A lot of visitors admire Rainbow Row's historic homes and tour supposedly haunted areas, but those popular activities only scratch the surface of Charleston's past.
There are so many historic sites where tourists can learn more about the city's story, from its association with pirates to its role in the American Civil War.
Two of my favorites are the Sewee Shell Ring Boardwalk, a 1-mile walk through prehistoric shell mounds, and Gene's Haufbrau, one of the city's oldest and most storied bars.
It's also important to be considerate and learn some history if you choose to visit these places.
For example, I've seen tourists explore plantations without acknowledging the land and the estates' ties to slavery, even though about 40% of all enslaved Africans in the US passed through Charleston's port, and about 10% of them lived in South Carolina until slavery was abolished.