The Three Best Gun Collections in South Carolina await your arrival. When you visit Bloomsbury Inn in Camden, SC, you have easy access to the them. These collections are not just for the gun enthusiast, but for people with a curiosity of the history of weapons. Between the three collections you will see weapons from seven centuries, examples of weapons used in every war of the United States, and the very guns carried by notorious criminals, to include John Dillinger.
South Carolina
Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame has a collection of artifacts, documents, and images dedicated to state law enforcement. With over 2,000 artifacts and 7000 images, it will keep you busy all afternoon.
The display of the antique weapons from different countries will hold your attention. You will find that a few of the rifles are so long that it will be difficult for you to imagine how anyone could use them. The pistol collection is interesting because of their various designs and sizes. Many are so small that you can easily carry them in a pocket or under a garment without notice.
You can enjoy hours reading about the heroes of the Hall of Fame, the different badges, and you must see the restored 1955 State Patrol car. You can’t beat the price. It’s free!!
Location: 5400 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC 29212 (adjacent to the SC Criminal Justice Academy)
Hours: Open Monday thru Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Closed weekends and state holidays
Contact: Telephone (803) 896-8199
South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum
The second great gun collection to visit is at the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum. This collection focuses on the military history of South Carolina. You will see weapons from the Revolutionary War to present.
It is Columbia’s oldest museum, and you will walk through the years of South Carolina’s martial tradition to include today’s war on terror. Besides the guns for our gun enthusiasts, you see uniforms, swords, pictures, and battle flags. Some will tell you that you can make it through the museum in one hour but be careful. You could easily spend three hours or more looking at all the displays.
Location: 301 Gervais Street, Columbia, SC
Hours: Open Tuesday thru Saturday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Closed weekends and state holidays. Also open first Sunday a month from 1:00 P.M. to 5:00 PM
Contact: Telephone (803) 737-8095.
Adults $6.00; 10 to 17 years old: $3.00; 9 and under free.
Camden Archives and Museum
The most exciting and complete gun collection in the south is at the Camden Archives and Museum in Camden, SC. The is the gun enthusiasts ultimate destination for a wide array of weapons covering over 700 years.
Four hundred muskets, rifles and pistols are displayed and reflect the history of our nation. Ross E. Beard, Jr collected these weapons. As the God Son of Melvin Purvis, he had special access to the weapons that the former FBI agent possessed. The collection includes John Dillinger’s submachine gun and his personal favorite the “Parker” sawed off shotgun.
