The Anderson County Museum tells the story of Anderson and the upstate South Carolina region from its pre-colonial history through the textile era that defined the region's economy for much of the twentieth century. The central exhibit covers Anderson's claim to be "The Electric City" — one of the first cities in the Southeast to have public electric streetlights, powered in 1895 by a hydroelectric plant on the Rocky River.
That early electrical infrastructure was not a minor footnote: it helped attract textile mills and powered what became one of the most productive manufacturing regions in the American South. The museum documents this story well, alongside displays on the Cherokee Nation, the cotton and tobacco trade, and the Civil War in upstate South Carolina.
Admission is free. The museum also hosts rotating exhibits on Anderson County history and occasional programmes on local genealogy — the latter draws regular visitors from across the region who are researching family histories.