Five Points in Columbia, SC: A Guide for Families
Five Points is the shopping, restaurant and bar district just east of the University of South Carolina campus, about a 17-minute walk from Thomas Cooper Library.
Five Points in Columbia is the village of shops, restaurants and bars just east of the University of South Carolina campus, where students go out and a visiting family can find lunch, coffee and a record store. It is about a 17-minute walk from the middle of campus. Our private, student-led tours of Columbia cover campus and Five Points, shaped around your questions.
What is Five Points in Columbia, SC?
Five Points in Columbia, SC is the shopping, restaurant and bar district east of the University of South Carolina campus, built around the corner where Santee Avenue, Harden Street and Devine Street meet. The Five Points Association says the district runs from that intersection out to Gervais and Blossom Streets.
Rocky Branch creek was diverted underground in 1915, and the first business, a Gulf filling station, opened in 1919. The Association's history page calls Five Points "the oldest non-Main Street shopping center in South Carolina." The Five Points Historic District was listed in the National Register on May 20, 2019.
The fountain on the plaza where Greene Street, Saluda Avenue and Harden Street meet was built by the Association in 1997.
Max Kaufmann, our Campus Lead in Columbia and a sophomore at the University of South Carolina, describes the evening side: "Five Points and Devine Street... That's where all the bars are. That's where, you know, everyone's going to go out tonight on a Thursday. There are some restaurants there."
How far is Five Points from the University of South Carolina campus?
Five Points is about a 17-minute walk from the University of South Carolina campus, measured from the Thomas Cooper Library reflecting pool to the Five Points fountain, about 0.8 mile by OpenStreetMap walking directions at an easy pace. From other parts of campus:
- The Horseshoe, from McKissick Museum: about 15 minutes.
- Capstone and Columbia Hall, first-year halls on Barnwell Street: 8 to 10 minutes.
- The Darla Moore School of Business, at Greene and Assembly Streets: about 23 minutes. Max calls that walk "kind of far."
- Campus Village, the first-year halls on Whaley Street: about 23 minutes.
Without a car, the COMET's Route 401 stops at Devine and Harden Streets about every 30 minutes on weekdays until 8:53 p.m., and hourly on weekends until 8:08 p.m., per its August 2026 schedule. The university's own shuttle routes list no Five Points stop as of October 2026.
For the rest of a day in town, see our list of things to do in Columbia, SC.
Where do you park in Five Points, Columbia?
To park in Five Points in Columbia, SC, use the city's Harden Street lot, a street meter, the Pavillion Street lot, free every day, or the Devine Street lot, free on weekday evenings and weekends. These are the rates on the city's parking page and Experience Columbia's parking page, as of October 2026:
- Harden Street lot, 727 Harden Street: a 2-hour limit and $1.50 an hour until 4 p.m., then a flat $7 Monday to Wednesday or $10 Thursday to Saturday.
- Devine Street lot, 2126 Devine Street: free visitor parking on weekdays after 7 p.m. and on weekends.
- Pavillion Street lot, 812 Pavillion Street: free every day, according to Experience Columbia.
- Street meters: $1.50 an hour.
Saturday catches visitors out. Most of Columbia's meters are free on Saturdays, but the city enforces Five Points and the Bull Street district from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. that day, and its fines run $20 to $500. Meters everywhere in the city are free after 7 p.m. and on Sundays.
What is Five Points like for a University of South Carolina freshman under 21?
For a University of South Carolina freshman under 21, Five Points is a place for coffee, lunch and shops: South Carolina law makes it unlawful to sell beer or wine to anyone under 21 (S.C. Code 61-4-50). Max puts the Five Points bars plainly: "If you're over 21, these are the bars you go to."
By day, Experience Columbia's Five Points page features Drip, The Gourmet Shop, Publico, Home Team BBQ and, on Greene Street, Papa Jazz Record Shoppe. The Five Points Association dates the original Groucho's Deli to 1941 and says it still stands.
Talk about rides home before move-in. Two facts to share with your student:
- The university's safety advice: before getting into a rideshare, ask the driver who they are there to pick up, or say "What's my name?" (campus safety tips).
- South Carolina law: since 2019, the Samantha L. Josephson Ridesharing Safety Act has required rideshare cars to show their license plate number on the front at pickup.
When is Five Points in Columbia busiest?
Five Points in Columbia is busiest on St. Pat's in Five Points, Saturday, March 20, 2027, from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., which the Five Points Association calls "the largest one-day festival in South Carolina." The festival's site lists a 5K, 10K and 1-mile family run at 7:30 a.m., then the parade and gates at 10 a.m.
The festival FAQ says all ages are welcome, children 12 and under get in free with a parent, and over-21 wristbands are handed out at the gate. It suggests parking at the State Fairgrounds and riding the free COMET shuttle. No 2027 ticket price was posted as of October 2026. The date falls the Saturday after the university's spring break, March 7 to 14, 2027 (academic calendar).
For a November visit, the Association's free NEON Joy holiday laser light show runs Friday, November 20, 2026, from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Five Points Mural Lot (event calendar).
A private tour with a current University of South Carolina student covers campus and Five Points, shaped around your questions, for $150 for your family, 60 to 90 minutes, seven days a week, early or late, around your visit.
Frequently asked questions
Is Five Points part of the University of South Carolina campus?
No. Five Points is a City of Columbia district just east of the University of South Carolina campus, and the Five Points Association, a nonprofit, runs its events. First-year halls on Barnwell Street, Capstone and Columbia Hall, are 8 to 10 minutes away on foot by OpenStreetMap walking directions.
Is Five Points on the National Register of Historic Places?
Yes, Five Points is on the National Register of Historic Places as the Five Points Historic District, listed on May 20, 2019, according to the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. The listing counts 82 resources along Harden, Greene and Devine Streets and Santee and Saluda Avenues, with a period of significance from 1919 to 1967.
When was the Five Points fountain built?
The Five Points fountain was built in 1997 by the Five Points Association, on the plaza where Greene Street, Saluda Avenue and Harden Street meet. A second fountain, completed in 2007, marks the entrance to Five Points from Blossom Street at Saluda Avenue, according to the Association's community page.