The oldest museum in the United States goes a long way back to the year 1773, when the Charleston Museum was founded in the historic downtown city of Charleston, South Carolina. It is the first ever museum in the country.

From its website, the museum states that its mission is to preserve and interpret the cultural and natural history of the city of Charleston, as well as of the South Carolina Lowcountry. The museum’s main collection thus include the local history of the city and the state, as well as their natural and art history. Many displays go as far back as the 18th century. The museum’s collections also include Egyptian Artifacts, South Carolina ceramics, nineteenth century firearms, Charleston furniture, and various archives. The museum also administers and owns two historic museum houses, the Joseph Manigault House and Heyward-Washington House.