1. Charleston was founded in 1670 as Charles Town, honoring King Charles II of England.
2. Charleston was the fourth largest city in colonial America, and the wealthiest!
3. Charleston boasts the first public college, museum, and playhouse in the U.S.
4. The first golf club in America was established in Charleston in 1786.
5. Fort Sumter is the site of the first shots fired during the Civil War on April 12, 1861.
6. Charleston boasts 90 miles of coastline and is home to 5 of the Happiest Seaside Towns in America.
7. Rainbow Row refers to the row of iconic pastel-colored historic homes located on East bay Street. These historic homes were first constructed around 1740 and were used by merchants who would run their business on the ground floor and live on the top floor.
8. Charleston is known for its "low country" cuisine - such as shrimp and grits, and she-crab soup - that uses foods that grow locally in the low, flat wet environment. It's a unique culinary experience that has evolved over the past 300 years!

Eat! – Charleston is famous for its Lowcountry cuisine.

• TripAdvisor’s 10 best Restaurants in Charleston
• “Must Eats” in Charleston
• 38 Essential Restaurants in Charleston

Take a ghost tour! With nearly 350 years of history, Charleston is known as one of the most haunted cities in America.

• Charleston’s 5 Most Haunted Locations
• 8 Best Ghost Tours, by U.S. News and World Report