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The beautiful landscape of Myrtle Beach is a huge draw for vacationers and locals alike, year after year. Beauty in nature can also be found in another jewel of South Carolina when visitors come to Brookgreen Gardens. Founded in the early twentieth century, the over nine thousand acre Brookgreen Gardens, Myrtle Beach is a garden museum that displays native flora and fauna as well as a significant collection of sculptures and other art objects within a beautiful natural setting. Brookgreen Gardens is a National Historic Landmark, and while it is primarily a museum of nature and art, it also has a zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. This museum is rich in its history and natural splendor, and visitors will surely be enthralled by the beauty of their surroundings during their visit.
There are many gardens within gardens that can be found at Brookgreen, each with its own unique attributes and features. Walk along a path that once led to an original plantation house while you are canopied by 300-year-old live oak trees that were planted when Brookgreen Gardens was a rice plantation. The Fountain of the Muses Garden displays whimsical sculptures of muses that were acquired from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as other beautiful sculptures that makes this particular garden a favorite spot of avid art lovers. Wind your way through various other gardens and treat yourself to a wonderful variety of roses, perennials, shrubs, flowering trees, expressive sculptures and much more. One of Brookgreen’s newest additions is the Labyrinth. It is a circuit style labyrinth of grass and shell that overlooks a creek from the Waccamaw River. Benches are placed along for reflection, and panels are displayed to describe the history and purpose of the labyrinth.
Sculptures
The sculptures that can be viewed at Brookgreen Gardens are both numerous and beautiful. Indeed, the Fighting Stallions sculpture that greets visitors at the entrance gives an idea of the impressive and majestic nature of many of the sculptures found within the gardens. There are more than fourteen hundred sculptures on display by more than 350 sculptors. Sculpture workshops are offered periodically throughout the year, sponsored by nationally known sculptors, which can bring an even greater appreciation of these works of art.
Zoo
The Lowcountry Zoo at Brookgreen Gardens gives visitors a chance to see the native animals that live in the swamps, waters, and woods of the area that are quickly being displaced due to a growing human population. Some of the animals you will see are Bald Eagles, Red Foxes, White-Tailed Deer and more. Some animals you may not have heard of very often, such as Marsh Tacky Horses, Red Devon Cows, and Tunis Sheep, can also be found in this zoo. There is also the Cypress Aviary built over a swamp where visitors can view Egrets, Whistling Ducks and more in a natural setting.
Brookgreen Gardens has an abundance of natural beauty in the foliage, art and live creatures that call it home. Visitors will be sure to have the nature enthusiast inside them released as they stroll through in this beautiful and historic setting. Visit Brookgreen Gardens at 1931 Brookgreen Gardens Drive, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina 29576. Call 843-235-6000 for more information and come to see nature and art like you have never seen it before.
