Founded in 1773, The Charleston Museum has been collecting, preserving, and interpreting the cultural and natural history of the South Carolina Lowcountry for more than 230 years. This program explores America’s oldest museum, with collections ranging from the extinct Carolina parrot to the native rattlesnake that so fascinated the first Europeans, from evidence of rural slave life to firsthand accounts of the Battle of Fort Sumter, from Charleston-made furniture and silver to exotic imported goods paid for by the riches of rice. The museum’s archaeology department, active throughout the region uncovering new layers of history and understanding every day, is also featured.

One 29-minute video.