Columbia Museum of Art - located right on Main Street, the museum isn’t a far walk from campus and visits are always fun and worthwhile. Aside from being home to many beautiful pieces year round, the museum features temporary art exhibits to guarantee you’ll see something new. Admission with a student ID is only $2.50
11th Annual Greater Columbia Record Fair - This fair will be held right outside the Columbia Museum of Art 4/29 from noon till 5p and is free to the public. If you’re looking to expand your collection or even start one, vendors will be selling vinyl from all genres. Even if you aren’t looking to buy a record, there will be food trucks and a classic Columbia street fair vibe.
Artista Vista - Columbia will have its annual gallery crawl in the vista on 4/19 from 5-9p and 4/21 10a-3p, and admission is free to the public. Not only will there be amazing galleries on display and pieces for sale, there will also be food trucks and other vendors. What better way to decorate your apartment than with some local art?
Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Gardens - the zoo is a fun way to spend the day any time of the year, but especially in the spring before the summer heat sets in. Likewise, flowers in the gardens will be in bloom and with a variety of garden settings like a rose garden and Asian garden this trip is guaranteed to satisfy.
Eat outside - Porches are a Southern staple, there’s just something about eating outside that immediately enriches the experience. Rita’s and Pelican’s are shaved ice faves, but why not enjoy all of your meals outside? Restaurants like Pawley’s and the Gourmet Shop offer outside seating, and you should definitely take advantage of it- this is a great way to level up your brunch game or just decompress after class.
Soda City - this Cola classic never disappoints! There are always awesome vendors and food trucks, but with a variety of produce coming into season now is a great time to visit! Make yourself a great lunch with these fresh ingredients, or make a day of it and invite your friends over for dinner!
Gamecock Baseball - baseball season is in full swing, hang out with Cocky and support our team! Even if you aren’t a big baseball fun the stadium offers a variety of concessions, and have fun games and contests going on throughout the game. Student tickets are free and shuttles run to and from every game.
Sesquicentennial Park - Earth Day is April 22nd and what better way is there to appreciate nature than in our own state park! Sesqui is a beautiful destination and with a variety of trails to choose from, you could make a whole day out of this trip.
Robert Mills House and Gardens- Get in touch with historic Columbia, tour this beautiful home that was built in 1823! Tours are from 10a-4p Tues-Sat and 1p-4p on Sunday. If you’re less interested in the house itself, the grounds feature four beautiful gardens that are free to the public and make for an ideal spot to take some casually perfect insta pics.
International Festival - This event will be held at the state fairgrounds 4/14-4/15. The festival will feature over 70 different nations with vendors, food, and entertainment representing each of them. Step into a different culture for the day, admission is only $7!
Camping - Students can rent camping equipment at Strom and a popular nearby site is #8 on this list, Sesquicentennial Park. Camping makes for a great overnight getaway so get a group together, and take a mini vacay in the calm before the storm of finals week.
The Riverwalk - this is such a versatile destination, with trails and shores along the river the possibilities are truly endless. You could take a day and go tubing, stop by after class to do some tanning, or set up your hammock and study away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
The Horseshoe - Last, but certainly not least, this is a classic destination for a reason. The horseshoe is beautiful year round, but with the mild spring weather it makes for a great place to study, picnic, or just pass time counting the number of dogs, tour groups and photoshoots you see!
