Brookgreen Gardens: The Largest Outdoor Sculpture Garden in the US

Brookgreen Gardens is one of the few places in the United States to have earned accreditation from the American Association of Museums and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums as well as being designated a National Historic Landmark and listed on the Register of National Historic Places.

I was really looking forward to seeing the gardens firsthand! I am a sucker for anything to do with history, and I had heard that there were over 900 sculptures there! I began seeing their famous sculptures as soon as we walked through the gates.

Also known as Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington Sculpture Garden, this garden was designed in 1931 by Anna Hyatt Huntington in the shape of a butterfly with its wings spread open. Pretty cool, am I right?

Of course you can’t see the shape as you are walking around the garden but the layout does make sense after you’ve seen the entire thing.

The way Brookgreen Gardens is laid out, you walk through different areas and they are all connected by paths.

The Live Oak Allée Garden is made up of 300 year-old Live Oak trees, planted back when Brookgreen Gardens was a thriving rice plantation. Everywhere we walked through Brookgreen Gardens, I just couldn’t take my eyes off the beauty surrounding me.

It was like something out of a movie!

There are many parts to Brookgreen Gardens, so I thought I’d share some of my favorite photos as I wound my way through! There’s the Palmetto Garden, named for the use of Sabal palmetto South Carolina’s state tree.

Then there’s the Fountain of the Muses Garden, displays the sculpture of the same name and takes bold garden design to new heights.

The Labyrinth at Brookgreen is the latest addition to the Gardens is a medieval, seven circuit Chartres style labyrinth of shell and natural grass overlooking the natural beauty of a tributary creek of the Waccamaw River. 

The Lowcountry Center Garden showcases the rich landscape of native plants available in the southeastern region, while the Arboretum serves as the transition between the original sculpture gardens and the E. Craig Wall, Jr. Lowcountry Center in the distance.

Now, while I was only able to visit the Brookgreen gardens themselves, there is also a fabulous zoo located on the premises.

The Lowcountry Zoo is the only zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums on the coast of North and South Carolina!

Brookgreen Gardens Hours & Admission Information

Brookgreen Gardens is open daily from 9:30 to 5 and are good for seven consecutive days!

• Adults 13-64: $14
• Seniors 65 and over: $12
• Children 4 -12: $7
• Children 3 and under are FREE when accompanied by an adult.
• Discount prices for groups of 15 or more

You can find more information about Brookgreen Gardens and Zoo at Brookgreen.org.