Lexington
Lexington is a town of 24,000 people (2020) in Lexington County, South Carolina and a suburb of Columbia, the state's capital. There are a few attractions locally, and Columbia has several great attractions.
Get in
By car
Interstate 20 goes past Lexington to the south and east. Downtown is easily reached by US 1, US 370, and SC 6. It is about 20 minutes west of Columbia.
By plane
- 1 Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE IATA) (7 miles southeast of downtown). Columbia Metropolitan Airport is located in neighboring suburb Springdale. There are non-stop flights to Columbia Metropolitan Airport from the following cities (some cities may be seasonal or only offer service certain days of the week): Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas Fort Worth, Detroit, Houston, Newark, New York, Philadelphia and Washington.
Get around
As a suburban town, Lexington is spread out and a car is necessary for visiting most of the town. However, downtown is walkable and there are a number of attractions located in and around it.
See
As a suburb of Columbia, there is not much to do in Lexington. However, there are a few sites worth visiting, and Columbia has several great attractions.
- 1 Lexington County Museum, 231 Fox Street (north of downtown Lexington between Berly Street and Fox Street off Columbia Avenue (US 378)), ☏ +18033598369. Tu-Sa 10AM-4PM, Su 1-4PM, closed Monday. It has a variety of relocated historical buildings, and occasionally hosts events. Free.
- 2 Virginia Hilton Park, 111 Maiden Ln (entrances on South Lake Street across from Hendrix Street and behind the Municipal Complex on Maiden Lane.), ☏ +18033591027. A park located south of downtown. There are walking paths through a forested area, a playground, a small creek running through a slot canyon, and ponds. Since 2019 it has been part of an expansion project.
- 3 Icehouse Amphitheater, 107 W Main St (on the corner of Main Street and South Church Street behind Alodia's), ☏ +18033587275. The Icehouse Amphitheater occasionally hosts concerts and gigs and has a farmer's market every Saturday from May to September, 9AM to 1PM.
- 4 James Harman Building (Gantt Building), 137 W Butler St (first street on the right off North Lake Street after Main Street). The James Harman Building, also known as the Gantt Building, is a historical building located north of Main Street in downtown. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as no. 83003903. It was built in 1901 and is one of 5 buildings that survived a fire in 1916. Besides this, it is an insignificant building and now a law firm.
Do
- 1 Christmas Parade (on Main Street in downtown). Annually in early to mid-December. Several floats, vehicles, and people pass down main street as people gather around.
- 2 St. Patrick's Day Parade (on Main Street in downtown).
- Craft Axe Throwing (Axe, Hatchet or Tomahawk Throwing), 101 E Main St, ☏ +1 803 756-3117, lexington@craftaxethrowing.com. A destination for axe-throwing, tomahawk, and hatchet enthusiasts. Craft beverages are available. Groups and parties welcome. Experts will guide you through axe-throwing, ensuring a safe and entertaining experience for all skill levels.
- Lexington County Blowfish, 474 Ballpark Rd, ☏ +1 803-254-3474. A summer collegiate baseball team playing in the Coastal Plain League. The Blowfish won the league's championship, the Petitt Cup, in 2012 and 2023.
Buy
A number of chain stores and supermarkets can be found in Lexington, mainly on US 378 north of downtown. Some stores include Walmart, Target, Publix, Food Lion, Lowes Foods, Big Lots, Piggly-Wiggly, Aldi, Lidl, CVS, Walgreens, Lowes, Home Depot, Kohls, TJ Maxx, Petco, PetSmart, Books a Million, and Hobby Lobby. Several small and local stores and shops can be found:
- Barnyard Flea Market, 4414 Augusta Road, ☏ +1 803-957-6570. Saturday 7:00-4:30, Sunday 8:00-4:30. A flea market with a variety of local vendors open on the weekends.
Eat
Several chain restaurants exist outside of downtown, including fast food such as McDonalds, Wendy's, Burger King, Sonic, Taco Bell, Chick-Fil-A, Rush's, Arby's, and Hardee's, and fast casual, such as Chili's, Chipotle's, and Moe's. Several fancier dining options are available in walking distance of downtown, including:
- Alodia's Cucina Italiana, 101 W Main St, ☏ +1 803-520-4493. 4-11PM. Upscale Italian dishes, including pasta, salads, and seafood.
- Nicky's Pizzeria, 102 E Main St, ☏ +1 803-490-0048. 11AM-9PM. Traditional New York style pizza, available in slices and whole pizzas.
- O'Hara's Public House, 131 E Main St, ☏ +1 803-785-4025. 11AM-9PM. A pub with traditional Irish food and beer.
- Bodhi Thai Dining, 126 E Main St, ☏ +1 803-957-1994. Tu-Sa 11:30AM–2:30PM, 5–10PM. Gourmet Thai dishes in a modern environment.
- Groucho's Deli, 117 1/2 E Main St, ☏ +1 803-356-8800. 11AM-8PM. Deli with traditional sandwiches and sides.
Drink
Bars
There are a few bars in Lexington, including O'Hara's, listed under Eat, the Old Mill Brewpub, on East Main Street at the Lexington Mill Pond, and Keg Cowboy Bar, next to Nicky's Pizzeria. Most restaurants offer a selection of beers and wines.
Cafes
There are also a few cafes in Lexington, including chains like Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, and Biggby, but also local ones like O'Hara's Bakery Café (owned by O'Hara's but not the same), and Cafe Strudel, on South Lake Drive.
Sleep
- Holiday Inn Express Lexington, 325 West Main Street, ☏ +1 803-996-2000, fax: +1 803-996-2001. Complimentary hot breakfast, luxury indoor heated pool & fitness center, business center and meeting rooms.
- Best Western Plus Lexington Inn, 601 Columbia Avenue (Exit 55 on I-20, left across bridge, 2 miles, hotel is on left), ☏ +1 803-356-8300. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11:30AM. Spacious guest rooms offer a microwave, refrigerator, iron, ironing board and coffee maker. Free breakfast, fitness center, free Internet, outdoor pool, business center, free pass to Gold's Gym.
- Quality Inn & Suites, ☏ +1 803-636-8283.
Go next
The obvious place to go next is Columbia. There are several great attractions listed on its page.
| Routes through Lexington |
| Augusta ← Aiken ← | W  E |
→ Columbia → Florence |
| Raleigh ← Columbia ← | N  S |
→ Aiken → Augusta |
END ← Washington ← Jct W  E ← |
W  E |
→ Columbia → Conway |