With a megalodon wearing a birthday hat, the South Carolina State Museum is celebrating 30 years of South Carolina history and culture this week. In the light of the anniversary, the museum is holding a juried exhibition to showcase a variety of South Carolina history.
The museum has four levels which describe the history of South Carolina, with a special exhibition located on the third floor. The exhibition includes collections from South Carolina’s cultural, artistic and natural history. Some of the items include a dress worn by Vanna White, a variety of South Carolina Dispensary bottles and a series of photographs of South Carolina that span years.
The museum is also holding an exhibition to celebrate the artistic culture, diversity and history of South Carolina. Sixty-four works were selected from a pool of more than 400 pieces of art submitted to the museum.
On the second floor, the museum has an exhibit describing the history of the 30-year-old establishment. Founded in 1988, the museum took the place of the former Columbia Duck Mill, which manufactured duck, a durable, plain-weave cloth. The initial idea for the museum came in 1969 from USC archaeology professor Robert Stephenson. Now completely renovated, the state museum has a modern look that houses the history of one of America's original 13 colonies.
On a hallway leading to the museum's history, there are a variety of different posters that come from the museum’s past exhibits. These include shows like "Pirates, Privateers and Buccaneers," an exhibit describing the history of pirates; "Beach Music Blast," an exhibit about dance in South Carolina and "Deliver Us From Evil," an exhibit that portrayed the history of the Holocaust.
Accompanying the special 30th anniversary exhibits, the museum also has a lot of historical items that make up the culture and history of the state of South Carolina. Throughout the museum, there are flags from various periods in the state’s life cycle, a replica of Fort Moultrie from the Revolutionary War and a variety of historic cars, such as a Ford Model-T.
Also in the museum are many USC references, including mentions of the school's history and specific artifacts. On the fourth level, the museum has a large painting of the historic Horseshoe from 1850.
The regular exhibits at the South Carolina State Museum are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. General admission tickets range in price from $6.95 to $8.95.