Where to Wednesday: SC Aquarium

If you feel like taking a beach break one day during your vacation, one of our very favorite things to do is visit the South Carolina Aquarium in downtown Charleston.

There is absolutely a reason the Aquarium is the city's #1 family attraction. Not only will you get an up-close-and-personal view of over 5,000 amazing animals, you'll also be able to touch sharks and rays, experience a 4-D movie, and take a tour of the Sea Turtle Hospital.

Yep, you read that correctly. The Aquarium is deeply involved in conservation efforts and sea turtle rehabilitation, rescuing injured or stranded sea turtles from across the state's coast and nursing them back to health at the onsite Sea Turtle Hospital. You can get daily tours of the hospital where you get a behind-the-scenes look at their hard work.

It's a dive into the Lowcountry's coastal environment that you can't get from simply sunning yourself on the beach or body-surfing the waves on IOP—trust us, we've tried. With its touch tanks, two-story wall aquarium tanks, saltmarsh aviaries, and educational programs, you'll leave the aquarium feeling not just knowledgeable, but excited to continue conservation efforts of your own.

As it is the state's official aquarium, the entire state is represented. Each display is classified into themes of each of the state's major geographic regions: Shark Shallows, Mountain Forest, Piedmont, Coastal Plain, Saltmarsh Aviary, Coast, and Ocean. You'll see all sorts of salt and freshwater fish, birds,  and reptiles, as well as otters and lemurs for the land-lovers among you.

The aquarium is open daily from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. As a helpful tip: if you're here during the week, you'll find smaller crowds before 11:00 am or after 2:00 pm on weekdays.

Of course, the aquarium is fantastic for families and children. That's not all, though. It's a great place to go with your friends, your spouse, or just yourself! (Hey—we'd go with you, too!) There's so much to explore and so many wonderful things to learn and see, we promise your experience will be worth it.

We're such big fans of the South Carolina Aquarium that we've worked out a special discount for Island Realty guests. Email or call our concierge during your stay at (888) 369-6031 or stop by the front desk and ask about the special Island Realty aquarium rate!