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Brookgreen Gardens Review

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Brookgreen Gardens

Member Rating: ***** 5.0 | Rate It

Address: West of U.S. 17, 3 mi south of Murrells Inlet, Murrells Inlet, SC | Map It
Phone: 843/237-4218; 800/849-1931
www.brookgreen.com

Category: Gardens/Arboretums
Location: Murrells Inlet

Fodor's Review:

Just beyond The Fighting Stallions, the Anna Hyatt Huntington sculpture alongside U.S. 17, lies Brookgreen Gardens, one of the Grand Strand's most magnificent hidden treasures. Here, in the oldest and largest sculpture garden in the United States, are more than 550 examples of figurative American sculpture by such artists as Frederic Remington and Daniel Chester French. Each is carefully set within garden rooms and outdoor galleries graced by sprawling live oak trees, colorful flowers, and peaceful ponds. The gardens are lush and full in spring and summer, and in winter splashes of color from winter-blooming shrubs are set off against the stark surroundings.

The 9,000-acre property was originally a winter home for industrialist Archer Huntington and his wife Anna Hyatt Huntington, but they quickly decided to open it to the public as a sculpture garden and wildlife sanctuary. Today, more than 70 years later, their legacy endures as a center for not only American art but Lowcountry culture and nature preservation. You'll find a wildlife park, an aviary, a cypress swamp, nature trails, and an education center. Several tours, including a boat tour of tidal creeks and a Jeep excursion into the preserve, leave from Brookgreen. Outdoor concerts under the stars are a tradition, check the Web site for dates.

Cost: $12, good for 7 days
Open: June-Sept., Wed.-Fri. 9:30-9, Sat.-Tues. 9:30-5; Oct.-May, daily 9:30-5

Member Reviews & Ratings:

An off-the-beaten path GEM!!!

Posted by artiesmith from Warner Robins, GA on 11/10/07
I'll be going again!!!

Experience: 5.0 Ease: 5.0 Value: 5.0 Don't Miss: 5.0 RATING: 5.0

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