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Aiken is a city of about 32,000 people in western South Carolina, about 20 miles from Augusta, Georgia. In the late 1800s and early 1900s it became a Winter Colony, where wealthy families from the North spent the cold months riding, hunting and playing polo, and the city still feels like horse country, with grand winter cottages, sandy lanes for horses and wide, tree-lined parkways through downtown.
Hopelands Gardens is a free public garden of old live oaks, fountains and walking paths, and it is home to the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum, which honors champion horses trained in Aiken. Next door, Hitchcock Woods is one of the largest urban forests in the country, more than 2,000 acres of trails used by walkers and riders. Each spring the Aiken Triple Crown brings steeplechase, harness racing and thoroughbred trials to town, and polo matches are played at Whitney Field.
Downtown along Laurens Street has local shops, restaurants and the Aiken Center for the Arts, framed by the city's distinctive landscaped parkways. The Aiken County Historical Museum, in the Banksia mansion, covers local and Winter Colony history. Aiken State Park offers paddling on a black-water river, and Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site preserves an antebellum house and the stories of the people enslaved there.
Hopelands Gardens is a free public garden on a former winter estate, with huge live oaks draped in moss, reflecting pools, a sensory trail and quiet paths. In summer it hosts evening concerts on the stage lawn. The garden is next to Rye Patch and the Thoroughbred Hall of Fame, so you can see all three together.
Hitchcock Woods is one of the largest urban forests in the United States, covering over 2,000 acres of longleaf pine and sandy trails right in Aiken. It is used by walkers and horseback riders and hosts traditional hunt events. Stay on marked trails, yield to horses and pick up a map at an entrance.
Rye Patch is a historic estate beside Hopelands Gardens with a camellia garden, a rose garden, lawns and the old main house used for weddings and events. It is free to walk and connects with Hopelands by a short path. Visit in late winter and early spring when camellias are in full bloom.
The Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum, set in a carriage house at Hopelands Gardens, honors racehorses that trained in Aiken. Exhibits show trophies, silks, photos and saddles from Aiken's horse world. Admission is free, and it is open seasonally, so check hours before visiting.
The Aiken County Historical Museum is housed in Banksia, a large early twentieth century winter colony mansion, and covers local history from Native American times to the Savannah River Site. Exhibits include a schoolhouse, a log cabin and a drugstore display. It is free or low cost and good for families.
The Aiken Visitors Center and Train Museum is located in a replica of the 1899 Aiken passenger depot downtown. Upstairs dioramas show the towns along the historic South Carolina Railroad, one of America's early rail lines. Pick up maps and event info here before exploring the rest of Aiken.
The Aiken Triple Crown is a series of three equestrian events held over consecutive spring weekends: the Aiken Trials for young racehorses, the Aiken Steeplechase and a polo match. They are big social occasions with tailgating and picnics. Buy tickets early and dress in classic spring attire.
Whitney Polo Field is a historic polo ground in Aiken's horse district, used since the late 1800s and one of the oldest active polo fields in the country. Matches are held in spring and fall seasons, and spectators can watch from the sidelines. Check local polo schedules for public game days.
Downtown Aiken is known for its wide parkway-divided streets, especially Laurens Street, lined with restaurants, boutiques, galleries and antique shops. Narrow alleys connect side streets with cafes and murals. Walk the parkways under the trees, and look for the horse statues decorated by local artists.
Aiken Center for the Arts is a downtown art center on Laurens Street with galleries showing regional and national artists, a gift shop of local crafts and a busy schedule of art classes and workshops. Exhibits change often. Stop in while walking downtown; admission to the galleries is usually free.
Aiken State Park sits along the South Edisto River east of the city, with spring-fed lakes, a canoe trail on the blackwater river, campsites, fishing and hiking trails. Many of its structures were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Rent a canoe or kayak for the river paddle on a calm day.
Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site in Beech Island preserves an 1859 Greek Revival mansion built by politician James Henry Hammond, along with cabins of people enslaved there. Tours present the lives of both the owners and the enslaved. Check tour times, and walk the oak allee and grounds.
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South Carolina, United States
South Carolina, United States
South Carolina, United States
South Carolina, United States
South Carolina, United States
South Carolina, United States
South Carolina, United States
South Carolina, United States
Photo: Todd Lista, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Upstateherd, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Bill Fitzpatrick, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Upstateherd, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Upstateherd, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Photo: Bill Fitzpatrick, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: The original uploader was Festiva76 at English Wikipedia., Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Todd Lista, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Savannah River Site, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
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Photo: Bill Fitzpatrick, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0