Ninety Six is a town of 2,000 people (2020) in Upcountry South Carolina. Ninety Six benefits from tourism to its historic site and nearby state park, along with events such as the Festival of Stars, a Fourth of July celebration that is hosted yearly by the town.
Understand
[edit]The town was the site of a 28-day siege in 1781 during the Revolutionary War. The battlefield is now the Ninety Six National Historic Site, maintained by the National Park Service.
There is much confusion about the name, "Ninety Six", and the true origin may never be known. Speculation has ranged from the mistaken belief that traders estimated it was 96 miles from here to the nearest Cherokee settlement of Keowee (it was about 78 miles); to a counting of creeks crossing the main road leading from Lexington, South Carolina, to Ninety-Six (a legend proved false); to an interpretation of a Welsh expression, nant-sych, meaning "dry gulch".
Get in
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South Carolina Highway 34 passes through the town as its Main Street; it leads west 9 miles (14 km) to Greenwood, the county seat, and east 27 miles (43 km) to Newberry.
Get around
[edit]See
[edit]- 1 Ninety Six National Historic Site (Star Fort), 1103 Hwy 248 S (2 miles (3 km) south of the center of town), ☏ +1 864-543 4068.
- 2 Lake Greenwood State Park, 302 State Park Rd (5 miles (8 km) northeast of town), ☏ +1 864-543-3535. Dawn-dusk. $3.
Do
[edit]The Festival of Stars is an annual Fourth of July celebration held belatedly by the town each year in late July. (The 2025 festival took place on July 25–28.) It is centered in the town's downtown area, particularly on Main Street, as well as in the Ninety Six Town Park, with the carnival rides typically being across from the park. It features a wide array of activities, including a live music show, carnival rides, a car show, food and craft vendors, a professional firework display.
Buy
[edit]- 96 Pecan Company, 234 Main St W, ☏ +1 864-993-3242. Tuesday-Saturday 10AM-5PM.
Eat
[edit]- Derick's Cafe, 118 Saluda St, ☏ +1 864-543-3512. M-F 11AM-8PM. $10-20 per person.
Drink
[edit]Sleep
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