The Battery promenade and Rainbow Row's 13 pastel Georgian row houses are the two most photographed sites in Charleston — best walked in early morning before the tour groups arrive. The view south from White Point Garden across the harbor to Fort Sumter is the image of the city.
Why It’s Worth Your Time
The Battery is Charleston's most iconic public space — a seawall promenade lined with antebellum mansions at the southern tip of the peninsula. White Point Garden anchors it, with its Civil War cannons and live oaks draped in Spanish moss. Rainbow Row, a block north on East Bay Street, is the longest surviving row of Georgian row houses in the United States — 13 houses in shades of coral, gold, and green. Walk both in the early morning, when the light is best and the streets are quiet.
What Stands Out
- Rainbow Row — 13 pastel Georgian row houses
- White Point Garden — live oaks, Spanish moss, harbor views
- Walk at dawn for the best light and fewest crowds