Want to bring something special home from your upcoming trip to Charleston, but not sure exactly what to buy in Charleston, South Carolina?
This guide to the best souvenirs from Charleston will give you plenty of ideas, whether you’re shopping for yourself or are looking for the perfect gift from Charleston to bring home for someone you love!
From traditional foods from Charleston to quirky decor pieces with a southern bent, the Holy City offers plenty of opportunities to come home with a unique (or delicious, or both) treasure.
I love shopping in Charleston and make a point to browse for memorable items on each trip to the city.
Here are the best things to buy in Charleston, SC!
Food-Focused Souvenirs From Charleston, SC
As one of the most incredible food cities in the USA, it’s no surprise that many of the best things to buy in Charleston revolve around food!
Here are a few of the best foodie souvenirs from Charleston.
Benne Wafers
Benne wafers are thin, crispy cookie made with sesame (benne is the Bantu word for sesame), and they are delicious!
The Old Colony Bakery purports to have the original recipe, and benne wafers make for a tasty and easy-to-transport foodie souvenir from Charleston!
Most pre-made benne wafers sold in bakeries or shops are round, but they can technically come in all shapes, like these that we enjoyed with pimiento cheese in a Charleston restaurant:
Rice Spoon
A Rice Spoon is, more or less, a large serving spoon used specifically for the serving of rice, and they have long been a staple of Lowcountry homes!
Rice is an essential part of Charleston’s traditional cuisine, and the popularity of Rice Spoons (both for practical and decor purposes) endures.
Local Tea
Did you know that you can buy tea that is local to Charleston… and even tour a tea factory if you’re so inclined?
The Charleston Tea Garden makes for a memorable day trip (we loved it when we visited), and their locally-grown tea makes for a wonderful memento from your trip to the city!
Lowcountry Cookbook
If you love exploring local food while you travel, there’s a good chance you might want to take some of it home with you!
You can find any number of local cookbooks featuring Lowcountry cuisine in bookshops around the city, but Charleston Receipts is considered the most complete (it contains a whopping 750 recipes) and iconic.
First published by the Charleston Junior League in 1950, it is still in print–but if you’d like to find a vintage copy, consider poking around used bookstores during your trip to Charleston!
Carolina Gold Rice
Not to be confused with the brand of Carolina rice that you can find in any grocery stores, the Carolina Gold variety of rice is a Lowcountry staple that got its start (in North America, anyway) in South Carolina.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Carolina Gold was the most popular rice variety in the USA, and it remains legendary in the Lowcountry for its nutty, complex flavor.
While the end of slavery, the introduction of other rice varieties to the country, and even hurricanes all contributed to the end of its cultural dominance, Carolina Gold is still a delicious rice, and since the 1980s, it has enjoyed a cultural resurgence thanks to a collection of food scientists and farmers.
You can read more about the cultural history of Carolina Gold here–but the only real way to satisfy curiosity regarding the taste is to sample some yourself, which you can do by picking up a bag when shopping in Charleston!
Baking Mixes and Seasonings
From biscuit mix by Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit to seasoned grits to cornbread mix and beyond, you can find all kinds of local baking mixes and seasonings for sale in Charleston.
You can also find offerings from other places in the South, but we recommend leaving the beignet mix on the shelf until you go souvenir shopping in New Orleans–there are too many local options to choose from!
Ultimate Coconut Cake
While certainly not the right Charleston souvenir for most people, Charleston’s famous Ultimate Coconut Cake is delicious enough that it deserves a shout-out!
The 12-layer (6 layers of cake, 6 layers of frosting) coconut cake by Peninsula Grill has long been one of the most famous desserts in Charleston, and it lives up to the hype!
You can access it either at Peninsula Grill, at the more Benne’s Cafe by Peninsula Grill… or by ordering an entire 12-pound cake for overnight delivery nationwide.
Over the top? Perhaps.
But if you want to share your memories of Charleston with 18-20 of your loved ones back home via the gift of cake (or stock your freezer, the choice is yours), there’s no doubt that a gigantic cake makes for a memorable souvenir option!
Other Local Things to Buy in Charleston
Sweetgrass Baskets
Without a doubt, one of the most traditional souvenirs from Charleston is a sweetgrass basket.
Brought to the Lowcountry more than 300 years ago by the transatlantic slave trade, sweetgrass baskets were used first in the area by enslaved people, and later by their descendants as a way to produce income.
The baskets are both beautiful and practical, and a proud tradition in Charleston’s Gullah community.
You can find them all over the city, from iconic places like Charleston City Market to simple stands set up around the Holy City.
Pineapple-Themed Decor
Pineapples are the emblem of Charleston, and as a result, you can find them absolutely everywhere around the city.
They adorn pillows and napkins, grace the tops of wrought iron gates, can be found in paintings, and are traditionally placed on fireplace mantles (these days, you’ll often find a carving of a pineapple there, rather than an actual piece of fruit).
While pineapples aren’t commercially grown in Charleston and aren’t indigenous to the area, they were a status symbol there starting in colonial times, and Charleston’s status as a bustling port city meant that pineapples were more common there than in many places in the New World!
For a look at Charleston’s most famous pineapple art, head to Waterfront Park to check out the aptly named Pineapple Fountain:
Photography Session
Sure, you can buy a beautiful photograph of Charleston in a gallery or at City Market, or even take your own… but there’s something special about celebrating your vacation with gorgeous photos that include you!
Flytographer is a fantastic way to connect with local photographers around the world, and many Charleston photographers work with them.
If you want to combine your next professional photo shoot with your trip to Charleston, you’ll be spoiled for choice (here are our picks for the most photogenic places in Charleston).
Sign up for a local photography session in Charleston today!
Locally Made Jewelry
From glass beadwork to fine jewelry and beyond, Charleston is home to what seems like endless amounts of locally made jewelry.
You can find a fair amount in City Market, though for more expensive pieces, it’s best to head to a jewelry shop.
Original Art
Original oils, locally-made prints, photography, sketchwork, pottery, and more are all in abundance in Charleston!
With oodles of galleries, local art is available at all price points and styles across the Holy City.
Whimsical Odds and Ends
Looking for a unique souvenir from Charleston?
You’ll be spoiled for choice!
Charleston’s many boutiques and shops are packed with whimsical items that are incredibly memorable.
My personal favorite souvenir from Charleston (and one of my favorite souvenirs from anywhere) is a set of bookends featuring playful hedgehogs that I bought at City Market years ago.
I’ve never seen anything quite like them since, and I’m so glad I snapped them up when I did!
Inexpensive (But Fun!) Souvenirs From Charleston
Looking for something small, budget-friendly, and easy to transport that you can bring home from South Carolina?
These easy-to-find items might belong on your Charleston shopping list!
Magnets
A ubiquitous souvenir choice all over the world, Charleston-themed magnets are inexpensive, extremely easy to find, and very simple to pack on your way home.
There is a huge variety of magnets for sale in gift shops around the city, so if you’d like to buy one, I’d recommend waiting until you see one that sticks out to you.
My Charleston magnet is more than a decade old at this point, but it still makes me smile when I notice it on our fridge!
Postcards
Postcards are the ultimate combination of inexpensive, easy to pack, and easily personalized, making them one of the best budget souvenirs from Charleston.
For extra personalization, consider filling it out with vacation memories during your trip and sending it home to yourself!
Mugs
Like magnets, mugs are a favorite souvenir from around the world: inexpensive, personal, and something that is easily incorporated into your daily life back home.
What better way is there to reminisce about your vacation than to be reminded of it every time you go to make a hot drink and pull your mug from Charleston out of the cabinet?
Christmas Ornaments
Christmas ornaments from around the world are one of our favorite souvenirs to collect, and you’ll find beautiful options in Charleston year-round!
You can find Christmas ornaments for sale in many boutiques around the city, including in City Market, but there are specialty Christmas stores that operate year-round, too!
A Christmas to Remember on Meeting Street is one great option.
Tips for Souvenir Shopping in Charleston
Note the time and date of purchase on each of your Charleston souvenirs.
This is one of my favorite tips for souvenir shopping around the world, and it has already saved my memory a few times!
You may find it easy to remember when and where you purchased your beautiful souvenirs from Charleston now–but give it a decade or three, and you may be very glad you noted the place and year of purchase with the item.
We tend to write the info on the bottom of all the home decor pieces or Christmas ornaments we purchase around the world and love the tradition of it.
It’s also a great way to help bring old memories to the surface when decorating our Christmas tree each year!
Don’t forget about the possibility of shipping while shopping in Charleston!
Most higher-end merchants, and especially artists, have shipping available–so if you have your heart set on a particularly memorable Charleston souvenir, you don’t need to be limited by the room in your suitcase.
Certain items can also be ordered online if you prefer–for example, you can purchase Carolina Gold Rice directly from the manufacturer through either Anson Mills or Carolina Plantation.
Shop around before purchasing simple souvenirs like magnets.
When it comes to small, cheap items that are a dime a dozen in gift shops, like magnets, T-shirts, etc., be sure to visit a few shops before deciding what to buy in Charleston!
Many of these simple souvenirs are sold all over the place, but prices can vary.
It’s worth checking out at least a few shops to be sure you’re getting a reasonable deal.
Have a plan for what you want to purchase in Charleston before starting your trip.
You won’t need to stick to your plan exactly, of course–shopping spontaneously can be part of the fun of travel–but having a general idea of what you want to look for when shopping in Charleston can help add structure to your browsing.
In some cases, it can also help limit indecisiveness–for me, anyway!
These days, I try to have a general idea of what I’m looking for (or not looking for) before leaving on a trip.
Look beyond City Market and King Street when shopping for souvenirs from Charleston.
You can absolutely find great souvenirs in both City Market (where I once bought my whimsical set of hedgehog bookends, among several other things), and King Street (don’t miss the Preservation Society of Charleston Shop, among many other great places), but they’re far from the only places to shop for souvenirs in Charleston!
From museum gift shops (I love browsing local books in them) to random boutiques to cool specialty shops (Carolina Antique Maps & Prints will forever be a favorite of mine), Charleston is a great city for shopping in general.
Be sure to keep your eyes peeled as you explore–you never know what you’ll spot around the next corner!
Read More About Visiting Charleston (+ the South)
Planning to visit Charleston soon and eager to keep planning your trip to the Holy City… and maybe some other destinations across the South?
If so, we’d love to be part of your trip research here on Our Escape Clause!
You can browse our dozens of blog posts about the South here, or check out these guides:
- 3 Days in Charleston SC: The Perfect Weekend in Charleston Itinerary
- How to Spend One Perfect Day in Savannah, GA (+ Travel Tips!)
- 17 Gorgeous Places to Visit in Georgia
- The Epic, Exciting 3 Days in New Orleans Itinerary
- 21+ Dreamy East Coast Beach Towns (Perfect for Summer Getaways)
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