I love discovering off-the-beaten path places (OTBPP) when in a new city – from cafes to public art, boutique shops to art galleries and pocket parks to museums. The best way to find OTBPP is to wander off the main streets and explore the side streets and alleys. A recent trip to Charleston, South Carolina resulted in some great “OTBPP finds!”

College of Charleston School of the Arts (St. Philip St at Calhoun St)

After checking into our Airbnb, we decided to go exploring, but rather than King Street (Charleston’s main street) we stayed on St. Philip Street (where our Airbnb was located) and were immediately rewarded with finding the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art (HICA). This public art gallery is part of the School of Arts at the College of Charleston, a block long campus for not only the visual arts, but dance and theatre too.

HICA had an engaging exhibition of “Young Contemporaries” artwork that was as good as anything I’ve seen in other public galleries over the past few years. There are several small gallery spaces as well as a funky library/reading room. But as it was near closing time, we headed out to explore the other buildings (all attached) and were rewarded with more art in the hallways, two more galleries, a peek into a sculpture studio (and learned there was a dress rehearsal performance of a Bertolt Brecht play we could attend that night in their studio theatre space. I was impressed at how “public friendly” the building was - we were free to explore at our leisure. Take a look at some photos of this OTBP adventure.

I was surprised to see the library so busy.

We even managed to get a glimpse of the theatre space.

Old Post Office Museum (77 Meeting St.)

While enjoying Charleston’s French Quarter’s many architectural gems, we came upon the Renaissance Revival Post Office and Courthouse building, (built in 1896) and decided to see if the inside was as grand as its exterior. And yes, it was!

We were rewarded not only by the wonderful ornamentation of the interior, but with a charming, small post office museum. The museum is free and open from Monday to Friday from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm – sometimes you just get lucky. Though tiny, it is reminder of the important role the post office played in early settlement of North American cities. It is full of fun artifacts, newspaper clippings and memorabilia.

I was also intrigued by the street name - “Meeting Street.” I don’t recall any other city I’ve visited having such a name. Turns out the name “Meeting” came from the Congregational Church’s building across the street, which was known as the “White Meeting House.” Note: The South has hundreds, maybe thousands, of different religions and church names.

The ornamental staircase was spectacular

Dock Street Theatre (135 Church St.)

Also in the French Quarter is the Dock Street Theatre, which we would likely have missed had it not been for some guys delivering a piano to the side entrance. Intrigued by what they were doing, we inquired and, in our conversation, found out the building was an historic theatre, and open to the public. Sure enough, we went around the corner to the front door and were greeted by friendly volunteers who gave us a quick history and tour and then allowed us to wander on our own. This rarely happens these days with high security alert everywhere.

Everyday Tourist Tip: It is “Ok” to talk to strangers when you are travelling.

Turns out the original Dock Street Theatre burned down in the Great Fire of 1740. The current building was originally the Planter’s Hotel in 1809, but when the hotel fell into disrepair in the 1930s, it was made available to the City of Charleston who constructed the theatre within the shell of the old hotel. The theatre is modelled on the 18th century London playhouse with the hotel’s grand foyer becoming the grand foyer of the theatre and the dining room is now the box office. It is a great place for history buffs to explore. It was a very pleasant experience!

Gretchen Scott (233 King St.)

Charleston’s King Street (aka main street) is full of interesting shops and boutiques, but the one that stood out to me was Gretchen Scott, a fashion boutique with a sign in the window saying, “Man Cave.” I had to stop and take a second look at the windows to see if it had both women’s and men’s fashions, but the windows were solely full of colourful and playful women’s wear. I had to go in to find out more.

After taking a cursory look around but not seeing anything that looked like a man cave, I asked. Sure enough, at the back of the shop was an area set aside for men to sit and read, watch TV, have a coffee or even a beer while their lady friend shopped. I have often said, women shops (be it fashion or home décor store) should always have a comfy chair or two for men to sit while the ladies shop, but this was even better!

But it gets even better as when I looked around more, I noticed art on the shelves above the racks of clothing and as part of some displays. And not just any artwork, but colourful and playful limited edition lithographs by the likes of Alexander Calder and Joan Miro (two of my favourite artists)! Now that’s what I call an OFTBPP.

Everyday Tourist Tip: It pays to be curious.

The man cave was a bit too feminine for me.

Love the art on the shelves above the clothes.

Harken Café (62 Queen St.)

Based on the recommendation of a Calgary hairdresser, we searched out Harken Café, which you could easily miss, as it as it is in a small, run-of-the-mill wooden building. It has a fun, folksy vibe. It was busy and when a single guy was looking for a spot, we invited him to join us. Turns out he is an artist, and we had a lovely chat about Charleston’s art scene, his art and the joys of travelling. Oh yes, we enjoyed our tasty sandwich, coffee and 4-berry dessert.

Everyday Tourist Tip: Be sure to check out the washroom.

Holey City Bagels (43 Cannon St.)

If you like mingling with locals, Holey City Bagels is YOUR place. In the morning, it is a constant stream of people of all ages wandering in to pick up a bagel and coffee. We liked it so much we went twice on our 2-day Charleston trip.

Holey City Bagels has a great background story - from Greg, a self-taught baker, to its origin as a farmer’s market start-up in 2017, to a 1962 airstream converted into a food truck in 2019, and then to bagel shop in 2022.

Wonder where the name “Holey” comes from? Charleston, South Carolina, is known as "The Holy City" due to its historical religious tolerance, numerous church steeples, and the presence of historic churches and synagogues. Note: Their fun mascot/logo is a sunglass wearing cartoon figure with a halo about it – a nod to the “holy city.”

Last Word

I hope you have enjoyed reading about these OTBP hidden gems and my tips on how to find your own hidden gems when you are travelling.

Off-The-Beaten-Path Hunt in Charleston, South Carolina