Aiken County Historical Museum

Housed in a former winter colony mansion, the museum displays items and clothing that reflect the county’s history from the earliest settlers to the present. A nature room exhibits flora and fauna of the area as well as its geology. The shell of a temporary observatory, built by German scientist for viewing the Transit of Venus in the late 1800s, is adjacent to the museum. Nearby are the Ergle log cabin (c. 1808) furnished with period pieces, and a one-room schoolhouse (c 1890). A museum store has items related to South Carolina and the Aiken area.