Man’s best friends include horses and dogs. Dogs, since they are loyal and admirable creatures, and horses because they help people feel liberated and powerful when galloping through endless fields. The town of Aiken naturally provides many equine experiences for both horse and man in areas like the Hitchcock Woods & Gateway Park and Hopelands Gardens, especially since the town is home to the Aiken Equine Rescue, the largest horse rescue center in the southeastern US. The Aiken Steeplechase Association often hosts the Imperial Cup in the month of March and the Holiday Cup in October, where several horse races are in full swing. Likewise, the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum focuses on the winners of these races, be they horses or men.
Not everything in Aiken is related to horses, however, as the Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site concentrates on Aiken’s sorrowful history in African slave labor. Meanwhile, the Aiken County Historical Museum, often called “Banksia” after the banksia rose, exhibits antiques and articles from Aiken’s plantation owners. Locomotives and railroads also played a significant role in Aiken which the Aiken Visitors Center and Train Museum expounds upon. Only about 20 miles from Augusta, Aiken’s many lodgings, like the Carriage House Inn and The Wilcox, will keep you content and comfortable in your vacation through this storybook town.