Fun Things to Do in Charleston with Kids

As a Lowcountry Native with two children, I consider myself an expert on fun things to do in Charleston with kids. Charleston has grown from the small town it was when I was a child into a major travel destination. In fact, Charleston has been voted the #1 city in the U.S. by Travel & Leisure Magazine for the past 8 years! So if you find yourself vacationing here with little ones, check out any or all of these family friendly activities in Charleston.

To help with planning I’ve included the mileage from Marion Square which is a central location in downtown Charleston as well as admission prices as of Summer 2021. If visiting at a later date, please use the links provided to check current pricing and hours.

Isle of Palms

Going to the beach is my #1 recommendation for fun things to do in Charleston with kids. What kid doesn’t love to dig in the sand and hop the waves! The 3 closest beaches to Charleston, SC are Folly Beach, Sullivan’s Island and Isle of Palms. Folly Beach and Sullivan’s Island will always be near and dear to my heart because I grew up on Folly and got married on Sullivan’s but Isle of Palms is the best beach for families because of the ease of parking and amenities available at the County Park. Amenities include restrooms and changing rooms on site, a lifeguard on duty, chair and umbrella rentals, picnic tables, snack carts, a playground, sand volleyball court and outdoor showers where you can rinse off the sand before heading home.

Address: 1 14th Avenue, Isle of Palms, SC
Miles from Marion Square: 13.0 miles
Parking (May – Labor Day): $10 Monday-Friday and $15 Saturday-Sunday
Learn More: https://ccprc.com/60/Isle-of-Palms-County-Park

Audrey loves the sand at IOP! — *Digging in the sand = hours of f*un!

Beach babe at Isle of Palms — *Digging in the sand = hours of f*un!

There’s always gulleys to play in on Isle of Palms

Fun at the beach on Isle of Palms — *Always a fun day at the beach!*

Audrey with boogie board on Isle of Palms — *Always a fun day at the beach!*

South Carolina Aquarium

The South Carolina Aquarium comes in a close 2nd for my recommendations of fun things to do in Charleston with kids. It overlooks the Charleston Harbor and on many days you’ll be lucky enough to see real dolphins swimming around in the river. Kids will be fascinated by the huge 385,000 sq. ft. Great Ocean Tank, home to all kinds of cool sea creatures, including sharks and sea turtles. There’s even a 220-pound loggerhead sea turtle named Caretta.

My personal favorite exhibit is the Sea Turtle Recovery Center where you can visit sea turtles who have been rescued and are in the process of being rehabilitated by the aquarium. There’s a touch tank where kids can hold starfish and hermit crabs and pet tiger sharks. They can also pet and feed cownose stingrays at The Shallows exhibit. We always visit Liberty, the bald eagle, and Ace and Stono, the two river two otters who live in the Mountain Forest exhibit. The South Carolina Aquarium is a must-see activity for kids in Charleston and you could easily spend hours exploring. Due to Covid, tickets much be purchased online at this time in order to limit the number of guests. Weekends and holidays sell out quickly so plan ahead.

Address: 100 Aquarium Wharf, Charleston, SC
Miles from Marion Square: 0.6 miles
Admission: Adult (13+): $29.95 | Child (3-12): $22.95 | 2 and under: Free
Learn More: https://scaquarium.org/

A sea turtle recovering at the sea turtle hospital

Touch tank at SC Aquarium — *Petting tiger sharks in the touch tank.*

petting tiger sharks at the SC Aquarium — *Petting tiger sharks in the touch tank.*

fun kid's activities at the SC Aquarium — *The aquarium has many fun hands-on kid activities.*

Hurricane Simulator — *The aquarium has many fun hands-on kid activities.*

Bald Eagle Nest Replica — *Replica of an eagle nest.*

Liberty the Bald Eagle & either Ace & Stono, one of the River Otters

river otter at SC Aquarium — Liberty the Bald Eagle & either Ace & Stono, one of the River Otters

Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry

No list of fun things to do in Charleston with kids would be complete without mentioning the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry. The children’s museum is made up of multiple themed rooms where kids can explore, play and create. There’s an art room where kids can paint, draw, cut, paste until their heart is content, a castle room where they can dress up and role play in a 2 story medieval style castle, a water room where they can splash and play with toy boats, a pirate room where they can play on a huge replica of a pirate ship and a market where they can pretend to grocery shop and checkout. I would recommend the The Children’s Museum for kids under 10.

Address: 25 Ann Street, Charleston, SC
Miles from Marion Square: 0.3 miles
Admission: Adult / Child: $12 | SC Adult / Child Resident: $10 | Under 1: Free
Learn More: https://explorecml.org/

Playing with kinetic sand in the art room

Audrey painting at Children's Museum of the Lowcountry — *Making masterpieces!*

Sophie painting at Children's Museum of the Lowcountry — *Making masterpieces!*

Audrey shopping in the Market at at Children's Museum of the Lowcountry

Sophie shopping at the Market at Children's Museum of the Lowcountry

Sophie in the water room at Children's Museum of the Lowcountry

Audrey in the water room at Children's Museum of the Lowcountry

Charleston County Water Parks

Water parks must be included on the list of fun things to do in Charleston with kids, and Charleston has 3 to choose from: Splash Zone at James Island County Park, Whirlin’ Waters Adventure Waterpark at Wannamaker County Park and Splash Island at Palmetto Islands County Park. The water parks are seasonal and are generally open from mid-May through Labor Day. Of the three, Splash Zone and Whirlin’ Waters are the best options. Whirlin’ Waters also has a brand new water park for dogs that I can’t wait to try out! Take advantage of the reduced admission price after 3pm on weekdays!

Whirlin’ Waters

Address: 8888 University Blvd., North Charleston, SC
Miles from Marion Square: 18.3 miles
Admission: General Admission: $21.99 ($12.99 after 3:00 p.m. Monday – Friday only) | Under 48”: $16.99 | Seniors 60+: $11.99 | 2 and under: Free
Learn More: https://www.ccprc.com/1658/Whirlin-Waters

Whirling Waters Water Park — *Photo credit: Charleston County Parks & Recreation*

Splash Zone

Address: 871 Riverland Drive, Charleston, SC
Miles from Marion Square: 6.5 miles
Admission: General Admission: $11.99 ($7.99 after 3:00 p.m. Monday – Friday only) | Under 48”: $9.99 | Seniors 60+: $6.99 | 2 and under: Free
Learn More: https://www.ccprc.com/1659/Splash-Zone

Photo Credit: Charleston County Parks & Recreation

Waterfront Park

Waterfront Park is a 12 acre park located along the Charleston Harbor in the heart of the historic district. You can sit on a porch bench overlooking the Charleston Harbor, admire the iconic Pineapple Fountain, walk out on the dock and relax in the family-sized swings, and turn the kids loose to splash and play in the Vendue Fountain. Free entertainment at it’s finest!

Address: 1 Vendue Range, Charleston, SC
Miles from Marion Square: 1.0 miles
Admission: Free
Learn More: https://www.charleston-sc.com/charleston-waterfront-park.html

Sophie & Audrey thought playing in the fountain was the bomb!

Sophie & Audrey playing in the Vendue Fountain at Waterfront Park

Audrey playing in the Vendue Fountain at Waterfront Park

Pelican’s Snoballs

Over 100 flavors of sno-cones await you at Pelican’s Snoballs! It’s one of my kids favorite places to go for a cool treat during the summer. They also have vanilla and peanut butter flavored pup-cups topped with mini milk bones for doggies!

Address: 2447 Hwy 17 North, Mount Pleasant, SC
Miles from Marion Square: 10.8 miles
Prices: Sno Balls: $4-6 | Pup Cups: $1.50
Learn More: https://pelicanssnoballs.com/

Pelican's Sno-Balls Mount Pleasant location

Hampton Park

At 60 acres, Hampton Park is the largest park in Charleston. My kids love to go climb on the live oak trees. There are many trees with large limbs reaching all the way to the ground — basically like nature’s jungle gym! Kids will also love feeding the wild ducks and geese who live in the park’s large pond. The park was originally a horse track back in the 19th century and now bikers and joggers can enjoy the 1 mile loop that runs around the perimeter of the park. Hampton Park also has a playground, picnic tables, large duck pond, bike rentals, public restrooms and easy on-site parking.

Address: 30 Mary Murray Drive, Charleston, SC
Miles from Marion Square: 2.5 miles
Admission: Free
Learn More: https://www.charleston-sc.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/81

Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park

The kids love going to the nautical themed playground here, which is mostly shaded since it sits directly under the bridge. The playground also gets a nice breeze from the Cooper River so it’s one of the cooler places to play outside in the summer. There’s a large lawn with a view of the Charleston Harbor, a place where you can get soft-serve ice cream, and a 1,250-foot-long pier with swings over the Cooper River. Best of all it’s free (except for the ice cream!)

Address: 99 Harry M. Hallman Jr, Blvd., Mount Pleasant, SC
Miles from Marion Square: 4.5 miles
Admission: Free
Learn More: https://www.ccprc.com/1171/Mount-Pleasant-Pier

USS Yorktown | Patriot’s Point Naval & Maritime Museum

Just down the street from Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park, you’ll find Patriot’s Point Naval and Maritime Museum. Patriot’s Point is home to the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown, which played a major roll in the Pacific offensive during WWII. The ship also served during the Vietnam War and recovered the Apollo 8 astronauts and capsule in 1968. Charleston has been her permanent home since being decommissioned in 1970. My girls enjoyed exploring the many levels of the ship, seeing 28 historic aircraft and visiting the flight deck. We went on a weekday afternoon in May and practically had the whole ship to ourselves. On site you can also visit the USS Laffey Destroyer and the USS Clamagore submarine. History buffs will love the Metal of Honor Museum and the 3 Acre Vietnam Experience.

Address: 40 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant, SC
Miles from Marion Square: 5.2 miles
Admission: Adults (12+) $27 | Ages 6-11: $16 | Seniors, Active & Retired Military: $19 | Veterans, Teachers & First Responders: $21 | Children under 6 & Active Military in Uniform: Free
Learn More: https://www.patriotspoint.org/explore/uss-yorktown/

View of the Ravenel Bridge from the flight deck of the USS Yorktown

Historic Aircraft on the flight deck of the USS Yorktown

Sky Zone

This huge indoor trampoline park is a hit with kids of all ages. From foam ball pits, to a rock wall and endless trampolines they never get bored of going to Sky Zone! I can’t say that Sky Zone is much fun for parents but the kid’s leave exhausted. The Sky Zone Heat Pass was a lifesaver for us this summer! Kids can jump for an hour every day! We didn’t go every day of course but we definitely got our money’s worth. Although the money we saved with the Heat Wave pass was probably spent on candy, Icees and Dippin’ Dots…

Address: 411 Wando Park Blvd, Mount Pleasant, SC
Miles from Marion Square: 10.2 miles
Admission: 1 Hour Jump: $16 | 90 min Jump: $21
Learn More: https://www.skyzone.com/

Charleston Fun Park

There’s tons of fun stuff for the kiddos at Charleston Fun Park. They have a go-karts (Sophie & Audrey’s favorite!), a mini golf course, bumper cars, arcade games, and a virtual reality roller coaster.

Address: 3255 N Hwy 17, Mount Pleasant, SC
Miles from Marion Square: 13.5 miles
Admission: Varies by Activity
Learn More: https://charlestonfunpark.com/

Charleston Zip Line Adventures

Fly through the trees at Charleston Zip Line Adventures, located a short drive from Charleston in Awendaw. They have a kid’s zip course designed for kids ages 5 to 10. Kids over 10 can use the 65 foot high adult zip course, or opt to do the les intimidating kid’s course if they’re a first timer. You’ll be in good hands with their trained guides who make the adventure safe and fun for everyone. Advanced registration is required.

Address: 1152 Guerin’s Bridge Road, Awendaw, SC
Miles from Marion Square: 19.5 miles
Admission: Kids $49.00 | Adults $85.00
Learn More: https://www.charlestonziplineadventures.com/