Marion Square — Attraction in Charleston

Today, December 22, 2024, my wife and I decided to take the short, five-minute walk from our hotel over to Marion Square—and we’re so glad we did. This historic park, named after Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion (the “Swamp Fox”), has long been a centerpiece of Charleston, once serving as a parade ground for The Citadel. Nowadays, it’s a lively gathering place known for its seasonal festivities and local events.

Because it’s the holiday season, Marion Square was decked out in full winter cheer. We were greeted by a towering Christmas tree sparkling with lights, and a giant “JOY” sign complete with a glowing pineapple in the center—an iconic symbol of Southern hospitality. There was also a captivating Christmas light tunnel that would be stunning to see lit up at night. In another corner of the park stood a beautiful fountain adorned with various iron animal sculptures, each intricately crafted like its own work of art. We loved strolling through the park’s pathways and soaking in the festive atmosphere. We can’t wait to return and experience Marion Square all over again—holiday...

Marion Square is a great central location for events in the Charleston area. While most of the location is just a flat square in the center of the city, the government still has a lot of supporting infrastructure in that there are parking garages nearby and there are electrical boxes available on the grounds available to serve any vendors, concert events or other operations within the square. The grass is rather ugly, but probably serves its purpose adequately in this highly foot-trafficed area. While there are parking garages, the area is otherwise congested and somehwat difficult for non-natives to navigate. The traffic pattern and parking access could use some reworking to better serve the visitors, but it's proximity to so many other city attractions is fantastic. This is a great place for the Charleston Farmers Market, Spoleto arts festival and so many other...

Came for the farmers market - it is okay. Most of the stalls are prepared food, although there is one guy we found with a pretty good produce selection. He has mostly tomatoes, and a grumpy demeanor, but hes still a nice guy, and I like him. He gave us a plum at a pretty reduced price, I think, so that we could use a WIC voucher and just leave. The park itself is pretty plain. Just a fountain and grass. I rate it so lowly not because of that, but because it has a statue celebrating Calhoun, who fought to be able to keep slaves. If they remove the statue, or maybe make the dude look really, really dumb and evil, then I will change the rating, for sure!

(Also, if you want a good selection of produce, I wouldn't suggest this. If you dont care too much about selection, or you want tomatoes, absolutely come here. Dude had like 20...