South Carolina
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Parks & Recreation
Columbia Blowfish
301 Assembly Street, Columbia. Coastal Plain League Baseball Team. Come enjoy a baseball game at Capital City Stadium.
Phone: (803) 254-FISH
Visit: blowfishbaseball.com
Columbia Inferno
701 Assembly Street, Columbia. Professional ice hockey team.
Phone: (803) 256-7825
Visit: columbiainferno.com
Columbia Riverfront Park and Historic Canal
At the end of Laurel Street, at the Congaree River, Columbia. The city's original 1906 waterworks, with the pump house and first hydroelectric plant anchor still in place this is a peaceful setting for cycling, walking and picnicking. Open daily 10am-6pm. Free.
Phone: (803) 733-8331
Visit: columbiasc.net
Congaree National Park
Off Bluff Road (SC 48) in Hopkins, 20 mi. S.E. of downtown Columbia. This National Park Service site features a visitor center with 3,000 square feet of exhibit space and an introductory film. Canoe trails, a 21/2-mile board walk loop trail for the handicapped and 18 miles of hiking trails lend access to this forested wilderness wonderland, known for its biological diversity and record-size trees. Open daily 8:30am-5pm. Free.
Phone: (803) 776-4396
Visit: nps.gov/cong
Columbia Tennis Center
1635 Whaley Street, Columbia. Fourteen plexipave courts that are lighted for evening play.
Summer hours: 8am-9pm.
Phone: (803) 733-8440
Dreher Island State Park
Dreher Island State Park is located on Lake Murray, a 50,000-acre reservoir in the Midlands. The park consists of three islands linked to the mainland by a causeway and two bridges. Its 348 acres and 12 miles of shoreline provide guests with a variety of outdoor water recreation opportunities. The park offers lakeside camping, picnicking, lakeside villas and a nature trail. Dreher Island is 30 miles from Columbia and 12 miles off I-26 (via Chapin exit #91). The park is open 6am-6pm and 6am-9pm DST. Admission is $2 adults; $1.25 SC seniors; with age 15 & younger admitted free.
Phone: (803) 364-4152
Visit: southcarolinaparks.com
Finlay Park
Laurel and Assembly Streets, Columbia. The site of many special events, this 14 acre park features a lake, waterfall and playground. Free concerts every Saturday evening June-August. Open daily. Free.
Phone: (803) 733-8691
Visit: columbiasc.net
Farmers' Market
Across from the USC football stadium on Bluff Road (SC 48). Fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers and much more arrive daily at one of the largest produce markets in the southeast.
Monday- Saturday, 6am-9pm
Sunday, 1-6pm
Phone: (803) 737-4664
Visit: scda.state.sc.us
Fort Jackson Water Park & Mini Golf
6511 Marion Street, Columbia. (On Fort Jackson)
Palmetto
Falls Water Park features a "loopty-loop" slide, two speed slides, two gang slides, a lazy river, a family activity pool, a lap pool, a children's pool and a spray park. The park is open during the summer months. Adjacent to Palmetto Falls Water Park is Palmetto Greens Miniature Golf.
Phone: (803) 751-3381
Frankie's Fun Park
140 Parkridge Drive, off Harbison Boulevard, exit 103 off I-26. A 14-acre family-oriented amusement center. Activities include three go-cart tracks, bumper boats, batting cages, three 18-hole mini-golf courses, laser tag, an arcade and a pizza restaurant.
Open: Monday- Saturday, 10am-11pm
Sunday, Noon-11pm (summers)
Phone: (803) 781-2342
Visit: frankiesfunpark.com
Gibson Pond Park
241 Gibson Road, Lexington. Picnic facilities, dock for fishing, boats without gas powered engines allowed. Pets must be on a leash.
Park hours are 7am-9pm.
Phone: (803) 359-1027
Visit: lexsc.com/newparks.htm
Granby Park
1800 12th Street, Cayce. Located in the banks of the Congaree River. A great place for a casual stroll on a paved walkway, for an invigorating hike in the woods or a family picnic.
Phone: (803) 796-9020
Visit: caycesc.net
Guignard Park
Corner of Knox Abbot Drive and Axtell Road, Cayce. This wooded park has a stream running through it with picnic tables and a play area.
Open daily: 8am-9pm.
Phone: (803) 796-9020
Visit: caycesc.net
Harbison State Forest
5500 Broad River Road, Columbia. Over sixteen miles of roads and trails weave through a pine and hardwood forest, crossing wandering streams and descending through leafy glades to the Broad River. Harbison State Forest has 12 miles of trails designed for walking, jogging, hiking, and bicycling that range from easy to moderately difficult. A canoe landing located near the Broad River provides access for kayaks and canoes. User fees are required for all visitors; fee boxes are located at each parking area.
Phone: (803) 896-8890
Visit: state.sc.us/forest/refharb.htm
Harmon's Tree Farm & Christmas House
3152 Augusta Highway, Gilbert. Visit for family entertainment throughout the year. Special events include hay rides, barn dances, gospel singing and concerts. Be sure to visit the Christmas Shop and Farm Museum.
Phone: (803) 359-4454
Visit: harmonschristmashouse.com
Lexington County Tennis Complex
425 Oak Drive, Lexington. Host to over 30 tennis events including the International Tennis Federation World Junior Championships, SC Senior Hardcourt Championships and the Southern 10. The complex has 21 lighted courts that can be reserved for play.
Phone: (803) 957-7676
Visit: lexingtoncountytennis.com
Memorial Park
Hampton and Gadsden Streets, Columbia. The largest monument of its type outside of Washington, D.C. It is a memorial to 980 South Carolinians who died in Vietnam. Open daily. Free.
Phone: (803) 733-8331
Visit: columbiasc.net
Peachtree Rock
Off SC 6 near Edmund in Lexington County. A curiously diverse set of ecosystems ranging from desert to mountain coexist on a 305-acre tract. Open daylight hours. Free.
Phone: (803) 254-9049
Visit: dnr.sc.gov/managed/heritage/peachtree/description.html
Riverbanks Zoo & Botanical Garden
Over 1 million visitors a year! I-26 at Greystone Boulevard exit, 1 mile west of downtown Columbia. Visit more than 2,000 species in natural habitat settings. Travel through the desert, rainforest and undersea kingdom in the Aquarium Reptile Complex. The 70-acre Botanical Garden features formal gardens, scenic views and woodland trails. A new entrance from Botanical Parkway off Hwy. 378 in West Columbia offers a direct entrance to the Garden. Visitor amenities to this Top 10 zoo include restaurants and gift shops. Open daily 9am-5pm; no one admitted one hour before closing. Open summer weekends until 6pm; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Phone: (803) 779-8717
Visit: riverbanks.org
Saluda Shoals Park
5605 Bush River Road, Columbia. Offers hiking, picnicking, fishing, horseback riding, Saluda Splash and access to the Saluda River.
Phone: (803) 731-5208
Visit: icrc.net
Sesquicentennial State Park
This 1,419-acre park, situated in the middle of the sandhills region, features a beautiful 30-acre lake surrounded by trails and picnic areas. The park's proximity to downtown Columbia and three major interstate highways attracts both local residents and travelers. Sesqui is often the site of family reunions and group campouts. Interpretive nature programs are a major attraction to the park. The park was originally built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930's. Evidence of their craftsmanship is still present today. The park is on US 1 (Two Notch Road), 13 miles NE of Columbia, three miles from I-20 and two miles from I-77. The park is open daily 8am-6pm and 7am-9pm DST. Admission is $2 adults; $1.25 SC seniors; with age 15 & younger admitted free.
Phone: (803) 788-2706
Visit: southcarolinaparks.com
Virginia Hylton Park
111 Maiden Lane, Lexington. This shady, relaxing park has picnic tables, a playground and is a pleasant place to walk. Open 7am until 9pm. Free.
Phone: (803) 359-1027
Visit: lexsc.com/newparks.htm
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