Est 1773: The Charleston Museum's Early Days

Event Details

The Charleston Museum, founded January 12, 1773, is America's first museum. Celebrate the Museum's 246th birthday with a tour of the Museum's history and its earliest collections.

The Early Days gallery reflects the Museum's long history from its founding before the American Revolution to the late twentieth century. This gallery recreates the Museum in the late 19th century, when the institution served as a "window to the world" for visitors and Charleston residents. The Museum featured antiquities, curiosities, and natural history specimens from around the world, many collected by famous naturalists and explorers.

Join Chief Curator Grahame Long and Curator of Historical Archaeology Martha Zierden in our unique Early Days gallery for the story of the Museum's institutional history and a closer look at its earliest collections.

This tour is free for members and free with admission. No tickets or registration required.