Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon — Attraction in Charleston

I've been to Charleston too many times to count, but only thought the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon was going to be another slow-going walk through and read history type of attraction. But this visit, with a lot of rain in the forecast, I planned to go for some indoor plans. It was so much more than a rainy day activity! Even though the top two floors of the old exchange is a self-guided tour, the docents who were on the two floors were very friendly and helpful. The welcome I received with my family was with a historically dressed docent. We paid admission (which was reasonable for Charleston attractions [see website for pricing.])After touring the first floor, my family and I made our way up to the Great Hall. The docent on the upper floor was FANTASTIC. He made the information we read on the many signs come alive! He had a table with items that the visitors could touch and view as he went over the history of Charleston's path to prosperity, through its changing resources of choice and opportunity, to its times after freedom from Great Britain and the birth of our nation. There was alsoa round table in the center of the room with a copy off the Declaration of Independence that visitors could sign their names to! Then we went down to the bottom level of the building: The Provost Dungeon. There we joined up with a medium sized group of people for a guided tour of the history of Charleston, very interesting information of how it expanded land mass by 40% by filling in the land. We also toured and saw original parts of the wall of the original brick which line the city at the harbor. Then we toured the history of all that took place in the dungeon, from political Rebellion from the British, to the dire conditions of captured prisoners while the building was under British rule. My children's age ranges begin at 1 and go to 14, and all of them enjoyed the tour and the personable encounters while learning new information about this historical building and Charleston's past. After we completed touring the building, we did stop in the gift shop at the front of the building (where we entered.) The items sold in the gift shop were very reasonably priced for a gift shop. If you are going to purchase gift items in Charleston, I would suggest giving them a good look. Lastly, a helpful hints for parking. There are 2 very small parking lots with old-fashioned parking meters located directly behind the building. Make sure you have plenty of coin change, or one of the city money cards pay for the parking in that lot. Though there are only approximately 20-30 spaces in the parking lots total, it is a very short walk to the front of the building, which is very uncommon when walking around and touring in downtown Charleston. You can get up to four hours of paid parking at the meter at a time, at...

We got the combination ticket for the Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon plus the Slave Mart Museum (which is closed on Sunday but you can use the ticket on another day). It was $15 per person, and it was a good deal. It is $10 for just the Old Exchange.

Take the tour of the dungeon. You may have to wait and there is a replica of a post office on the main floor and upstairs are the bathrooms and ballroom where George Washington and many other historical and famous people have danced. They have old gun and some toys that that you can touch and get pictures with.

The dungeon is downstairs, and I didn't see any elevator, so if you can't do stairs, you may want to ask before you buy a ticket. The dungeon tour was half an hour. The rest is self-guided.

As an empath who is sensitive to the emotions and energies of places and people, I was a tiny worried what the dungeon would be like, but other than feeling a little dizzy and a slight feeling of dread as I descended the stairs, it was fine. The tour guide was very engaging and enthusiastic. There was a few exhibits of mannequins of "prisoners" seated and standing, but nothing scary.

The Exchange used to be the Customs house and holding place for goods. It is a big part of Charleston history. It was used to secretly hold hundreds of pounds of gunpowder from the British. The dungeon was a jail used to hold military but also other people who did wrong - women and blacks included. Infectious diseases and death was very common because of the unsanitary conditions, lack of food, and diseases bought in.

If you only have time to do the Old Exchange or the Slave Mart Museum, see the...

We started our morning at the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon and caught the first dungeon tour of the day at 10:00 a.m. Touring the first floor beforehand gave us a great intro, but the dungeon tour really brought the history to life. Our guide was excellent, engaging, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about the stories being told.

Afterward, we bought the combo ticket, which was definitely the right call. It gave us access to the Old Slave Mart Museum just a few blocks away, and I’d highly recommend doing both if you're visiting. Before heading there, we explored the upper floor of the Exchange building, where we saw a lot of exhibits centered on the American Revolution. The displays were interactive and well presented, and yes, we even got to sign the Declaration of Independence.

The museum gave us a clearer picture of Charleston’s role in the Revolutionary War, the development of the city, and the darker parts of its past. It was sobering but important. The walk over to the nearby public pier and Pineapple Fountain gave us a chance to process and reflect before continuing to the Slave Mart Museum.

This was one of those experiences that blends beauty, history, and some very hard truths. It’s difficult to face certain chapters of our country’s past, but it’s necessary. If you're anywhere near downtown Charleston, make the time. Get the combo ticket. Learn, reflect, and walk away with a deeper understanding of where we've come from, and what we hope...