“That’s Amore, Y'all!”

The South Carolina State Museum will kick off Valentine’s Day weekend with “That’s Amore, Y'all”, on Friday, Feb. 12, from 6 to 9 p.m. Guests will be able to take tours through the museum galleries and explore notable romantic relationships through our state’s history. Guests can experience a special Valentine’s planetarium show, try inside-out chocolate strawberries, purchase delicious food and enjoy local beer at the cash bar.

Guests will discover artifacts associated with some of the great love stories of South Carolina, including a quilt made by a once love-struck President Andrew Johnson and his then-sweetheart Sarah Word. See a bracelet, worn by generations of brides in one family, made of gold, pearl and the hair of the first bride to wear it in 1854. Experience unique wedding customs and their genesis, like “jumping the broom” and Native American traditions connected to the Catawba wedding vase. Storytellers will recount the thrilling folktale of the legendary Issaquena, who risked her life to save her love in the Colonial Carolina backcountry, and the tragic tale of Lt. Dixon and the coin his lover gave him as good luck before leaving on the Hunley.

Starting at 6 p.m., guests can relax under the stars in the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Planetarium for Cosmic Love Stories, a special live performance of three love stories from Greek mythology involving heroism, betrayal and forbidden love. A dramatic storyteller will recount the tales of Perseus and Andromeda, Orion and Artemus and Venus and Mars and how their stories are immortalized in the skies above.

Guests can also spend some time under the real stars in the Boeing Observatory and pair inside-out strawberries, available for purchase from Evolution Through Chocolate, with local beer from Swamp Cabbage Brewing Company. Delicious food will also be available for purchase, and there will be a cash bar.

"'That’s Amore, Y'all!' is the ultimate date night experience, all under one roof,” says Paul Matheny, curator of art. “This event will give guests a new perspective on romantic relationships in our state, through our exhibitions and collections.”

No date night is complete without the perfect photo to remember the evening. Guests can get their photo taken in front of a green screen, allowing them to choose their own background for an additional fee. Guests can even take a self-guided “ROMANce” tour through the museum’s blockbuster exhibit, "Julius Caesar: Roman Military, Might and Machines" or watch heartwarming rom-com trailers in the Rev. Dr. Solomon Jackson Jr. 4D theater. Admission is $12 for museum members and $15 for non-members. Advance ticket purchase is recommended. Tickets may be purchased online at scmuseum.org or at the museum.