Charleston City Market

The Charleston City Market is a four-block covered market complex stretching from Meeting Street to East Bay Street in the heart of Charleston's Historic District, South Carolina. The market buildings were constructed in phases between approximately 1804 and 1841 on the site of a colonial-era beef market; the structures are among the oldest commercial buildings in the city and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Charleston Historic District. The market consists of a head house at the Meeting Street end — a two-story brick building now housing a Civil War museum — and three long parallel sheds extending east. Today more than 300 vendors occupy the market, selling handcrafted goods, local artwork, clothing, Charleston-themed souvenirs, antique jewelry, and a wide range of food items. The market is best known nationally for its Gullah sweetgrass basket weavers, who practice a coiled-grass weaving technique brought to South Carolina's Sea Islands from West Africa centuries ago and recognized as one of the oldest African craft traditions surviving in North America. Basket weavers set up along the north side of the main market sheds, typically between 9 and 10 AM, and craft items on-site throughout the day. Prices reflect the significant labor involved; a standard handled basket takes 15 to 40 hours to weave. The southern Great Hall section of the market was renovated and enclosed with climate control in 2010, allowing year-round indoor vendors. No admission is charged, and the market is open seven days a week. The surrounding blocks — particularly North Market Street — are lined with restaurants and bars, making the area a natural hub for a half-day visit.