Since 1905, the Gibbes Museum of Art has been a mandatory stop for learning the history of Charleston through the visual art inspired by the city. But in 2016, when a $11.5-million renovation/restoration was completed, it relaunched as a much more accessible arts institution. The first floor is free and open to the public: Visitors can observe classes and resident artists at work, reflect in the classical Lenhardt Garden, and shop the store for cool and quirky finds. Early this year, the in-house café will re-open as The Daily at the Gibbes, an offshoot from the Butcher & Bee folks, making it one of the neighborhood’s hottest new lunch destinations. But don’t forget to visit the upstairs galleries with exhibitions such as “Modernist Photography from the Robert Marks Collection” (through May 20).
135 Meeting St., (843) 722-2706, www.gibbesmuseum.org
