Ride Through History : Classic Carriage Works
~ Historic District, Charleston, SC ~

Broderick Christoff left a career in chemistry behind to create some chemistry of a different sort. He’s out of the lab and in Charleston’s Historic District, where he manages Classic Carriage Works, but he’s still mixing things up to everyone’s satisfaction.

He’s created a blend of purebred Percheron horses, carriages and tour guides that whisk visitors from Charleston’s present to its storied past for an hour of information and entertainment.

“All our tour guides have a degree in history,” Christoff said. “This is their full-time job. We meet people from all over the world and entertain them for an hour. Our tour guides have enough knowledge to customize for each group.”

Not only are the tour guides flexible enough to accommodate their clients’ interests, but Classic Carriage Works also provides specialized offerings such as the Early Bird or the Adult Passengers Only tours. And because customer service is as important a product as a good tour, a variety of other options are available, including private tours and Charleston’s only Twilight Tour.

“It is not just tours. We’ve done horse-drawn funerals,” Christoff said. “And we do weddings anywhere – downtown, Middleton Plantation, Boone Hall Plantation.”

In addition to overseeing the tours, Christoff cares for the horses – “I love working with them” – and the carriages.

“We build, maintain and repair our own vehicles. And we have artifacts from the 1800s and carriages that date back to the Civil War,” he said.

What sets Classic Carriage Works apart from other tour companies?

“It’s all about customer service,” Christoff said. “All customers should have a great time.”

Barbara Patrick