On December 20 2024, my mom and I embarked on a two day getaway to Columbia, South Carolina to experience the amazing French Moderns: Monet to Matisse exhibit at The Columbia Museum of Art. This incredible art exhibit features fifty-nine works of French Modern art from The Brooklyn Museum, including pieces by Monet, Renoir, Cezanne and Matisse.
As an artist and art history lover, I knew we needed to make the journey from Raleigh to Columbia for the exhibit, which has been touring the country for nearly two years. While in Columbia, we also wanted to take in other area highlights, including The Riverbanks Zoo and explore the Revolutionary War history of nearby Camden.
Why Columbia:
As the capital city of South Carolina, Columbia is a center for culture and regional recreation. Columbia is home to top museums including The CMA, State History Museum and historic homes like…
Columbia can also ‘roar’ about its award-winning Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens, which features animals like kangaroos, tigers, gorillas and more. As well as its proximity to Congaree National Park.
Our Itinerary:
December 20th:
We arrived in Columbia just after five p.m, as the sun dimmed into the dark of night. Our first destination: a festive night of lights at The Riverbanks Zoo.
Each winter the Zoo is transformed into a wonderland of 60 larger than life handcrafted lanterns inspired by wildlife. The event also features zoo illumination light displays, nightly falling snow and tons of festive activities (from Santa to s’mores and more).
In addition to the lights, several of the zoo animals made guest appearances. We saw a tiger, kangaroo, komodo dragon and gorilla.
Festive holiday music played as we meandered for hours, sipping on hot chocolate as we explored all of the intricately designed Chinese lanterns.
The zoo had several sit down restaurants open, so families could grab a bite to eat and relax.
Overall it was a magical night and I highly recommend putting Wild Lights at The Riverbanks Zoo on your 2025 holiday checklist.
Saturday: December 21st
After breakfast at the Hampton Inn – Historic District, my mom and I headed to The Columbia Museum of Art. You can read more about my art adventure at The CMA on our sister blog ‘Art Expeditions.’
The exhibit blew us away with stunning works by many of my favorite artists, including Monet, Cezanne, Pissarro and Matisse.
The exhibit walks you through the history of art movements from 1850 to 1950 in France from the rise to Realism to Impressionism and beyond. This span of 100 years in French art is some of the most monumental in art history and builds the foundation for what we consider modern art today.
About the exhibit: French Moderns: Monet to Matisse showcases over 59 masterpieces of French art from 1850 to 1950 from the renowned Brooklyn Museum. It is touring the United States throughout 2025. For more information about the upcoming exhibition dates click here.
Here are a few art highlights from the exhibition:
In addition to the exhibit, my mom and I thoroughly enjoyed the CMA’s permanent collection, which includes works by Botticelli, Thomas Moran, Monet and more.
After touring the exhibit, the curator suggested we try Cantina 76, a great local Mexican restaurant in the heart of downtown. The waitstaff was super friendly and the food was fresh and delicious. I highly recommend the steak tacos.
Revolutionary Road…The area around Columbia was an important part of America’s War of Independence, including the nearby town of Camden, South Carolina…
As huge Revolutionary War buffs, my mom and I couldn’t resist a detour on our way back from Columbia. Located, forty minutes north of Columbia, Historic Camden, a key battleground during the Southern Campaign, had been on my bucket list for ages.
We started our journey at Camden’s Revolutionary War Museum and Visitor’s Center. This state of the art visitor complex allows you to travel back in time to the 1770s-80s, and the story of Camden’s patriots, loyalists and the pivotal battles of The Southern Campaign.
Discovering Camden: Start at the Revolutionary War Visitor Center
The visitor center museum invites you to explore the history with interactive exhibits and a comprehensive historical background from the early Colonial history to the town’s important role in the American Revolution.
The docents were extremely helpful and quick to answer questions and also provide deeper insight into the lives of those who lived and fought in Camden during the Revolution. Plan your visit here.
Camden was the center of the British Southern Campaign in the American Revolution…
What was the ‘Southern Campaign’: By 1780 the War in the North was at a standstill. The Americans controlled Philadelphia and Boston. The British controlled New York.
British commanders and politicians believed there was untapped Loyalist support in the South. The British thought they could take Georgia, grab SC and then roll into NC and VA, helping to win the war. They could then rely on local loyalist militia in the South to maintain their wins as they advanced towards Philadelphia. While in theory this was a good strategy the assault by British troops against southerners unleashed what has been called ‘The Hornets Nest.’ Loyalist support was not as strong as they hoped and some who were neutral to the Patriot cause were embittered by British incursion on their land. It became a bloody backcountry Civil War and not the clean sweep towards victory the British hoped for. In the end, the Southern Campaign would undo the British…not through massive patriotic victories (they had few) but the persistent dogged fight and pyrrhic victories of The British that was unsustainable as they moved towards Yorktown.
Quick Summary of The Battle of Camden: May 1780, Charleston fell to the British and Lord Cornwallis and 2500 of his Loyalist and British troops marched to Camden in hopes of establishing the main British supply post for the Southern campaign. Camden was a strategic city for The British. It was a major inland trading post, with water access making it a good supply base between Charleston and North Carolina.
The British should have had their hands full in Camden as they were outnumbered by the Patriot forces commanded by Major General Horatio Gates. Gates had become the Patriot darling after his success at Saratoga and was believed to be a capable leader in the Southern Campaign…unfortunately the patriots were ill prepared and suffered a humiliating route, one of the worst defeats in American military history. Instead of rallying his troops, Gates fled to Hillsborough, North Carolina. He was subsequently relieved of command and replaced by General Nathanael Greene, whose leadership proved instrumental in turning the tide of the war in the South. He was relieved of his post by General Nathanael Greene, who helped turn the tide against the British in the south.
Additional resources:
Battle of Camden – Experience Camden
The Battle of nearby ‘Battle of Hobkirk’s Hill’ was fought on April 25, 1781 between 1400 troops led by General Nathanael Greene and 950 loyalists and British soldiers led by Lord Rawdon. The latter battle was a costly win for the British and forced them to leave Camden and retreat to the coast
One of the most impactful aspects of the exhibit for me was hearing the personal stories of soldiers and commanders on both sides of the conflict. It was a stark reminder that this was a truly ‘Civil War,’ with neighbors fighting against neighbors. The exhibit poignantly illustrated the human cost of war by showcasing the perspectives and motivations of both Patriots and Loyalists. It was a sobering realization that this wasn’t just a battle between armies, but a conflict that tore communities apart.
After the Patriot defeat at Camden in 1780 many men were kept prisoner by The British in a makeshift prisoner of war area. The exhibit tells the story of a prisoner Thomas McCalla and his heroic wife Sarah Gardiner McCalla as she fought for her husband’s freedom.
After touring the museum, and finding some historical goodies in the gift shop (like Revolutionary War Monopoly), we drove to the battlefield.
Road to the Battlefield:
Driving along the two-lane highway to Camden Battlefield, there is an eerie quiet as the tall pine trees straddle the road. As their needles rustle in the winter wind, you can almost hear the ghosts of history come alive, the needles whispering the somber history of the battlefield.
As you approach the battlefield, only an unassuming highway marker guides you towards a dirt road leading to a parking lot. The Battleground feels lonely. There is not much fanfare memorializing what happened here. Perhaps that makes it more poignant as you can explore the history and pay respects to those lives lost here, via a self-guided walking trail through a thick pine forest.
In 2022, fourteen skeletons were found in the area, including British and American soldiers who fought and died at Camden. They were recently reburied and you can learn more about their stories via this link.
Planning a visit to Camden…
I’ll be featuring additional posts in the coming week about the Battle of Camden and must-see attractions in Camden. In the interim, check out these helpful resources:
