Just Like Home for the Holidays

Nov 24, 2022

Experience Summerville's Southern Ho-Ho-Hospitality

Making you feel right at home is exactly what Summerville's hosts do best because they understand that where you stay is just as important as where you go. After a stay in our sweet town, you'll find that "Southern hospitality" and "Summerville" are nearly synonymous.


As the saying goes, "There are no strangers, just friends we haven't met yet."


Enjoy the charm of Summerville’s downtown, fine dining, and shopping while being only minutes away from Charleston. You can do it all from Summerville — the center of your Lowcountry experience through the holidays. And once you're done adventuring for the day, Summerville will give you something wonderful to come home to.


Plan your trip!

WHERE TO STAY


Bed & Breakfasts & Inns


Looking for a cozy spot to nest for a spell? A Bed & Breakfast is the answer. Live like a local while you enjoy the hospitality of your gracious hosts, take in the charm of a sprawling porch or beautiful garden, and rest peacefully on the comfy bed made up just for you. Many of the inns and bed & breakfasts are within walking distance to Downtown Summerville. 


Bed & Breakfasts

Hotels


If the familiarity of a hotel is your preference, Summerville offers several options. With many located close to the interstate, you can lay your head down for the night and then get up and go wherever your itinerary leads you. Some of these hotels are pet-friendly, many offering breakfast and pools - and all providing a warm welcome and helpful assistance from the front desk.


Hotels

SEE & DO

Whether you're looking to get away for a quiet holiday with your family or seeking out a busy day trip full of festive cheer, Summerville's magical setting is sure to fill you with the Christmas Spirit.


Make your season bright by attending a local event:
Summerville’s Tree Lighting Ceremony and Live Windows Display, The Holiday Market and the Summerville Christmas Parade are just a few events coming up.
 
Get more information and details here:

Local Events

Shop Historic Downtown
With decorated window displays and decor wherever you look, historic downtown of Summerville looks like it belongs in a Hallmark movie, with the locals just as sweet. Shop, sip and eat to your heart's content - there's something for everyone!

Hint: Check out Hutchinson Square in the evening and get photos at the light displays! Be sure to tag us #visitsummerville so we can follow along!



Arts and Performing Arts

Peruse the galleries of the Public Works Art Center, catch a performance with The Flowertown Players or the Summerville Orchestra, or plan a stroll through our parks to admire the sculptures installed by Sculpture in the South. 


Historic Sites

History buffs and garden lovers can enjoy all that the Summerville and Charleston area has to offer.  The Sue Sanders Memorial Historic Homes & Flowers Walking Tour is a great way to explore Summerville’s historic homes. The oldest home on the tour is the Gelzer Brothers House, c. 1819. 

Middleton Place, located on the Ashley River is just 8 miles from downtown Summerville; you can take a stroll along 65 acres of garden paths that are more than a quarter millennium old. 

Stop by Colonial Dorchester State Park where you can take a peek into the early history of life in colonial South Carolina. The Bell Tower is a great place for photos!

Museums and Libraries

A quiet respite, the libraries and museums are wonderful places to take in local history. The Timrod Library is located in historic downtown Summerville, and is one of only

two membership libraries still in existence in South Carolina. The Summerville Dorchester Museum features displays upstairs, downstairs and a tour of the small courtyard, including the Saul Alexander garden.


Day Trips

These day trips are perfect for the person who doesn’t want to travel far from “home” base. The Charleston Tea Garden is the place to go if you like history and tea. Nature lovers and children love The Francis Biedler Forest.

Antiquing

Summerville has no shortage of antique and vintage treasures just waiting to be discovered. Pick up a unique gift or take home a trinket to remember your trip!

Outdoor Recreation

With temperate weather year-round, you can find plenty to do outside.
B
ird watching, golf, nature trails, the Edisto and Ashley Rivers, parks, and local walking tours all offer the outdoors person an adventure to remember. 


19 Mar, 2024
Experience the aptly named "Flower Town in the Pines"
09 Mar, 2024
"At the Heart of Summerville" is a blog series dedicated to exploring the vibrant community of Summerville, South Carolina. From the historic downtown area to the surrounding districts, we showcase the people and places that make Summerville such a special destination. An interview with The Flowertown Players at the James F. Dean Theater in Downtown Summerville
06 Dec, 2023
Unveiling some of Summerville's most iconic historic homes.
11 Sep, 2023
Sweet tea is more than just a refreshing beverage - it's a symbol of Southern hospitality and tradition. For many years, this iconic drink has been a staple of Southern cuisine, and nowhere is its history more celebrated than in Summerville, South Carolina, the Birthplace of Sweet Tea. The History of Tea Tea has a rich history in America, with its roots dating back to the late 1700s when French explorer and botanist Andre Michaux first planted tea at Middleton Place Plantation, which is in modern-day Summerville. Beginning in 1880, despite two failed attempts to grow tea in South Carolina, the federal government became interested in this new tea experiment. It established an experimental tea farm at the former Newington Plantation, leasing 200 acres from Henry Middleton. In 1888, Dr. Charles Shepard, a philanthropist and professor at the Medical College of SC acquired 600 acres of the Newington Plantation property. He established the Pinehurst Tea Plantation using plants from the government’s farm. He cultivated about 100 acres, built a factory, and began to sell his tea commercially, becoming the first successful commercial tea farm operation in the United States. After Dr. Shepard's passing in 1915, his plantation became deserted and remained so for over four decades until the Lipton Company purchased it in 1960. They salvaged the remaining plants from Pinehurst and utilized them to open a research facility spanning 127 acres on Wadmalaw Island. In 1987, an expert third-generation tea taster trained in London named William B. Hall, purchased the tea farm to establish what is now the Charleston Tea Garden. In 2003, Bigelow Tea Co. purchased the farm and partnered with Hall. The tea from the Charleston Tea Garden, all derivatives of Dr. Shepard's Camellia sinensis, is still growing there today and has earned the honor of the Official White House Tea and the Official Hospitality Beverage of South Carolina. You can also see specimens of the tea plants from the Pinehurst Tea Gardens in the garden of the Summerville Museum .
18 Aug, 2023
Exploring the After-Hours Charm of Summerville's Nightlife
01 Jul, 2023
There’s a reason our town is called Summerville. Aside from its rich history and unwavering Southern hospitality, Summerville is also a mecca of outdoor activities.
26 May, 2023
"At the Heart of Summerville" is a blog series dedicated to exploring the vibrant community of Summerville, South Carolina. From the historic downtown area to the surrounding districts, we showcase the people and places that make Summerville such a special destination. This ongoing blog series will feature interviews with local business owners, residents, and community leaders, as well as highlight the top attractions, events, and hidden gems in town.
27 Jan, 2023
A rich history, beautiful parks, and plenty of free things to do.
07 Oct, 2022
Summerville is typically known as the place to be in the spring due to the flowering azaleas and warm weather… but make no mistake that this charming town debuts its own unique beauty this time of year.
01 Jun, 2022
2- Enjoy the winning Sweet Tea Cocktail (and all the runners up) from the annual Sweet Tea Cocktail Contest. Local Bartenders create goodness with Sweet Tea as an ingredient.
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