The Old Slave Mart Museum

The Old Slave Mart Museum

Constructed in 1859, the building is believed to be the last extant slave auction facility in South Carolina. Today, the building houses the Old Slave Mart Museum.

The Old Slave Mart was originally part of a slave market known as Ryan's Mart, which covered a large enclosed lot between Chalmers and Queen streets.

The market was established in 1856 by Charleston City Councilman Thomas Ryan, after a citywide ban on public slave auctions made private facilities necessary. Slave auctions were held at the site until approximately 1863; in 1865, the Union Army occupied Charleston and closed Ryan's Mart.

The Old Slave Mart Museum has operated on and off since 1938.

Location

6 Chalmers Street
Charleston, South Carolina
USA

Getting There

The Old Slave Mart Museum is located in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. Here are some ways to get there by public transportation:

CARTA Bus: The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) operates several bus routes that stop near the museum. Routes 20, 31, and 211 all stop within a few blocks of the museum. Check the CARTA website for schedules and fare information.

Free Downtown Area Shuttle: The city of Charleston operates a free downtown area shuttle called the DASH. The DASH routes include stops near the museum. Check the DASH website for schedules and a route map.

Bike: Charleston has a bike-sharing program called Holy Spokes, which allows you to rent a bike from one of their many stations around the city. There are several Holy Spokes stations near the museum.

Walk: If you are staying or working in downtown Charleston, the museum is easily accessible by foot. It is located at 6 Chalmers Street, just a few blocks from the Charleston City Market.

Nearby Airports

This is a list of primary airports in South Carolina that have scheduled passenger service on commercial airlines.