Living History Museums
The Olde English District in South Carolina offers a rich diversity of living history museums, allowing visitors to journey through the past.
Historic Camden’s Revolutionary War Living History Park is a 107-acre outdoor museum complex that sits atop the original 18th-century property of Camden’s founder, Joseph Kershaw. The site was once occupied by British General Cornwallis and Lord Rawdon’s men from 1780 to 1781 during the Revolutionary War. Notable features include log cabins with exhibits, a reconstructed blacksmith shed, a fishing pond, a nature trail and the Cunningham House gift shop. Additionally, the site includes the reconstructed Georgian house of the town’s founder, Joseph Kershaw, McCaa’s Tavern and Craven House, which is accessible through a guided tour.
With more than 30 meticulously preserved structures dating from the 1760s to the late 19th century, Historic Brattonsville offers a unique glimpse into the past. Interpreters in period clothing will bring history to life, showcasing how people farmed, cooked and entertained themselves in the 18th and 19th centuries. The site played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War, featuring the battlefield of Huck’s Defeat, which was a series of significant battles that resulted in a Patriot victory. Additionally, explore the ongoing struggle for liberty in the years following the American Civil War with a visit to the newly restored Brick House, home to the exhibit “Liberty & Resistance: Reconstruction and the African-American Community at Brattonsville, 1865–1877.”
The living history farm at Kings Mountain State Park also offers the chance to experience what life was like in the Carolina Backcountry during the Revolutionary War era, featuring various farm animals, a barn and other facilities.