking for a one-of-a-kind experience.