Charleston at Christmas: Southern Holiday Charm Inspiration
This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you book or purchase through these links. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
Last December, I got the chance to visit Charleston at Christmas and as charming as I thought the southern city was already, well…let’s just say it tops itself at Christmastime. Say it with me now: Charming Charleston at Christmastime. Has a nice ring, right?Charleston at Christmas
I love traveling at Christmastime. All the decorations make each location come alive in its own style, delivering holiday cheer and adding a pep to the city’s step. There’s something about those decorations that make me smile and warm my heart despite the cool, crisp air (which honestly also warms my heart as I love winter).
Charleston is no exception. The city decorates itself in a variety of different ways from parks to plantation houses to light festivals creating an atmosphere that caters to individuals, couples, and families. If you are traveling to Charleston or thinking about traveling to Charleston in December, here are some ideas to inspire that southern holiday charm capturing the true essence of Charleston at Christmas!
Plantation Houses
Magnolia Plantation
I have to say that out of all the plantation houses, Magnolia Plantation was my favorite. Dating back to 1676, it is one of the oldest plantations in the South.
I liked the whimsical nature of the gardens (vs manicured ones) and I think this is why it became my favorite.
Magnolia Plantation does a great job with their Christmas decorations and my favorite was this bridge!
TIP: Going first thing in the morning in early December will almost ensure you have the gardens to yourself. I think I saw only 5 other people (excluding groundskeepers)!
Location: 3550 Ashley River Road, Charleston, SC 29414
Boone Hall Plantation
Boone Hall is also nicely decorated for Christmas and has a plethora of things to do including farm tours and house tours. I also enjoyed just wandering the grounds.
Boone Hall front door Christmas decorations
TIP: We visited late in the afternoon, almost at closing but with enough time to do the riding farm tour, house tour and walk the grounds. Once again, we didn’t have to deal with crowds. Also, be sure to see the Spanish moss trees that are so iconic in the South.
Location: 1235 Long Point Road, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
Middleton Place
Middleton Place is also decorated for Christmas although its decorations are a little more subdued. What I liked about Middleton Place is that the gardens featured both landscaped and whimsical styles. I remember thinking that (to me) it was kind of a combination of Magnolia Plantation and Boone Plantation garden-wise.
TIP: If rain is in the forecast, be sure to bring a raincoat or umbrella. The gardens are massive and you can’t easily just return to parking.
Location: 4300 Ashley River Road, Charleston, SC 29414
Holiday Festival of Lights
Every year the Holiday Festival of Lights on James Island puts on a spectacular show. Although you must enter the festival via car, there are parking lots where you can park, get out and explore the walking areas.
This Christmas tree reflecting in the water was one of my favorite light displays.
The sandcastle sculpture was really cool and absolutely amazing to think about the talent that went into creating it!
There were different characters on each side. I think I liked the Grinch most!
There’s a Toy Shoppe…
and even dancing lights to the Hallelujah Chorus!
TIPS: If driving independently, you can drive through the festival as many times as you want. Leashed dogs are allowed and bringing your own s’mores ingredients is permitted to roast around their campfire. If you don’t want to drive, then I recommend Gray Line for a tour company. They went above and beyond accommodating us at last-minute when our original tour canceled on us. The tours go rain or shine. For all other information, including this year’s schedule, click here.
Location: James Island County Park, 871 Riverland Drive, Charleston, SC 29412
You might also like: MAGNOLIA PLANTATION & GARDENS: A WINTER TOUR IN CHARLESTON
The Old and The Only
Angel Oak
Although not decorated for Christmas, the Angel Oak is something not to miss. It’s estimated to be 400-500 years old (even though some will argue it’s 1500 years old) and stands 66.5 feet tall with a 28-foot circumference.
Its longest branch measures 187 feet!!
TIP: December is a great time to visit once again because as you can see, there were no crowds. It also helped that we visited first thing in the morning.
Location: 3688 Angel Oak Road, Johns Island, SC 29455
Charleston Tea Plantation
Right after visiting the Angel Oak, we visited the Charleston Tea Plantation, the only tea plantation in North America! Yep, all the others are located in Asia, Africa, and South America.
Hanging out with Waddy!
You can tour the factory and the grounds and afterwards, try different teas with Waddy the Frog!
TIP: For visitor information including tours, teas, directions and hours of operation, click here.
Location: 6617 Maybank Highway, Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487
Downtown Charleston
One of my favorite things to do anywhere I visit is to explore the city on foot. In addition to all the “must-sees”, I find all kinds of neat things I might not otherwise see if I were driving or on an organized tour.
Rainbow Row
Rainbow Row is one of the most popular attractions to see in Charleston. Thankfully, we had a sunny day because even though it’s always colorful, the color pops much better against a blue sky vs a gray one.
The 13 historical houses make up the longest cluster of Georgian row houses in the United States. I spotted Christmas decoration on a few of them!
TIP: It’s difficult to photograph Rainbow Row so that you get enough of the color. It’s also very difficult to get it without cars. Although it doesn’t show the houses in full, try photographing from the near sidewalk. It creates a different visual with the color of the houses, the sidewalk, the sky and the leaves.
Location: 83 East Bay Street, Charleston, SC 29401
The Four Corners of Law
Northwest Corner: Charleston County Courthouse Northeast Corner: Charleston City Hall
Southwest Corner: US Post Office & Federal Courthouse Southeast Corner: St Michael’s Episcopal Church
The Four Corners of Law was named in the 1930s by Robert Ripley (creator of Ripley’s Believe it or Not) and refers to the representation of federal, state, local and ecclesiastical law on four different corners of the intersection.
TIP: Be sure to go inside St Michael’s (if it’s open) as it’s beautifully decorated.
Location: Intersection of Meeting Street and Broad Street, Charleston, SC
Pineapple Fountain
Be sure to head to Waterfront Park and check out Charleston’s famous Pineapple Fountain. The pineapple is a symbol of hospitality and Charleston is definitely hospitable!
Location: Waterfront Park, 1 Vendue Range, Charleston, SC 29401
Charleston City Market
Browse the Charleston City Market, one of the oldest public markets in the US. It was established in the 1790s and stretches 4 city blocks!
TIP: Makes a great rainy day activity (we know first hand)!
Location: 188 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29401
Charleston Christmas Decorations
Lastly, just walk around and see Charleston all dressed up in its Christmas best!
TIP: If it’s pretty, start uptown and work your way down to The Battery for sunset!
Location: Downtown Charleston, SC
The Citadel
The Citadel or the Military College of South Carolina is beautifully decorated for Christmas and is just an interesting campus all around.
One of my favorite things to see on campus was The Citadel Ring Statue. It stands 6 feet tall, is 8 feet wide and weighs 3,000 pounds! The numbers are interchangeable to keep the year current!
They decorate the Summerall Chapel nicely for the season. Built in 1936, the chapel was named after General Pelot Summerall and had its inaugural service in 1937.
You can NOT miss The Citadel Bulldog Monument especially when he’s dressed in all his Christmas glory! The 10-foot tall bulldog guards the Corps of Cadets and has his protective eye on The Citadel campus.
Location: 171 Moultrie Street, Charleston, SC 29409
Odds, Ends & Uniques
Hallelujah Frog
Although he might not be there anymore because he’s a copper sculpture that was for sale ($3800 if anyone is in the mood to exercise their credit card), stop by Lowcountry Artists Gallery and see if the Hallelujah Frog is there!
Location: 148 East Bay Street, Charleston, SC 29401
Oh Hey
This…this took a lot of work to find. In the rain. But, we found it. I had seen it on Instagram (imagine that) but there was no location given. I thought, no problem, I will just ask someone. And I did ask someone. Lots of someones and NONE of the someones knew where it was!
Turns out that there are a lot of tiled entrances to the shops on King Street and OH HEY was one of them. We just had to look until we found it. Persistence pays off!
TIP: If you find something like this and don’t have its exact location, make sure you look at all the entrances to the shops on King Street. Chances are this is where you will find it!
Location: OH HEY can be found at the entrance to the Marine Layer store at the intersection of King and Society Streets.
Pink House Gallery
The Pink House Gallery opened in 1712 and is said to be the oldest standing tavern building in America, the sixth oldest building in South Carolina and the second oldest residence after the Colonel William Rhett House.
Location: 17 Chalmers Street, Charleston, SC 29401
Charleston Hat Man
The Charleston Hat Man was another one of my scavenger hunt finds. He was much easier to find than OH HEY thankfully. Every part of the Hat Man is made up of…you guessed it, hats! 16 hats in 12 different styles to be exact!
First painted in 1892, the Hat Man was an advertisement for the Haberdashery Building or the Hat Man Building! 🙂
Location: Southeast corner of the intersection of Church and Broad Streets
The Waterfront
Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge
If you are a regular reader of my blog or follow my Instagram you know I love bridges. So, naturally, I couldn’t wait to see the Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge that connects downtown Charleston to Mount Pleasant.
TIP: There’s a pedestrian section so you can walk or bike across. And as always, don’t forget to look up!
Location: Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge, Charleston, SC 29403
Patriots Point
While you’re in the area exploring the bridge, head over to Patriots Point to see the USS Yorktown. Not only are there tours available, but you can sleep onboard, host an event and they even have a flight academy!
TIP: Walk out onto the pier not too far behind the USS Yorktown to get it and the bridge in the same photo.
Location: 40 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
Churches & Cathedrals
There are several churches and cathedrals around town in addition to the Summerall Chapel at The Citadel and St Michael’s Episcopal Church at the Four Corners of Law. Walk around and look at all of them decorated for Christmas. You can even go inside some!
Trinity United Methodist Church
Location: 273 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29401
St Matthew’s Lutheran Church
Location: 405 King Street, Charleston, SC 29403
Citadel Square Church
Location: 328 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29403
Where To Stay
Embassy Suites Charleston Historic District
If you want to stay somewhere convenient, historical and decked out in the Christmas spirit, the Embassy Suites Charleston Historic District is your place! The rooms were nice and spacious (they’re all suites) and there was a fabulous and free made-to-order breakfast as well as a complimentary nightly reception featuring cocktails and hors-d’oeuvres!
The hotel is adjacent to the 10-acre park, Marion Square. At various times of the year, the park features farmers markets and other annual events. During Christmas, it comes alive with holiday lights and is home to the city’s Christmas tree!
They actually lit the Christmas tree the night we arrived. Since the tree is hollow, you can walk through it and so I did. This is what I found when I looked up!
Fun Fact: The hotel was the site of the original Citadel Military College which is why it looks like a fort!
Location: 335 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29403
Where To Eat
There are many fabulous places to eat in the Charleston area and I did a pretty good job of hitting up many of them. For this post, I decided to highlight one of my favorites!
Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit
Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit is truly a taste of Southern goodness. I got to meet Carrie, the owner and daughter of Callie, who with her small team of bakers has made her mother’s delicious biscuits available all over the United States.
Left: Shortbread, Buttermilk, Cheese & Chive biscuits Right: Regular Pimiento Cheese, Carolina Honey, & Peach Basil Jam
There’s a reason that she has been praised by Food and Wine, the NY Times, Southern Living and even Oprah! These fluffy biscuits are unique and their creative flavors are well, let’s just say they’re quite pleasing to the palate! 😉
TIP: I recommend tasting a few different ones for the full experience. Order their Mint Iced Tea to go along with your fabulous biscuit selection. It is amazing! You can get it sweet or unsweet. I did half and half and it was perfect. Also, if you can’t visit the Charleston or Atlanta stores, you can have these biscuit goodies shipped!
Location: 476 1/2 King Street, Charleston, SC 29403
PIN IT!
December is a great time to visit Charleston. Not only is it beautifully decorated in the spirit of the season, but there are fewer crowds and the weather is usually mild. Last year was atypical as we started our week in the 70s and ended the week with an unplanned extra night in Charleston because we couldn’t get through the snowstorm that hit both Atlanta and my hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. But, typically speaking, the weather is mild. 🙂
Have you visited Charleston at Christmas? What was your favorite decorated place or your favorite thing you did? Do you have anything to add to my list? As always, I love hearing from you!
‘Til next time…
Trimm Travels,
GREAT job on this post! I feel like I am there again! Can’t wait for the post on the restaurants. Pics are beautiful!
Thanks!! Hopefully, I can get the restaurants out soon! Thanks for reading! 🙂
Charleston looks so cute at Christmas – you totally captured it! Then again, Charleston is adorable at all months of the year, isn’t it?! I went to Charleston a few years ago and absolutely fell in love, but obviously missed a lot of things like the pink house tavern and the angel oak! My parents are actually considering retiring to Charleston and I’m praying that happens, lol. Another excuse to visit!!
Hi Sarah-That would be awesome if your parents retired there! And yes, you’re right Charleston is adorable all year long for sure! Thanks for reading! 🙂
This does look like a special place! I can’t believe it’s holiday time again already, so crazy! While I do love my New England winter holidays, some time spent in Charleston sounds wonderful. Especially to see all those stately homes decorated so nicely.
Hi Eileen-I don’t blame you. I would love being in New England for the holidays. I love winter! But Charleston is really pretty and festive in December. Thanks for reading! 🙂
I love Christmas time….but also love Halloween…so difficult to be able to separate the two into which one I love more. I can’t get over the photo on the plantation with the wreaths, I half expect Scarlette O’Hare to come out in her fancy big dress. There is something that I still find so romantic about the south honestly, so having that combined with all things Christmas sounds like a perfect getaway.
Hi Janiel-Yes, I half expected Scarlette to come out too! Haha! The south definitely has its romanticism and Christmas is most certainly one of those times. I love Halloween too, but Christmas takes the cake for me! Thanks for reading! 🙂
What a spectacular trip to take around Christmastime! A stay at the Magnolia Plantation would be a real treat. I feel like this would get me in the Christmas spirit for sure. I’ve never been to Charleston, but when I do finally make a trek there, I think I’ll do it during holiday season for sure.
Hi Juliann-Yes, if you haven’t visited Charleston yet try to do it at Christmas. You can see everything during this time and you get the added extra of it being all dressed up for the holidays! Thanks for reading! 🙂
After spending Christmas in Calgary for the past year, we could really take a break from white Christmas! Charleston is a beautiful city regardless of the season. With all the festive decorations up, it looks even more charming during Christmastime! This year is too late because hubby used up all the vacation time already. Maybe we will do it next year!
Hi Cat, Charleston would for sure be a great option for a getaway to a warmer Christmas for you! It is really pretty so I hope you get to go. Meanwhile, I’d love to experience your white Christmas in Calgary. Believe it or not, in 2010, we did have a white Christmas here in Alabama. That was my first (and only so far) white Christmas. I expect to ever see another one, I will have to not be in Alabama! LOL! Thanks for reading! 🙂
I need to visit Charleston again. I went once a long time ago, basically to run into the ocean and drive back wet and cold to my sister’s house in Columbia.
Love sand sculptures. They are so much better than what I did as a kid. Someday, I am going to have to have a master guide me in making the perfect sculpture to excise all the demons from my childhood. I might only need to do it once but it has to be done. BTW, did you know that the Grinch is based on San Diego? Pacific Beach is Whoville and Mt Soledad in La Jolla is Mt Crumpit. For realsies.
Hi Ed, Actually, no I did not know that, how cool! After living in LA for a few years, I somehow feel I *should* have known that, but nope! Those sandcastles were for REAL. I couldn’t even begin to come close to something like that but it would be fun to try. That is so right up my art-loving alley! Thanks for reading! 🙂
I’ve never explored plantation houses and wish I had known about them when I was living in the South during my college years. I too love the gardens as it’s somewhat magical to me as it’s nature untouched. I always imagine fairies in these gardens 🙂
Hi Candy-Cool, where in the South were you living? Where did you go to college? Yes, that’s how I feel about the gardens. They’re magical to me too! I didn’t see a fairy this time, but I saw the next best thing-a bald eagle! Thanks for reading! 🙂
Oh man, I love Charleston but I haven’t been in so, so long. I need to get back soon. You sound like me searching around for the tile haha. I become quite determined when i get something in my mind.
Hi Ashley-Yep, when I have my mind set on something, I have my mind set on something. I was NOT expecting it to be hard to find, but good grief. Oh well, found it! Thanks for reading! 🙂
How did you every get yourself to choose a favorite. Each of these are so pretty and unique in their own ways. Charleston is a great pick for the holidays. Christmas is such a happy time, everything in celebration mode.
Hi Punita, it definitely wasn’t easy because there’s so much to see and it’s all so pretty! Charleston is definitely great at Christmas. Thanks for reading! 🙂
Decked in all those Christmas lights, Charleston looks magical! I love the photo of the Charleston Hat Man 🙂 Plus the plantations with all those angel oaks look amazing. I’d love to visit a plantation someday. The oaks add an air of mystery, don’t they?
Hi Mohana and Aninda-Yes, they really do add an air of mystery for sure! Charleston in December is really pretty. Thanks for reading! 🙂
This looks like such a nice place to visit in the holiday season! I haven’t been to the US yet, but the plantations definitely draw my attention. I’ve always been intrigued by the history of these places.
Hi Inge-It is a really cool place to visit during the holidays. I hope you get to make it to the US soon, we have a lot of cool things to see! Thanks for reading! 🙂
I rarely get to travel during the Christmas season, which means I’m totally missing out on how the rest of the country celebrates. I would so love to see all the Charleston plantation houses decked out for the holiday! I’d also love to visit a tea plantation without leaving the US. Very cool!
Hi Tara-Christmas is a hard season to travel so I get it. The plantation houses are really pretty decorated for Christmas but even if you can’t get there then, Charleston is really cool any time of the year. I hope you get to visit and thanks for reading! 🙂
I love Christmas time, it’s when the entire city is decorated. Apart from the routine decorations, I like the Angel Oak, I have an inclination for trees & gardens like you. The pink house gallery looks beautiful & intriguing!
Hi Shivani, Isn’t Christmastime the best?? The gardens were just so so pretty and the pink house was interesting to me. All of Charleston is really beautiful no matter the time of year but especially at Christmas! Thanks for reading! 🙂
I never even thought about Charleston as a holiday destination. It looks like the perfect place to escape for a few days and enjoy the holiday festivities. Charleston is such a charming town to begin with.
Hi Carmen-I had never really thought about Charleston as a holiday destination either until one I was looking for somewhere to go with my mom the first week of December. We had both wanted to visit Charleston as neither had been (apart from my driving through once several years ago). Thanks for reading! 🙂
Charleston and Savannah have been on our wish list for an age, and we definitely need to make it happen. Your pictures are beautiful, and that’s wise advice to go early or late to enjoy places to the max. I loved the Angel Oak. Here at home we’re close to the Arden Oak, marking the edge of Shakespeare’s Forest of Arden. But compared to the Angel Oak, it’s a mere apprentice – certainly less than eighteen feet around. The Bulldog is fabulous too; such a cheeky world-weary expression he’s sharing with us there.
Hi Bernie-Yes, definitely visit Charleston and Savannah. They are both beautiful towns. As I say that, I need to visit your country too. Supposed to go next spring and I’m very excited. Just the mention of a tree marking Shakespeare’s forest makes me giddy! Thank you for your sweet comment on my photos and for reading! 🙂
First, let me just say I LOVE the “hatman” What a great find. And second, there is something very cool about majestic southern mansions all done up for Christmas with tours and decorations. I’ve experienced it in other southern cities, but not yet in Charleston. And third … I was getting really worried you were not eating for all of us on this adventure, but found great relief that a separate post on the restaurants and food scene is coming. I await that with taste buds at the ready. In the meantime, I’ll dream of peach basil jam.
Hi Michael-You so made my day and made me laugh! Yes, a very complete food list is coming! We ate a lot on that trip (never fear 😉 )and it will be coming soon. So glad you like my food round-ups! That peach basil jam was something else! The Hatman was really cool and unique I thought too. Definitely visit Charleston around Christmas if you can because the mansions are gorgeous. Thanks for reading! 🙂
We visited Charleston and also the Boone Hall Plantation in summer two years ago and loved it very much. Unfortunately we didn’t stay quite long, so would love to return for another visit more in depth. Going to Charleston during Christmas time seems like a great idea, especially since we really miss seeing the beautiful American Christmas decorations! Thank you for recommending the Embassy Suites, we’d definitely consider staying there next time!
Hi Mei and Kerstin-Yes definitely revisit Charleston and at Christmas this time. It’s so beautiful!! The Embassy Suites was just really cool because of its history and its location. Thanks for reading! 🙂
Great post! My husband and I are going to be in Charleston Dec 21-25 this year so I was thrilled to find your post!! Lots of great information and tips!
Hi Lori-Thank you, I appreciate that! Charleston is absolutely beautiful at Christmas and I hope you and your husband have a great time! Thanks for reading! 🙂