by Amy Betz | Staff Writer

Valentine’s Day is coming up soon, and if you plan to spend the day on a date near PC, there are a variety of creative places nearby to take your special someone. All of these locations are less than an hour’s drive from campus.

The Newberry Opera House is a performing arts center, located about 30 minutes’ drive away from PC, and is a great place for music fans to spend an evening together. This Valentine’s Day, the Opera House will host a performance by the Malpass Brothers, a country duo who describe their work as “music steeped in the legacy of the Louvin Brothers, Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Hank Williams, Sr. & others.” Tickets for the performance range from $30-$40 depending on seating, and can be purchased here. Country fans with a bit more to spend may also enjoy a trip to the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, where Luke Combs is performing at 7PM on Valentine’s Day. Tickets start at $103 and can be purchased here.

If you’re looking for a more unconventional date spot, Nightmare Dungeon Haunted House is hosting a Nightmare Valentine event from February 14th-17th. The haunted house, held in a century-old cabin in Greenville, is delivering its Halloween scares with a Valentine’s Day twist. The 17th is a special event: Blackout Night, where guests will navigate the attraction in near-complete darkness. Tickets are $25 per person, unless you choose to visit for both nights– present a ticket from the 14th-16th when you visit on the 17th, and your ticket will be half-price.

For couples interested in history, Rose Hill Plantation is a fascinating historical site that was once the home of the “Secession Governor” of South Carolina, William Henry Gist. Built before 1860, the beautiful plantation house features two stories of fully-restored rooms that show what life was like almost 200 years ago, as well as a beautiful 44-acre grounds and a rose garden that would be perfect for a romantic walk. Admission to the grounds is free, and tours of the house are $5 per person and require no advance reservation for groups of less than 15 people. The plantation is open from 9AM to 6PM on weekdays and weekends, and is located on 2677 Sardis Rd in Union.

The Greenville Zoo is a great place to spend the day with your sweetheart and a variety of exotic animals. The zoo offers the chance to see animals such as anteaters, giant tortoises, red pandas, orangutans, lions, leopards, and more. There are exhibits showing off the animals of South America, Asia and Africa, as well as a primate house and a section full of farm animals. In February, the zoo is open from 10AM to 5PM, and admission for adults is $9.75 per person.

If your tastes run more towards a relaxing place to sit down and spend quality time together, Patriots Kitchen is a restaurant on Clinton Square that offers a variety of sandwiches and desserts as well as soups, salads, nachos, spaghetti and meatballs, and more. PC students can show their ID cards to receive discounts from 10% to 50% on certain days. Other local dining options include Steamer’s Cafe on Clinton Square, another restaurant which serves soups and sandwiches as well as ice cream; Trotters Restaurant, an all-you-can-eat Southern comfort food buffet; and House of Pizza, which offers its titular dish for both eat-in and delivery dining. For dessert, stop by Lickin’ Good Donuts and Coffee on Broad Street.

Whether you’re looking for an adventure or a quiet place to spend quality time together, there are a variety of options around the PC campus for Valentine’s Day dates. Whatever you and your other half decide to do, we hope you have a wonderful time!