Charleston History Walk — Local services in Charleston

Dr Lager is a treasure! It is obvious he loves what he does and is extremely passionate about sharing the real, substantiated history of this amazing city. Having done both his master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation on events and people in Charleston, he can answer nearly any question (he’s not the best at plant identification) AND give you his source material. This man is not the stereotype history professor; he’s the one you wish you’d had, the one to inspire in you a love of history, too. The three hours flew by. I only wish we could have done three more!

Other good points: —He projects well. I’m slightly hard of hearing but didn’t have trouble understanding him. —He’s very personable, inviting questions and making his stories interesting. Even my husband, who prefers mathematics to history, enjoyed himself the whole time. —He covers a broad range of topics, from people to architecture to catastrophes, church congregations to laws to monuments to street names. It never gets boring because there’s always something new. —Tours are limited to 12. It’s so much better than the usual 20 for other tour companies!!

If you are a lover of history and want the real (non-touristy, fact-checked) history of Charleston, you can’t do better than Dr Lager. We highly recommend him!!

Considerations (not exactly cons): —I wouldn’t take young children on this tour. Teenagers might be interested, but under 10 would definitely have a better time on a shorter, less academic tour. —This is a walking tour, so if you have mobility issues this might not be your best choice; the sidewalks and streets are not level. —Bring...

My wife and I had the pleasure of joining Eric Lager’s walking tour at the end of March, and it was easily one of the best tours we’ve ever experienced. Eric, a history professor at The Citadel, brings a depth of knowledge that goes far beyond just reciting facts. He weaves together Charleston’s local history with national and global events, creating a rich, thoughtful, and engaging narrative that really brings the city to life.

We’ve been on several tours in Charleston on previous trips, and we also make it a point to take history tours whenever we travel. Eric’s tour ranks in the top two we’ve ever taken—anywhere. His ability to connect the dots and tell meaningful stories really sets him apart.

One of our top recommendations for anyone visiting Charleston is to take Eric’s tour on your first day in the city. It will give you a deeper appreciation for Charleston and make the rest of your trip that much more meaningful.

A word of warning though: after taking Eric’s tour, other tours may feel a bit underwhelming. You might notice gaps in accuracy, storytelling, or organization elsewhere. Eric keeps his groups intentionally small, which allows for more interaction, questions, and a more personal experience.

We couldn’t recommend this tour more highly. If you love history—or even just want to get a real sense of Charleston’s roots—this is the...

We were a group of four that took this tour (Charleston History Walk) on January 15, 2023. The reason we picked this tour was because it was with a professionally trained historian and professor of history at the Citadel. I’ve been on way too many tours with unexperienced tour guides and I was determined to find the correct one. I must have read 100 tours and reviews before I picked this one. Well….all of us were thrilled that we found Eric. He was everything that we would expect in a tour guide. He was entertaining , engaging and extremely knowledgeable. His passion for the history of Charleston really shined throughout his tour. We loved the fact that there’s a limit of 10 people. He even had photos to show us. He is absolutely amazing with dates and facts. He was able to answer all questions without hesitation. We learned an immense amount from his 2 1/2 hour tour. I recommend that you stop reading and looking for other tours and just book this one you will not be disappointed. Thank you Eric for giving us a wonderfully informative tour of this beautiful area. Don’t forget to give us (Ron and Diane) a call when you’re in the area. On a personal note congratulations on...