In South Carolina, One Of The Country's Top Sculpture Parks Is An Award-Winning Stunner With Miles Of Magical Gardens

There aren't too many people who would reject a trip to a region called the Hammock Coast in South Carolina. From the shoes-off beaches to the just-caught shellfish, this is a destination that appeals to a large percentage of the population. Welcome to Murrells Inlet (population 11,000), the "Seafood Capital of South Carolina." Murrells Inlet is a laid-back mid-coast town where you can stroll along the half-mile MarshWalk — a wooden boardwalk lined with restaurants featuring fresh crabs, oysters, and clams –, work up an appetite with a water activity like jet skiing, or stay dry on an excursion to Brookgreen Gardens, which is Number 3 on USA Today's 10 Best list of American sculpture parks. The stunning over 9,100-acre property is filled with amazing year-round gardens, renowned sculptures, and a zoo.

According to USA Today, the park's 2,000 works by 430 artists make it "one of the best American figurative sculpture collections in the world." Brookgreen Gardens has also won a number of other awards, including the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Hall of Fame Award from 2010-2024. One of Brookgreen's founders, Anna Hyatt Huntington, was an accomplished sculptor. While her own works are on display at the park, she also used her prominence to acquire pieces from other leading American sculptors of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Murrells Inlet is a half hour south of Myrtle Beach International Airport and just under two hours north of Charleston International Airport. Like many other locations on the Hammock Coast including Surfside Beach, it's an escape from the crowds at Myrtle Beach and other better-known South Carolina destinations. 

The sculpture collection includes both historic and contemporary works, including iconic pieces like Diana of the Chase, Fountain of the Muses, and Dionysis, as well as entire galleries dedicated to artists such as Stanley Bleifeld and Grainger McKoy. Specialized spaces like the Offner Sculpture Learning and Research Center even offer visible storage, making rare and delicate works accessible to the public. What also sets the collection apart is its integration into the natural garden landscape. There are galleries, but visitors also encounter sculptures throughout the gardens among centuries-old live oaks, reflecting pools, and seasonal blooms. 

Special gardens within the over 9,100-acre park include the Live Oak Allée, a walkway flanked by 250-year-old Spanish moss-draped oak trees. South Carolina's state tree is featured in the beautiful Palmetto Garden that's dotted with fountains.

No matter the season, the gardens will delight visitors. Spring brings massive blooms of azaleas, dogwoods, and roses filling the gardens with color and fragrance. In summer, crepe myrtles, hibiscus, and tropical plants thrive. Fields of chrysanthemums and spider lilies are fall highlights, while camellias bloom in winter's stark landscapes that sparkle during the Nights of a Thousand Candles holiday event. Open late November to early January, this event features 2,700 lights, live music, food trucks, and festive beverages to enjoy while strolling the grounds. Other times of year, some galleries remain open later for Summer Light: Art by Night.

The Lowcountry Zoo has been part of Brookgreen Gardens since its founding in the 1930s. All animals are native species — such as alligators, bald eagles, owls, hawks, river otters, foxes, white-tailed deer, herons, and egrets — that were either born in captivity or injured and unable to survive in the wild. Red Wolf Ridge is notable for its three federally-protected endangered red wolves, as there are only 300 still alive today. 

Tours are a great way to experience Brookgreen Gardens. The Brookgreen 101 Tour provides an overview of its art, animals, and heritage aboard an electric vehicle. Keep an eye out for alligators during The Creek Excursion, a scenic pontoon boat ride through historic rice fields with a guide who explains the role of enslaved Africans in shaping the Lowcountry. See a plantation cemetery and panoramic views of the Waccamaw River on The Laurel Hill & Springfield Excursion, and on the Oaks Excursion bus tour, see a former slave village and a pine forest. If you're thinking "How could I possibly see and do everything in one day?," don't worry. Your ticket is good for an entire week ($25 for adults, $23 for seniors, and $14 for children ages 4 to 12). Keep in mind that the tours cost extra.

For places to stay, there's a Hampton Inn right in Murrells Inlet. Only 2 miles from Brookgreen Gardens, in a pristine, uncrowded spot right on the coast, you'll find Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort, too.