3 Best Landmarks in Columbia, SC

“Robert Mills House and Gardens is a well-maintained museum in Columbia, SC. The House was built in 1942 on the Merle Fogg Field as part of the national defense program. The museum houses naval aviation and World War II history exhibits, aiming to establish and maintain a museum of national and international significance. The museum seeks to gain national and international recognition while educating individuals of all ages. During World War II, the museum was one of the 257 air stations that trained specialists in TBM and TBF Avenger aircraft. In addition, the museum grounds include a self-sufficient butterfly garden and a Flight 19 memorial.

UNIQUE FACTS:
• Conduct Exhibitions.”

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“Hampton-Preston Mansion and Gardens is a renowned museum in Columbia, SC. The Mansion and Gardens offer insight into the lives of enslaved workers and their affluent planter-class owners. Over the next half-century, the estate expanded to become the grandest residence in Columbia under the Hampton and Preston families, who owned and enslaved numerous individuals. In the century following the Civil War, the Mansion and its famous gardens served many different owners, including colleges and a tourist home. A wealthy Columbia merchant named Ainsley Hall and his wife, Sarah, commissioned the Mansion's construction in 1818 and briefly lived in it until Ainsley sold it to Wade Hampton I, one of the wealthiest planters in the South, in 1823. The four-acre grounds surrounding the Mansion were designed to signal the extensive wealth and influence of the Hampton and Preston families.

UNIQUE FACTS:
• Cultural Activities.”

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“Mann-Simons Site is one of the finest museums in Columbia, SC. The historic Museum is an award-winning museum in Columbia, South Carolina. The site comprises a collection of commercial and domestic spaces owned and operated by the same African American family from 1843 to 1970. The Mann-Simons House reflects the family's entrepreneurial spirit from the late 1890s through the 1920s. The Museum tells the story of the city's African American community from enslavement to urban renewal through the lens of a single entrepreneurial family. In 2016, Historic Columbia renovated and reopened the Mann-Simons Site, featuring newly installed exhibits, recorded audio, interactive touchscreens, and various visuals that enhance the overall experience for each visitor.

UNIQUE FACTS:
• Free Admission.”

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