Things to Do in Columbia Over Rendezvous Week - and beyond!

In Columbia SC, there are more things to do than there are hours to do them. With a never-ending roster of live music events, festivals and sporting events, you can discover something new for every season, and every day of the year. Judging by the buzz, the list isn't going to shorten up anytime soon. Dig into our calendar of events and learn why Columbia is the Heart of South Carolina. Overwhelmed? Check out our curated list for Rendezvous participants below!

• Learn about USC's history with the Remembering the Days podcast. This podcast tells the stories of everything from campus pranks in the 19th century to how we became known as Gamecocks.
• Into museums? We've got you covered!
  • South Carolina State Museum
  • Columbia Museum of Art
  • EdVenture Children's Museum
• Play ball! The Fireflies play at Segra Park and there's not a bad seat in the house. There are home games against the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers Tuesday - Sunday.
• Want to walk? While there are lots of strollable areas around Columbia, including lots of parks, the Saluda Riverwalk offers you spectacular views of the Millrace Rapids and Columbia's beautiful bridges. You can also access this via the Columbia Canal and Riverfront Park. Willing to take a drive? A little further out is Sesquicentennial State Park and Harbison State Forest.
  • Want to stay on campus? Check out the Historic Horseshoe or go on a self-guided tour (including one of the building stones on campus!).
• Do you love the National Parks? Be sure to check out Congaree National Park (preferably on the Sunday field trip!), which owns its reputation as the "worst national park."
• Love touring state capitol buildings? Columbia is the State Capitol of South Carolina, and the SC State House (walkable from campus!) has daily tours.  
• Catch a show at the historic Nickelodeon Theater, aka The Nick, South Carolina's only nonprofit arthouse cinema.
• Enjoy the sights and sounds at the Riverbanks Zoo & Garden. The botanical garden spans 70 acres and is home to over 5,700 species of native and exotic plants.
• Check out over 130,000 specimens of dried plants at USC's A.C. Moore Herbarium.
• Take a nature break at USC's wildlife preserve in the heart of Columbia - the W. Gordon Belser Arboretum has an Open House on Sunday (1-4pm) and is open to visitors 9am-12pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays and 4-6pm on Thursdays!
• Staying 'til Saturday? Don't miss the Soda City Market, "Columbia's original town square", and named the 2025 #1 Farmers Market in the country by USA Today's 10 Best Readers' Choice Awards!
• Browse the Old Mill Antique Mall in West Columbia, a warehouse-sized antique mall that sells a tremendous variety of antiques, collectibles, and furniture by over 75 dealers; all under one roof.
• Want funky? Visit folk artist Ernest Lee, the Chicken Man on Gervais St.