aybe it’ll be the first time you stroll along the wide, welcoming sidewalks that frame our award-winning Main Street. Or when you step out onto Liberty Bridge at Falls Park on the Reedy and gaze down at the energetic tumble of waterfalls below. Maybe it’ll be when you stride through the gates of Fluor Field, the Fenway-inspired ballpark that anchors our bustling West End. Or maybe it’ll happen somewhere in-between—when you lean into an open-air artist’s studio, grab a bite to eat at a street-front café or pause to sing along with a talented street musician—that you’ll realize that you are someplace very special. Greenville is a city that will surprise you, engage you, charm you, delight you—and welcome you back again and again.
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iven the fact that Greenville was once a town driven by the textile industry, it seems appropriate that Main Street has become the connective thread that weaves our downtown together. With its wide, tree-lined sidewalks (wait until you see it at night, when twinkling lights create a magical canopy), this bustling boulevard has turned Greenville into a true walking city, and step-by-step (or hoof-by-hoof if you prefer a carriage ride), you’ll discover its treasures.
Stretching from the north end of town near NOMA Square and ONE City Plaza, down past the performing arts center, across the Reedy River downtown at RiverPlace and reaching all the way to the classic minor-league ballpark in the city’s West End, Main Street is an engaging collection of one-of-a-kind boutiques, marquee retailers, independent coffee shops, diverse chef-driven restaurants (including some with outdoor and rooftop dining), fabulous galleries, accommodating hotels and so much more.
Three hundred times a year, downtown comes alive with events ranging from concerts and craft beers festivals to Artisphere and euphoria, two of the nation’s premier culinary and arts festivals. And, if you’re here on a Saturday morning between May and October, be sure to catch the TD Saturday Market, which brings more than 75 local vendors, live music and hometown fun to the heart of downtown. Bottom line? This whole place is constantly buzzing with things to do, places to go and people to meet. And speaking of people, make no mistake: by the time you leave, you’ll be convinced that Southern hospitality is alive and well.
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ecently ranked as one of the nation’s “Top 10 U.S. Parks” along with Golden Gate Park and Central Park, Falls Park on The Reedy is the true hub of downtown activity and the gateway to the burgeoning West End. This 32-acre gem is home to the pedestrian-only Liberty Bridge, the only single-sided suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere. This graceful span provides spectacular views of the expanding city skyline as well as the picturesque Reedy River Falls below.
The park itself boasts a bustling network of pedestrian pathways that weave their way past cozy outdoor amphitheaters that host everything from concerts and festivals to Moonlight Movies and Shakespeare in the Park. Those same paths also connect Falls Park on the Reedy to nearby Cleveland Park. Created in 1928, this 122-acre treasure welcomes residents and visitors alike with everything from picnic tables and tennis courts to a fitness trail and softball fields. The park is also home to the Greenville Zoo where giraffes, monkeys, and more are waiting to bid you a wild welcome. You’ll also find the start of the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail, a world-class, 23-mile bike and walking path.
Have a passion for the arts? Then enjoy the gallery that is Greenville itself! Art In Public Places is a citywide program that has now placed 125+ pieces all over downtown. Everywhere you look, there’s something sensational to see!
erched along the banks of the Reedy River, the Peace Center is the heart and soul of the performing-arts scene in Greenville. With its 2,100-seat concert hall, intimate 400-seat theater and riverfront outdoor amphitheater, this stunning complex has hosted more than its fair share of big-name productions, from Audra McDonald to James Taylor to Lewis Black to The Tenors to Wicked. Truth be told, Greenville’s Peace Center is a magnet for some of the world’s top performers, who adore its cozy confines and appreciative audiences. The Peace Center is also the “home stage” to five local companies. The Carolina Ballet, Greenville Chorale, Greenville Symphony Orchestra, International Ballet, and the South Carolina Children’s Theatre all keep the spotlights blazing and fans clapping with a healthy schedule of inspired, live performances throughout the year.
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ust a few minutes walk from Main Street (but hardly off the beaten path),Heritage Green is Greenville’s urban arts and cultural campus. Sharing a grassy commons, this collection of museums, galleries, and a theater welcome all with offerings as diverse as the city itself. Housing one of the world’s largest and most highly regarded collections of Andrew Wyeth watercolors, as well as a fabulous Jasper Johns display, the admission-free Greenville County Museum of Art is considered among the South’s premier museums. At the Upcountry History Museum, multimedia displays take guests on an engaging tour of the region’s unique textile and mill history. At the Greenville Theatre, live shows ranging from Shakespeare to Cole Porter are performed year-round. The child in you—or the child with you—will delight in the hands-on exhibits housed in The Children’s Museum of The Upstate. This Smithsonian-affiliated treasure trove is rated among the top ten museums of its kind in the country. If you’re traveling with the family, don’t miss this! The Sigal Music Museum features the Carolina Clavier Collection and more than 40 harpsichords and pianos dating from 1570 to 1845, including one played by Chopin, along with other instruments. Last but far from least, the Greenville County Library System’s Hughes Main Library houses one of South Carolina’s largest local history and genealogy collections, as well as a café, Play and Literacy Center, bookstore, and special programs for all ages.
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uilt using antique bricks reclaimed from local mills and modeled after Boston’s famous Fenway Park, Fluor Field at the West End is more than just home to the Red Sox single-A affiliate, the Greenville Drive. In truth, this 5,700-seat, family-friendly ballpark is a snapshot of what makes Greenville so special. Part old, part new, inviting yet pleasantly intimate and always packed with fun and excitement, Fluor Field proudly anchors the city’s revitalized West End.
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icknamed “The Well,” Greenville’s downtown Bon Secours Wellness Arena is a world-class, 15,000-seat sports and entertainment venue that rocks and rolls with the best of them. From major music acts to the circus to monster truck jams and more, the hottest acts in entertainment put The Well on their calendars each year. The arena also serves as the home ice for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits hockey team.
