Founded in 1773 while the United States was still a British colony, the Charleston Museum is the country's oldest. Charleston silver, a unique collection of "slave tags," which indicated slaves permitted to work outside of their home plantations, and Civil War armaments are noteworthy. A collection of clothing and accessories, such as lace and ivory inlaid fans, fanciful hats and silk shoes, offers a fascinating glimpse into the opulence of antebellum southern life. A separate section examines the region's natural environment, which intrigued naturalists such as John James Audubon.

The museum also operates two museum houses, the Joseph Manigault House and the Heyward-Washington House, located in the neighborhood said to have inspired "Porgy and Bess." The perfectly restored 18th-century kitchen is the only one of its kind in Charleston, and the Holmes bookcase is widely considered to be the finest example of American-made furniture. For more information, call 843-722-2996 or visit www.charlestonmuseum.com

Sweeping views of the mansions along the Battery, Charleston's church steeple-punctuated skyline, the Sullivan's Island lighthouse and Ft. Sumter (where the first shots of the Civil War were fired), spread as far as you can see from the pedestrian walkway of the nearly three-mile-long Cooper River Bridge. Soaring 1546 feet into the air, the architectural marvel was completed in 2005. Best of all, after walking, jogging or riding a bike across the bridge, you can take a water taxi back to Charleston.
www.charlestonwatertaxi.com

Not many restaurant owners are up for serving breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week—even fewer do with as much flair as Robert Stehling, the chef and owner of Hominy Grill. Down-home favorites, like the crispy fried chicken, rice perloo (a kissing-cousin of rice pilaf) and smothered pork chops, are soulful and perfectly prepared; surefooted Stehling knows better than to attempt to jazz them up with odd modern additions. Looking for something a little more contemporary? Check the specials board, where seasonal delights such as shad roe and seared duck breast shine with vivid flavor. Whatever you choose, don't forget to order a basket of the restaurant's dreamy high-rise biscuits. 207 Rutledge Avenue, tel. 843-937-0930

Behind the centuries-old brick facades that line Charleston's main shopping street hides a stylish mix of eclectic galleries, boutiques and cafes. Antique hunters will find treasures in the form of 18th- and 19th-century furnishings from England and France, modernists will be dazzled in upper King's new design district, where young artists are going beyond sculpture, painting, interior design and jewelry and revitalizing lost arts, such as crafting splendid one-of-a-kind hats and pocketbooks. On every block, tiny shops and cafes tucked into alleys and courtyards create an air of mystery and discovery.

One of the prettiest walks in Charleston is along the Battery, at the tip of the peninsula. Begin at White Point Gardens, where stately oaks, veiled in Spanish moss, shade reproductions of the cannons that protected the city during the Civil War, as well as a lovely gazebo, benches and winding paths.

Overlooking the confluence of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers, the Battery is also where the region's wealthy planter families built the residences they used during Charleston's social season. Distinctive in their use of graceful piazzas and careful positioning to catch any available whisper of sea breeze, the lavish homes are some of the city's largest.

Walk slowly as you pass—whatever the season, a peek behind the elaborate wrought iron gates will reveal spectacular gardens alive with not only ancient English boxwoods, but also bursts of color from flamboyant magenta bougainvillea, elegant camellias in pink, white and red, and mounds of azaleas.