By Amy C. Balfour

 Forget what you think you know about Columbia. Yes, the downtown is still home to the University of South Carolina. And state legislators still convene at the capitol, where the scars of Union cannonballs mar the granite walls. But these days, students, politicians, and cannonballs are not the only hallmarks of the South Carolina city. 

Dubbed “Cola” by the cool kids, Columbia is on a high-energy roll. You can now do things like zipline over the Saluda River, cheer on the Columbia Fireflies, step into a room-sized work of art, sip craft beer on a rooftop bar, ponder the Busted Plug, and earn a stamp for your Pimento Cheese Passport. Yes, you read that right: Pimento Cheese Passport.

So what happened to inject Cola with this coolness? For one thing, the opening of a 20-story student housing complex on Main Street in 2014 brought more than 800 newcomers to downtown. Entrepreneurs rushed to open restaurants and coffee shops, while artists and thinkers brought galleries, public art, and art-themed experiences. No longer “dead” after 5 p.m., downtown and the Main Street district are vibrant evening and weekend destinations, with the success spilling into adjacent neighborhoods.

 Just 120 miles northwest of Charleston via I-26, Columbia is a short trip away from the Lowcountry. But with committed innovators embracing and enhancing what’s best about the city, the scene in Columbia is all its own. 

 Main Street District: Art, Movies, and the Soda City Market

 The vibe stays innovative inside the Modern Impulses Gallery at the Columbia Museum of Art, where themed galleries show off the best of a globe-spanning collection. Visitors can step into the art at the new Immersion space, where each room is an interactive artistic creation. The Nickelodeon, dubbed The Nick, may be 40 years old, but this Main Street arthouse screens the latest independent films. In April, it hosts the multi-day Indie Grits Film Festival, which showcases cutting-edge movies, music, and art. 

 Visiting for the weekend? Don’t miss the Soda City Market, held rain or shine on Saturday mornings along a four-block stretch of Main Street. About 150 vendors sell produce, baked goods, and an international array of breakfast and lunch dishes. You’ll also find jewelry, candles and other local crafts. All vendors must make or grow the products they sell. Buskers—or street performers—keep the scene lively at this pet-friendly event. 

 Family Fun & Outdoor Adventure

 Columbia sits at the confluence of the Saluda and Broad Rivers, which merge northwest of downtown to form the Congaree River. This watery convergence provides loads of opportunities for family and outdoor fun, including canoeing, kayaking, and tubing. 

Lions, koalas, giraffes, and penguins – plus 2,000 other animals – keep families entertained at the Riverbanks Zoo & Garden, which overlooks the lower Saluda River. From the zoo, follow the pedestrian bridge over the river to admire native and exotic flora in the 70-acre botanical garden. Adventurous zoo visitors can zoom over the river on a 1000-foot-long zipline. Just south, the multi-use Cayce and West Columbia Riverwalks, part of the Three Rivers Greenway, unfurl for eight miles along the west bank of the Congaree River. 

 In the art-forward Vista neighborhood, families can dig into the geology, history, and art of the Palmetto State at the South Carolina State Museum, including dinosaurs on the second floor. Across the street at EdVenture children’s museum, younger kids can learn how the body works by scrambling up and down “the insides” of EDDIE, a 40-foot-tall statue of a 10-year-old boy. 

 Boardwalks twist past bald cypress and tupelo trees in a primeval bottomland forest at Congaree National Park, a swampy showstopper for biological diversity and outdoor exploration. The Cedar Creek Canoe Trail here is a 15-mile adventure for paddlers, while the synchronous firefly display – when thousands of fireflies blink in unison – has exploded in popularity in recent years. This annual event, which occurs throughout three weeks in May and June, sparks the interest of visitors from around the world. The park is 20 miles southeast of downtown.

 In spring and summer, baseball-loving families head to Segra Park, which opened in 2016, to watch the minor league Columbia Fireflies, an affiliate of the New York Mets. The World Famous Hip-Hop Family Day is a highlight of the Love, Peace & Hip-Hop Festival in April.

History: A Look at Reconstruction

Historic Columbia, which manages historic properties across the city, is introducing Reconstructed: A Journey through the Reconstruction Era in Columbia, South Carolina this summer. This fascinating history trail starts at the Museum of the Reconstruction Era at the Woodrow Wilson Family Home and explores post-Civil War life, politics, and education across eight stops in the Historic District downtown. 

Where to Eat

As for Columbia’s dining scene? It’s on fire and unabashedly delicious. Start your day on Devine Street at Devine Cinnamon Roll Deli, where every breakfast sandwich and bowl of cheese grits comes with a mini cinnamon roll. Or you can buy a breakfast panini and a Smeg blender at the Gourmet Shop, a 40-year stalwart in Five Points that is half restaurant, half cookware store.

Let your inner vegan run wild later in the day at Peace of Soul Vegan Kitchen, where soul food gets a delicious plant-based spin. The fried “chicken” sandwich is so good at this NOMA (North Main) lunch spot, you’ll wonder in awe how they did it. At the Spotted Salamander in the downtown Historic District, Chef Jessica Shillato, a 2019 South Carolina Food Ambassador, whips up scratch-made Southern dishes like deviled eggs and pecan chicken salad. Fans of Home Team BBQ in Charleston can visit their Five Points outpost, which opened in 2019. 

Dinner options are plentiful. Motor Supply Co. Bistro is no longer the new kid in town, but you wouldn’t know it by the menu, which changes daily and spotlights what’s fresh and locally sourced. Housed in a former auto parts store in the Vista, this 30-year institution is one of the most recommended restaurants in town. 

Take your taste buds on a Southern road trip at Bourbon, a Main Street favorite. Here, the largest bourbon and whiskey selection in the state complements Cajun-Creole fare. Peruvian small plates join forces with Pisco cocktails for a sizzling night out at Ratio, the stylish new brainchild of Chef Javier Uriarte in Northeast Columbia.

Columbia is also home to 11 craft breweries. You can watch planes take off and land at Hunter-Gatherer Brewery at the Hangar, which opened in 2018 and inhabits a historic airplane hangar visited by Amelia Earhart in the 1930s. Steel Hands Brewing celebrates hard work and the city’s industrial side, while the brand-new Savage Craft Ale Works wows crowds with rooftop views of the Congaree River. 

Pimento Cheese, Please

The Pimento Cheese Passport covers 14 restaurants serving pimento cheese dishes. Longtime favorites include the pita chips and pimento dip at Di Prato’s Delicatessen and the pimento cheeseburger at Rockaway Athletic Club — and here’s an insider tip: you won’t find any signage on the building. Prizes await if you collect ten stamps. Download the passport at www.experiencecolumbiasc.com, or stop by the Experience Columbia Visitor Center at 1120 Lincoln Street.

 

Where to Stay

The first boutique hotel in Columbia when it opened in 2018, the breezy Hotel Trundle embraces all things South Carolina. Its 41 rooms are scattered across three historic downtown buildings. Much of the art and furniture is regionally crafted and sourced. Meanwhile, rooms at the Graduate Columbia pop with bright colors and sassy decor, all giving a nod to the University of South Carolina. We see you, Gamecock headboards. 

If You Go

Columbia is easy to reach, as it sits at the junction of three interstates: I-20, I-26 and I-77. Call ahead to restaurants and attractions to confirm opening hours, which may be reduced to ensure social distancing.