freewoods farm in myrtle beach
Tell me you haven’t heard about this place and I won’t be surprised. It’s about as under-the-radar as they come. But Freewoods Farm in Myrtle Beach is worth seeking out if you appreciate an authentic farm experience, fresh produce, and genuine people.
ADDRESS: 10546 Freewoods Road, Myrtle Beach
WHEN TO VISIT: It is strongly recommended to call ahead, (843) 650-9139. Conditions on the farm and activities vary with the weather/season. (More on this below.)
BEST FOR: Ages 3+ will do best. Babies in carriers would be fine. Not stroller friendly.
OTHER NOTES: This is a real farm experience so expect mud, tall grass, dirt and gravel. We loved it but I would recommend trying to visit on a milder/overcast day and when the ground isn’t too saturated from recent rain.
WHAT EXACTLY IS HAPPENING HERE? Freewoods Farm is a living history farm devoted to documenting and demonstrating the way African-American farmers from the 1600-1960’s lived. And it is a real working farm! There are several crops on the property along with pigs and chickens and a mule for operating farm equipment.
Tours area available if scheduled in advance but it’s also open to roam around for a self-guided tour. We just showed up and wandered around on our own but there was actually a tour happening while we were on site so we have some insight into that as well.
what to know & tips
There are a few things to know before going that will help make the trip more enjoyable.
TERRAIN: So, it’s a farm. You’ll be outside. And this is a real deal, we-don’t-have-time-to-make-it-pretty-because-we’re-out-there-working kinda farm. There is a farm road you’ll walk down in order to see these rustic barns, the crops and animals. It’s mostly covered in grass, which can get kinda tall depending on how recently it was mowed, and big mud puddles if it’s recently rained. It’s not stroller friendly but my 3-year old had a blast in the mud puddles. Don’t wear your nice clothing or shoes here!
WHAT YOU’LL SEE: There are several old building that demonstrate what life was like on an African American farm. They’ll be locked on the self-guided tour but accessible on the scheduled tour. You’ll see the farm animals and crops, including an area of muscadine grapes and (what I think was) fig trees.
PRODUCE: They have some produce for sale on site.
PRICE: We took our self-guided tour for free but there was a sign up stating $5 for adults. We didn’t see this until later and the lady assisting us on arrival never mentioned a charge. In looking at the website it seems like it may be a suggested donation versus an admission fee.
POTTY: Yes, there are restrooms at the parking area and the outhouse on the farm also has flushing toilets! They’re pretty cool so be sure to check them out.
in summary
We liked this place a lot. It’s no frills so make sure you’re prepared for what you’d expect out of a real working farm. The guided tour probably offers excellent info but maybe moves a little too slow and wouldn’t hold the attention of kids younger than 7. We’ll update this review if we take that.
WHAT ELSE IS NEARBY TO CHECK OUT: For us every outing is enhanced when we can pop into a little shop for a drink or bite. Caspin Coffee is super close and has some yummy drinks and also carries a few sweet treats from other local vendors. The Socastee library isn’t far and it has a little playground too.