Dillon’s largely preserved historic business district makes the city an interesting destination for travelers who want to focus on architecture and culture. In downtown Dillon, commercial buildings retain decorative features dating from before 1903. The Dillon County Theatre, the J.W. Dillon House Museum, and Dillon Motor Speedway offer additional reasons to visit. When planning your trip, first consider whether historic architecture, events, or motorsports will shape your stay.
Historic Business District in Downtown Dillon
Dillon’s historic business district is largely preserved. The historic commercial buildings downtown feature decorative details dating from before 1903. The district as a whole and the details on the buildings offer two different ways to explore Dillon’s architectural history: its preserved commercial area and its older decorative design.
The city invites visitors to get to know Dillon on a tour focused on the historic business district. If you are interested in historic commercial buildings, this is a clear way to give your visit a theme. The focus here is on the buildings and their decorative features, not an event program or a motorsports facility.
Architecture and Events at the Dillon County Theatre
The Dillon County Theatre building is also notable for architecture enthusiasts: it is one of the few surviving examples of Spanish Colonial architecture in South Carolina. The theater is home to the county’s theater group, the MacArthur Avenue Players, which stages several plays each year. The building thus combines a distinctive architectural feature with a recurring program of stage performances.
The Dillon County Theatre also hosts concerts and beauty pageants, among other events. These different types of events give the venue more than one cultural focus. If you want to pair your stay with a performance or another event, check the dates for your travel dates.
A House Museum with Historic Connections
The J.W. Dillon House Museum was built in 1890. It was renovated and restored to depict the early 20th century. The year it was built and the period it portrays therefore refer to different points in time: the house dates from the late 19th century, while its restored presentation evokes the early 20th century.
Call ahead to arrange a tour of the J.W. Dillon House Museum. Include the call in your plans if you want to add a tour to your visit.
Dillon Motor Speedway: Oval Track and Road Access
Dillon Motor Speedway offers a different focus from Dillon’s architecture and cultural attractions. The asphalt oval track is 4/10 of a mile long, and its turns have 14 degrees of banking. The track opened in 1966 as a dirt oval. Both its original form at opening and the features of the asphalt track are part of its history.
The speedway is on Highway 9, a quarter-mile from Interstate I-95 at Exit 193. These details offer clear directions for planning your drive if visiting the racetrack is one of the reasons for your trip.
Plan Your Stay Around the Reason for Your Trip
Dillon offers different reasons to stay, each of which can be factored into your plans in a different way: the historic business district draws attention to architecture, while plays and other events take place on specific dates. A tour of the house museum requires calling ahead; for the speedway, you can use its stated road location in your plans.
When searching for a hotel in Dillon, you can first decide which of these reasons to visit matter to you. Then make your choice based on the activities you actually plan to include. Dillon has held its Celebrate Main Street festival annually since 2002. If this festival is the reason for your trip, check the event dates for your preferred travel period.
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