December 1, 2024

Sales Policy and Guide to The Charleston Festival

(previously the Festival of Houses and Gardens) 2025 Festival Dates: March 13 – April 13, 2025

Thank you for your patronage of The Charleston Festival, Historic Charleston Foundation’s largest annual educational and fundraising program. Your ticket purchases support the preservation, advocacy, and education initiatives of HCF. We look forward to hosting you during the Festival.

* Please bookmark this guide or consider printing it for future reference. It is a comprehensive guide of “everything you need to know before you go” and answers questions about tickets, parking, event locations, and more! You may scroll through the pages or click a particular section from the Table of Contents to quickly jump to that place in the document.

1. Sales Policies

All ticket purchases are final. (See below if you are unable to use your purchased tickets.)
Your proof of purchase (email receipt/acknowledgment/link to e-tickets) will arrive in your inbox* soon after your order is completed. (*Check your spam, junk, or promotions folders if you do not receive the confirmation in your inbox immediately after you’ve completed an order.)
Tickets are not mailed in advance. Your email receipt/acknowledgment/e-ticket is your proof of purchase for admission for all non-TOUR events and to pick up TOUR credentials at the ticket office.
TOUR ticket holders must pick up TOUR credentials and maps at the Festival Ticket Office* any time beginning or after March 11th. You will be required to show your proof of purchase (email receipt/acknowledgment/e-ticket) and a photo ID that matches the name on the confirmation to receive your TOUR credentials and map. Each person on a TOUR must have valid credentials for admission to tour sites.
*Exception: Architectural and Garden Splendor Tour ticketholders will receive tour details and locations via email 7-10 days prior to the tour. Splendor Tour ticketholders do not pick up tour maps at the ticket office. The email will provide detailed instructions about these special tours.
Ticketholders to all other Festival non-TOUR events (Lectures, concerts, guided walks, demonstrations, workshops, house museum events, etc.) will be asked to present proof of purchase (email receipt/acknowledgment/e-ticket) at the event venue for admission. You do not need to pick up credentials in advance for non-TOUR events.

If you are unable to use your Festival tickets, you may contact the Festival Ticket Office (FestivalTicketOffice@HistoricCharleston.org or 843.722.3405) to activate one of these options:

Exchange your unused tickets for another event during the 2025 Festival for an exchange fee of $10 per ticket plus the higher ticket price difference, contingent on availability and approval. Partial refunds are not given for exchanges to lower-priced tickets.
Donate your unused tickets to HCF as a tax-deductible gift. An acknowledgment of your donation will be provided.

II. Ticket Office Information:

Address: Charleston Visitor Center | 375 Meeting Street
(This is the pick-up location for TOUR maps and credentials and for in-person assistance during the Festival in March and April. Parking available in front of center or in garage.)
Open Dates | Times for Ticket Office at Visitor Center: March 10 – April 13 | Daily 9 am to 5 pm
Phone: (843) 722-3405 (Operational Dec. 2 – Apr. 30, 2025 during business hours)
Email: FestivalTicketOffice@HistoricCharleston.org
Mailing Address: Historic Charleston Foundation | PO Box 1120 | Charleston, SC 29402

III. FAQ/General Festival Information:

Out of respect for our homeowners and event venues and for the safety of all our guests, volunteers, and staff, pets are not permitted at any events.
All events occur rain or shine. Please prepare for inclement weather if forecasted and your event is an outside event. Some events may have “rain locations” for inclement weather conditions.
Charleston is known for its uneven sidewalks and cobblestone streets. We suggest comfortable walking shoes.
Please remember that Charleston is a living city. Please use the crosswalks to cross. Be mindful of traffic, and do not walk in the streets. Trash receptacles may be found in public areas for your refuse. Be mindful of noise levels when in residential areas. Do not block driveways or passersby on sidewalks.
Public bathrooms are not accessible in residential areas.
TIP: Keep your proof of purchase (email receipt/acknowledgment/e-ticket) handy by flagging them in your inbox or moving them all to a separate folder for easy and quick access.

What you need to know about TOURS:
(Anson, Beyond the Garden Gates, Church, East Bay, King, Rutledge, South Battery, Tradd)

Please present proof of purchase (email receipt/acknowledgment/e-ticket) and a photo ID to pick up your TOUR map and TOUR credentials from the ticket office at The Charleston Visitors Center, 375 Meeting Street.
TIP: Plan to pick up your TOUR map and credentials well in advance of your tour start time. You may pick up TOUR credentials the day before your tour if convenient. The Visitor Center is NOT close to most tour areas, so you most likely will not be able to walk to the tour area from the ticket pick-up location. Allow for time between picking up tour map and getting to the tour area by 2:00 pm.
The TOUR map will tell you the addresses of properties to visit on your purchased tour.
TOURS run between 2:00 and 5:00 pm. You may visit properties in any order you desire during the three-hour tour time. There is not a specific starting place for TOURS.
Docents lead tours at each property. Look for Street Marshals (volunteers in straw hats typically at street corners) along the tour route for questions or assistance.
Each person on TOUR must show valid credentials to enter each tour property.
Tours are designed to provide an engaging experience for adults. Well-supervised children ages six and older are welcomed on the house and garden tours if tickets are purchased for them. Because of the risk to private property and collections, strollers, car seats, backpacks, or children strapped in any manner to an adult are not permitted in private residences on tour.
Restrooms are NOT available in residential neighborhoods.
By SC law, photography is NOT allowed on private property without the express written consent of the property owner. No interior photography is permitted.
Out of courtesy to our hosts and other guests, please refrain from cell phone usage while on tour.
Comfortable, flat walking shoes are strongly encouraged. They are safer and better for walking on uneven sidewalks and cobbled streets and will also help protect the floors of the historic homes.
Large pocketbooks, backpacks, or totes are not permitted in the private residences on tour.
Guests may bring capped water bottles on tour for rehydrating between properties.
Tours are conducted rain or shine, so please be prepared if inclement weather is forecasted.
Private, historic homes on tour are unable to accommodate wheelchairs. Often, guests will need to be able to use stairs to enter and view properties.

What you need to know about guided walking tours:
(Morning History Walks and Themed Walking Tours with Walk & Talk Charleston)

Please be prepared to show your email receipt/acknowledgment/e-ticket for admission.
Walking tours depart from 40 East Bay Street (HCF Headquarters).
Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of your tour for check-in so that tours may begin promptly.
No interiors are included during the Morning History Walks or Themed Morning History Walks.
Advance purchase is recommended. We will try to accommodate walk-up purchases but cannot guarantee space due to the number of people allowed per guide as directed by a City of Charleston ordinance.
We recommend that you wear comfortable walking shoes and bring bottled water.

What you need to know about the Photography Walkabout:

This event is open to all photography skill levels. Please remember to bring your smartphone (camera) or your SLR so you can shoot some of the most beautiful angles in downtown Charleston. This is the only event that may be rescheduled due to weather. You will receive an email from the instructor.

IV. Event locations/addresses/parking suggestions

EVENT NAME (in alpha order)

VENUE

A Morning with Mottahedeh | Nathaniel Russell House, 51 Meeting Street
ACBA Tours | American College of the Building Arts Campus, 649 Meeting Street
Architectural Splendor | Ticketholders will receive email 7-10 days prior to event with meeting place.
Blues and BBQ |Historic Charleston Foundation Headquarters, Captain James Missroon House, 40 East Bay Street
Bubbles and Blooms | Nathaniel Russell House, 51 Meeting Street
Calligraphy Workshop | Historic Charleston Foundation Headquarters, Captain James Missroon House, 40 East Bay Street
Charleston by Design Home Tour | Ticketholders will receive email with exact location.
Charleston by Design Opening Night Party | Aiken-Rhett House, 48 Elizabeth Street
Cocktail Bandits Workshop | Emeline Courtyard, 181 Church Street
Coffee and Tour at the Nathaniel Russell House | Nathaniel Russell House, 51 Meeting Street
Colonial Cocktails: Rum and Madeira | Historic Charleston Foundation Headquarters, Captain James Missroon House, 40 East Bay Street
Container Gardening Demonstration | Emeline Courtyard, 181 Church Street
Design in Mind Lectures | Second Presbyterian Church, 342 Meeting Street
Expert Lectures at the American Theater | American Theater, 446 King Street
Family Stroll and Storytime | Historic Charleston Foundation Headquarters, Captain James Missroon House, 40 East Bay Street
Food for Thought Lectures | Historic Charleston Foundation Headquarters, Captain James Missroon House, 40 East Bay Street
Garden Splendor | Ticketholders will receive email 7-10 days prior to event with meeting place.
Lecture on Location: Behind the Scenes of Historic Preservation | Aiken-Rhett House, 48 Elizabeth Stree
Lecture on Location: Behind the Scenes of Middleton Place with Tracey Todd | Middleton Place, 4300 Ashley River Road
Lecture on Location: Marvelous Murals with Karl Beckwith Smith | Ticketholders will receive email 7-10 days prior to event with meeting place.
Morning History Walk | Historic Charleston Foundation Headquarters, Captain James Missroon House, 40 East Bay Street
Music Series: Charlton Singleton and the Honeycomb Jazz Orchestra | The Riviera Theater, 227 King Street
Music Series: Jazz at the Emeline | Emeline Courtyard, 181 Church Street
Music Series: Kanika Moore | The Riviera Theater, 227 King Street
Music Series: Music Under the Magnolias | Aiken- Rhett House, 48 Elizabeth Street
Music Series: The Plantation Singers at First Baptist Church | First Baptist Church, 61 Church Street
Photography Walkabout | Nathaniel Russell House, 51 Meeting Street
Quilting with Rick | Historic Charleston Foundation Headquarters, Captain James Missroon House, 40 East Bay Street
Sunset Harbor History Boat Tour | 10 Wharfside Street
Sweetgrass Basket Weaving Workshop | Nathaniel Russell House Garden, 51 Meeting Street
The Art of Dining | DOYLE, 123 King Street
Themed Morning History Walk: Walk and Talk Charleston: Churches, Steeples & Graveyards / Ironwork / Long 18^th Century/Pink Houses | Historic Charleston Foundation Headquarters, Captain James Missroon House, 40 East Bay Street
TOUR Anson, Beyond the Garden Gates, Church, East Bay, King, Rutledge, South Battery, Tradd | Pick up TOUR map from ticket office at 375 Meeting Street (Chas. Visitor Center).

Suggestions for parking and getting around in the city:

‍Ticket Office at the Charleston Visitor Center: There is metered parking in front of the Visitor Center at 375 Meeting, and additional parking is available at the corner parking garage at 63 Mary Street. See: https://parkabm.com/facilities/visitors-center-garage-parking/ ‍
Parking for the Beyond the Garden Gates, Church, King, South Battery, and Tradd Street Tours + events at the Nathaniel Russell House: Queen Street Garage located at 85 and 93 Queen Street‍
Parking for the East Bay Street Tour & events at HCF Headquarters: East Bay/Prioleau Garage at 25 Prioleau Street (near Waterfront Park)‍
- Parking for the Anson Street Tours: The Gaillard Center Garage at 33 Alexander Street ‍

‍Parking for events at the Aiken-Rhett House: Garage at 63 Mary Street‍
Parking for the Harbor History Tour: The Aquarium Garage at 24 Calhoun Street is the closet garage. There are also metered spaces on Washington Street.‍
Handicapped Parking: If you have a visible and valid handicapped placard or license plate from any US state, you can park at any metered or timed parking space for free and for any length of time. You cannot park in commercial loading zones.

Here is a list of all the City of Charleston Parking Garages:
https://www.charleston-sc.gov/1025/Parking-Information

Metered street parking on first come, first served basis is also available near some venues.

Ways to move around Charleston:

Pedicabs available for trips on the Peninsula:

Charleston Bike Taxi: 843-532-8663
Charleston Pedicab: 843-577-7088
Charleston Rickshaw: 843-723-5685

A free bus service for the downtown area, called DASH, is run by CARTA: https://www.ridecarta.com/services/dash/
Charleston Yellow Cab: 843-577-6565
Uber: www.uber.com
Lyft: www.lyft.com

V. Enhance your visit to Charleston:

Download the HCF Mobile App. Why? Click here or on the APP icon on our website to download.

Tour our house museums (click link below for hours and admission info), and enjoy tours already loaded on the HCF APP with many “extras” to discover. Purchase admission to one house or a discounted ticket to visit both houses.

Nathaniel Russell House | 51 Meeting Street

Aiken-Rhett House | 48 Elizabeth Street

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HISTORIC CHARLESTON FOUNDATION
Headquarters: 40 East Bay Street
Mailing Address: PO Box 1120 | Charleston, SC 29402
For inquiries unrelated to the Festival: (843) 723.1623 | HCF@HistoricCharleston.org

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Sales Policy and Guide to The Charleston Festival