This post about Charleston Waterfront Park is part of a series about things to do with kids in Charleston, SC. Check out the full list.
Charleston Waterfront Park
We honestly didn’t see a lot of Charleston Waterfront Park, but the bit we did see was so much fun that it made our list of favorite spots in Charleston. The fountain at the end of Concord Street is one of the best splash fountains we’ve been to anywhere.
The Charleston Waterfront Park splash fountain consists of a series of round pedestals arranged in a circular pattern, each spraying a stream of water in an arc towards the center of the circle. The base of the fountain slopes inward towards the center resulting in a deepening pool of water going from nothing at the perimeter to a few inches deep at the center.
Even adults can fit “in” the fountain near the perimeter without getting wet, but the closer to the center you go the wetter things become. Can you guess which part the kids spent the most time in?
There also appeared to be this unwritten rule, understood by all children: there is to be at least one child running in a large circle swatting each stream of water as it sprays out of its pedestal at all times. Our kids each took their shift in this role of course. Fun!
We had just come from dinner at Fleet Landing up the road so Jasper and Aurora were both dressed in their “nice clothes”. They stayed pretty dry for about 3 minutes and were completely drenched after about 15.
Luckily it was a warm evening and they continued to run, jump, and giggle with delight for nearly and hour. They made friends with other kids in the fountain, made up fountain games, and generally had a spectacular time.
We took a short break from the fountain to stroll down the pier and take in the view across the water, with the USS Yorktown prominent and impressive even from this distance.
We didn’t make it any further into Waterfront Park as J & A both made a beeline back to the splash fountain as soon as we came back down the pier.
There is actually a second fountain not far away from where we were but we never got up close to it. This is another spot that we would certainly intend to return to if we had more time in Charleston.
Charleston Waterfront Park Logistics
- Waterfront Park Website
- Getting There: We parked at Fleet Landing before our dinner there (free if you are there for a meal) and asked permission to leave the car while we walked around. There are also several parking garages in the area, including a large one on Cumberland Street which we had used previously ($1 per half hour).
- Cost: Free!
- Tip: Bring swimsuits for kids to play in the fountain – and perhaps for adults who will chase them!
[box type=”info”] Logistics items are intended to be accurate as of the date of the post. Please check the links above for current specifics at the time of your visit.[/box]
The Trekking Family 