Downtown Greenville Driving Tour
This tour of downtown Greenville brings you to highlights and history throughout the West End, South and North Main St. areas. In the West End, we'll trace the development of the coming of the textile industry that transformed this small village to the textile center of the world and see remnants and photos of the mills that grew up around the falls. Other items covered include Furman's original campus and development, Shoeless Joe Jackson, the area around the historic intersection of Augusta, Main, and River Streets, Chicora College, Charles Townes (inventor of the laser), and the Riverplace complex. South Main St. area highlights include Greenville's earliest industry (wagon making), the Huguenot textile mill, statues of Gen. Nathanael Greene, Vardry McBee and Joel Poinsett, Court Square's historic development (Mansion House, Poinsett Hotel, Chamber/Liberty Building, Courthouses, etc.), and architectural gems scattered throughout the area.
Historic Neighborhood Tours
Downtown Greenville is surrounded by a handful of beautiful historic neighborhoods that reflect the distinct eras and architectural styles from their heydays of construction and development. The Historic Neighborhoods driving tour will first take you through the earliest intact neighborhood in the Hampton-Pinckney historic district where some of the city's earliest homes from the mid-nineteenth century as well as plenty of late Victorian homes grace the streets. Next the Pettigru Historic Neighborhood carries interesting roots as the large estates of General Waddy Thompson Jr. and James Petigru Boyce before being developed at the turn of the century into one of the most fashionable neighborhoods for area textile mill presidents and owners. Finally, the Alta Vista Historic Neighborhood will dazzle you with its rich historic roots as home for some of Furman's first professors through its status today as one of the city's most prestigious addresses.
Our step-on guide service allows you to choose your mode of transportation from using your own car, van, or bus to renting available trolleys.
