Housed in the historic 1893 Columbia Mill textile building, our "biggest artifact," the South Carolina State Museum tells the story of South Carolina through our many exhibits and programs. Come and enjoy art, cultural history, natural history, science and technology. Many of the museum’s displays are interconnected. You will find there is history in our art, artistic beauty in our natural history and science, and history behind our technology. All disciplines are also represented by objects in the hands-on Stringer Discovery Center. Although no museum can display its entire collection, we offer a varied sampling of the wonders found both within our state and around the world.

Hollywood Comes to South Carolina: A Century of Filmmaking in the Palmetto State
This exhibit showcases the significant number of movies produced in South Carolina over the past 100 years.  Explore the complexity of moviemaking while enjoying photographs, movie clips, filmmaking equipment, costumes, props and other artifacts. $3 in addition to regular museum admission for ages 3 and up.  Media sponsors include The State, WIS-TV and Lamar Advertising. Continues through Oct. 19, 2008.

Stringer Discovery Center (first floor)

Enjoy hands-on activitiesin this special gallery for young children and their families.

Lipscomb Gallery (first floor)

The Mark B. Coplan Collection of Art at the S.C. State Museum continues through March 30, 2008.  This exhibition is the first in-depth look atthe Museum’s largest single acquisition of fine, folk and contemporary artwork. Collected by one of South Carolina’s most active and enthusiastic art collectors, the exhibit features more than 100 works of art, primarily by artists from the Palmetto State.

Palmetto Gallery (fourth floor)

TET: Military Victory, Political Defeat
This exhibit, marking the 40th anniversary of the Tet Offensive, will explore the turbulent events, both overseas and on the homefront, surrounding the biggest single battle of the Vietnam War. Sponsored by AT & T, The Real Yellow Pages. Continues through Jan. 25, 2009.

401/Recent Acquisitions Gallery (fourth floor)

EARTH AND SPACE
Featuring spectacular views of outer space, this exhibit includes technology stations that allow guests to gaze at faraway planets and galaxies as well as a look at detailed spots on Earth.  Continues through May 13, 2008.

FINDING PRISCILLA’S CHILDREN: The Roots and Branches of Slavery.
This exhibit tells the story of a 10-year-old African girl, enslaved in Sierra Leone in 1756 and brought to America, where she was renamed Priscilla by her Charleston owner. It also examines the process of how her American and African families were reunited after more than 200 years of separation. Continues through May 11.

SEEDS OF CHANGE: South Carolina and the Great War 1917- 1918.
Learn about South Carolina’s role on the home front in World War I through displays of photographs, uniforms of soldiers and nurses, weapons, a horse-drawn ambulance wagon and more.  This exhibit is part of a collaboration between the State Museum, the McKissick Museum, S.C. Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum, Historic Columbia and the South Caroliniana Library.  Funded in part by Partnerships for America and a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.  Continues through
June 1, 2008. 

Volunteer Opportunity
Docents (volunteer teachers) are needed to give tours, teach lessons and help in a variety of other ways at the museum.  Benefits for all museum volunteers include a 20 percent discount at the museum store and opportunities to learn more about South Carolina’s art, natural history, cultural history, science and technology. For more information, contact Jeff Powley at jeff.powley@scmuseum.org or (803) 898-4912.

FEBRUARY

2nd – Museum Highlights Tours. Join a weekend walk-in tour highlighting museum exhibits. 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

2nd & 3rd – Museum and a Movie.  “Vietnam: America Takes Charge.”- 60 min.,
2 p.m., Auditorium.

3rd – $1 Sunday. General admission to the State Museum is only $1 today.

9th – Museum Highlights Tours. Join a weekend walk-in tour highlighting museum exhibits. 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

9th – Hands-On Explorations. Explore South Carolina’s environment, past and present. 12:30 – 1:30 p.m., 2:30 – 3:30 p.m., NatureSpace.

9th & 10th – Museum and a Movie.  “Vietnam: TET 1968.”- 60 min., 2 p.m., Auditorium.

15th – First day to see Finding Priscilla’s Children.

15th – 16th – Columbia’s Longest Days. The Greater Columbia Civil War Alliance commemorates the 143rd anniversary of Sherman’s march with a military ball Feb. 15, and 3-hour bus tours retracing the steps of Sherman’s Army and a Civil War expo
Feb. 16. Tickets for the bus tour and military ball 803-898-4922. For more info, visit www.shermansmarch.com, click on “Tours/Info.”

16th – Genealogy workshop.  In conjunction with the new exhibit Finding Priscilla’s Children, Alexia Helsley will conduct a workshop on researching African-American roots. $15 General Public; $10 Friends of the State Museum. To register, call 898-4999. 10 a.m.—1 p.m., Vista Room.

16th – Museum Highlights Tours. Join a weekend walk-in tour highlighting museum exhibits. 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

16th & 17th – Museum and a Movie.  “Vietnam: Homefront USA.”- 60 min., 2 p.m., Auditorium.

23rd – Museum Highlights Tours. Join a weekend walk-in tour highlighting museum exhibits. 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

23rd & 24th – Museum and a Movie.  “Vietnam: Roots of a War.”- 60 min., 2 p.m., Auditorium.