Columbia, SC Road Trips

Columbia's recent rapid growth indicates South Carolina's capital city is beginning to blossom as other Southern cities have in the 21st century. As of 2018, the estimated population of the city was 133,000, with an urban core population of about 550,000, and 833,000 in the metro area. Experience Columbia website

Siebels House and Garden One of the best gardens in the city. It's free to walk through and surrounds the oldest house in Columbia. 1 Fort Jackson (off I-77; non-military-affiliated civilians must enter through gate 4 on Boyden Arbor Rd, Exit 13 Decker Blvd going north or Exit 15 Percival Rd going south). Fort Jackson is one of the major draws of visitors to Columbia. Essentially, there are three types of visitors to Fort Jackson: 1. the miserable private going through Basic Combat Training; 2. friends and family of graduating basic trainees; 3. A.I.T. (Advanced Individual Training) students. For those visiting for B.C.T graduation, graduation will be held at Hilton Field or, in the case of inclement weather, the Solomon Center. You should not surprise the soldier you're visiting, because he/she must report whether he/she is going home with a family member or by government expense. Failure to alert your soldier will cause him/her to be required to leave on government transportation. Furthermore, leave contact info with your soldier, so his/her drill sergeants can alert you to any changes in plans. 2 Hampton-Preston Mansion and Gardens, 1615 Blanding Street, ☏ +1 803 252-1770. Tu-Sa 10AM-3PM; Su 1-4PM. One of the few houses left from antebellum Columbia, it was built in 1818 and has many authentic furnishings. For house: adults $5; age 65+, college students and military $4, ages 6-17 $3. 3 South Carolina Statehouse, 1100 Gervais St, ☏ +1 803 734-2430.

1 South Carolina Gamecocks, Rice Athletics Center, 1304 Heyward St. (central ticket office), ☏ +1 803 777-4274, toll-free: +1 800 472-3267. M–F 8:30AM–5PM. One of Columbia's great institutions is University of South Carolina sports. The Gamecocks compete in 9 men's and 12 women's sports, almost all in the Southeastern Conference. As with most large schools, their hot-button sports are traditionally football and men's basketball, although their most nationally competitive have been women's basketball (in which they frequently lead the entire NCAA in attendance, and often outdraw the men) and baseball. Most athletic facilities are on campus, with the best-known venues being Williams-Brice Stadium (football), Colonial Life Arena (both basketball teams), and Founders Park (baseball). 2 Columbia Fireflies, Segra Park, 1640 Freed St, ☏ +1 803 726-4487. The City of Columbia's Minor League Baseball team with single-game tickets starting as low as $6. (updated May 2024) 3 Nickelodeon, 1607 Main Street, ☏ +1 803 254-3433. For independent film in Columbia, this is your place. Also has several film festivals throughout the year and is a comfortable movie theater. Kayaking. Columbia has some of the best kayaking available in an urban area in the US. Put in the Saluda River at north end of the Riverbanks Zoo parking lot, get out in the Congaree just past the Gervais Street bridge, on either side. St Patrick Day Festival An Irish celebration that is in Five Points. Features an elaborate parade.

Some of the most popular restaurants include, the Blue Marlin, which features seafood prepared in the South Carolina Lowcountry tradition; the Hampton Street Vineyard, best known for its extensive selection in fine wines; and SakiTumi Grill & Sushi, which specializes in Pacific Rim cuisine. In all, Columbia offers over 450 dining options. Terra in the West Bank/State St. area in West Columbia is a new upscale eatery that has caught the attention of locals. Passable regional chain restaurants have locations in and near town, including Mellow Mushroom Pizza and Moe's Southwest Grill. Other cheap eats include: 1 Beezer's, 919 Sumter St. #B (USC campus, across from the Horseshoe), ☏ +1 803 771-7771. Undergrad guilty pleasure, features cheap salads and variety of simple but decent subs. Open late, usually until 3AM, also delivers. under $10. 2 Groucho's Deli, 611 Harden St (Five Points, across from Sharky's Bar and Red Hot Tomatoes), ☏ +1 803 207-7113. Original store of the mainly S.C.-based chain, serves liberally decorated deli sandwiches with tart dipping sauces. around $10. 3 Delhi Palace, 542 St Andrews Rd (On Broad River Rd just off I-20), ☏ +1 803-580-6596. Su-Th 11:30AM-10PM; F Sa 11:30AM-10:30PM. Those in the know visit for the inexpensive but tasty Indian buffet. 4 Kaminsky's Dessert Cafe, 930 Gervais St, ☏ +1 803-550-9979. Quirky drinking establishment is famous for its desserts. 5 Pasta Fresca, 3405 Forest Dr, ☏ +1 803-787-1838. Tu-W 4:30PM-9PM; Th-Sa 4:30PM-9:30PM; Su 4:30PM-9PM.

Five Points. Located around the intersection of Harden Street, Greene Street and Saluda Avenue, this neighborhood has numerous bars and eateries catering to the University of South Carolina students. It gets especially boisterous on Thursday nights. There are a few bars in this area that you'll find a more mature crowd and not so much the college scene. Places such as 1 BarNone and 2 Group Therapy generally cater to the recently graduated drinkers. The Vista. For the more mature crowd, dozens of bars and restaurants centered on the corner of Lincoln and Gervais.

1 Comfort Inn & Suites (Comfort Inn & Suites Ft. Jackson Main Gate), 7337 Garner's Ferry Road (Exit 9 off of I-77), ☏ +1 803 695-5555. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. Comfortable hotel with an exercise room, pool, and free Wi-Fi connection.. 2 Graduate Columbia (formerly Inn at USC), 1619 Pendleton Street, ☏ +1-803-779-7779, toll-free: +1-866-455-4753, [email protected]. 3 Hilton Columbia Center, 924 Senate Street, ☏ +1 803 744-7800. This hotel is in the Vista in walking distance of bars, restaurants, the State Museum, the Convention Center, and the central business district. It is a 4 diamond-rated AAA hotel and the on-site restaurant is Ruth's Chris. 4 Holiday Inn Express Harbison, 211 Lanneau Court (Junction I-26 and Harbison Blvd (Exit 103)), ☏ +1 803-732-2229. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Amenities include free breakfast, free internet, a business center and a fitness center. Microwave and refrigerator in each guest room. Free pass to Gold's Gym, across the street from Columbiana mall, directly next door to Bailey's Sports Grill and Carmike movie theater 5 Sheraton Columbia Downtown Hotel, 1400 Main Street, ☏ +1 803 988-1400. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Located in an architecturally pleasing building, but that's about the only good view of the hotel - the area surrounding the hotel essentially offers views of parking garages. Located in the central downtown area of Columbia. 6 Staybridge Suites Columbia, 1913 Huger St, toll-free: +1-866-406-4650. Extended-stay suites. Free breakfast, 24-hour fitness center, indoor pool.

Columbia is easily reached by Interstate 20, Interstate 26 and Interstate 77, or by U.S. Highway 1. 1 Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE IATA) (7.5 miles (12 km) southwest of downtown). There are non-stop flights to Columbia Metropolitan Airport from the following cities (some cities may be seasonal or only offer service certain days of the week): Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas Fort Worth, Detroit, Houston, Newark, New York, Philadelphia and Washington. To get from the airport to downtown using public transport, Comet Bus Route #28 operates weekday-only service from the Midland Tech Airport campus, a few blocks from the airport. The bus leaves 3 times per day: at 7:39AM, 1:04PM, and 4:59PM. The journey downtown costs $1.50 and takes 30 minutes. 2 Columbia Amtrak station, 850 Pulaski Street. Columbia sits on the main north-south line on the East Coast. Trains depart daily for Miami and New York; however, most of the trains pass though Columbia at night and are frequently delayed. (updated Mar 2026) The COMET. The city's local transit system and the main way to travel by bus within the metropolitan area with routes in downtown Columbia and parts of Richland and Lexington Counties. Though the on-campus routes are useful to University of South Carolina students and other routes to those downtown, car-dependency makes driving the only viable option for most others.

Most people use a car to get around Columbia, but more pedestrian-friendly areas of the city include downtown, The Vista, the University Hill/USC area, and Five Points. There is a bus service around town and nearby provided by provided by the COMET. The free Soda Cap Connector, provides bus transit between downtown hotspots. Taxi service is also available 24/7 if you call in advance, and can usually be hailed on the street in Five Points and The Vista at night. Columbia also has an active Uber and Lyft population.