South Carolina Arts and Entertainment

From South Carolina museums to art & theater — prepare to be impressed!

We’ll be the first to admit that when it comes to having a national reputation for the arts, South Carolina may not be the first state that jumps to mind. But take a closer look, and you’ll be amazed by the award-winning South Carolina museums, performing arts centers and fine arts theaters that grace our historic cities and towns. And you’ll discover that honoring creativity and celebrating the arts is a longstanding South Carolina tradition.

A renowned collection of European old master paintings and 30 elegant galleries can be found nestled into the quiet beauty of the Bob Jones University Museum in Greenville – a showcase in South Carolina’ Upcountry.

But not all of our art lives in the past. Visitors to The Artists Colony in Sumter, South Carolina have a chance to walk amidst living, breathing studios, meet the artists and watch their work come to life. And the 25 galleries of the Columbia Museum of Art in our capital city of Columbia are home to Botticelli’s only fresco that resides outside of Italy, as well as work from Monet and art glass by Tiffany -- it's truly one of the most impressive museums in South Carolina.

Interested in stage and screen? Look no further than Greenville’s Peace Center, offering a robust year-round schedule of musical and dramatic performances. Or catch the annual Beaufort International Film Festival featuring films, an art walk, art shows and lively parties celebrating Southern culture.

For more museums in South Carolina, use the search below.