Historic Columbia October 2025 Events
October 2, 2025
Fall in love with all the events Historic Columbia (HC) has to offer in the coming weeks. From Trunk or Treat to the Fall Plant Sale, there is something for everyone in the family to enjoy this month at HC!
OCTOBER NEWS: HC WINS AWARD FOR NEWEST EXHIBIT AT THE ROBERT MILLS HOUSE
Historic Columbia announced that the Robert Mills Warming Kitchen exhibit, Heat and Hardship: The Hidden Labor of Enslaved Cooks, is the recipient of the 2025 Southeastern Museums Conference Gold Award in the $25,000 Exhibition Budget Category. The SEMC Exhibition Competition showcases the best in our profession and provides benchmarks for regional exhibition efforts in Southeastern museums. Award winners will be recognized at the 2025 Annual Meeting Awards Luncheon on October 22, 2025, in Montgomery, Alabama. Read the full press release here.
PROGRAMS & EVENTS IN OCTOBER:
Thursday, October 2 | 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. | Columbia Craft | 520 Greene Street
Pints for Preservation is a new happy hour series set in unique, historic venues across Columbia. First stop: Columbia Craft! This series is presented by Palladium, with all proceeds benefiting Historic Columbia.
Admission:Â $20 Palladium members; $22 HC members; $25 general admission
Thursday, October 9 & Thursday, October 30 | 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. | Hampton-Preston Mansion & Gardens | 1615 Blanding Street
Historic Columbia’s “resident bird nerd” John Tjaarda will guide you around the Hampton-Preston Gardens to learn how to identify birds by sight, sound, and behavior. Bring your binoculars!
Admission:Â FREE; registration is required
Rescheduled: A Hometown Musical Tribute to Angie Stone
Friday, October 10 | 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. | C.A. Johnson High School Auditorium | 2219 Barhamville Road
Rescheduled from the 47th Annual Jubilee Festival, this special performance will finally bring to life the tribute Columbia prepared for its own legendary soul queen, Angie Stone. Hosted by Sierra Artemus at Stone’s alma mater, enjoy an unforgettable evening of live music, video moments, and dance, with performances by: TiffanyJ, Brittany Turnipseed, Boogie Brown, Zanobia Joell, Clarice J, and the Live, Love, and Line Dance Family.
Admission:Â FREE
Historic Columbia’s Fall Plant Sale
Saturday, October 11 | 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Hampton-Preston Mansion & Gardens | 1615 Blanding Street
Browse the Plant List and begin planning your garden—this year’s Fall Plant Sale is coming up! In addition to HC favorites, take advantage of great plants at bargain prices during the one-day-only nursery clean out sale! We will also host free garden tours at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Admission:Â FREE
Historic Columbia’s Annual Meeting
Thursday, October 16 | 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. | Robert Mills Carriage House | 1616 Blanding Street
Historic Columbia members are invited for a brief presentation about the state of the organization. Get the opportunity to share your thoughts with members of the Board of Trustees and HC staff, mingle over light refreshments in My Mother’s Garden, and enjoy exclusive member tours of the award-winning exhibit in the Robert Mills Warming Kitchen and the newly redesigned Welcome Center.
Admission:Â FREE; registration is encouraged.
Free Sunday at the Modjeska Monteith Simkins House
Sunday, October 19 | 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. | Modjeska Monteith Simkins House | 2025 Marion Street
On the third Sunday of the month, come tour of one of Historic Columbia’s house museums for free thanks to support from Richland County! This month, visit the Modjeska Monteith Simkins House for a free, self-guided tour to learn about this local human rights advocate.
Admission:Â FREE; space is limited and admission is first come, first served.
Sunday, October 19 | 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. | Begins at Arsenal Hill Community Center | 1800 Lincoln StreetÂ
Join Historic Columbia to stroll Arsenal Hill’s eclectic mix of residences and spiritual, educational, and governmental institutions. Learn about the dynamic community history of this downtown neighborhood during the 75-minute walking tour.
Admission:Â $5 HC members; $10 general admission; FREE youth 17 and under
Monday, October 27 | 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. | Robert Mills House & Gardens | 1616 Blanding Street
Put on your costumes and join Historic Columbia for a safe, fun, and free Halloween experience on the grounds of the Robert Mills House. Children of all ages can enjoy music, games and activities, and, of course, lots of candy. Come support this great community event!
Admission:Â FREE
COMING SOON:Â
Concert in the Gardens | Tuesday, November 4 | Hampton-Preston Mansion & Gardens
Columbia Conversations: Woodrow Wilson and Reconstruction Columbia, Legacies for the 21st Century | Saturday, November 15 | Robert Mills Carriage House
VISIT US:Â
Historic Columbia’s historic house museum tours offer a peek into the past! Tours are free for members, $12 for adults, and $8 for youth ages 6–12 (Add $3 each for Journey to Freedom combined tour.). Discounts are available to active military, seniors, AAA members, and students, and must be requested at the time of purchase. Please purchase tickets online OR at the Welcome Center at Robert Mills, located at 1616 Blanding Street. All tours begin at the Welcome Center at Robert Mills.
- Hampton-Preston Mansion & Gardens | 1615 Blanding Street
- Wednesday – Saturday | 10:30 a.m.
- Sunday | 3:00 p.m.
- Journey to Freedom: Mann-Simons Site and Modjeska Monteith Simkins House | 1403 Richland Street & 2025 Marion Street
- Wednesday – Sunday | 3:00 p.m.
- The Museum of Reconstruction Era at the Woodrow Wilson Family Home | 1705 Hampton Street
- Wednesday – Saturday | 1:30 p.m.
- Robert Mills House & Gardens | 1616 Blanding Street
- Wednesday – Saturday | 12:00Â
- Sunday | 1:30Â
Historic Columbia’s 14 acres of landscapes in the heart of Robert Mills Historic District feature heirloom plantings popular with gardeners over the past two centuries. Entry to the gardens is free and includes interpretive signage to help bring history to life. Don’t hesitate to sprawl on the grass for a picnic lunch or enjoy a quiet moment by one of the tranquil fountains. Your four-legged friends are welcome, too!
- Hampton-Preston Mansion & Gardens | 1615 Blanding Street
- Monday – Saturday | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.Â
- Sunday | 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Â
- Robert Mills House & Gardens | 1616 Blanding Street
- Monday – Saturday | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Â
- Sunday | 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
- Seibels House & Gardens | 1601 Richland Street
- Monday – Friday | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.Â
- Woodrow Wilson Family Home | 1405 Hampton Street
- Monday – Saturday | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.Â
- Sunday | 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.Â
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BECOME A MEMBER
Join Historic Columbia and become our partner in advocacy and education. Members help Historic Columbia preserve places and share complex stories from the past that connect us in the present and inspire our future. Your membership helps HC create educational and entertaining historical programming that pulls people together and builds strong bonds within our community. Learn more about the perks of membership at historiccolumbia.org/membership.
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ABOUT HISTORIC COLUMBIA
In November 1961, a small group of individuals intent on saving the Ainsley Hall House (now known as the Robert Mills House) from demolition officially incorporated as Historic Columbia. Over the next five decades, the organization, which was founded on the premise of preservation and education, would take on the stewardship of six historic properties in Richland County. Today, the organization serves as a model for local preservation efforts and interpretation of local history. Visit historiccolumbia.org or find us on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube for more details.
