Halfway between Myrtle Beach and Georgetown on U.S. 17 (near Litchfield Beach), Brookgreen Gardens, 1931 Brookgreen Dr., in Murrell's Inlet, SC 29576 (tel. 843/237-4218; www.brookgreen.org), is a world-class sculpture garden and wildlife park that's a source of enormous civic pride to virtually everyone in the state. It occupies the low-lying flatlands of what functioned 200 years ago as a rice plantation. After the destruction of the original plantation house, the gardens were laid out in 1931 as a setting for the world's largest collection of American garden sculptures, each crafted between 1850 and the present. Archer Milton Huntington and his wife, the sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington, planned the garden walks in the shape of a butterfly with outspread wings. All walks lead back to the central space, a contemporary building that occupies the site of the original plantation house. On opposite sides of this space are the Small Sculpture Gallery and the original plantation kitchen, now the site of one of the snack bars. An outstanding feature within the wildlife park is the Cypress Bird Sanctuary, a 90-foot-tall aviary housing species of wading birds within half an acre of cypress swamp. The curators of this garden recommend spending at least 2 hours wandering along its byways. Terrain is flat and makes for easy walking. The price of admission grants access to the park and garden for 7 consecutive days.
Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (65 and older) and students, $5 for children 6 to 12, and free for ages 5 and under. Hours are daily 9:30am to 5pm. Between June and August, it remains open 'til 9pm Wednesday to Friday. The gardens are closed December 4, 11, 18, and 25.
