Free & Cheap Things to Do in Mount Pleasant

Parks & Nature

Sitting beneath the Ravenel Bridge with sweeping Charleston Harbor views, this town park hosts a 1,250-foot fishing pier with rocking-chair swings, a nautical-themed playground, the Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Pavilion, and (since 2025) a splash pad, pickleball courts, and dog parks. Free concerts and movies fill summer evenings.

Address: 99 Harry M Hallman Jr Blvd, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

Tip: The pier is open 24 hours — sunrise photos over Charleston Harbor are spectacular. Parking is free in the dedicated lot. River Watch Café sells soft-serve and basic snacks if kids melt down.

Parks & Nature

The Town of Mt Pleasant maintains 3,000 feet of free boardwalks extending into Shem Creek's salt marsh, where you can watch the working shrimp fleet unload, spot resident bottlenose dolphins (often within feet of the boardwalk), and watch sunset reflect on the saltmarsh grass.

Address: Shrimp Boat Lane, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

Tip: Open 5am to midnight — early mornings are best for dolphins and bird life. Free street parking fills up by 11am on weekends. Restaurants line the creek if you want a meal with the view.

Parks & Nature

This 1898 causeway was once the only way to reach Sullivan's Island. Today the partial bridge dead-ends in Cove Inlet, where it has become a free fishing pier, sunset overlook, and 1.4-mile paved walking and biking path with marsh views toward the modern Ben Sawyer Bridge.

Address: 972 Pitt Street, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

Tip: Park free at the small lot off Pitt Street. Sunset is the photographer's hour — you're facing west across the marsh toward downtown Mt Pleasant. Bring a crab line and a bucket; the inlet is productive.

Museums & Culture

The 28-acre remnant of Charles Pinckney's Snee Farm plantation preserves the legacy of one of South Carolina's four signers of the U.S. Constitution. A free interpretive center in an 1828 cottage and self-guided walking trails through live oaks and saltmarsh make this one of the Lowcountry's most overlooked free sites.

Address: 1254 Long Point Rd, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

Tip: Open Wednesday-Sunday 9am-5pm (closed Mondays/Tuesdays and federal holidays). The interpretive center is small, but ranger talks add depth — call (843) 881-5516 to confirm scheduling. NPS Passport cancellation stamp is here.

Museums & Culture

The original colonial-era core of Mt Pleasant is a free walking-tour destination — a grid of antebellum cottages and Lowcountry homes under live oaks dripping Spanish moss. A 20-marker NFC-enabled walking tour created by Moultrie Middle School traces the village's five-village origins along a 3-mile route.

Address: Pitt Street, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

Tip: Start at Pitt Street Pharmacy — the 1937 soda fountain still scoops ice cream and pours cherry phosphates ($3-5). Sundays and weekday mornings are quietest. Park along Venning or Hibben Streets where on-street parking is free.

Museums & Culture

Inside Memorial Waterfront Park, this open-air pavilion celebrates the centuries-old Gullah-Geechee tradition of sweetgrass basket making — one of the oldest African crafts continuously practiced in the Western Hemisphere. Free informative kiosks, display cases, and screening areas tell the story; living basket makers demonstrate on select Saturdays.

Address: 99 Harry M Hallman Jr Blvd, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

Tip: The annual Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Festival is held the last Saturday in July with live music, food, and basket sales. Authentic sweetgrass baskets cost $50-500+ — buying directly from the maker is more meaningful than tourist replicas.

Parks & Nature

This 1937 historic event hall sits on a free public waterfront park in the Old Village, overlooking Charleston Harbor with one of Mt Pleasant's prettiest sunset views. The grounds stay open to everyone even during private events — visit for the live-oak-shaded benches, playground, and harbor breeze.

Address: 131 Middle St, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

Tip: The grounds remain free and open even when weddings are being set up inside the hall. Bring a blanket for sunset. The historic interior can be peeked at from outside — interiors are limited to private events and rentals.

Parks & Nature

A 943-acre Charleston County Parks property of paved trails and boardwalks threading through maritime forest and tidal marsh. Highlights include the Big Toy playground, a 50-foot Nature Island observation tower, kayak access to Horlbeck Creek, a dog park, and seasonal Splash Island Waterpark (extra fee) in the summer.

Address: 444 Needlerush Pkwy, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

Tip: Open 8am-sunset year-round. Bring binoculars for the observation tower — alligators and wading birds are routinely visible. Splash Island Waterpark is a separate ticket (~$15) and operates Memorial Day through Labor Day only.

Food & Markets

Founded in 1998 and held every Tuesday April through September at 645 Coleman Boulevard, this seasonal market hosts roughly 40 vendors selling Lowcountry produce, seafood, baked goods, sauces, and prepared meals alongside live music. Free entry — bring cash for food trucks and fresh-off-the-boat shrimp.

Address: 645 Coleman Blvd, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

Tip: Runs 3:30-7pm — late afternoon catches the after-work crowd and the best produce of the day. Live music starts around 5pm. The market is rain or shine but closes early on holidays; check the event calendar before driving over.

Shopping & Strolling

An open-air lifestyle center with 60+ shops, restaurants, and a movie theater — and a deep slate of free family events. Live Under the Oaks free concerts run every Thursday at 6pm in season, Play Dayz hosts free arts and crafts the first Tuesday monthly, and the annual Mount Pleasant ArtFest is free admission.

Address: 1218 Belk Dr, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

Tip: Free parking onsite. The Live Under the Oaks Thursday concert season runs roughly April through September; check mtpleasanttownecentre.com/events for current lineup. Pair with Memorial Waterfront Park (10 minutes east) for a free family afternoon.