10/05/2026
Great guide for parking downtown!
🚗 VISITING CHARLESTON? LET'S TALK PARKING.
Here is your SAVE-THIS-BEFORE-YOUR-TRIP Charleston parking guide. ❤️
🚗 If you're planning to spend several hours downtown, I would usually choose a City parking garage over trying to continually feed a meter or move your car.
Most City of Charleston garages are currently:
💲 $1 per 20 minutes
💲 Maximum $24 per parking day.
🛍️ GOING TO THE CHARLESTON CITY MARKET?
🚘 CONCORD/CUMBERLAND GARAGE
📍 1 Cumberland Street
This is one of my favorites because you're positioned nicely for:
• Charleston City Market
• Market Street
• French Quarter
• Waterfront Park
• Pineapple Fountain
• East Bay Street
• Restaurants and shopping
Current City rate:
💲 $1 per 20 minutes
💲 $24 daily maximum
✅ Cash & credit cards
✅ Public restrooms
✅ City-operated garage
🚘 CHARLESTON PLACE GARAGE
📍 85 Hasell Street
Another excellent option for:
• City Market
• King Street shopping
• Market Street restaurants
• Charleston Place area
• Lower King
Current rate:
💲 $1 per 20 minutes
💲 $24 daily maximum
✅ Credit card payment
🚘 MAJESTIC GARAGE
📍 211 King Street
VERY convenient if your day includes both King Street AND the Market area.
Current City rate:
💲 $1 per 20 minutes
💲 $24 daily maximum
🌙 BONUS: $5 flat rate after 5 PM
That discounted rate runs until 3 AM.
✅ Public restrooms
🍍 WATERFRONT PARK + PINEAPPLE FOUNTAIN
🚘 CONCORD/CUMBERLAND GARAGE
📍 1 Cumberland Street
This is the easiest all-around choice if you're combining the waterfront with the Market.
🚘 EAST BAY/PRIOLEAU GARAGE
📍 25 Prioleau Street
Another great option when you're spending your time around:
• East Bay
• Historic District
• French Quarter
• Waterfront
• Broad Street area
Current rate:
💲 $1 per 20 minutes
💲 $24 daily maximum
🌙 $5 flat after 5 PM
✅ Public restrooms
🛍️ KING STREET SHOPPING
Where you park depends on WHICH part of King Street you're visiting.
LOWER KING / MARKET AREA
🚘 Majestic Garage
📍 211 King Street
OR
🚘 Charleston Place Garage
📍 85 Hasell Street
Both put you right in the middle of shopping, dining and the historic district.
MARION SQUARE / MIDDLE KING
🚘 MARION SQUARE GARAGE
📍 399 King Street
Current rate:
💲 $1 per 20 minutes
💲 $24 maximum
✅ Public restrooms
UPPER KING
🚘 MIDTOWN GARAGE
📍 558 King Street
Great for the restaurants, nightlife and shops farther up King.
Current rate:
💲 $1 per 20 minutes
💲 $24 maximum
✅ Cash & credit cards
✅ Public restrooms
🐠 SOUTH CAROLINA AQUARIUM + African American + Museum + FORT SUMTER
🚘 AQUARIUM GARAGE
📍 24 Calhoun Street
Use this for:
• South Carolina Aquarium
• Liberty Square
• Fort Sumter departure area
• Charleston Harbor waterfront in this area
Current rate:
💲 $1 per 20 minutes
💲 $24 daily maximum
✅ Cash & credit card
✅ Public restrooms
🌳 MARION SQUARE / CHARLESTON MUSEUM / VISITOR CENTER AREA
You have several options here.
🚘 MARION SQUARE GARAGE
📍 399 King Street
Great for Marion Square and King Street.
🚘 CAMDEN/EXCHANGE GARAGE
📍 35 John Street
Current rate:
💲 $1 per 20 minutes
💲 $24 maximum
✅ Public restrooms
🚘 VISITOR CENTER GARAGE
📍 63 Mary Street
This is right by the Charleston Visitor Center at:
📍 375 Meeting Street
This can be especially useful if you want to park and use Charleston's FREE downtown shuttle system.
The Visitor Center is currently open daily from:
🕣 8:30 AM–5 PM
🚌 HERE'S A CHARLESTON PARKING HACK…
You do NOT necessarily need to park directly beside every attraction.
Park around the Visitor Center and use the FREE CARTA DASH shuttle.
The current DASH system serves areas including:
• City Market
• Waterfront Park
• King Street
• Broad Street
• Charleston Visitor Center
• Charleston Museum area
• South Carolina Aquarium
• College of Charleston
There are currently three DASH routes:
🚌 210
🚌 211
🚌 213
These serve different parts of the Charleston peninsula.
This can be especially useful if someone in your group doesn't want to walk miles around downtown.
🅿️ WHAT ABOUT STREET PARKING?
Charleston DOES have metered street parking.
Current City meter rate:
💲 $3 PER HOUR
Meters generally require payment:
📅 Monday–Saturday
🕘 9 AM–6 PM
Meters are NOT charged on Sundays or official City holidays.
⚠️ HOWEVER — other parking restrictions can still apply, so ALWAYS read the signs where you park.
If you're staying downtown for several hours, I wouldn't spend my day hunting for another meter every time you move.
Park the car.
Walk.
Enjoy Charleston. ❤️
🚨 VERY IMPORTANT KING STREET RULE
This one can ruin an evening REALLY quickly if you don't know about it.
There is NO STREET PARKING on King Street between Spring Street and John Street from:
🚫 6 PM–3 AM
🚫 Thursday
🚫 Friday
🚫 Saturday nights
The City directs drivers toward nearby parking garages instead.
So please don't park there for dinner at 5:30 and assume you're good for the night. 😬
♿ VISITING WITH A DISABILITY PLACARD?
This is a REALLY useful Charleston rule.
Vehicles displaying a qualifying STATE-ISSUED disability placard or disability license plate can park FREE at:
✅ City-owned meters
✅ City-owned garages
✅ City-owned lots
⚠️ This does NOT automatically apply to privately owned parking garages or lots.
So make sure you're using a CITY-owned facility if you're relying on that provision.
🌙 DINNER DOWNTOWN? KNOW THESE EVENING GARAGE RATES.
A few City garages currently have discounted evening parking:
🚘 MAJESTIC GARAGE
📍 211 King Street
💲 $5 flat after 5 PM
🚘 EAST BAY/PRIOLEAU GARAGE
📍 25 Prioleau Street
💲 $5 flat after 5 PM
🚘 93 QUEEN STREET GARAGE
📍 93 Queen Street
💲 $7 flat after 3 PM
💲 $5 flat after 5 PM
Discounted evening rates end at 3 AM, when regular garage pricing resumes.
⚠️ A FEW CHARLESTON PARKING TIPS FROM ME:
DON'T assume every parking lot downtown is City-owned.
There are also privately operated lots and garages throughout Charleston, and their prices and rules can be completely different.
READ THE SIGN BEFORE YOU PARK.
Also:
🚫 Don't block driveways.
🚫 Don't park in residential permit spaces unless signage allows it.
🚫 Don't assume an empty curb means it's legal parking.
🚫 Pay attention to loading zones.
🚫 Watch for temporary parking restriction signs.
🚫 PLEASE pay attention to flooding if we're getting heavy rain or unusually high tides.
******That last one is NOT a joke in Charleston. 😂
❤️ MY ADVICE FOR A FIRST-TIME VISITOR:
If your plan is basically:
Market
⬇️
Waterfront Park
⬇️
Pineapple Fountain
⬇️
Rainbow Row
⬇️
Historic streets
⬇️
King Street
I would PARK ONCE in a centrally located garage and WALK.
Charleston makes a lot more sense on foot than it does from behind a steering wheel.
And you will see SO much more that way.
📌 Screenshot this.
📌 Save it for your trip.
📌 Send it to whoever is going to be driving. 😂
And if you've visited Charleston before — where did YOU find it easiest to park?
✅ IMPORTANT ACCURACY NOTE:
This guide was researched and VERIFIED using CURRENT City of Charleston parking information and current CARTA transit information.
📅 VERIFIED & UPDATED: OCTOBER 2026
Parking prices, rules, hours and garage policies CAN change, so always double-check posted signage when you arrive.
If anything in this guide changes, I'll update the post so visitors continue to have the most accurate information possible. ❤️
