"The Showboat" of World War II, the battleship USS North Carolina is permanently berthed in Wilmington Harbor, restored as a World War II museum, and is short drive from the Grand Strand.

Encompassing much of downtown Bennettsville, the Bennettsville Historic District includes historic homes, churches and public buildings. Among them is the Marlboro County Historic Museum and a historic home that was commandeered by Northern troops during the Civil War.

Located on the state line adjacent to South Carolina's historic Little River Inlet, Bird Island is a North Carolina Coastal Reserve site famed for its birdlife, coastal vegetation and loggerhead turtles. Access is available by foot and boat.

The oldest museum in the United States, the Charleston Museum was established in 1773. Its numerous exhibits, displays and artifacts survey South Carolina's rich history and culture.

The historic site where the American Civil War began, Fort Sumter is located on a small island in Charleston harbor and may be reached only by boat (the map link is for the ferry from the Charleston waterfront). Nearby Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island is part of Fort Sumter National Historic Monument and is the Revolutionary War site where South Carolina earned its name as the Palmetto State.

The 20th-century hunting preserve of Wall Street financier Bernard Baruch, Hobcaw Barony is now a nature preserve and a center for marine science research.

Located off S.C. Highway 90, between Conway and Little River, the Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve was an Army Air Corps gunnery range during World War II. Today it is better known for its natural history - as the site of 23 mysterious Carolina bays and a pristine habitat for wildlife and rare vegetation.

Located between U.S. 17 Business and U.S. 17 Bypass, Myrtle Beach Air Force Base closed in 1993 after a half century of service to the nation. Established on the site of a small municipal airport in 1940, it was home to bomber and fighter aircraft and their crews during World War II, an expanded Tactical Air Command base during the Cold War, and today is the site of Myrtle Beach International Airport and Myrtle Beach Market Common.

Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, Myrtle Beach State Park was a popular beach recreation site for Army Air Corps troops during World War II, and today, offers a variety of park amenities and activities.

Overlooking Charleston Harbor in Mount Pleasant, Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum is best known for its centerpiece attraction - the World War II-era aircraft carrier USS Yorktown. The site is also home to other historic vessels, 25 military aircraft and the U.S. Medal of Honor Museum.

Located at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center on North Oak Street in Myrtle Beach, the South Carolina Hall of Fame consists of an extensive lobby display commemorating historical and contemporary South Carolinians of note. Popular with school and tour groups, it is open daily to the general public.

Historical exhibits and artifacts ranging from the prehistoric to the present are displayed at the Florence Museum, including extensive collections of art. Among the highlights: the Francis A. Lord Collection of Civil War Artifacts, exhibits on local and South Carolina history, the World War Hall, artifacts and displays related to slavery and African American culture, and ancient art and artifacts from throughout the world.