Old Slave Mart Museum — Attraction in Charleston

This museum was incredibly informative and was a great preface to my visit in Charleston! After attending, I could walk around the city and better acknowledge the enslaved people that built the all of gorgeous houses around. I’m glad that this building is preserved for more people to learn about the history of American slavery in general and in Charleston.

The museum has two small areas on different floors. There is a lot of reading with a few artifacts. By far the best part was listening to the speaker on the upper level. She was a fantastic storyteller and historian, and really brought humanity into the history presented.

I only knocked a star because the museum could use some updating. From what I could tell, it hasn’t been updated since it reopened in 2007. Some panels have dated facts, such as those with monetary figures that have changed because of inflation. The panel I included in the picture has great facts that moved me (hence why I photographed it), but that format is hard to read with the every other line thing. On the upper floor, the font was just too small to read comfortably. There was a lot of crowding in that area because many people tried to huddle around close in order to read it. They should make the text bigger in the future. I’m glad they included the Spanish translation on the upper floor for accessibility.

The speaker mentioned the slaves’ handprints can be seen in the bricks they made, including on that upper floor. There was one spot that she pointed out, but if they remodel I think that they should search for more and leave those bricks visible. I also think there should general be more artifacts to correspond with what the panels are talking about.

Overall, it’s a great place to visit. The energy there is heavy and the topics can leave you emotional. If you go, I recommend leaving some buffer time afterwards to process all of the...

This museum is DEFINITELY worth the visit. It costs $8 ($5 for students). For that amount, it is well worth the history it contains. Prepare to take your time and read, as the walls contain a wealth of information that needs to be shared. The artifacts are few, but they moved me to tears: Things such as an actual slave whip and slave shackles. The building itself is an artifact. It's where the slaves were actually bought and sold. The day we visited, there were people of many races and ages walking around. I saw small elementary school children (on a trip with their school), teens, and adults.The lower level is very informative. The information is tastefully relayed, yet without sacrificing the raw truth of the brutality and inhumanity of slavery. We took our son, who is about to enter college and he was moved beyond the threshold of his normal emotions.He was hurt being reminded of the torturous treatment of the slaves, yet, as a young black man, he stood tall knowing that he is a descendant of people who left a legacy, even after being sold and used like beasts of burden. At times, I choked back tears. It was hard to believe that I was actually standing in the very room where my ancestors were ripped from the arms of their spouses and children to be sold into uncertainty, cruelty, and inhumane treatment. The top floor attempts to transition and show the moments of overcoming. It speaks more of the contributions made by the slaves while enslaved and while free. It speaks to the resilience of the African American people and to the bravery of those who fought for their freedom. Still, it is hard to believe that a building that many walk past today, while touring Charleston, was home to a place of such dismal dealings toward actual human beings by other human beings. I will never forget. This museum is DEFINITELY...

The Old Slave Mart Museum was a "must-see" on my list, but I was a bit disappointed. The area used to be used to sell U.S. born slaves for about seven years. You can see the brick on the sides of the buildings, but I think the area used to be more of an open market. Now, just looks like the inside of a building with colorful, big signs with a lot of history and some pictures. I have watched movies and read books about slavery, so most information was not new to me.

The information that amazed me was that the price of a 1 year old child was the same as that for a 55 year old man - $100. The value for a man in his prime with skills was $1,500 or $35,000 (in 2007 dollars) and for a woman it is $1,350. I also gained a better appreciation for how horrible it was for the families to have their parents or children sold off, never to be seen again.

There was not many artifacts. The shackles, branding iron, whip, and the picture of a man whose back was heavily laced with scars from a whipping stood out for me.

There are stairs to climb to the 2nd floor with pictures of how cramped slaves were on boats coming from Africa and other history.

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. It is a good deal to get the combo ticket. We spent half an hour at the Old Slave Mart Museum reading the signs that were interesting to us, but if you read all the signs, it would have been longer. We spent an hour at the Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon and...