20 Places To Visit In Columbia, South Carolina
Visiting Columbia for a tournament at the Columbia Chess Club? Considering a visit? Just in town for any old reason? There's lots to do for you and your family - from nature to parks to markets, restaurants, and more! We've made a list of 20 great places to visit in Columbia and asked club members to score them from 1-10. With 15 responses, here are the winners!
Depending on your interests, all of these are great places to visit and many are very close to the club. We hope you have a great time over the board and off the board in Columbia, and we look forward to seeing you again soon.
Columbia Chess Club - 10.0
What can we say? 
There's a reason the Columbia Chess Club is one of the best clubs in the country! All wood boards, regular streams, tournaments, lectures, kids' nights, Tunnelvision, the State Champs, it's all here, all seamlessly organized, and you won't find a better equipped club or friendlier community.
Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Gardens - 9.15
Riverbanks has a justly excellent reputation as a zoo, but it's not just a great zoo. Check out the gardens, the climbing, the splash pad, and so much more. Riverbanks is passionately administered, and it shows.
Soda City Market - 9.00
From street food to fresh produce to local artists, the Soda City Market is a great downtown local market experience that is open every Saturday.
Firefly Toys and Games - 8.31
If you like chess, you probably like other games. Firefly is an excellent visit near the Columbia Chess Club with tons of games for both sale and free play as well as an arcade.
Saluda Shoals Park - 8.17
With an entrance practically next door to the Columbia Chess Club, Saluda Shoals is a must-visit park. With hiking, playgrounds, a splash pad, tubing, disc golf, and more, it's the perfect place to visit if you are travelling with family.
Koger Center for the Arts - 8.17
With 2,260 seats (and recently upgraded seating!), the Koger Center is one of South Carolina's largest theaters and hosts incredible shows all year round. Check out the incredible Broadway in Columbia series, and see touring shows like Hadestown, Wicked, Six, and Book of Mormon.
Congaree National Park - 8.14
Congaree is the only national park in South Carolina, Georgia, or North Carolina. It preserves some of the oldest forest in the southeast with incredible biodiversity. Walk the boardwalk or 25 miles of trails, see the fireflies, or canoe the Congaree.
Irmo Flight Adventure Park - 7.73
If you like trampolines, bounce houses, ice skating, climbing, or obstacle course the Irmo Flight Adventure Park is an easily recommended good time.
Frankie's Fun Park - 7.67
Frankie's is the sort of magical place that Chuck E. Cheese and Dave and Buster's WISH they were. Frankie's is well tended, and it shows. From the excellently land-scaped 56 holes of mini-golf to the go-karts, batting cages, roller coasters, to the many, many arcade games - Frankie's is packed with activities and is surprisingly affordable.
Edventure - 7.55
Edventure is an educational and play museum with multiple floors of activities. Ideal for elementary and middle-school kids, they will particularly love climbing the multi-story statue of a boy in the central hall.
City Limits BBQ - 7.5
Columbia has plenty of great restaurants, but the only one on this list is Southern Living's #1 BBQ Joint In The South for 2025.
Moore Park - 7.33
Sprawling Moore Park is one of the best city parks in the state. With an amphitheater, lots of playground equipment, fields, picnic shelters, ponds, a playhouse, and more, Moore Park is a free and easy visit and maybe the best picnic spot near the Columbia Chess Club.
Lake Murray Public Park - 7.25
There are lots of great ways to enjoy Lake Murray, but one of the most convenient is to visit the Lake Murray Public Park for easy swimming and water activities. If you like walking, you can also walk across the dam and enjoy a great view and lake breeze.
Columbia Museum of Art - 7.09
The Columbia Museum of Art is a beautiful and well curated, if small, art museum. The CMA has lots of different activities and events that are well worth checking out.
Saluda Riverwalk - 7.08
Columbia is expanding the riverwalk rapidly and will one day connect the Lake Murray Dam through Saluda Shoals Park, past Riverbanks Zoo, and on to the Saluda Riverwalk downtown. Next to the Gervais Street Bridge is one of the nicest sections with an amphitheater, picnic areas, and lots of path to walk, bike, and more.
SC State Museum - 7.08
The South Carolina State Museum has an impressive planetarium, exhibits, and events.
Sesquicentennial State Park - 6.9
"Sesqui" features lots of hiking, playground equipment, a lake for light boating, camping, and more - all conveniently located in Northeast Columbia.
Dreher Island State Park - 6.64
Dreher Island State Park is one of the most peaceful ways to enjoy Lake Murray. It's a quality stay with great cabins and quality camping, but maybe most easily recommended is some autumn hiking.
Harbison State Forest - 6.08
Harbison State Forest has 18 miles of trails for hiking, running, and mountain biking - with trails for beginners and experienced hikers, it's a much-loved staple for Columbia's nature lovers.
Pine Island State Park - 5.78
Pine Island is South Carolina's newest state park, and it's only open for limited hours while renovations are ongoing. Still, it's very conveniently located for state park fans and is a great visit for a picnic, swimming, and boating.
Honorable Mention: Finlay Park
Finlay Park is an honorable mention because it JUST re-opened after club members voted on their top locations to visit. Finlay Park is situated right in the middle of downtown Columbia and now has some beautiful water features, massive slides, fitness courts, skating, rentable remote boats, table tennis, and lots more. The re-opening has been receiving raves and certainly merits a visit.
Is there something else you seek in Columbia? Something you love that we missed? Post a comment with your suggestions or requests, and we hope to see you in Columbia soon!
