This past summer (August 2026) I spent a week at Holden Beach, North Carolina with my parents. Despite some rainy weather now and again, our trip was fantastic (great temperatures, warm water and the beach was not crowded at all). One day during our week there my dad and I traded the beach for a visit to Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.
My dad had visited Brookgreen Gardens on a previous trip, and after seeing his photos and hearing about it, I knew it was a place I wanted to experience for myself. I absolutely love photographing flowers and when you add sculptures to the mix, I am in heaven! And let me tell you, I was not disappointed!
In fact, how much time we needed in the gardens quickly became a running joke between us. Not long after we arrived, I looked around and told my dad, “Wow, I could easily spend an entire day here.” About an hour later, after realizing just how much there was to explore, I changed my mind: “You know what? I think I actually need two days here!”
By the end of our visit, I wasn’t joking anymore. I genuinely wished we had another day because we simply didn’t have enough time to see everything Brookgreen Gardens has to offer.
Plan Your Visit to Brookgreen Gardens
📍 Location: Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, just south of Myrtle Beach
⏰ How much time should you plan? Give yourself at least 3-4 hours, although you could easily spend an entire day exploring the gardens, sculptures and the other attractions.
🎟️ Tickets: Purchase admission online before your visit and check the Brookgreen Gardens website for current ticket prices, hours, tours and special events.
👟 What to wear: Comfortable walking shoes are a must! Brookgreen Gardens is huge, and you’ll probably do more walking than you expect.
📷 Don’t forget: Your camera! Between the sculptures, flowers and massive live oaks, there are photo opportunities everywhere.
☀️ Best tip: South Carolina can get hot and humid, so bring water, sunscreen, and sun protection…especially if you’re visiting during the warmer months.
💡 My advice: Don’t come expecting to see everything in an hour or two. Slow down and give yourself time to wander. There is much more to Brookgreen Gardens than beautiful flowers!
Brookgreen Gardens is much more than a botanical garden. Spread across roughly 9,000 acres, the property combines beautiful gardens, an extraordinary collection of American sculpture, a zoo and centuries of local history. Its collection includes more than 2,000 works by hundreds of artists, but the story of the land itself is just as fascinating.
From Rice Plantations to Brookgreen Gardens
Long before Brookgreen Gardens existed, the land was part of four rice plantations: Brookgreen, Laurel Hill, Springfield, and The Oaks. During the 18th and 19th centuries, enslaved Africans worked these plantations, using their knowledge and labor to transform the Lowcountry landscape into a highly productive rice-growing region. Remnants of that history can still be found throughout Brookgreen today, making the property much more than simply a place to admire flowers and sculptures.
The story of Brookgreen Gardens as we know it today began in 1931, when Archer Milton Huntington and his wife, sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington, purchased the former plantation properties.
Archer was the adopted son of Collis Potter Huntington, one of the most successful American industrialists and railroad magnates of the Gilded Age. Rather than following directly in his father’s footsteps, Archer became a scholar and passionate collector of Spanish art and culture and devoted much of his life and fortune to philanthropy.
Anna Hyatt Huntington had an equally fascinating story. The daughter of a professor of paleontology and zoology, she developed an interest in animals and anatomy at an early age, an interest that eventually became central to her work as a sculptor. She studied animal anatomy extensively and became a successful artist at a time when relatively few American women were receiving recognition in the art world.
But she was also struggling with tuberculosis. At the time, doctors often recommended warmer climates and fresh air for tuberculosis patients, so the couple began looking for a winter retreat away from New York City’s colder weather.
They found it along the South Carolina coast.
By the time the Huntingtons arrived in South Carolina, Anna was already an accomplished sculptor, and what began as a place where Anna could recover soon grew into something much larger. The Huntingtons envisioned a setting where art, nature, and history could come together, eventually creating Brookgreen Gardens – the first public sculpture garden in the United States.
What To Do & See at Brookgreen Gardens
As I mentioned earlier, we spent an afternoon here which was simply not enough time to see it all. So we focused on what we came to do…photograph the sculptures and flowers. The first stop we made that took my breath away was the Live Oak Allée.
The Live Oak Allée is lined with 250-year-old live oak trees that were planted in the early 1700s when today’s Brookgreen Gardens was four thriving rice plantations. Strolling under their Spanish moss-covered limbs is the perfect way to begin your time in the gardens.
The next section of the garden we visited was the Palmetto Garden, where we spent a good bit of time photographing the sculpture Samson and the Lion.
From here we made our way to the Pegasus sculpture, photographing other flowers and fountains along the way.
The Pegasus sculpture was large and beautiful and surrounded by a pond of gorgeous lotus flowers. We spent a lot of time here getting the perfect shots of each bloom.
From there we wandered through another area of the garden that had cute little whimsical sculptures that I really enjoyed looking at and photographing, as well as other sculptures (and Spanish-moss draped oaks!) that caught my attention.
Then we came to my absolute most favorite part of the gardens during this trip…the Brown Sculpture Court.
Oh my goodness! I had to put my camera down and just walk around for a little while to take it all in before I started photographing all of the sculptures. It was a lot to take in and I really enjoyed just looking at each one. Many were very thought-provoking.
I also had fun making up little stories about some of them, like this sculpture of a dog. This is an exact portrayal of some of the dogs we foster as soon as we open our front door.
After we were done walking around here, it was time to begin heading home. However, on our way out of the gardens we passed a path that to a small pond.
And then I saw a sign that promised there were alligators in the pond. We walked around for a little bit looking for one, and then we were rewarded with our patience!
Remember that running joke with my dad? First I needed a whole day. Then I decided I needed two.
By the time we left, I wasn’t joking anymore. I wished we had more time!
There was still so much we didn’t get to see, so Brookgreen Gardens has become one of those places I will happily visit again.
And if you find yourself saying, “I think I need another day here,” don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Know Before You Go
Here are a few things I think you should know before you visit Brookgreen Gardens:
📍 Location: 1931 Brookgreen Drive, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina 29576. Brookgreen Gardens is located along US Highway 17 between Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island.
⏰ Hours: Brookgreen Gardens is generally open daily from 9:30 AM–5:00 PM, with the gates closing to guests at 4:30 PM. Hours can change for special events, so I recommend checking the official website or social media pages before your visit.
🎟️ Admission: As of 2026, general admission is $25 for adults ages 13–64, $23 for seniors 65+, $14 for children ages 4–12, and free for children 3 and under. Even better, your general admission ticket is valid for seven consecutive days, so you don’t necessarily have to squeeze everything into one visit or worry about having to buy additional tickets each day you want to visit.
🌐 Official Website: Visit the Brookgreen Gardens website for current admission prices, hours, special events, tours, and exhibits.
Give yourself plenty of time. Brookgreen Gardens is huge, and there is much more here than sculptures and flowers. General admission also includes the Lowcountry Zoo and exhibits in the Lowcountry History Center. I thought one day would be enough. About an hour into our visit, I decided I really needed two!
Wear comfortable shoes. You will be doing a lot of walking, so this is definitely not the place to break in a new pair of shoes. Brookgreen recommends closed-toe shoes. There is also a complimentary shuttle connecting several of the major areas of the property, which can help cut down on some of the walking.
Be prepared for the South Carolina weather. If you’re visiting during the warmer months, expect heat and humidity. Bring water, sunscreen and insect repellent (we used all three during our visit!).
Check the schedule before you arrive. Brookgreen offers tours, excursions, animal programs, exhibits and seasonal events throughout the year. Some experiences have specific departure times or may require an additional ticket, so take a look at the day’s schedule before your visit.
Don’t expect to see everything. Unless you’re giving yourself a very full day, you’re probably going to have to make some choices. Decide what you’re most interested in seeing before you arrive, but leave yourself some time to wander. Brookgreen Gardens is one of those places where getting a little distracted is part of the experience.
Hours and admission prices were accurate at the time of publication. Always check the official Brookgreen Gardens website for the most current information before your visit.
Where to Stay Near Brookgreen Gardens
Want to turn your visit to Brookgreen Gardens into a weekend getaway? There are plenty of places to stay nearby in Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island, putting you close to Brookgreen Gardens as well as the beaches, Huntington Beach State Park and other attractions along the South Carolina coast.
Since there is so much to see at Brookgreen Gardens, staying nearby also makes it easy to take advantage of your seven-day admission ticket and come back for a second day if you don’t manage to see everything the first time. Trust me – you’ll probably need it!
Use the map below to compare hotels and other accommodations near Brookgreen Gardens and find the best option for your trip!
Please Note: This section contains affiliate links. If you book through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
More Things To Do Near Brookgreen Gardens
Brookgreen Gardens could easily fill an entire day (or two!), but if you’re spending a few days exploring this part of South Carolina, there is plenty more to see nearby.
Directly across from Brookgreen Gardens, you’ll find Huntington Beach State Park, where you can explore miles of undeveloped beach, look for wildlife and visit Atalaya, the fascinating Moorish-style winter home of Brookgreen founders Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington. If you enjoyed learning about the Huntingtons at Brookgreen, visiting Atalaya is the perfect addition to your trip.
Head into Murrells Inlet to walk the MarshWalk, a half-mile waterfront boardwalk overlooking the salt marsh. It’s an especially good place to end the day with waterfront views, seafood and live music. Before our visit to Brookgreen Gardens my dad and I took a morning walk along the MarshWalk and ate lunch at Dead Dog Saloon (where I had the best hush puppies).
Find More Things to Do
Browse tours, cruises, outdoor adventures, and other experiences in Murrells Inlet and the surrounding Myrtle Beach area below.
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