South Carolina State Museum
The South Carolina State Museum opened in 1988 and is the state's biggest museum, featuring 70,000 objects in its collection. Its scope is wide, covering South Carolina's cultural natural and military history, as well as art, science and technology. The museum's exhibits are divided in these areas. The cultural exhibits depict 14,000 years of human habitation in the state. The natural history exhibits feature specimens that date back hundreds of millions of years and highlights include a giant replica shark, a dinosaur and various South Carolina habitats. The science and technology exhibits contain numerous items such as farm equipment, tools, cars and planes. Perhaps the most intriguing part of science collection is the world class collection of American-made telescopes, with the oldest made in 1730. The art collection holds artwork created by South Carolina artists and includes portraiture, decorative arts and contemporary works.
Backstory and Context