how to make the most of brookgreen gardens as a local family
Brookgreen Gardens is truly one of our area’s most beloved spots. It holds so much history and beauty –– and is an excellent place for education, fun, and memories. Here are some of our tips for making the most of Brookgreen Gardens as a local family!
in case you're unfamiliar
Brookgreen Gardens is a sculpture garden, small zoo, nature preserve, and historical site all coexisting on 9,100 beautiful acres in Murrells Inlet. It is huge but not all of that is open to the public so let’s break down what you need to know.
WHAT TO DO WITH kids at brookgreen
The zoo
It is small and very walkable. It features native animals that have existed in the wild or on farms/plantations for hundreds of years. There are horses, goats, cows, sheep, otters, foxes, different bird species, deer and red wolves. One of the coolest parts is the fully enclosed Cypress Aviary with boardwalks over the swamp grounds.
Some tips for how to navigate the zoo. You can park at the zoo itself or the gardens parking area. There is a shuttle which runs every 20 minutes. The zoo follows an easy paved trail so it’s easy for strollers and it’s all pretty well shaded. There are bathrooms and benches by the parking area.
storybook forest + Nature & Sensory Trail
The Enchanted Storybook Forest is Brookgreen’s version of a playground. The wooded area features many small houses with famous story themes such as Rapunzel and Hansel & Gretel. There is also a pirate ship and small train and a schoolhouse. There isn’t much shade and the area is very sandy.
The Nature and Sensory Trail is also in this area as well as a Storybook Walk and Butterfly House. The Butterfly House is open daily from 10a–2p during the summer. The Sensory Trail has little information stations, replica of a African Slave home, and some really fun play stations (a garden, kitchen, balance beams, triangle climber, etc).
The children's garden
The Children’s Garden at Brookgreen is exceptional. It features little things to delight kids like tunnels and chubby animal sculptures and butterfly benches. It’s almost entirely shaded and feels like the perfect space to let them explore.
There is a great covered area that has some seats and books. We always enjoy sitting there for a few minutes. Plus the bathrooms are located right beside the Children’s Garden.
The special events
BIG ONES | We love Summer Lights: Art by Night from June–August and Night of 1000 Candles from November–early January. They’re both in the evening and are not included in regular admission or with season passes –– but they’re both worth it!
SMALLER ONES | Brookgreen has kid-focused events for most minor holidays: Halloween, Easter, Earth Day, a Harvest Day, and more. These are all free with admission (except Easter which is only open to members) and they’re so great! So many craft stations, educational, interactive, fun, and on-theme.
lesser known spaces
BEHIND THE GARDEN WALL | Literally, go to the back of the garden and you’ll see marshy fields but a couple of pathways that are open for guests. Take one of those pathways and you’ll quickly come to the Waccamaw River flowing through Brookgreen’s property. It’s a beautiful place to stroll.
LABYRINTH WALK | These things might seem intimidating but they’re actually simple and really fun! My kids loved me doing a time lapse video of them as they weaved through the labyrinth.
Low Country Trail | We love this boardwalk and the historic sites preserved on this trail. It’s just past the horse’s pasture by the zoo so keep walking in that direction and you’ll get there.
NATURE-BASED PLAY AREA | Up from the Enchanted Storybook Forest is a nature-based play area. It has a little kitchen, garden, hammock, balance board, climbing triangle, and a few other elements. Great spot to let kids play, make messes and freely explore.
making the most of brookgreen gardens as a local family
BECOME A MEMBER. Sign up for the e-newsletter to get early notice of all special events. Look for seasonal members-only events like Easter Egg Hunts and Trick-or-Treating.
PROGRAMS AND CLASSES are offered regularly. They also host SCOUT DAYS, HOMESCHOOL PROGRAM, AND CAMPS.
Enjoy the adult-only offerings. We did the Silent Cemeteries tour and loved getting into the non-public parts of the grounds.
Break your visit into manageable chunks. We rarely do it all in one trip so start with whatever you most want to see/do and use the tried and true things like the playground or zoo to revive them when they get tired.
Try to visit at least once every season. The flowers change so often and it’s great to see it at different times of the day too. It’s great to visit the zoo at the end of the day, around 4pm. There are often caretakers making final rounds to feed and check the animals before the gardens close for the day. It’s a great time to ask questions about them or see them up close.