South Carolina Military Museum

I recently spent a day knocking out all the smaller museums in Columbia, including the South Carolina Military Museum.

Location

This free museum is located near the Gamecocks Stadium and the state fairgrounds. It’s behind a military building, so it’s hard to see from the road. Look for the sign at ground level on the left. There’s a gate and a checkpoint, and they will check your ID before they let you enter the complex.

The museum itself is in the back, through another open gate. You’ll notice all the huge military vehicles out front.

Only about half, or even less than half of the building, is currently open. They seem to be refurbishing the first gallery, which looks to be pretty large. I suspect this area normally holds early military history because the second gallery starts with the Allied invasion of Sicily during WWII.

Inside the open galleries

A huge amphibious landing craft (I think?) parked out front points you to the current entrance, a small hallway with a few books for sale, and a receptionist. Then you enter a large room filled with tons of various military vehicles, from a bubble helicopter in the center of the room to a tank/motorcycle near the entrance. I would say that most of these seem to be from the ’40s to the ’60s or so, but don’t quote me on it.

Around the edges of the room are cabinet displays of wars where South Carolina troops have been deployed. It starts with North Africa and the Italian campaign.

The next two displays are for Korea (“the forgotten war”) and Vietnam (“the unpopular war”). Most displays include the standard American uniform for that conflict and for the opposition, like the German Afrika Korps and the Viet Cong “black pajamas.” I like the Vietnamese “Ho Chi Minh” sandals made from tires. They were purposely made to look like tire tracks instead of people on foot when they were being tracked.

The next case is dedicated to General William Westmoreland, a native South Carolinian in charge of the American troops in Vietnam.

The next case is for Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the early ’90s. Then the Iraq War (the second gulf war) and the current war, Afghanistan. A table in front of the Afghanistan display holds a model of a convoy attacked with an IED – an improvised explosive device.

A room in the back holds some random items, everything from an 1800’s cannon to a dog tag making machine. There is a neat display about one Jewish family and their sons in the military.

Visiting the South Carolina Military Museum

Visiting the museum is easy and free, though I might wait until they complete the first gallery. Still, it’s free! It’s a nice activity to do out of the rain or the heat. It’s just a little hard to find, and I wasn’t sure what to expect of the checkpoint at the entrance, but it was all easy as it could be.

The museum is open Monday – Saturday, 10 am-4 pm for self-guided tours. You can book a guided tour, as long as you do it a week in advance and preferably on a Thursday. The guided tour takes an hour, and it took me a little less than that on my own. The museum is closed on federal holidays and Saturdays when the Gamecocks have a home game.