For a change of scenery, we went on a short, impromptu trip to Spartanburg in the middle of the week. And surprisingly, it turned out to be a great place to make memories with the kids. Downtown Spartanburg is steeped in the traditional charm of a small town, and all you need to experience that is a pair of comfortable shoes.
1. Mural Crawl
Not going to lie, I love to explore those painted squares on the sides of the buildings. They bring so much life and vibrancy to their surroundings. And I still have to see a kid or kid at heart who would not like to strike a pose next to the mural. And Spartanburg got plenty of them.
Love Where You Live: 125 E. Main Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302
The other cool thing about the mural scene. It is always evolving. You never know when and where a new one is going up, so just keep on exploring.
Floral Mural: 160 Dunbar St, Spartanburg, SC 29306
Chances are, next time you turn a corner to that boring building, you will see a work of public art that takes your breath away and gives you some hope.
Hold Onto Hope is on the back of South Carolina Legal Services building on Dunbar Street.
2. Main Street
Downtown Spartanburg is such a walkable, artsy place. Starting at the Spartanburg Clock Tower and through the historic district, up Main Street toward the art museum, we marveled at public art, cute little shops, and pastel-colored historical buildings.
Daniel Morgan Monument, Spartanburg
Pastel-colored architecture
Morgan Square
up Main Street, along the cutest small shops and galleries
3. Spartanburg County Public Library
Where: 151 S Church St, Spartanburg, SC 29306
It's a kids' happy place with tons of engaging activities, open-ended toys, and books for all ages and interests.
The coolest part? There's an in-fenced play area with multiple climbing and sliding features right outside the children's area. I rarely see a library with a playground. Let alone such a big one with ample seating for parents and caregivers too.
4. Play on Main
Where: 15 S Liberty St, Spartanburg, SC 29306
Play on Main is a school playground, which is also open to the public on weekends and weekdays outside of school hours. It's a very well-kept, in-fenced area with many cool climbing features and cushioned ground in the heart of downtown Spartanburg.
5. Public Art
Public art is synonymous with Downtown Spartanburg. Main Street is an open-air art gallery. I cannot tell you how many artworks we encountered, but there was at least one every couple of minutes or so of walking.
The installations portray a variety of scenes, including dogs, bicycles, light bulbs, and the "I Love You" sculpture in ASL. Each art installation has its personality and story to tell.
All the artworks breathe new life into public spaces while preserving their historical value.
6. Spartanburg Art Museum
Where: 200 E St John St, Spartanburg, SC 29306
Tickets: Free
Spartanburg Art Museum is probably one of the most kid-friendly museums we've ever been to. Free to the public with ever-changing exhibits, it's an amazing place to teach kids about art in a more engaging way.
Trees dressed up in bright pink tutu wraps and tutu skirts as a part of a current art display is also a fun way to take art out of enclosed spaces into the streets and that's what caught our eyes and we decided to visit.
The grounds around the museum are also living up to its artsy vision and are fun to explore. The museum offers family programs, workshops, art walks, and much more throughout the year.
7. The Children's Museum of the Upstate - Spartanburg
Address: 130 Magnolia St, Spartanburg, SC 29306
Even though the children's museum in Spartanburg is not free this post would not be complete without mentioning it here. Located right in the heart of downtown, this two-story place is a nice, bright-colored, cozy spot to spend a few hours enjoying all the hands-on activities and endless options for pretend play. There are roughly eight prominent exhibits throughout the museum for kids to discover and engage.
The majority of activities are geared toward younger kids ages 6 and under. For the littlest ones, ages 18 months and under, there are a couple of baby-proof areas right at the entrance and on the second floor. The coolest water area was also a big hit with our baby.
Food is not available at the museum. Visitors also aren't permitted to bring their food inside, so plan accordingly. For more information, visit here.
Have you been to Spartanburg before? What did you enjoy most?
0 comments:
Post a Comment