Dock Street Theatre, Charleston, Guia do visitante e o que fazer por perto

The Dock Street Theatre is a historic playhouse at 135 Church Street in Charleston, South Carolina, standing on the site where a theatre opened in 1736, widely described as the first building in America designed solely for theatrical performances. Today's building dates from a 1930s reconstruction, and it still hosts live performances in the middle of the French Quarter.

The story behind it

The first Dock Street Theatre opened in 1736, when Charleston was a busy port town whose merchants grew rich on rice, indigo and trade across the Atlantic. That wealth rested heavily on slavery, a part of the city's past that Charleston now openly acknowledges. The theatre took its name from Dock Street, the old name for today's Queen Street. The original playhouse did not last, and the site later held the Planter's Hotel, one of the city's best-known inns of the 19th century.

In the 1930s the hotel's remains were rebuilt into a new theatre, which keeps the old name and the old purpose. Along with the history comes a ghost story. Local legend says the building is haunted by Nettie Dickerson, a woman linked to the Planter's Hotel, who is said to appear in a red dress. Actors, staff and audiences have long told versions of the tale. Treat it as folklore, but it is a good one to carry with you as you look up at the old balconies.

What to look for

• Study the street front on Church Street, where the old hotel's architecture still shapes the look of the building.
• Look up at the balconies and ironwork, the setting for the Nettie Dickerson legend.
• Notice how the entrance sits among the narrow lanes and historic houses of the French Quarter, a scale that makes it feel like part of the neighbourhood rather than a monument.
• Check any posted notices or playbills by the door to see what is on, because this is a working theatre and not just a landmark.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 15 to 20 minutes for the outside and the surrounding streets. If you want to go in, check current opening hours and whether tours or performances are scheduled.
• Come in the late afternoon or early evening, when the light is softer and the quarter is quieter.
• The Gibbes Museum of Art and the Circular Congregational Church, both on Meeting Street, are a short walk away and pair well with a visit.
• Wear comfortable shoes, since Charleston's historic streets are best explored on foot and the pavements can be uneven.

See it on a quest

The Ghost Hunt in Charleston suits a theatre with a famous ghost story. You walk to the Dock Street Theatre as one stop on a longer route through the old city, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

If you prefer a whodunit, Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Charleston takes you through the same atmospheric streets on foot. You reach each stop at your own pace, hear about it as you get there and work out a puzzle from what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

For a different angle, try Charleston Detective Mystery: Infiltrate a Secret Society. It also passes the theatre as part of a self-guided walk with a puzzle at each place. Start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join. One ticket covers the whole group.