200 East St. John Street
Spartanburg, South Carolina
The Chapman Cultural Center is free museum with three buildings for the performing, visual arts, science, and history. It has a 500 seat theater and is home to the Spartanburg County Museum of Art, the Regional History Museum, the Spartanburg Science Center, and the Artists' Guild Gallery. Admission is free, except for groups of ten or more where there's a nominal fee of $2 per person for one museum, or $4 for admission into all museums.
The Artists' Guild Gallery houses member's artwork, which is for residents of Spartanburg and the surrounding counties. There are monthly exhibits and members of the Artists' Guild also donate their time, expertise, and materials for local community events, such as their Spring Fling, the Christmas time A Dickens of a Christmas, and the Sidewalk Art Show. Open Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm.
The Science Center is a museum dedicated to the education of nature, technology, and science. Exhibits include those on rocks, minerals, fossils, astronomy, reptiles, and the human body, amongst many more. The Science Center is located on the 2nd Floor of the East Wing of the Chapman Cultural Center. The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am-5pm.
The Regional History Museum houses many exhibits dedicated to local (and social) history. There's the Military Exhibit with memorabilia from the American Revolution, the Civil War, and training camps from soldiers fighting in WWI and WWII. The Archives Collection houses an extensive document collection of the local area including maps, ledgers, postcards, blueprints, government records, and blueprints. The Fine Arts Exhibit has a wide array of photographs documenting the physical and social landscape of years gone by. The Textile Exhibit has quilts and clothing and tells the story of the 100 years that the industry had on the local economy. You'll see the Decorative Arts Exhibit which has a collection of locally designed furniture, known as half-penny inlay, popular from the 1790's until about the time of the Civil War. There are special exhibits by the Regional History Museum for Black History and Women's History Months.
The Spartanburg County Museum of Art is also located in the Chapman Cultural Center with exhibitions and collections of art from local, regional, and national artists. While exhibits are changed every two months, there's a permanent collection of 20th century art. The Spartanburg County Museum of Art also offers an art school, as well as a youth art camp. They also host the annual Art and Antique Show, where you're able to buy 18th and 19th century antiques. Jewelry, paintings, and fine art are also available for purchase at this fund-raising event for the museum.
Even the Culture Shop gets in on all the art action. You'll be able to purchase an assortment of artwork, such as pottery, glass, textiles, and paintings. The Culture Shop is open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm.
A visit to the Chapman Cultural Center is great educational experience for the entire family as there is something for everyone and there is no price of admission.
