Tourism News
Spotlight: Brookgreen Gardens in the Fall

Brookgreen Gardens is a unique and beautiful attraction that combines art with nature and history. This popular place to visit was founded in 1931 by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington. The Huntingtons took the once-working rice plantation and turned it into the National Historic Landmark you can visit today. Brookgreen Gardens is great for all ages and is one of the few places that has earned accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, as well as being listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

November:

• November 13: Dirt N’ Details Lecture Series: Members of the Brookgreen horticulture staff and outside experts will provide lectures and demonstrations. Ben Powell, the Area Forester and Natural Resource Agent with Clemson Extension, will be speaking on Wildlife in Your Backyard and how to attract/deter deer.

•November 15: Brookgreen 101: This program is a public information session about Brookgreen Gardens and New York City. The program is about 60 minutes and will take place at 1:00 in the Welcome Center Conference Room.

•November 22: Thanksgiving Buffet at the Pavilion Restaurant: Join Brookgreen Gardens for a traditional Thanksgiving buffet in the Pavilion Restaurant. Seatings are between 11 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Reservations are required. Adults are $29.95, children ages 4-12 are $13, and 3 and under are free.

•November 27-January 1: Annual Holiday Exhibit: The Rainey Sculpture Pavilion will host the 2018 Holiday Exhibits – Holiday Memories: Blasts from the Past in the Jennewein Gallery and A Light in the Darkness in the Noble Gallery.

December:

•December 1: Nights of a Thousand Candles Preview Benefit: Join Brookgreen Gardens from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 1 for a special Nights of a Thousand Candles Preview Benefit to help repair significant damage at Brookgreen Gardens from Hurricane Florence. Each ticket is $100 and will include beverages, including wine & beer, and heavy appetizers. There will also be live music from Harpist Rebecca Nissen, the Saltwater Chamber Orchestra, and the Beach Brass Quintet.

•December 6-9; 13-16; 20-22; Nights of a Thousand Candles: Brookgreen Gardens will be hosting their most popular annual event on select dates in December. Nights of a Thousand Candles is a spectacular event during which guests will see the sculpture gardens illuminated by thousands of candles and lights. The event will also feature live entertainment as well as food and warm beverages.

•December 31: New Year’s Eve Stroll Under the Lights: Celebrate the New Year at Brookgreen Gardens from 6-9 p.m. in the sculpture garden. This special event will feature thousands of hand-lit candles, holiday lights, and music. Space is limited. Tickets are $15 for members and $20 for non-members. There will also be light refreshments available for purchase.

Of course, when you’re visiting a botanical/sculpture garden in the fall, you’re going to be interested in what you will see in bloom. Here is what you can expect to see at Brookgreen Gardens during the fall:

Perennials

•Confederate Rose (Hibiscus mutabilis)

•Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum spp.)

•Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha)

•Sweet Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris)

•Spider Lily (Lycoris radiata)

•Swamp Sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius)

•Rose (Rosa spp.)

•Shrubs Sasanqua Camellia (Camellia sasanqua)

•Fragrant Tea Olive (Osmanthus fragrans)

•Swamp Jessamine (Gelsemium rankinii)

Shrubs

•Sasanqua Camellia (Camellia sasanqua)

•Fragrant Tea Olive (Osmanthus fragrans)

•Swamp Jessamine (Gelsemium rankinii)

Brookgreen Gardens is located at 1931 Brookgreen Drive in Murrells Inlet, SC 29576 off of Highway 17 Bypass, south of Myrtle Beach. Daily general admission costs $16 for Seniors (65+), $18 for adults, $10 for children ages 4-12, and free for children 3 and under. Nights of a Thousand Candles tickets are not the same as general admission and must be purchased ahead of time. Brookgreen Gardens is open daily from 9:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

At Brookgreen Gardens, guests will see the Botanical Gardens; American Sculpture collection throughout the gardens as well as in indoor galleries; the Lowcountry Zoo, which is home to several local species of animals; and excursions such as the Creek Excursion boat tour, the Trekker Excursion bus tour, and the Oaks Plantation Excursion bus tour, all of which run from March 3-November 25.