Pretty Place Chapel (Fred W. Symmes Chapel)

Built in 1941 as a gift from Fred W. Symmes, the open-air chapel known as Pretty Place sits on the Blue Ridge Escarpment at the South Carolina–North Carolina line, its stone columns framing a long view across the Upstate's mountains. It remains the spiritual center of YMCA Camp Greenville, the 1,400-acre summer camp that has operated on the mountain since 1912, and rental fees go back into chapel upkeep and camp scholarships.

This is a ceremony-only venue. Rentals cover private use of the chapel in two-hour blocks with additional hours available, and there are no reception facilities on site. The chapel holds 250 guests and includes a bride's dressing room with vanity and full-wall mirror, a groom's room, a guest restroom, and a rentable sound system. During a booked wedding, the camp posts a closed sign at the entrance and stations a guard at the chapel gate, so ceremonies stay private even though the chapel is otherwise open to the public during daylight hours.

Practical notes: the chapel is about 40 miles north of Greenville — plan on roughly 90 minutes' drive — with parking for 75 to 85 vehicles. Two-hour blocks run $2,500 Monday–Thursday and $3,200 Friday–Sunday for 2026–2027, rehearsals book the day before, and reservations for the following year open each February. Alcohol, food, and smoking are prohibited on the grounds.