A great overview of Greenville's past, present and future developments

Duration

1 Hour

About

Are you visiting or new to Greenville? This tour is geared toward you to get a great introduction and overview of Greenville. On this tour you’ll learn about the pioneer beginnings of the village, its development into a resort town for Low-Country visitors, its rise to the textile giant of the world, its decades of struggle and its revitalization into one of the great success stories of America. Not only will you hear about Greenville’s past, but also about current projects and future plans that are contributing to the vibrancy of the city.

This tour primarily takes place in Falls Park, the centerpiece of Greenville’s charm and beauty. We stroll on the Swamp Rabbit Trail along the Riverwalk and cover a little bit of Main Street. You’ll see dozens of enlarged photographs shown that illustrate what the river, falls, buildings and city looked like over the last 150 years.

Highlights

Highlights of sites on the tour include:

• Ruins of an 1816 grist mill built by the "Father of Greenville", Vardry McBee
• The 1882 Huguenot Mill - learn how Greenville became the "Textile Center of the World"
• The Liberty Bridge - a one-of-a-kind pedestrian bridge overlooking the Reedy Falls designed by renown architect, Miguel Rosales
• The 1857 Gower, Cox and Markley Carriage factory building, once the largest carriage company in the South
• Riverplace - stroll the river walk while learning about the beautiful complex of fine restaurants, shopping, condos, open artist studios, and more overlooking the Reedy River that has sparked a revitalization of the Historic West End
• The bronze memorial to Charles Townes, a Greenvillian who became the inventor of the laser.

Private Group Tours

Greenville History Tours is happy to accommodate your needs for customized, private group arrangements for any of our tour offerings. Contact us to discuss private tours.