King Street and The Upper Peninsula, Charleston

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King Street is Charleston's shopping street: Lower King for antiques, with Upper King known for its restaurants. On the second Sunday of each month the City helps close it from Queen to Calhoun Street to cars.

2nd SundayStreet closedQueen to Calhoun
Garages$1/20 minMidtown, Marion Square
Aiken-Rhett$16adult ticket
Parking BanSpring-John6pm-3am Thu-Sat

An old colored postcard view of King Street in Charleston, with shop signs, a flag and a car. — Postcard published by E. C. Kropp Co. for Martschink Sales Co., Charleston; public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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Facts below come from official pages read on November 3, 2026. None of the pages shows an update date.

Shops, Food and 2nd Sunday

For the upcoming 2nd Sunday dates, use the Charleston Area CVB event page.

The CVB's street guide describes King Street as Charleston's shopping street and says Lower King is an antiques district while Upper King is a contemporary design district. source
The CVB lists a food tour of the 'Upper King district' and describes it as home to many of the city's most celebrated restaurants. source
On the second Sunday of each month the City helps close King Street from Queen to Calhoun (about half a mile) to through traffic and parked cars, noon to 5 pm, for '2nd Sunday on King'. source
The CVB event page says on 2nd Sunday shops spill onto the sidewalk, artists show work on the street and food vendors sell. source

Parking and Getting Here

Street parking on King Street between Spring and John streets is prohibited 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. source
The City names the Midtown Garage (558 King St) and Marion Square Garage (399 King St) as $1-per-20-minute parking for that stretch; the Majestic garage is at 211 King St. source
City garage rate is $1 per 20 minutes with a $24 daily maximum; the Midtown and Marion Square garages list public restrooms, and the Midtown, Marion Square and Charleston Place garages offer hotel parking. source
City meters and metered lots cost $3 per hour (1-hour minimum) Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., not Sundays or City holidays. source
The CVB parking page recommends parking at the Official Charleston Area Visitor Center, 375 Meeting Street, and riding the free DASH shuttle; the Charleston Museum calls the Visitor Center Garage 63 Mary Street. source
CARTA says the DASH is free and its buses have wheelchair lifts; it lists no DASH hours on the visitor page. source

Museums a Short Way South

The Charleston Museum is at 360 Meeting Street: Monday-Saturday 9:00 am-5:00 pm, Sunday 12:00-5:00 pm; it says the museum is fully accessible to visitors with limited mobility and loans manual wheelchairs first-come, first-served. source
The Joseph Manigault House (350 Meeting St, guided tour) is open Mon-Sat 10:00 am-5:00 pm and Sun 12:00-5:00 pm, last tour 4:30 pm; the museum says upper floors of its historic houses have access limits because of their age. source
The Museum and Historic Houses are closed on Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, and close at 1:00 pm on Christmas Eve. source
The Aiken-Rhett House at 48 Elizabeth Street is preserved 'as-found' with original kitchen, laundry and quarters for enslaved people surviving; it is not accessible by wheelchair or scooter. source

Places Along The Way

Charleston Museum
Museum on Meeting Street, billed as 'America's First Museum'; fully accessible for limited mobility; limited on-site parking on John Street is paid via Xpresspark (validates up to 4 hours).
Where
360 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29403
Hours
Mon-Sat 9:00 am-5:00 pm; Sun 12:00-5:00 pm
Joseph Manigault House
Historic house run by the Charleston Museum; guided tour only.
Where
350 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29403
Hours
Mon-Sat 10:00 am-5:00 pm; Sun 12:00-5:00 pm; last tour 4:30 pm
Aiken-Rhett House
Historic Charleston Foundation house museum kept in 'as-found' condition, with surviving outbuildings including quarters for the enslaved; self-guided audio tour via free app. Not wheelchair or scooter accessible.
Where
48 Elizabeth Street, Charleston
Hours
Mon 1-5 pm; Tue-Sun 10 am-5 pm; last admission 4 pm
Cost
Adults $16 (combo with Nathaniel Russell House $24); children 6-16 $7 (combo $12); under 6 free

What We Could Not Confirm

Not confirmed: we looked for these on official pages and did not find them. Check with the town or operator before you rely on them.

Official edges of 'Upper King': the pages we read do not give street limits for Upper King; only the 2nd Sunday closure (Queen to Calhoun) and the Spring-John parking rule give street limits.
A specific list of shops, galleries and theaters on Upper King: we read no official page listing them, so none are named here; the CVB mentions the Dock Street Theatre on Church Street, which is not on King.
Charleston Museum adult and child admission: the page read shows only group rates.
Joseph Manigault House ticket price: not read.
Public restrooms on King Street itself: the City lists restrooms only in its garages.
Walking distances: no official page we read states them.
Meter rate conflict: the City's Where-to-Park page says $3 per hour, while the CVB parking page says $2 per hour; we use the City figure.
Last-updated dates: none of the official pages we read shows one.

FAQ

What is 2nd Sunday on King?

The City helps close King Street from Queen to Calhoun, about half a mile, on the second Sunday of each month. Shops spill onto the sidewalk, artists show work and food vendors sell, per the Charleston Area CVB.

Where do I park near King Street?

The City names the Midtown Garage (558 King St) and Marion Square Garage (399 King St) at $1 per 20 minutes with a $24 daily maximum.

Sources

Official pages read on November 3, 2026. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.

Cite this page: It's South Carolina, “King Street and The Upper Peninsula: Shops, Museums and Parking”, itssouthcarolina.com/destinations/lowcountry/charleston/king-street-and-the-upper-peninsula/ (updated 2026-11-03). By the It's South Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.

King Street and The Upper Peninsula: Shops, Museums and Parking