From the IAAM's furlough announcement to Husk's 'Best of America' nod and the last cruise ship out of Union Pier, here's what Charleston press covered this month.
The past month handed Charleston a run of stories worth tracking: the IAAM confirmed it will stay open through staff furloughs starting in July, Magnolias dealt with a kitchen-area fire days before the holiday weekend, and Union Pier quietly ended its cruise-ship era. Meanwhile, Husk landed on People's 'Best of America' list, Wild Olive got the Southern Living revisit it deserved, and Rodney Scott's King Street flagship went dark with no reopening date.
The IAAM marked Juneteenth with its annual 'Juneteenth on the Yard' program even as the institution prepared for a six-month staff furlough starting this month — the City Paper confirmed it will remain open. Go now, spend money in the gift shop, book a group tour: foot traffic is exactly what the museum needs.
Firefighters responded to smoke near the kitchen at Magnolias on East Bay just before 5 p.m. on June 26, briefly closing surrounding streets ahead of the holiday weekend — the Post & Courier covered the response in real time. Confirm the restaurant is back to full service before making plans.
The Norwegian Jewel sailed from Union Pier as the final cruise ship on SC Ports' calendar, and a scheduled July 4 call by the Oceania Vista was scrapped due to a mechanical issue — making the departure definitive, per both the Post & Courier and City Paper. What replaces Union Pier will reshape the northern peninsula for years.
People magazine named Husk one of its 'Best of America' restaurants this month — the Post & Courier covered both the honor and the concurrent restoration of the Ravenel House portico. The same paper also ran a measured piece asking whether Husk and its tourist-circuit neighbors still earn the hype.
The Post & Courier's food desk returned to Wild Olive this month to make the case for why the outdoor-only Johns Island restaurant earned Southern Living's 2025 restaurant of the year — calling it a reminder rather than a revelation. Reservations book fast; weeknights are your best shot.
The flagship King Street location closed abruptly on a Sunday in May with no timeline given for reopening, per the City Paper's Briefing — the closure rattled Charleston's barbecue community and blindsided regulars. Check Scott's social channels before making the trip downtown.
The logbook of the HMS Bristol — the British warship severely damaged in the June 28, 1776 Battle of Sullivan's Island — went on display at the Charleston Museum for Carolina Day 250, per the Post & Courier. The paper called it a once-in-a-generation loan; confirm it's still on view before heading over.
An original painting depicting the 1776 Battle of Sullivan's Island was reinstalled at the Nathaniel Russell House ahead of America's 250th, the Post & Courier reported — on public view now at 51 Meeting Street. The timing, with semiquincentennial attention building, makes it one of the more resonant objects on display in the city.
The popular Mount Pleasant taproom announced a second location in a historic building near MUSC on Cannon Street, per the Post & Courier — no opening date set, but a genuine neighborhood brewery on the upper peninsula is worth watching. Check for a soft-open announcement before summer's end.