Rainbow Row

Rainbow Row is broadly accepted as a Charleston landmark that locals show out-of-town guests rather than visit for themselves — a quick, pleasant walk-by on East Bay Street rather than a true destination. Because the 13 pastel Georgian homes are privately owned and never open to the public, the experience is purely visual, and some long-time residents admit it has 'lost some of its charm' as a novelty. Its deeper significance as the birthplace of the American historic-preservation movement is real but largely invisible to casual passers-by without a guided tour.