Anderson County Museum
After moving from the county courthouse in 2003, the Anderson County Museum continues to collect, preserve and exhibit items related to the history of Anderson County. 202 E. Greenville St., Anderson. 864-260-4737. www.andersoncountysc.org/web/ Museum_00.asp.

Bob Jones University Museum and Gallery
In more than 25 galleries, the museum houses one of the most extensive collections of European sacred art in America along with items dating to Biblical times, including a Hebrew Torah scroll written on gazelle skin and Egyptian and Syrian vases. Bob Jones University campus, 1700 Wade Hampton Blvd., Greenville. 864-770-1331. www.bjumg.org.

Greenville County Museum of Art
This museum houses a variety of works by American artists from the Colonial era to the present with an emphasis on Southern-related art, a contemporary collection and works by Andrew Wyeth, which the artist described as “the very best collection of my watercolors in any public museum in this country.” Heritage Green, 420 College St., Greenville. 864-271-7570. www.greenvillemuseum.org.

Horace Smith Gallery
This gallery, at the University of South Carolina-Upstate, displays a variety of art exhibits. 864-503-5838. www.uscupstate.edu.

Lee Gallery
Operated by the Clemson University School of Architecture, Arts and Humanities, the gallery displays works by local and state artists and national traveling exhibits. Exhibits change periodically throughout the year. Lee Hall on the Clemson campus. 864-656-3883.
www.clemson.edu/caah/leegallery.

Milliken Gallery
At Converse College, the gallery offers changing professional and student art exhibits in all media. Spartanburg. 864-596-9181. www.sparklenet.com/conversecollege/art.

Pickens County Museum
The museum in this 1902, National Register-listed building holds exhibits of regional art and history. It’s a good idea to call before visiting. 307 Johnson St., Pickens. 864-898-5963. www.co.pickens.sc.us/culturalcommission.

Spartanburg County Museum of Art
Sponsored by the Spartanburg Art Association, this gallery exhibits works by local, regional and international artists for viewing and purchase. 385 S. Spring St., Spartanburg. 864-582-7616. www.spartanburgartmuseum.org.

Spartanburg County Regional Museum of History
Here you’ll find numerous permanent exhibits and collections depicting the Upstate heritage – everything from antique dolls to historic battles. 100 E. Main St., Spartanburg. 864-596-3501. www.spartanarts.org/history/Regional_Museum/Museum_text.htm.

Spartanburg Methodist College
The college’s Campus Library Art Gallery offers rotating exhibits. Spartanburg. 864-587-4000. www.smcsc.edu.

Historic Attractions
Christ Church, Episcopal
Dating to the early 19th century, this is the oldest congregation in Greenville. The church was organized as St. James Mission in 1820, and the first church on the site was built in 1825. The cornerstone of the current building was laid in 1852. 10 N. Church St., Greenville. 864-271-8773. www.ccgsc.org.

Cowpens National Battlefield
This Revolutionary War park pays homage to the patriot fighters commanded by Daniel Morgan, who won one of the most significant American victories in the war for independence. The visitor center houses exhibits and artifacts, and walking tours lead through the battlefield. 4001 Chesnee Hwy., Gaffney. 864-461-2828. www.nps.gov/cowp.

First Presbyterian Church
Founded in 1848 and recently renovated, the church features a custom-made Casavant pipe organ. 200 W. Washington St., Greenville. 864-235-0496. www.firstpresgreenville.org.

Fort Hill
Built c.1803, Fort Hill was the home of John C. Calhoun, S.C. statesman, vice president of the United States and secretary of war, whose political theories contributed to the secession of Southern states before the Civil War. The Calhoun estate is now the campus of Clemson University. Fort Hill was closed for restoration in 2001 and was reopened for its bicentennial celebration in the spring of 2003. Also on the Clemson campus is Hanover House, the Colonial home of French Huguenot Paul de St. Julien. The house was built in 1716 in Berkeley and was moved to Clemson in 1941. 864-656-2475. www.clemson.edu/welcome/history/forthill.

John Wesley United Methodist Church
Organized by the Rev. James R. Rosemond, the church was one of the first separate black congregations formed immediately after the Civil War. 101 E. Court St., Greenville. 864-232-6903.

Kilgore-Lewis House
Built in 1838 by a well-to-do planter, the house features hand-blown glass windows, wooden-peg construction and copper roofing. Now the headquarters of the Greenville Garden Clubs, it is available for rental for private parties. 560 N. Academy St., Greenville. 864-232-3020. www.kilgore-lewis.org.

Kings Mountain National Battlefield
The site of a Revolutionary War battle historians consider the turning point of the war in the South, Kings Mountain is a national military park featuring exhibits and a state park with camping, fishing and the Living Farm, which depicts a frontier homestead. 2625 Park Road, Blacksburg. 864-936-7921. www.nps.gov/kimo.

McBee Chapel
Built in 1841, this is one of the few remaining octagonal churches in America. Conestee, south of Greenville. 864-233-4103.

Pendleton
Founded in 1790, the town of Pendleton, about 30 miles from Greenville between Anderson and Clemson, is one of the largest historic districts in the National Register of Historic Places. Maps and tours are available at Hunter’s Store, 125 Queen St., Pendleton. 864-646-3782. www.pendleton-district.org.

Price House
This elegant plantation house was built c.1795 by one of the area’s earliest entrepreneurs, Thomas Price. Fashioned of bricks made on site, the house is restored and furnished with period pieces. 1200 Oak View Farms Road, Woodruff. 864-596-3501. www.spartanarts.org/history/Price_House/Price_text.htm.

Walnut Grove Plantation
Dating to 1765, the plantation vividly portrays life in Spartanburg County before 1830. Central to the complex is the manor house, which has been restored and furnished in authentic period pieces. The landscaped grounds include a school, smokehouse, herb/flower garden, and family cemetery. 1200 Otts Shoals Road, Roebuck. 864-576-6546.

Whitehall
Built about 1813 and believed to be the oldest house in Greenville, Whitehall was the summer home of former South Carolina Gov. Henry Middleton and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Whitehall is not open to the public. Earle Street Historic District, 310 Earle St., Greenville. 864-421-0042.

Animals and Farms
Greenville Zoo
The 14-acre zoo has wildlife from around the world displayed in natural, open-air settings. The zoo also has a reptile house, waterfowl lagoons and an education center. 150 Cleveland Park Drive, Greenville. 864-467-4300. www.greenvillezoo.org.

Hollywild Animal Park
One of the largest private collections of exotic animals in the Southeast. Some of the park’s animals have been used in television and film, including the cougar that starred in Lincoln-Mercury advertisements. Each year the park hosts a special holiday show. Visitors have many opportunities to feed and have close contact with the less dangerous animals. 2325 Hampton Road, Wellford. 864-472-2038. www.hollywild.com.

Parks, Gardens, Scenic Drives, and Vistas
Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway
(S.C. 11) Extending in a 130-mile arc from I-85 at Gaffney to I-85 at the Georgia state line near Lake Hartwell, this scenic highway roughly follows the Blue Ridge escarpment across Upstate South Carolina. You’ll find historical and recreational attractions from one end of this highway to the other, including the Campbell covered bridge near Tigerville in Greenville County and a string of county and state parks.

Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area
Off Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway is the 11,000-acre Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area containing such natural splendors as Cleveland Cliffs, Ashmore Heritage Preserve, the Mountain Bridge State Natural Area containing Jones Gap and Caesar’s Head state parks and spectacular Raven Cliff Falls. 864-836-3647. www.discovercarolina.com.

Peachoid
With its soft, delicate paint job, the Peachoid looks like a huge, sweet, succulent peach — but it’s actually a million-gallon water tank built by the Gaffney Commission of Public Works to honor the state’s (particularly Cherokee County’s) fresh peach industry. You can’t miss it as you drive by on I-85, but it’s worth getting off the highway for a closer look. www.gaffney-sc.com/waterpeach.htm.

Pretty Place
This open-air chapel at the YMCA Camp Greenville is aptly named. Located atop Standing Stone Mountain, it offers a spectacular view of the Blue Ridge Mountains and is a favorite place for weddings. Five miles off U.S. 276 just past Caesar’s Head. 864-836-3291. www.campgreenville.org/chapel.htm.

Reedy River Falls Park and Falls Cottage
The falls along the Reedy River where Greenville was born about 1765 once were the source of power for early industries. Today there are footpaths along the river, picnic areas, and beautifully restored Falls Cottage, a historic home built in 1837. Downtown Greenville. 864-467-4350. www.fallspark.com.

Sassafras Mountain
At 3,560 feet, this is the highest point in South Carolina. From the summit you can see four states – North and South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia. It’s a great place for hiking. From Pickens, take U.S. 178 north to S.C. 199.

South Carolina Botanical Garden
At this garden on the Clemson University campus you’ll find gentle trails winding through 295 acres of wooded glens and landscaped gardens teeming with camellias, rhododendrons, azaleas and hundreds of other varieties of plants and flowers. 102 Garden Trail, Clemson. 864-656-3405. www.clemson.edu/scbg.

Science
Roper Mountain Science Center
Located on Roper Mountain six miles east of downtown Greenville, the center is operated by Greenville County Schools. It’s a fascinating learning center for children and adults, with a Hall of Science, Discovery Lab, planetarium, observatory, pioneer farm and nature trails. 864-281-1188. www.ropermountain.org.

Spartanburg Science Center
Programs in the natural and physical sciences offer hands-on participation. Displays and live animals, including an impressive collection of snakes. A Starlab portable planetarium is available for programs. 385 S. Spring St., Spartanburg. 864-583-2777. www.sparklenet.com/sciencecenter.

World of Energy
At this museum at Duke Power’s Oconee Nuclear Station on Lake Keowee, you’ll find fascinating audio-visuals, computer games and hands-on exhibits that explain the history and nature of electricity. 7812 Rochester Hwy., Seneca. 800-777-1004.


PHOTO COURTESY OF HOLLYWILD ANIMAL PARK