Here in Beaufort, Bay Street is home to a vibrant collection of boutique shops, art galleries, top notch local restaurants, local history, funky shops, outdoor dining and plenty of places to people watch.
Here are some of the best things to do on Bay.
Go on a tour
Downtown has a variety of guided sightseeing options with walking tours and horse-drawn carriage tours. Either way, you’ll learn lots of amazing history about Beaufort and hear some funky stories too.
Carriage Tours: Sea Island Carriage Company • Southurn Rose Buggy Tours
Walking Tours: Janet’s Walking History Tour
Enjoy some local seafood
Beaufort is synonymous with seafood and you’ll find some of the freshest local catch at any of the fantastic local restaurants on Bay Street. Enjoy shrimp & grits or a seafood pizza at Panini’s on the Waterfront, Frogmore stew over at Plum’s, fried shrimp at Q on Bay or she crab soup down at Hemingway’s. Find more downtown seafood spots.
Find the perfect souvenir
Bay Street is home to some two dozen shops where you’ll find all-things-Beaufort, and we’re not talking about shot glasses and coffee mugs. You’ll find the best of everything from hand carved signs to snow globes (sand globes in these parts), sweetgrass baskets and even handmade oyster shell creations. Be sure to check out Lulu Burgess, Barefoot Bubba’s and Finders Keepers. Find more downtown shopping.
Go on a bar crawl
You’ll find 7 watering holes along the river side of Bay Street, all with views of the Waterfront and Beaufort River. Panini’s, Hemingway’s, Luther’s, Plums, Q on Bay, Hearth and Saltus…they’re all good, and most importantly, each are no more than 40 feet away from each other.
Head to the bluff for a sunset
Take a brisk walk up Bay Street to the bluff at sunset and catch a striking evening view over the Beaufort River with small boats dotting the water below. It can feel like being inside of a painting.
Touch history with your own hands
Visit the Revolutionary War cannons at Stephen Elliott Park and go way back in time. Two cannons were taken from a British warship and somehow made their way to the edge of the Beaufort River and, oddly enough, pointed directly at Lady’s Island on the other side.
Grab some ice cream
You’ll bump into no less than 6 spots along Bay Street where you can cool off with some ice cream on a hot Lowcountry day. YoYo’s and Kilwin’s are two popular ice cream shops, and you can dare to try something different (and quite Southern) with a sweet tea float over at Scout Southern Market. Find more ice cream in downtown.
Stay at the Anchorage 1770
Nothing says southern history like a classic antebellum inn and Beaufort’s got a gem in the Anchorage 1770. Built in (when else, 1770) the inn underwent extensive updating a few years ago and is known for being a perfect example of a classic southern inn at its absolute finest. See Beaufort’s inns & hotels.
Visit local art galleries
Simply put, Bay Street is an art lover’s paradise. Known as a popular art town, Beaufort is home to some of the best artists in the South and you can see it on Bay Street. Visit Beaufort River Glass, the popular Rhett Gallery, L. Pinckney Simons Gallery and the Beaufort Art Association Gallery, all on Bay. If those four aren’t enough, there’s even more.
Snap a Beaufort-selfie
You can find a number of spots to snap a selfie on Bay Street. Try one at the clock tower with the waterfront as your backdrop, at Stephen Elliott Park, over at the downtown marina, or in front of palmettos or live oak trees draped with Spanish moss.
Enjoy some BBQ
Stop into Q on Bay and enjoy some southern BBQ…Beaufort-style. You’ll find all the usual dishes with all the fixins at Q including BBQ chicken, pulled pork sandwiches, sliders, brisket, ribs and wings. The local eatery also adds a tasty Brunswick stew and local shrimp and other fresh seafood to the menu, just to make your choices even tastier.
Buy a Beaufort t-shirt
It’s OK to sport a Beaufort t-shirt around town while you’re visiting, lots of folks do. And most of those folks found them at Carolina Me Crazy or Barefoot Bubba’s. both are larger shops on Bay Street and offer a wide selection of Beaufort-themed shirts of every imaginable kind.
Stroll through a museum
The Verdier House Museum is a prominent Federal-style mansion built in 1804 by John Mark Verdier, a successful merchant and planter. The house on Bay Street served as Union Army headquarters after Beaufort fell early in the Civil War. Its beautiful interior serves as a reminder of the glory of the Antebellum era in the south and is also home to three permanent exhibits. It’s also the location of the historic Beaufort visit by the Marquis de Lafayette during his farewell tour of the U.S. As the last surviving Major General of the Revolutionary War, Lafayette was invited by U.S. president James Monroe and Congress to visit each state. Accompanied by his Secretary, General Lafayette visited all 24 states of the Union in 13 months (August 1824 – September 1825).
Shop real estate (why not?)
You’ll find four or five real estate agencies on Bay Street, all eager to help show you Beaufort. After all, you know you want to move here. Century 21 Carolina Realty
Enjoy lunch on the patio
Choose from 9 different outdoor spots to enjoy a local lunch on Bay Street. Panini’s River Deck, Luther’s back porch and the outdoor dining areas at Saltus and Plums are all local favorites each with a great view of the Waterfront Park and Beaufort River.
Stroll under live oaks
Bay Street is shaded by more than beautiful buildings. Take a walk along the bluff or at the Point under beautiful live oak trees dripping with silver Spanish Moss. It’s especially perfect on a hot day when you can catch the breeze coming off the Beaufort River and its marshes.
