Brookgreen Gardens

Brookgreen began with Anna Hyatt Huntington, one of the most accomplished American sculptors of her era, and her husband Archer Huntington, a scholar and philanthropist. In the early 1930s they bought several old rice plantations along the coast as a winter home, and Anna conceived the idea of a garden to display her own work and that of her contemporaries.

What grew from that idea is now the largest collection of American figurative sculpture in a single setting, hundreds of works by many of the country's leading sculptors, placed among clipped hedges, allees of live oaks, and pools. The effect is unlike an indoor museum. Here the art lives outdoors in changing light, and the garden itself, designed in part by Anna, is a work of composition as deliberate as any statue in it.

The land Brookgreen occupies was once four working rice plantations, and the tidal creeks and old embankments that shaped that industry are still visible across the grounds. Lowcountry rice made enormous fortunes in the 1700s and 1800s, and it did so through the forced labor of thousands of enslaved Africans, many brought specifically for their expertise in rice cultivation.

The Gullah Geechee culture of this coast grew directly from those communities, and Brookgreen has increasingly worked to tell their story alongside the art. Programs, exhibits, and boat tours through the former rice fields explain how the enslaved built and worked these plantations and how their descendants preserved a distinct language and heritage. It is essential context, and it keeps the beauty of the gardens honest about the ground they stand on.

Brookgreen is also a nature destination. Part of the property is a native wildlife preserve and zoo, home to alligators, otters, foxes, birds of prey, and other creatures of the Lowcountry, set in enclosures that reflect their natural habitats. It is one of the best places in the region to see the local wildlife up close.

Beyond the zoo, the grounds hold marsh, forest, and the tidal creeks of the Waccamaw Neck, and seasonal boat and open-air trekker tours carry visitors out among them. Herons and egrets stalk the shallows, and the whole preserve gives the gardens a wilder edge just beyond the manicured plantings.

The gardens are large, so a visit rewards time. Many tickets are good for more than one day, letting visitors split the sculpture, the zoo, the history, and the boat tours across an unhurried trip. Spring and fall are the most comfortable seasons, with the summer bringing heat and humidity to this coast.

Brookgreen sits on the quieter southern end of the Grand Strand, near the fishing village of Murrells Inlet and the laid-back beaches of Pawleys Island, a world away from the neon of Myrtle Beach up the coast. That setting makes it easy to pair a day of art and nature with fresh Lowcountry seafood and a slower kind of beach town.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

Brookgreen Gardens, near Murrells Inlet on the South Carolina coast, is a magnificent sculpture garden and nature preserve, home to one of the largest and finest collections of American figurative sculpture in the world set amid stunning Lowcountry gardens. Created on the grounds of former rice plantations, the gardens display hundreds of sculptures amid ancient live oaks, formal gardens, blooming flowers, and pools, along with a native wildlife zoo, a butterfly house, trails, and interpretation of the site's rice-plantation and enslaved-labor history. A breathtaking blend of art and nature, it is a coastal treasure. With its sculptures, gardens, and wildlife, Brookgreen Gardens offers a spectacular destination in South Carolina.

You can explore the world-class collection of American sculpture set amid gorgeous gardens with ancient live oaks, flowers, pools, and formal landscapes, visit the native wildlife zoo with animals of the region, see the butterfly house, take a boat or trail excursion into the former rice-plantation landscape, and learn about the site's history including the enslaved people who built and worked the rice fields. The sculptures, the gardens, and the wildlife are highlights. With its art, gardens, wildlife, and interpreted history, Brookgreen Gardens offers an engaging experience near Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.

Yes, Brookgreen Gardens is wonderful for families, with beautiful gardens and sculptures to explore, a native wildlife zoo with animals children love, a butterfly house, boat and trail excursions, open space, and educational programs, offering a mix of art, nature, and fun for all ages. Children especially enjoy the wildlife zoo and the butterflies, while adults appreciate the sculptures and gardens. It is a full, varied day. With its gardens, sculptures, wildlife, and family activities, Brookgreen Gardens makes an excellent family destination in South Carolina.

Spring is especially beautiful, when the gardens burst into bloom with flowers and lush greenery, a lovely time, while other seasons offer their own appeal, with pleasant weather and color in fall, mild winters, and a famous summer-evening lights event, though summer days are hot and humid. The gardens and sculptures are stunning year-round. For peak blooms aim for spring, and for pleasant weather, fall, at Brookgreen Gardens near Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, checking for special seasonal events.

Brookgreen Gardens is near Murrells Inlet on the South Carolina coast, directly across from Huntington Beach State Park, within reach of Myrtle Beach with the SkyWheel and Family Kingdom, Georgetown and Hobcaw Barony, and the Grand Strand beaches. That makes Brookgreen Gardens a spectacular stop to combine with Huntington Beach State Park, the Myrtle Beach attractions, and the other sights of the Grand Strand on a visit to South Carolina.