USA Travel Guide

We brought you the novel, now we’re bringing you the tour. Experience historic Charleston through the eyes of celebrated author Pat Conroy and the characters of his latest novel, South of Broad, in this fun new tour by Old Charleston Walking Tours.

The South of Broad Walking Tour is a scenic two-hour stroll with stops at several locations either mentioned or featured in the new #1 New York Times Bestseller, South of Broad.  Pat Conroy, best known for his novels The Great Santini and The Prince of Tides, has had a longtime love affair with both Charleston and South Carolina, and South of Broad is as much a portrait of the beauty and history of Charleston as it is the story of protagonist Leo Bloom King.

Locations include St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, a striking building at the intersection of Meeting Street and Broad, so called the “Four Corners of the Law” by Robert Ripley. The eye-catching church is the oldest surviving religious structure in Charleston, built around 1751. Two characters from the novel marry in this historic church.

Closer to the end of the tour, you’ll stop at the Dock Street Theatre, another storied Charleston building with key mention in the novel. Though unassuming in appearance, the three-story structure actually houses America’s very first designated theater, built 200 years ago this year. Of course, to follow the tour up with a show at Dock Street would be incredible, but unfortunately the old girl is undergoing renovation through next May.

On the way you’ll walk along refined and upscale Legare Street, part of Leo’s paper route when he was younger, and then Water Street, where characters from the novel outlasted Hurricane Hugo in 1989.

The tour finally ends in front of the stunning façade of the Gibbes Museum of Art on Meeting Street. And really it’s a fitting end. The museum specializes in the work of Charleston and South Carolinian artists, and it captures the flavor of the tour perfectly. Admission is included with the tour, so please check it out.

Wow, some tours just keep on giving. The South of Broad Tour also includes a choice of either a special South of Broad-themed cocktail or dessert at much-awarded Charleston restaurant Slightly North of Broad (also called SNOB, for short).

The South of Broad Walking Tour of Charleston begins at the Mills House Hotel at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday-Saturday, for $25 per person. So, that’s a two-hour tour, admission to the Gibbes and cocktail or dessert all for $25 a person. That’s quite a deal!

But, I actually have a better one for you. The host hotel, The Historic Mills House (mentioned on page 209, btw), is actually sweetening the deal for guests with a special tour package.

The South of Broad Tour Package at the Mills House features tour tickets of course, but adds deluxe overnight accommodations (very nice rooms at the Mills House), a novel-themed welcome gift, and even more savings at the restaurant, Slightly North of Broad. They’ve added a $50 credit for lunch or dinner and a special chef’s amuse bouche. Now that’s quite a deal! Learn more.

You can learn more about the Mills House Charleston Hotel here.

Have fun exploring the historic splendor of Charleston, South Carolina.