Get to grips with the long and intriguing history of the Charleston region at this illuminating museum opposite the Visitor Center. Permanent galleries include the Lowcountry History Hall, beginning with ancient artifacts from Native Americans who first inhabited the area, and charting the struggles of the first African American slaves and European settlers. Exhibits include rare slave badges, which allowed slaves to be hired out as laborers. The museum’s Armory contains historic weaponry dating from 1750 to the twentieth century, while Becoming Americans explores Charleston’s role in the American Revolution, with personal items of Francis Marion—aka the “Swamp Fox”—on display.