About Us:
The very first carriage tours in Charleston came out of our building nearly 60 years ago and the best ones still do. We’re the only carriage tour company accredited by the Better Business Bureau. We are absolutely 100% customer service oriented and treat our employees, horses, and customers with care and respect.
You will notice some differences as soon as you see us. Unlike other carriage companies, our staff does not wear uniforms or dress like pirates in sashes; they are not homogenized and ordinary. They dress professionally and you will hear the same personalization that you see when you take our tour. We are the only carriage company in Charleston that provides health insurance for all of our employees and we also offer a retirement plan. We believe it’s the right thing to do and we’re very proud of it. The carriage tour guides that do this professionally work here and we have very little to no turnover. The end result is that because we invest in our employees, you get a very experienced guide who is able to provide an interactive and dynamic tour. They can field questions and adjust information as interests arise.
Our horses are all full size, heavy black Percherons; we do not use donkeys or any mid-weight animals. They are rotated more than any other carriage company’s animals and have a minimum of 3 weeks off turned out at our farm for every 6 weeks they are in town to work. They all wear impact absorbing rubber shoes. They are highly trained by us and are the only carriage animals in Charleston that have a commercial high pressure misting system that cools them in their stalls and after each tour on hot days. We consider them our companions and hold their health and welfare in the highest regard.
Our carriages have steel wheels (the only ones in Charleston) and steel seat boxes that are welded to steel frames as well as steel tube marine fabric covered roofs – no plywood, 2x4s, or wood screws. They are engineered and are much lighter than their wooden counterparts. They are over 1000lbs lighter than one of our competitor’s vehicles and are many times safer. The bodies and floors are made of lightweight aluminum. We have advanced suspension systems (among carriages) so our carriages always ride level and never sag in the back. Our lighting is all LED, battery powered, and charged by solar panels on our roofs. All of this is done with your safety in mind.
Classic Carriage is not the largest carriage company, nor do we strive to be. We value quality over quantity. We will never treat our customers like cattle. We will never give you $1.50 worth of free parking and park you 18″ apart or ride you around in golf carts. We will never be able to pay concierges to funnel you to us with their little kickback cards. We spend that money taking care of our animals and staff. Our goal is to provide the best carriage tours in Charleston and to treat our horses, customers and employees the way we would like to be treated. According to our reviews (number 1 carriage tour in Charleston!), we are meeting that goal every day. We invest in our horses, we invest in our staff, and we invest in your safety. One of the only choices we all have in this world is where we spend our money. We hope that you will appreciate our ideals and our commitment to quality as much as we do. We sincerely thank those of you who do so by choosing us when you tour in Charleston and invite those of you who are considering us to give us a try.
