8 Best Sights in The Midlands and Upstate, South Carolina

This attractive, expansive gallery contains art from the Kress Foundation collection of Renaissance and baroque treasures, sculpture, and decorative arts. There are prominent paintings by European and American masters, including a Monet and a Botticelli, as well as temporary exhibitions featuring world-famous works by artists like Salvador Dalí and M. C. Escher.

South Carolina's only national park is unlike any other—the park is the floodplain of the Congaree River, meaning that throughout the year, the majority of this bottomland forest is a true swamp. The wettest, hardest-to-reach areas survived centuries of logging, leaving towering cypress trees—some of the oldest and largest trees east of the Mississippi River—in the heart of the 27,000-acre park. Access varies by your ambition and tolerance for mud. A 2.6-mile loop via elevated boardwalk is handicap accessible and meanders through perennial swamp, higher pine uplands, and past Weston Lake. Longer trails total 22 miles, allowing for loops and overnight treks into the park, but bring extra socks and boots suitable for wading, especially on the fantastic but especially soggy Oakridge Trail. A potentially drier method of exploring the interior is by kayak or canoe. Local outfitters, including River Runner Outdoor Center and Carolina Outdoor Adventures, run three-hour kayak tours from the Cedar Creek Canoe Access. Or, coordinate a shuttle and canoe rental and paddle Cedar Creek one way, putting in at Bannister Bridge Canoe Access.

Bring binoculars and sharp ears—Congaree hosts a cacophony of birds and wildlife, including otters, wild boar, deer, and woodpeckers. The park also has two primitive campgrounds. Book in advance, especially during the two-week synchronized firefly season in May and June.

Apart from packaged snacks at the visitor center, there are no concessions in the park, and nearby restaurants are limited.

In this urban outdoor oasis, sloping green hills, giant boulders, and winding walkways offer great views of the Reedy River, but the best views of the waterfalls are along the architecturally ingenious Liberty Bridge. The Peace Center amphitheater hosts moonlight movies, Shakespeare plays, and open-air concerts during the year.

This Southern-focused gallery is home to American paintings dating from the colonial era, along with more-modern works by Andy Warhol, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Jasper Johns. It hosts the world's largest public collection of Andrew Wyeth watercolors.

This 107-acre outdoor museum complex and Revolutionary War historic site emphasizes the period surrounding the British occupation of 1780. Several structures dot the site, including the 1789 Craven House, the Blacksmith Shed, and the Kershaw House, a reconstruction of the circa-1770 home of Camden's founder, Joseph Kershaw, which also served as Cornwallis's headquarters; it's furnished with period pieces. A nature trail, fortifications, powder magazine, picnic area, and crafts shop are also here. Guided tours are available.

This top-notch zoo contains more than 2,000 animals and birds in natural habitats, including a sea lion exhibit and western lowland gorillas. Walk through landscaped gardens to see elephants, Siberian tigers, koalas, and penguins. The South American primate collection has won international acclaim, and the park is noted for its success in breeding endangered species. The Aquarium Reptile Complex has regional, desert, tropical, and marine specimens. Ride the carousel, and take a tram over the Saluda River to the 70-acre botanical gardens. A forested section with walking trails has spectacular views of the river and passes Civil War ruins. Stop by the Saluda Factory Interpretive Center for more information about the site's history and its connection to the Civil War.

Built in 1860, this is the town's oldest standing church and an architectural landmark that anchors the town. Complete with a 125-foot spire, the Gothic Revival structure has an original chancery window imported from England and a rare working 1860 John Baker tracker organ.