White Point Gardens
Welcome to White Point Gardens, sometimes also known as the Battery! This historic waterfront park features a garden by the water with several stunning walking paths, military statues, historic cannons, and picnic areas. White Point Gardens is comprised of 5.7 acres and is located at the very top of peninsular Charleston. The southernmost point is considered to be the Battery, the massive defensive seawall and promenade used as protection for the historic city. This public park is located on off of Murray Boulevard, in the heart of Charleston’s historic district. This prominent South Carolina landmark provides spectacular views of Fort Sumter and the Charleston Harbor, highlighting the spot where the Ashley and Cooper Rivers meet and empty into the Atlantic.
White Point Gardens was first used as a public garden in 1837. Once the Civil War hit, it was quickly and efficiently transformed into fortification for the city. Here your group will see historic mortars and cannons used in the past for defense. You will see a Confederate Army Monument at the corner of Murray and East Bay, as well as the epitaph of the 1720s hanged pirate Stede Bonnet. Learn about the history of the land itself, in the past under the name of Oyster Point, the name changing due to the color of the sun-bleached shells covering the peninsular ground. Explore the grounds with both Revolutionary and Civil War-era cannons and try to spot the one fake one thrown among them. Get a picture of or with the gazebo-like bandstand known as the Williams Music Pavilion, a 1907 built memorial for a local family (George Walton Williams) that makes an excellent photo opportunity, as well as a history lesson.
