A new museum featuring historic exhibits has recently opened in Columbia, highlighting deep and diverse stories of the region and its people. Notably, Historic Columbia has been preserving and sharing the area’s history for over 60 years through multiple historic house museums in the city. These museums include exhibits on Reconstruction, African American history, the Civil Rights Movement, and more. The Mann-Simons Site and Modjeska Monteith Simkins House offer newly developed permanent exhibits that showcase significant aspects of Black entrepreneurial heritage and civil rights advocacy, respectively.​
Additionally, the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia is a state-of-the-art facility with multiple floors displaying historic, art, natural history, and science exhibits. It hosts permanent galleries as well as changing exhibitions focused on the state’s rich heritage, including history and cultural displays that visitors can explore year-round.​
The McKissick Museum at the University of South Carolina also features historic and cultural collections including rotating exhibits on Southern life, politics, and regional struggles, with a focus on education and research. This amalgamation of museums makes Columbia a vibrant center for historic exhibits and cultural enrichment.​
Together, these institutions provide visitors with engaging opportunities to explore Columbia’s historic past through well-curated exhibits that tell stories of resilience, culture, and transformation from multiple perspectives.
SOURCE
[1](https://www.experiencecolumbiasc.com/things-to-do/attractions/historic-columbia/)
[2](https://scmuseum.org/explore/exhibitions)
[3](https://scmuseum.org/home)
[4](https://www.dailygamecock.com/article/2025/08/five-museums-to-explore-columbias-rich-history-culture-arts-culture-hamrick)
[5](https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/artsandsciences/mckissick_museum/exhibits/)
