But there's more than races to this old tobacco town lined with white Victorian homes and streets bordered by stately oaks. Visiting Darlington is about cherishing a quiet broken only by songbirds, strolling Cashua Street and its offshoots, and returning the cordial wave of a passer-by.

"If you look deep enough, Darlington has a special charm that no other place can match," says Joan Jackson, a native of England who operates the Croft Magnolia Inn, the town's only bed-and-breakfast.

"It's a pity that race fans just go up and down the bypass," she says. "They don't know Darlington. You have to walk the streets, smell the flowers, talk to the people. People should come to Darlington and learn the calm."

Cashua Street begins at Public Square, a conglomeration of symbols of the past and present. You can still get a malt at the soda fountain in Carolina Drug. Around the corner, Aardvark Antiques has an impressive selection. And at Arthur's Barbershop, haircuts still go for $6 and gum balls for a penny.

"Yeah, I've lived in Atlanta," says barber Joseph Turner. "It's too fast. People are in a hurry. If you went to a barber in Atlanta, he probably wouldn't even talk to you."

To see Darlington in its heyday, cross the square. The giant mural by artist Blue Sky depicts the town's turn-of-the-century, antebellum-style courthouse, which has been torn down. The mural also pictures the 100-year-old Coggeshall building, closed last year; and Central Drug. Both are still standing. The courthouse was torn down to make room for a six-story, concrete-and-brick building. With locals realizing their town's tourism potential, some people are calling for the new courthouse to be replaced, Mrs. Jackson says.

"The preservationists didn't really get organized until the late '70s, and a lot of beautiful buildings were torn down," says Horace Rudisill, a local historian in charge of archives in the old three-story jail house off the square.

About 1,200 people visited the archives last year, many on genealogical searches. "They are fourth-or fifth-generation people from the Gulf States who are coming back to see where their ancestors came from," Mr. Rudisill says. "It's big business." Open weekdays, the archives provide a guide to dozens of historical homes in Darlington County.

Another guide, "The Old Cheraws," tells visitors what to see on drives through the antebellum towns of Society Hill, Cheraw, Bennettsville and Clio. Like Darlington, all have historic districts.

For racing enthusiasts, there's a memorial of sorts to the winners of the Southern 500. To see it, walk away from the square for half a block on Pearl Street. Handprints of Bill Elliott, Richard Petty and other drivers are set in concrete.

The Joe Weatherly Stock Car Hall of Fame Museum (admission $2), next to the speedway, also is worthwhile for race fans. In a section dedicated to Weatherly - a Darlington County native who was killed in a California crash - you can see the cars driven by Cale Yarborough, Mr. Petty and Buddy Baker, and a 1951 Hudson, driven by Herb Hudson, that started in 41 Grand National events. The rest of the museum showcases the careers of drivers such as Paul McDuffie of Atlanta, who died in a Darlington crash in 1960, and Ralph Earnhardt, who won more than 200 feature events.

Touristy spots aside, what's always memorable is the serenity of a stroll down Cashua Street - best in the cool breeze at dusk. From the square, begin walking north on Cashua under giant oaks draped with Spanish moss. Look, but listen, too: You're amid the leafy home of mockingbirds and South Carolina wrens that never seem to quit singing.

Off Cashua, side streets lead to Williamson Park, a seemingly untouched patch of forest encircling a bright green swamp. The growth includes dogwood, mock orange and cypress.

While walking, don't be embarrassed about ogling the well-kept homes, surrounded by azaleas, jasmine and magnolia trees that in some spots stretch up several stories. Darlingtonians are small-town enough to appreciate the attention, and they're likely to strike up a conversation with a stranger.

Tips for the trip

Information: Darlington County Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 274, Darlington, S.C. 29532 (803-393-2641).

Getting there: Take I-20 east to I-95 near Florence, S.C.; at the first exit north, U.S. 52, go north 7 miles to Darlington.

Racing: Darlington International Raceway is 1 mile west of town on S.C. 34. Information: Darlington Raceway, P.O. Box 500, Darlington, S.C. 29532-0500. Ticket office: 803-393-4041.