Brookgreen Gardens at Murrells Inlet near Myrtle Beach, SC is a national historic site with the largest display of outdoor sculptures by American artists in the world, and home to the only zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in the Carolinas.
The land that makes up present day Brookgreen gardens was once four different plantations, the planter owners were hugely successful in the rice and tobacco planting business because of the hard labor that enslaved Africans were forced to do.
In 1931, Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington established Brookgreen Gardens to preserve the natural flora and fauna of the area. The land that makes up the Gardens is a mix of forested swamps, salt, marsh, sandy ridges, and fresh tidal swamps; the property is over 9,000 acres of natural landscapes. The garden area consists of four major gardens, the Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington Garden, The Brenda W. Rosen Carolina Terrace Garden, the Dogwood Garden, and The Fountains of Muses Garden. With these gardens, Brookgreen Gardens is a leader in horticulture and year round gardening.
The Low Country Zoo is an important part of the mission of Brookgreen Gardens, to preserve. As the only zoo on the coasts of North and South Carolina that's accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Low Country Zoo prides itself in the care and display of the animals.
Also, enjoy the holidays at Brookgreen Gardens during the Nights of A Thousand Candles in December, when the Gardens are illuminated with thousands of lights. This festival is one of the most popular at Brookgreen Gardens.
