Charleston City Market
Charleston City Market
4
Monday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
6:30 PM - 10:30 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
6:30 PM - 10:30 PM
About
Established in the 1790s, this historic landmark is one of the oldest public markets in the U.S. There’s everything from handmade crafts, trinkets, and jewelry to the nation’s most prized souvenir—the woven sweetgrass basket. Certain weekend nights even have a special night market that runs until late. Enjoy live entertainment, embrace Charleston’s Southern charm, and soak in the lively atmosphere. It’s a fantastic way to support the local artisans and their work, too. Visit the market as a stop along a Charleston city tour and remember to have cash handy for payments. – Tripadvisor
Duration: 2-3 hours
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Address
Neighbourhood: French Quarter
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See what travellers are saying
- Life2TravelCharlotte, North Carolina1,651 contributionssupport shopping localWe love to support local shopping and love that the market is there. I wish there was more variety of vendors, a lot of straw basket vendors and t-shirts. The nice thing is that it is always changing so we make a point of walking through each time we are in Charleston.Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 22 October 2023
- Voyage3199049 contributionsCharleston City MarketLived the hustle and bustle of the market. There were so many vendors. There were some quality stalls with true artist products (especially sweet grass basket weavers)with some mix of craft goods and your usual tourist items.Visited October 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 26 October 2023
- Lou V28 contributionsAn easy going schedule filler!If you’re looking for gifts and/or Nick-nacks this is the place. An covered yet open air market with gift ideas, art, and more. This a good place to fill in your sight-seeing schedule. Many restaurants adjacent and nearby. I would definitely make time to stop.Visited October 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 28 October 2023
- outandabout704Hudson Falls, New York106 contributionsGreat place to support local artists!We really enjoyed spending time with the local artists and their goodies. Lots of choices and art to see here. Jewelry, baskets, clothes and other beautiful items. Clean restrooms and well lauded out.Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 1 November 2023
- marsha c4 contributionsTypical city street marketThe market was a typical city street market, in this case filled with hundreds of indigenous woven baskets. There was also a lot of low to mid -range priced jewelry, souvenirs, pottery and various artwork. Depends on what you are looking for. I found the market very touristy and contained nothing of interest to me.Visited November 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 13 November 2023
- JMCSTLSaint Louis, Missouri7,586 contributionsFriendly Vendors in a Large Open-Air MarketplaceA string of 3 pleasant and attractive single story market buildings to stroll through & engage with the vendors & pick up a few gift items for your return to normal life. The Market is on the route of one of the free DASH buses making it easy to access, and there are some food vendors inside with several more options along the streets flanking it. Visiting on an early-in-the-week day like my wife & I did would probably yield smaller crowds, as the central aisle of the Market space is narrow and may get difficult to navigate especially for visitors with mobility challenges.Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 23 November 2023
- CTMansRidgefield, Connecticut1,460 contributionsFunSeveral blocks of indoor marketers selling artwork, crafts, gifts, and food. Certainly worth an hour to stroll and peruse. Plenty to find here, and located in the heart of the restaurant district.Visited December 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 4 December 2023
- Mary S5 contributionsCheck Out the Charleston City MarketMy husband and I enjoyed walking through the market area. There were many quality shops to browse in (I bought a good bit as it turns out)! We also had interesting discussions with the sales staff and even other customers. This area is definitely touristy but the merchandise is overall good quality.Visited February 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 21 February 2024
- lithlith924 contributionsCity MarketThe City Market has great shopping and people watching. It's worth a walk through while you're in Charleston. There are many points of entry along the market and it's much longer than you might think from first view on the outside as it actually stretches several blocks.Visited February 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 21 February 2024
- 368courtneyaManotick, Canada40 contributionsNice day tripA very nice way to spend a few hours. The cobblestone roads, briefly Southern homes, port walkway surrounding the market were very touristic but nice. We would go back. Items available for purchase were only local to that location as we can see. Jewelry, baked goods and sweet grass items were available for purchase. It was great for people watching. Hotels were in the pricey side but if you are planning a day trip it was worth it in our opinion. Restaurants were a mix of touristic but there were also seafood restaurants by the pier that had wait times to seating. I’d say reservations would be required in warmer summer days.Visited February 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 29 February 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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4.0
8,239 reviews
Excellent
3,338
Very good
2,856
Average
1,676
Poor
272
Terrible
97
Wendy B
Williamsburg, VA34 contributions
Sept 2020
What a great way to beat the heat and do a bit of shopping! It was 110f the day we chose to ‘do Charleston’. Nevertheless, we stopped and strolled through the marketplace. A nice neo -classic building with pretty ironwork has been converted to an open-ended market with a variety of vendors. There were some really good local artists represented, but a fair number of vendors pedaling the gifty items one could buy anywhere else in America. I didn’t find the prices to be exorbitant or ridiculous as other reviewers, but I was disappointed to see little variation between Charleston, Savannah, Myrtle Beach, Nashville, Memphis, the Outer Banks, and other cities we had visited during our pandemic wandering. Yes, we were masked up and armed with sanitizer, but MOST of the vendors and visitors were not. We made a hasty retreat after our purchases of postcards. The gentleman on the right hand side at the exit had some BEAUTIFUL photographs of Charleston and its glorious ironwork; well worth the visit.
Written 23 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kristens_on_Vacation
Lakeville, MA1,080 contributions
Mar 2020 • Family
I can see why many visitors make it a point to walk through here. There are tons of local vendors in one spot selling just about everything you can imagine.
For us, we found it to be fairly high priced items and some areas were not easy to navigate as this was all indoors with tables on each side and a walkway in between.
I love a good fresh air shopping experience, like the french market in NOLA bit this did not quite hit the mark for me.
The individual shops along the way were better stops to make if you were limited on time as we were.
Nat a bad way to pass time if you have more time in the city. I would make it more of a part of a bigger plan vs a destination on your time in Charleston.
For us, we found it to be fairly high priced items and some areas were not easy to navigate as this was all indoors with tables on each side and a walkway in between.
I love a good fresh air shopping experience, like the french market in NOLA bit this did not quite hit the mark for me.
The individual shops along the way were better stops to make if you were limited on time as we were.
Nat a bad way to pass time if you have more time in the city. I would make it more of a part of a bigger plan vs a destination on your time in Charleston.
Written 20 May 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pamela C
Pittsburgh, PA39 contributions
Mar 2020 • Couples
I agree with a previous review that noted there are now many tourist-y items for sale here. There are some highlights such as pictures and paintings of local sites, one of Callie’s Biscuit restaurants, and some other local craft people. But, the locally-made baskets are all exorbitantly priced and many booths could be found anywhere. Also, despite going early in the day on a weekday, the market was relatively crowded and made browsing awkward. Can’t imagine what it would be like on a weekend or during their ‘peak season’!
Written 5 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kay F
103 contributions
Dec 2019 • Family
The market is an open air facility with artisan booths set up along each side of a walking area. We visited the market while in town visiting family over Christmas. The market has a little bit of something for every age: toys, snacks, ornaments, handcrafted puzzle boxes, jewelry and art, and souvenirs of Charleston. It is also a unique opportunity to observe the beautiful sweetgrass baskets being created and to see a part of the rich history of Charleston. Parking in one of the parking garages a few blocks away is highly recommend.
Written 5 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MyriamLDR
Illinois257 contributions
June 2021
My husband and I ended up walking through this about four or five times, including one of the night markets on a Friday night. We found the prices to be a little high, but there were a few good deals to be had. One of the art vendors was selling framed art and prints at a steep discount to drum up business after COVID so we bought a few things.
A few things to note:
There are different vendors from day to day. If you've been one day it might be worth to go the next day as well just to see what's new.
The night market is drastically reduced (maybe 2 out of the 5 buildings).
We had local kids "gifting" us flowers made from palm leaves. As soon as you grab the flower they hit you with a "would you like to make a donation". They are RELENTLESS. Either get a flower and make sure they see it in your hand every time you walk through or just be prepared to say "no thank you" or "I've already got one, thanks". One kid in particular started cursing up a storm as soon as I refused. (Also, one of the vendors sells them in the market itself for $3).
The market asks that you wear a mask unless you are fully vaccinated. Did not see many people wearing masks.
There are public restrooms available in the market in case you're out and about looking for one.
A few things to note:
There are different vendors from day to day. If you've been one day it might be worth to go the next day as well just to see what's new.
The night market is drastically reduced (maybe 2 out of the 5 buildings).
We had local kids "gifting" us flowers made from palm leaves. As soon as you grab the flower they hit you with a "would you like to make a donation". They are RELENTLESS. Either get a flower and make sure they see it in your hand every time you walk through or just be prepared to say "no thank you" or "I've already got one, thanks". One kid in particular started cursing up a storm as soon as I refused. (Also, one of the vendors sells them in the market itself for $3).
The market asks that you wear a mask unless you are fully vaccinated. Did not see many people wearing masks.
There are public restrooms available in the market in case you're out and about looking for one.
Written 28 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
amye73
Chesapeake, VA19 contributions
Jan 2020 • Friends
Lots of vendors and stalls even when it was cold. We were interested in silver jewelry and found good deals. Overall, most souvineers we saw could be found on Amazon or Walgreens. The more authentic Charleston things like baskets and paintings were impressive and expensive.
Written 21 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Juan
North Olmsted, OH285 contributions
Aug 2020
We went on a Saturday and were a little disappointed. Because of COVID, we could only walk around outside around the market and not as many vendors as in the past. They have an area with air conditioned inside stores but they limit the number that can be in at one time. It was hot so many preferred the indoor stores because of the air conditioning.
It a good place to find handcrafted jewelry.
It a good place to find handcrafted jewelry.
Written 1 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andrew B
Wellington, New Zealand58 contributions
Dec 2020
Some great stalls in here. The entrances and exits are policed well so the appropriate amount of people are in the buildings. Stalls range from high level art and crafts, down through to novice (but well done) works. As with many markets of this type, some of the produced is over-priced, but there is a bargain waiting for you here. Be mindful of the boys selling the sweet grass roses, they can be pushy if you take one.
Written 27 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PAboyinFL
Ocala, FL1,713 contributions
Oct 2020
Due to Covid, only so many shoppers are allowed in the marketplace at a time, so expect to wait in line a while. There are only a handful of vendors there (on a Saturday) and many stalls are empty. Most vendors who are there seem to either be selling artwork of some kind or jewelry. For most of the market buildings, vendors can only be accessed from the outside of the building.
Still worth a stop because it is part of what Charleston is known for, but not half of what it used to be.
Did get a laugh out of signs all around the market saying the selling of grass roses was illegal, but got approached by teenage hustlers numerous times offering "the beautiful lady" a rose, then demanding $5. Once this happened right in front of one of the signs. Don't think that rule is being enforced.
Still worth a stop because it is part of what Charleston is known for, but not half of what it used to be.
Did get a laugh out of signs all around the market saying the selling of grass roses was illegal, but got approached by teenage hustlers numerous times offering "the beautiful lady" a rose, then demanding $5. Once this happened right in front of one of the signs. Don't think that rule is being enforced.
Written 28 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elise M
Round Lake Beach, IL89 contributions
Dec 2019
We went to the market on December 30, a Monday. It was relatively quiet as it wasn't too crowded until it started pouring. Even then, it wasn't too bad. We parked across the street in a paid parking lot where we left the car for the day, $15.
I liked all the different products, foods, and especially the artists. The sweet grass products are very popular but seem more expensive in the market than in the summer stalls along Rt 17. I did buy some prints, a painted shingle and some candy. All worth it to me!
I liked all the different products, foods, and especially the artists. The sweet grass products are very popular but seem more expensive in the market than in the summer stalls along Rt 17. I did buy some prints, a painted shingle and some candy. All worth it to me!
Written 5 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
To be honest, I didn't see anyone with a pet and I wouldn't recommend it as the aisles are narrow at some points and it's extremely crowded and you literally have to squeeze through the chokepoints.
Written 2 June 2021
Klee7312
Rogersville, Alabama
8 contributions
I didnt see a place where you could rent wheelchairs or scooters when I was there.
Written 20 April 2021
I’m looking for contact info for the vendor who makes the wall art of classic song lyrics. Would really appreciate any info.
Written 29 June 2020
The website said the market is closed. Is it closed right now? We're planning to visit in a few weeks and I was hoping it would be open.
Written 16 June 2020
Due to Covid 19, The Charleston City Market has limited hours, 9:30 am - 5 pm daily. Masks are mandatory.
We hope to return to our regular hours as soon as possible.
Written 7 January 2021
Traveling Nov.2019 is the city market open and if so what are the time and days
Written 18 June 2019
They are typically open 7 days a week 9:30- 6:00 Sunday- Thursday and. 9:30-10:30 Friday and Saturday.
Also right there are several carriage ride companies, may I suggest taking one of those. So much fun! Lots of good places to eat there also.
On the corner of East Bay St and Market St is a good place to park.
Written 19 June 2019
We bought the okra, as well as cheerwine (cherry cola) and specialty chocolate there, that may help you find it. It is on the left side of the alley when entering from the city side
It is called Sweet Charleston
Written 2 June 2019
Hi, I am looking for the name of the vendor who sells the okra chips in clear bags. Thank you, Diane
Written 20 March 2019
it was sweet gourmet! i’m eating them now!!!
Written 6 April 2019
How does Sweet Charleston's okra is dried and keeps the green color? When I dry my okra it turns brown.
Written 11 October 2018
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