 It is the largest museum in the state, and is a Smithsonian Affiliate and part of the American Alliance of Museums.Positioned on an old shipping canal (Columbia Canal) that dates back to pre-Civil War times, the museum is widely recognized as a resource for South Carolina history and lifestyle.The museum opened on October 29, 1988 and is housed in what it calls its largest artifact, the former Columbia Mills Building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.