Top Things to Do in Charming Greenville, South Carolina

With an emphasis on green spaces and a revitalized downtown, Greenville is a Southern destination worth exploring.

By: F, Rani Craft Robinson, and Rachel Tepper Paley

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Photo By: VisitGreenvilleSC.com

Photo By: Courtesy of VisitGreenvilleSC

Photo By: VisitGreenvilleSC

Photo By: Felicia Feaster

Photo By: VisitGreenvilleSC

Photo By: Visit Greenville

Photo By: VisitGreenvilleSC

Photo By: Courtesy of VisitGreenvilleSC

Photo By: VisitGreenvilleSC

Photo By: VisitGreenvilleSC.com

Photo By: Courtesy of VisitGreenvilleSC

Photo By: VisitGreenvilleSC.com

Photo By: Courtesy of VisitGreenvilleSC

Photo By: VisitGreenvilleSC

Photo By: Courtesy of VisitGreenvilleSC

Greenville, South Carolina

Nestled into the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Greenville, South Carolina, is known for natural beauty and Southern charm. A commitment to the environment and attracting families and tourism led to the clean-up and transformation of the Reedy River that runs through downtown and which has become a popular, beautifully landscaped public park in the heart of the city.

A Busy Main Street

What’s a small town without its Main Street? With an abundance of restaurants, ice cream shops and boutique stands, Main Street has a little something for everyone and is no sleepy town. Reminders of Greenville’s connection to the great outdoors and its Falls Park are obvious highlights in town, with water fountains and water features throughout. For a real treat, order a scoop or two from Spill the Beans, Greenville’s coffee house and creamery, located right at the entrance to Falls Park on the Reedy River. Lined with boutique shops and restaurants, Greenville's downtown is a slice of Southern charm. Make sure to visit Oil & Vinegar Greenville, which will up your foodie game. Go deep into Greenville's preppy vibe with a visit to Rush Wilson Limited, a multi-generational family menswear business with a charming staff offering brands such as Barbour, Peter Millar, Johnnie-O and H. Goose, Smathers and Branson, Armin Oehler and a nice selection of colognes including the St. John's line. Further down Main don't miss Vintage Now Modern, a treasure trove of antiques of every sort from furniture to matchbooks, Annie Sloan chalk paint and a selection of bespoke candles. It is almost impossible to leave without finding something you want. And across the way, Le Petit Croissant is run by exacting Frenchman Vincent Caradonna who sends boxes of his handmade truffles to high-flyers around the world. Locals line up every morning for the fresh croissants — get there early to snag one. Vincent also runs popular chocolate-making classes you'll need to sign up for well in advance to secure your spot.

Grand Bohemian Lodge Greenville

Part of the boutique Autograph collection, the Southern-based Grand Bohemian hotel chain features properties in Asheville, Charlotte, Greenville and more. The Greenville location is a stand out within the brand for its cozy-mountain-chic design and glorious views of the Reedy River. A gracious lobby features a huge, 360-degree fireplace and a wall of vintage books for guests to peruse. Seats on the porch are coveted for a morning coffee or evening glass of wine. Rooms are comfortable, well-appointed and perfect for a romantic weekend or an activity-filled family trip, and the lodge's location in the midst of Falls Park means you can walk to Main Street, the Swamp Rabbit Trail and a variety of sites and activities without ever needing a car.

Fox/Hound Restaurant

Helmed by former Charleston-based chef William LeaMond, the chef-driven menu and idiosyncratic decor at Fox and Hound make it a Greenville must-visit. Situated on the Swamp Rabbit Trail in the Hampton Station development, Fox/Hound features fresh, farmer's market ingredients: You'll feel like you've never truly tasted a beet or a strawberry until you sample the ones served here. William oozes foodie cool and genuine hospitality and his obvious pride in his food and adopted hometown are infectious.

Artisphere Art Festival

The annual Artisphere Art Festival held every May in Greenville attracts talented artists working in every medium from across the country. You could spend hours just surveying the paintings, pottery, sculpture and furniture for sell. But there's more, including chefs offering local favorites, live entertainment and a festive, family-friendly spirit that make the weekend festival worth a Greenville visit.

Unity Park

Uniting two formerly segregated neighborhoods — one Black and one white — Unity Park represents Greenville's effort to correct the South's troubled past. There are lots of green spaces throughout the city, but 60-acre Unity Park is something special, featuring multiple playgrounds, a 4,100-square-foot splash pad, green spaces and a 10,000-square-foot welcome center with restrooms.

Falls Park

A previously polluted and neglected river where textile mills once dumped waste flowing through downtown Greenville has been cleaned up and revitalized into an urban park beloved by locals. Falls Park is a 32-acre woodland like something out of a picture book with its striking 355-foot pedestrian suspension bridge, numerous benches, walking paths and beautiful landscaping that remind you of the unique pleasures of a city park.

Poppington's Gourmet Popcorn

Small businesses line Greenville's Main Street offering strictly local offerings, like Poppington's Gourmet Popcorn where flavors like Asian Spice, Bacon Ale Cheddar, Birthday Cake Chocolate Kettle Korn, Bloody Mary and a host of other inspired, occasionally nutty options will make for hard choices.

Mast General Store

Mast General Store is a Southern chain with the kind of product bounty that will inspire both children and adults. Sovenirs, old-fashioned candy, hiking equipment and sundries of every kind are available at this newfangled general store, the old-timey answer to Amazon.

M. Judson Booksellers

Housed in a vintage courthouse building, the independent M. Judson Booksellers is the kind of place bibliophiles could while away many hours. This multifaceted destination features a coffee bar where the rosemary scones are TDF, as well as giftware and wine for purchase just in case your idea of a good story centers on a bottle of Chardonnay.

Juniper Restaurant and Bar

Juniper Restaurant and Bar in downtown Greenville features a gorgeous garden rooftop bar with a view of the city and a libation menu that focuses on gin (though other spirits are available). You probably won't be able to stump the bartender at this craft cocktail-forward location where even esoteric Prohibition-era cocktails like the Last Word are mixed up without a moment's hesitation.

A Bacchanal of BBQ

Barbecue is a way of life in Greenville, and for good reason. This stretch of the world is known for four — yes, four — distinct styles of BBQ sauce: mustard, vinegar and pepper, light tomato and heavy tomato. Favorite spots to sample the local goods include Bucky’s Bar-B-Q, Henry’s Smokehouse and Mike and Jeff’s BBQ.

Experience a Southern Take on the Speakeasy

Secreted away in a subterranean basement, Vault & Vator serves some of Greenville's most enticing libations with a modern speakeasy flair. The vibe can't be beat: No cell phone use is allowed inside, a no-baseball-hats-or-flip-flops dress code is enforced, and you'll find nary a shot or light beer on the menu. Instead, expect classic cocktails like a gin-splashed, floral-scented aviation and a downright deadly whiskey sour with house-made sour mix.

The Swamp Rabbit Trail

Greenville's Swamp Rabbit Trail is a roughly 20-mile-long walking, biking and hiking path that crosses straight through Falls Park downtown. Following the path of an abandoned rail bed, the route is another example of how Greenville has reimagined the remnants of its industrial past. This urban walking park links restaurants, shops and the natural beauty of the city and provides a democratic promenade for all.

Scoundrel

A little bit sexy, a whole lot delicious, this bespoke restaurant specializes in a retro French bistro vibe and food that feels like it's from another age of white tablecloths and tableside Beef Tartare. Service at Scoundrel is excellent, and you won't be disappointed with chef Joe Cash's continental fare. Especially noteworthy beyond the equal finesse with seafood and steak is chef Cash's attention to vegetarian fare, which he gives all of the attention and glamor he brings to his proteins.

Southernside Brewing Co.

Located on Greenville's busy walking and biking Swamp Rabbit Trail, the open, convivial Southernside Brewing Co. is a great destination for beer lovers with plenty of open space for kids to play. There are numerous beer flights, copious choices in bar food and plenty of people watching and sports action on the many big-screen TVs.

Creme Shack

From preteens to grandparents, the popular ice cream spot Creme Shack is for everyone. Rolled ice cream made from fresh, preservative-free ingredients every day, is mixed with an endless array of toppings. A perfect treat to take away as you meander down Main Street on a sleepy Sunday.

The Greenville Zoo

Located in the city's Cleveland Park neighborhood, the Greenville Zoo is home to more than 300 types of animals. With its accessible size, it's manageable even with small children in tow. The park is arranged as a giant loop, with a concession stand, a space for Farm Animals (you can pay a small fee to feed three eager adult goats), a sensory experience where kids can work on their motor skills and a toddler playground with benches to rest your weary feet. One of the most endearing qualities about the zoo is the playground situated just outside of the zoo gates. There are also two large parks, one for ages 5-12 and one for ages up to 5 with picnic tables and benches perfect for an al fresco lunch.

A Must-See for Baseball Fans

"Shoeless Joe" Jackson lived and died in this modest five-room brick home at 356 Field St. in Greenville, which is now a museum dedicated to the baseball legend.

The Children’s Museum of the Upstate

This Children's Museum packs a kid-friendly punch with its Bib’s World outdoor play area and other kid-friendly delights like Garage Rock, dedicated to budding musicians. Bib’s World comes with a large yellow twisting slide attached to a climbing aparatus, a play area for toddlers, a giant climbing tire tower and more. An epic indoor climbing structure takes children from the museum's Level 2 to Level 3 in just a few climbs where they will thrill at towering above their suddenly puny parents.

Put Your Eye on the Sky

In Greenville, it's not a bad thing to have your head in the clouds. Every Friday from January through November, guests to the Roper Mountain Science Center are invited to peer through the main observatory's massive refracting telescope. Built in 1882, the telescope is the eighth largest of its kind in the United States and was used by Princeton University and the US Naval Observatory before heading to Greenville in the late 1960s.

Homegrown Goodness

Farmer's markets are old news in some parts of the country, but in Greenville, it's still the best way to get a real taste of South Carolina's home-grown bounty. The TD Saturday Market is massive with more than 75 tents and every foodie offering you could possibly hope for.

Greenville Culinary Tours

Check out Greenville's many eclectic restaurants with a Sprinter van trip around the city with Greenville Culinary Tours' amiable director and author John Nolan, a living encyclopedia of Greenville history, interesting anedcotes and trivia. Nolan stops in some of the city's best spots to offer a crash course in the city's culinary creativity, from the Spaghetti Westurn pasta outpost hidden away in a generic strip mall to the off-the-leash creative combo of Chef 21 Sushi Burger and Korean BBQ and Chef 21 Tea Republic, where you can get some of the best Asian food in town including sukiyaki pots, sushi burgers and omakase. Or book a Chinese tea ceremony next door in a space where a cotton candy vending machine, teepee with campfire and epic log table with a miniature river and waterfall running through it have to be seen to be believed.

Savannah Bee Company

With outposts throughout the South, the Savannah Bee Company is a temple to the bee, offering byproducts of every sort from honey soap and beauty products to fresh honeycombs and — naturally — honey. But it's the mead tastings that really expand your mind to the possibilities of honey. And the staff couldn't be nicer. Settle in at the mead bar and survey the many floral and spicy offerings of this unique alcoholic beverage made from fermented honey, then take home a bottle of your favorite.

History Around Every Corner

The most luxurious hotel in town is The Westin Poinsett, a historic property built in 1925. At the time, its famously beautiful interiors and high-end furnishings cost $1.5 million, the equivalent of roughly $21 million in 2018 dollars. Although the Poinsett has had its share of ups and downs over the decades, today it's the jewel of the city's hotel scene.

Top Things to Do in Charming Greenville, South Carolina

Shop This Look

Greenville, South Carolina

A Busy Main Street

Grand Bohemian Lodge Greenville

Fox/Hound Restaurant

Artisphere Art Festival

Unity Park

Falls Park

Poppington's Gourmet Popcorn

Mast General Store

M. Judson Booksellers

Juniper Restaurant and Bar

A Bacchanal of BBQ

Experience a Southern Take on the Speakeasy

The Swamp Rabbit Trail

Scoundrel

Southernside Brewing Co.

Creme Shack

The Greenville Zoo

A Must-See for Baseball Fans

The Children’s Museum of the Upstate

Put Your Eye on the Sky

Homegrown Goodness

Greenville Culinary Tours

Savannah Bee Company

History Around Every Corner

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