Greenville, SC, consistently ranks as one of the best towns in America, and I think part of its appeal is that it’s a pretty affordable place to visit. There’s plenty to do that doesn’t cost a dime, and many attractions are relatively cheap.
If you’re looking to spend a day in downtown Greenville without breaking the bank, check out these nine affordable activities.
1. Enjoy Falls Park on the Reedy
Cost: Free
If you’ve never been to Greenville before, then Falls Park is definitely the first thing you should check out.
Falls Park on the Reedy is downtown Greenville’s 32-acre main attraction and it’s easy to see why. Walk across the Liberty suspension pedestrian bridge to get a birdseye view of the waterfalls. Dip your toes in the water downstream. Admire the perfectly manicured gardens. Bring a book and find an empty bench. It’s the perfect picturesque spot to pass some time.
2. Play mini golf at McPherson Park
Cost: Free with your own ball and putter
McPherson Park is the oldest park in the city, and it’s home to a free 18-hole miniature golf course. Just don’t forget to bring your own ball and putter!
3. Go on a scavenger hunt
Cost: Free
Remember the classic children’s book, Goodnight Moon? Do you remember looking for the mouse with each turn of the page? (Ok I’ll admit it, I do not remember this.)
Just as the little mouse served as an Easter egg for kids to find, a local high schooler thought it would be fun to do the same in real life.
That led to the creation of Mice on Main, a permanent scavenger hunt downtown. Along Main Street, from the Hyatt Regency to the Westin Poinsett, are nine bronze mice sculptures to find. Follow the clues and see what local businesses pique your interest along the way.
Bonus activity: Mice on Main, brewery style
Want to find more mice and scope out the local breweries while you’re at it? Then check out the Brewmiceter scavenger hunt. Created by three beer-loving citizens who wanted to support local breweries during the pandemic, they made eight mice to find, each located at breweries in downtown Greenville and the surrounding area.
4. Bike the Swamp Rabbit Trail
Cost: Free with your own bike; starting at $20 for a rental bike
The Swamp Rabbit Trail network is a system of over 20 miles (and growing) of mostly paved, multi-use greenway in Greenville and the surrounding areas. The main trail starts over by Greenville Technical College, runs through Falls Park on the Reedy, passes Furman University and ends in Travelers Rest, SC. You can walk it, run it, rollerblade it, etc., but of course the fastest way to enjoy it is by biking it.
If biking the whole leg sounds a bit much, I recommend starting and ending at the following points, based on how far you want to ride (please note these distances are approximations):
18 miles round trip
Start at Mayberry Park and turn around in downtown Travelers Rest
17 miles round trip
Start at Cleveland Park and turn around at Furman University’s Swan Lake
11 miles round trip
Start at Mayberry Park and turn around at Furman University’s Swan Lake
8 miles round trip
Start at Cleveland Park and end at the Swamp Rabbit Cafe
These are just a few suggestions. The Swamp Rabbit Trail interactive map shows every parking lot, public restroom, and water fountain along the path, so you can pick a start and stopping point that works for you.
And before you head out, I highly recommend checking out The Carrot, a digital publication of all the food options along the Swamp Rabbit Trail.
Don’t have a bike? There are several locations where you can rent one. As of July 2022, Sunrift Adventures in Travelers Rest has the cheapest rental option of $20 for a half day, while Reedy Rides and Carolina Triathlon offer half-day rentals for $25.
5. Attend a Greenville Drive game
Cost: $8-$20 per person
Greenville Drive is a minor league baseball feeder team for the Red Sox, and a home game at Fluor Field will make you feel like you are in Boston—it’s a mini replica of Fenway Park. Fortunately, you won’t be paying Fenway prices. Tickets range from $8-$20.
If you’re looking for something to do before or after the game, check out our next affordable to-do.
6. Visit the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum
Cost: Free
You know the famous quote from Field of Dreams: “If you build it, he will come.” Well in 1940, former baseball legend and famous White Sox player “Shoeless” Joe Jackson built a house with his wife in Greenville. And today, baseball fans can visit it. After two moves, the house now sits right outside of Fluor Field as a free museum dedicated to his life and career in baseball.
The Shoeless Joe Jackson museum is usually open Thursday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., as well as before and after every single Greenville Drive home game. As of July 2022, it was closed due to construction going on around it, but expected to reopen later this summer.
7. Catch a comedy show at Coffee Underground
Cost: $10
If you need a laugh, head over to Coffee Underground on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. That’s when Alchemy Comedy Theater hosts its performances, mostly improv, at $10 per show.
If comedy’s not your thing, then stop by on Sundays, when Coffee Underground hosts Wit’s End Poetry, the longest poetry slam and open mic in the state. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. and also $10.
8. Listen to live music at Smiley’s Acoustic Cafe
Cost: Food/drink purchase
The name pretty much says it all. Smiley’s Acoustic Cafe has live performers every day of the week. If you’re brave enough to take the stage yourself, Mondays are Open Mic nights and Wednesdays they have a live karaoke band. There’s no cover charge and their menu is pretty reasonably priced.
9. Appreciate artwork
Cost: Free
The Greenville County Museum of Art is home to the largest public collection of Andrew Wyeth’s watercolors, as well as works by Georgia O’Keefe, Jasper Johns, and John Gadsby Chapman. And it’s completely free to visit. The museum is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
You can find more free art all throughout downtown Greenville. Check out the city’s interactive public art map and take your own art walk to see sculptures, murals, and art structures.
