General admission will be free for the day, which includes special performances, a new exhibition and more.

The South Carolina State Museum will celebrate its 35th anniversary on Saturday, November 4 with a special day featuring free general admission, live music and dance performances, behind-the-scenes tours of collections storage, a new exhibition and much more.

During the day, guests can enjoy pop-up performances including the Claflin University Concert Choir, The Wilder Flower, an all-female bluegrass trio, Dancing on Air, a breakdancing team, performances from the Palmetto Swing Association and the Capital City Shag Club, Women of the River Drum Group and local jazz musicians, Weatherproof featuring Mark Rouse and Friends.

“Since we first opened in 1988, the State Museum has shared South Carolina’s history, art, technology and natural wonders with the public,” says Amy Bartow-Melia, South Carolina State Museum Executive Director. “We invite those from across the state to celebrate with us as we reflect on the past and look forward to our future.”

Opening on November 4, the museum’s newest exhibition, The Story of Us: Sharing Our Past, Building Our Future, highlights the history of the State Museum and explores its future. The exhibition will feature 50 objects, including a recently acquired 1815 Bible once owned by a Charleston abolitionist William Turpin. The historic Bible contains a list of 31 names of enslaved persons emancipated by Turpin. The Story of Us will also answer many frequently asked questions about the museum such as, “What was the first artifact collected?” “What’s the oldest object?” and “How does the museum decide what to add to its collection?” Guests will also discover how the museum plans to highlight more of South Carolina’s stories in the future through its Reimagine the Experience project.

This special event will also mark the re-opening of The Cotton Mill Exchange in the Main Lobby. Guests are invited to shop for unique SC-themed gifts in the newly renovated space, just in time for the holiday season.

Guests can enjoy an outdoor cash bar with a variety of non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, including a specialty craft beer designed for the museum called “Finns Up,” created by Columbia Craft Brewing Company, and food available for purchase from the museum’s Crescent Café by The Food Academy and a variety of local food trucks.

General admission to the State Museum is free on Saturday, November 4 for guests. Planetarium experiences and 4-D shows are an additional charge. The museum is open Tues. – Sat. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sun. from Noon – 5 p.m.

About the South Carolina State Museum

Over the past 35 years, the South Carolina State Museum has been committed to collecting, preserving and showcasing the rich culture, art, natural history, technology and innovation of the Palmetto State. Through a comprehensive collection of over 1.1 million objects and four floors of stimulating exhibitions and displays housed within the historic Columbia Mills Building, the State Museum provides educational environments that entertain, inspire and enrich the lives of millions of visitors and students from across South Carolina. For more information about the museum, visit scmuseum.org