Best Downtown Greenville SC Photo Locations

December 29, 2022

Greenville, SC, Travel

Downtown Greenville SC Photo Locations

Whether you’re a local or tourist, Downtown Greenville SC photo locations are aplenty! This list jots down popular portrait locations and photoshoot locations. The list of places to take pictures in Greenville were chosen in regards to aesthetic and lighting, but also offers fun couple things to do in Greenville SC. 

If you’re looking for a fun adventure photographer for your date night, surprise proposal, Greenville engagement session, or branding headshots, I’m your gal! Inquire here today for more info + let’s have some fun! 

After living in Greenville SC for more than 15 years, you’d think I’d grow bored of the Upstate. (Actually, wait, hold on, there was a point in my teens when I did get bored, ha. I thought the only cool things about Greenville were the mall and Falls Park, and I gradually daydreamed of moving away.)

However, I think I finally learned how to appreciate this little gem at the end of my college era. I finally learned how to notice the magic-in-betweens of Greenville. 

Whether you live in Greenville, a nearby southern town, Los Angeles, or across the globe, I genuinely encourage you to put on your creative [romanticizing] glasses and appreciate your city in its colors, textures, seasons, people, light (yes, light even varies in different parts of the world). Jesus’ joy is all around us, and there’s always something beautiful in the mundane. 


🚙Parking in Downtown Greenville SC

I used to feel so stressed parking Downtown Greenville before I found the parking garages. Some if not all garages offer the first hour free! On weekends, parking is free starting at 6 pm on Fridays until 6 am Monday at select locations (Richardson Street Garage and

According to the Greenville SC.Gov’s website, “Park for free on weekends in 2 downtown locations! The Richardson Street Garage is free when you park after 6 pm on Fridays through 6:00 am on Mondays.

The West Washington Street Deck is free from 6 pm to 6 am Monday through Friday, and all day Saturday and Sunday.”

Street parking is available. It’s mostly for 2 hour slots until 6 pm Monday to Friday. And that means that if you park at 4:30 pm, you technically wouldn’t be ticketed if you stayed parked past 6:30. Street parking on weekends is completely free. Woohoo! You won’t find that in New York (You’ll figure out slowly that I have a minor obsession with NYC). 

Downtown Greenville SC Photo Locations

As I list out places to take pictures in Greenville, I hope you also visit the surrounding businesses and activities to immerse yourself in the heartbeat of Greenville, SC.

📍North Main Street 

📸Law Offices of Brian Robert Murphy, LLC

Address: 301 N Main St Unit 1103, Greenville, SC 29601

This Greenville instagram spot is kind of random and obscure, but when the light hits right at golden hour, it’s one of the few places with greenery up on North Main Street Downtown Greenville.

📍Central south Main Street 

I call this area “central” South Main Street because it sits in the middle of where Downtown Greenville begins (North Main Street) and ends (South Main Street past the famous Reedy River Falls Park). 

📸The Westin Poinsett, Greenville

Address: 120 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601

Honestly this whole plaza area hosts a handful of iconic Downtown Greenville photo locations. The Westin Poinsett hotel is over 100 years old! Over the years (I’m not as old as the hotel), I’ve photographed wedding parties and engagements, enjoyed their breakfast buffet at Spoonbread, and have attended afternoon tea at the Westin ballroom. To me, the Westin Poinsett is like the Eloise’s Plaza Hotel in NYC.  

Photo Tip: 

Because this plaza is surrounded by looming buildings, I would recommend catching the best lighting around 3:00/4:00 pm. If you have permission from this Downtown Greenville hotel to shoot from their rooftop, then some time around 6:00/7:00 pm would be perfect to get the famous sign at golden hour. (We stayed at the best hotel in New York, and they also had a giant sign and it made me feel like the queen of NYC! When I visited Westin Poinsett’s rooftop, I totally felt the same way!) 

📸M. Judson Booksellers

Address: 130 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601

One random fun fact I remember from joining Greenville History Tours with John Nolan is that the spa at the bottom of M. Judson actually used to be a holding cell since M. Judson used to be the Greenville County Courthouse.

Photo Tip: 

Take photos on the steps and inside M. Judson Booksellers, but most definitely don’t forget the alleys on either side. If you do shoot in the afternoon, just be careful with the sharp contrast between the buildings’ shadows and the bright setting sun reflecting against the walls. I personally would shoot the scene dark and just brighten the shadows up in Lightroom or in your Apple Photos app. 

📸The Clock

Address: 135 S Main St Suite #402, Greenville, SC 29601

During the warmer months, Greenville hosts many farmers’ markets, art and craft fairs like Artisphere, and festivals on Main Street. In college, I went to Fall for Greenville where thousands of people thronged to taste food from different cuisines from our local restaurants and food vendors. I classify myself as an extroverted introvert but going to events like these definitely has my extroverted side thrumming! 

The Clock is usually hidden behind all the commotion, but it’s there, ever faithful ticking away. 

2018 in Florence Italy with Porcellino and braces

📸II Porcellino Statue

Address: 135 S Main St Suite #402, Greenville, SC 29601

Okay, I debated whether or not I should keep Mr. Piggy in this list since he would most likely never be in any couple’s photoshoots (unless… keep reading). BUT, if you’re visiting Greenville SC, you need to take a photo here, because this bronze boar is a replica of the statue in Florence, Italy. 

Q: Did you know? Greenville has Bergamo, Italy as one of its sister cities. Still scratching my head though why Bergamo is not listed under the list of cities with Porcellino replicas. Hmm..

Photo Tip:

You could recreate your photo whenever you visit Italy or vice versa. I actually stumbled on Porcellino when I visited Italy in 2018–it was wild!🐗

📸Between Peace Center Concert Hall + Gunter Theatre

Address: 333 S Main St Suite, Greenville, SC 29601

If you’re looking for modern glass architecture lines, walk a little bit south of the Westin Poinsett plaza. The Peace Center is known for its many plays, including Broadway shows. 

Once, I even watched a silent disco party happening outside. I probably forgot to mention how “hipster” Greenville is, but exhibit A (I think I just aged myself using that word in 2023). 

Photo Tip: 

I placed this particular address as this spot has nice clean light streaming past the buildings during golden hour (there’s not really any greenery to obscure the light). 

Walk a little further in until you hit the steps beside the top floor of Larkin’s on the River (and another really fancy restaurant I’ve only had a chance to peek at). There you’ll have an overlook of the TD Stage, the Wyche Pavilion (the brick building), Eugenia Duke Bridge (green bridge), and the Reedy River. 

📸Camperdown Plaza

Address: 20 E Broad St, Greenville, SC 29601

Although Camperdown is one of the newer additions to Downtown Greenville, my memory of what used to be there is pretty gray, because, well, it was truly the color gray before. Camperdown Plaza used to be the Greenville News headquarters, and since the construction of the plaza, Greenville News moved just a few buildings down. (I only remember this gray area because we played “manhunt” downtown with my friend’s church youth group and one of the players hid there all day, lol. Despite my friend having a blonde wig and sunglasses on, we definitely did not win.) 

Some eateries and entertainment here include Juniper, Paloma, CAMP American Modern Eatery, another Larkin’s, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams (like the one in Charleston), Insomnia Cookies, and a Starbucks (honestly, when you have a gift card, why not?). 

Oh, and for the “entertainment” part, Group Therapy Playground. Haha, it’s funny how I remember these spots off the top of my head because they all have such intentionally beautiful logos. <insert plug here that I’m a graphic designer, hehe> 

Photo Tip: 

Camperdown has a metropolitan backdrop, the complete opposite of Westin Poinsett’s historical architecture. If you manage to make a reservation, Juniper has a beautiful rooftop restaurant covered in greenery (would love to visit here but I’ve heard it’s pretty pricey). Camperdown also has a cute mural, perfect for a photo op after grabbing yourself ice cream from Jeni’s or Insomnia cookies. 

(Side note: I’m secretly a cookie connoisseur, or more specifically, a Levain Bakery advocate. I’ve tried many cookies and Insomnia’s cookies do not measure up to the glory of Levain Bakery’s chocolate chip cookies. I cry just thinking about these since I can only ever get them in New York. Yes, from the frequency I mention New York, you may think I’ve lived in NYC. But unfortunately, no; it’s just a big daydream of mine.

📍south Main Street  

📸Grand Bohemian Hotel Greenville SC

Address: 44 E Camperdown Way, Greenville, SC 29601

The Grand Bohemian just opened in August 2022 (I actually photographed one of the first weddings at Grand Bohemian Lodge!) The Grand Bohemian Lodge is owned by Autograph Collection Hotels. I describe the interior design more in detail on my blogpost.

It’s quite a mansion of a building and has a mountain lodge feel. 

Photo Tip: 

Read this article full of the best places and photos at the Grand Bohemian Hotel Greenville SC. 

📸Liberty Suspension Bridge

Address: 206 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601

Whenever someone visits from out of state or only has 24 hours in Greenville SC, this is the one place to take pictures in Greenville SC that I for sure bring them to!

Photo Tip: 

The top three spots at the Liberty Bridge are: on the bridge, below the bridge, afar from the bridge. Traffic on this bridge is pretty heavy most of the afternoons I’ve been to, so take your time and wait out the crowd if you need to.

On Liberty Bridge: 

During the late afternoon, it’s best if you photograph facing the sun, away from the Grand Bohemian so that you avoid people squinting and harsh direct light. Try to use the lines of the suspension bridge to draw attention to your subject. 

Below Liberty Bridge:

There are two spots below the bridge: the obvious picnic area where all the geese are and a secret spot. If you read my article on the Grand Bohemian Hotel Greenville SC, you’ll learn how to get to the “secret” underbelly of the bridge, where almost no people can get to! 

Afar from Liberty Bridge:

For a lower angle from afar, you can take a photo of the Liberty Bridge and Reedy River Falls from the rocks jutting out near the Old Mill Garden.

For a higher angle at the top of Reedy River Falls, you can stroll down the path outside Passerelle Bistro right before the S. Main Street bridge. 

📸Falls Park on the Reedy 

Address: 601 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601

Falls Park on the Reedy is our little oasis in the heart of historic Downtown Greenville, SC. I actually shot my very first family session down here in frigid December (the grass was dead and they had a newborn—not the best idea, but hey, we all have a “first” to everything). 

With the blooms out, it’s probably my favorite spot to photograph engagement sessions in Downtown Greenville SC. 

If you’re getting engaged or married anytime soon, whether I’m your photographer or not, be sure to visit this link to read How to Prepare for Your Engagement Session!

If you’re proposing soon or needing a photographer, book your session with me today. 

Photo Tip: 

I recommend starting your shoot around 5:00 pm in the warmer seasons and even earlier in the colder seasons. Golden hour typically hits around 6:00 or 7:00 pm in the warmer seasons, but because it is in a valley, light disappears quickly. 

📸Mary’s at Falls Cottage

Address: 615 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601

Mary’s Cottage is actually a restaurant right above Falls Park on the Reedy across from our other popular eateries like Jianna ($$$ Italian restaurant—man, every time I write about Downtown Greenville restaurants, I realize how I’ve never been to most of these, lol). 

The exterior design of Mary’s at Falls Cottage reminds me a little bit of Europe, a mixture of France and Italy, and Charleston

If you’re looking to explore more outside of Greenville, SC, consider visiting Charleston, just 3 hours away! Take a day trip to Charleston SC and visit these Charleston instagram spots 

Photo Tip: 

When photographing the front of Mary’s at Falls Cottage, try lining up the windows with your camera so that you create straight repeated lines in your composition (read more helpful artistic photography principles here).

Mary’s at Falls Cottage has two patios that stream beautifully during golden hour. 

📸Spill the Beans

Address: 531 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601

Spill the Beans is known for its ice cream in Downtown Greenville SC but many work-from-anywhere digital nomads and tourists also come here for their daily coffee.

Interested in finding and working remotely from all the best coffee shops in Greenville SC? Read this article to find your cafe soul mate. 

Photo Tip: 

Spill the Beans has large windows up front at the entrance, so take photos here facing the windows. It’s quite dark in the main dining area so be sure to crank up your ISO or use a tripod for slow shutter speed, and open up your aperture if you’re using a DSLR. I photographed one of my wedding couples here since they had their first date at Spill the Beans! 

📸Eugenia Duke Bridge

Address: 428 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601

Downtown Greenville, SC has two bridges: Liberty Bridge over Reedy River Falls and Eugenia Duke Bridge. Tbh, I only knew of this bridge as that “green bridge” until one of the grooms I photographed recently pointed it out (as in last week—imagine… 16 years of not knowing what this was actually called🤦🏻‍♀️). Currently, as of April 2023, there is some major construction going on on the side of the Wyche Pavilion (that brick building) so steer clear of photographing that spot. 

📸Wyche Pavilion 

Address: 318 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601

This open-air historic building is one of the Downtown Greenville SC photo locations you can’t miss. It used to be a coach factory (Am I the only one who thought this meant “Coach” Factory like the handbag? Only me? Ok) and then turned into headquarters for Duke’s Mayonnaise, hence why the bridge nearby was named after the mayo queen herself, Eugenia Duke. 

In 2019, the Peace Center’s plans to enclose historic Wyche Pavilion was denied. We don’t have many open-air covered spaces in Downtown Greenville so I’m kind of grateful since it’s one of my Plan B backdrops in case it rains on a wedding day. The Wyche is popular as one of many Greenville wedding venues. 

I actually photographed one of my very first model calls here when I was just first starting! 

Photo Tip: 

When shooting at this Greenville instagram spot, make sure to expose for the bright patterns of light that stream through as the contrast between the bright light and the dark shade can be severe, especially at high noon.

📍Near Downtown Greenville SC Photo Locations

After professionally photographing so many couples, events, and sceneries in Greenville, South Carolina for over 5 years, there are definitely more places to take pictures in Greenville outside of Main Street. Furman University’s beautiful campus with its lake, rose garden, and Asia garden is one of those gems. Read my article to find Furman University engagement session spots!


I really appreciate you for reading this article about this beautiful city! It really means a lot! I’ve loved growing up in Greenville, South Carolina and I love taking you along. I’m excited for you to visit and explore for yourself. Go ahead and leave a comment below of what you’re excited to capture on your next adventure! 

Remember: Travel isn’t only for Instagram; it’s about the experience. Photographing your trip should *not* be overwhelming. Travel photography should be fun, inspiring, relaxing—and a great way to remember your experience and notice Jesus’ joy all around us.

—Just Abby Joy 

just abby joy

just abby joy

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