Brookgreen Gardens

Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington bought four adjoining rice plantations in 1930; she was a sculptor and the garden was created to show American figurative sculpture outdoors, the first public sculpture garden in the United States, and it now holds well over two thousand works by some four hundred artists. The setting is the older story: this was rice country worked by enslaved Africans whose knowledge of tidal rice cultivation made the crop possible, and Brookgreen has developed programmes and a trail addressing that history rather than presenting only the gardens. A small zoo holds native Lowcountry species. Boat and creek excursions run into the former rice fields where the dike systems are still visible.

What to look for

• Over two thousand sculptures - the first public such garden in the country.
• Four former rice plantations - the ground the garden sits on.
• Interpretation of the enslaved workforce - whose expertise built the rice fields.
• Creek excursions - into the old rice fields with dikes still readable.

When to go

March to May and October to November. A full day; the ticket lasts a week.

Practical notes

It is very large - one visit covers part of it, which is why tickets run seven days. Summer heat, humidity and mosquitoes are heavy. Some excursions cost extra. A car is required.

Nearby

Huntington Beach State Park is across the highway; Murrells Inlet is north.

Key facts