Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet, SC

While away in the south the last two weeks, I was able to visit Brookgreen Gardens, just south of Myrtle Beach in Murrells Inlet, SC. Founded in 1931 by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington on what was a slave-worked rice plantation in the 1800s, it’s primarily a sculpture garden, in fact the first public sculpture garden in America, with a collection of “more than 1,400 works by over 350 sculptors,” Anna Huntington’s work being prominent. But it’s not only a sculpture garden: it also offers two walk-through aviaries, several ponds, pools, and lakes, a small zoo of native animals (many wounded rescues, as are the raptors in one aviary), a lowlands rice plantation audio history trail, and it’s sited alongside the Waccamaw River, on which the garden’s excursion boats travel. There are miles of walking trails, well defined on the trail map.

I liked it so much the first time I visited that I came back again the next day (all tickets are good for 7 consecutive days).

Hope you enjoy it, too. Click all photos to enlarge.

purple and lime green near welcome center
purple and lime green near welcome center
'Fighting Stallions' by Anna Hyatt Huntington sculpture
‘Fighting Stallions’ by Anna Hyatt Huntington
"St James Triad" by Richard McDermott Miller
“St James Triad” by Richard McDermott Miller
"Bella and the Bug" by Louise Peterson sculpture
“Bella and the Bug” by Louise Peterson
female torso sculpture and view
female torso sculpture and view
white magnolia bloom
white magnolia bloom
magnolia going by
magnolia going by
magnolia trees
magnolia trees
Southern fox squirrel ... so cute!
Southern fox squirrel … so cute!
another of the Southern fox squirrel
another of the Southern fox squirrel
rice fields slave statue
rice fields slave statue
cosmos and others near Spanish goats
cosmos and others near Spanish goats
passion flower by concession stand
passion flower by concession stand
hazards sign!
hazards sign!
alligator in pond
alligator in pond
front view of alligator in pond
front view of alligator in pond
alligator on lawn from across small pond
alligator on lawn from across small pond
front view: alligator on lawn
front view: alligator on lawn
side view: alligator on lawn
side view: alligator on lawn
sign: don't feed alligators
sign: don’t feed alligators
marshy area
marshy area
obedient plant and pickerel along Waccamaw River
obedient plant and pickerel along Waccamaw River
Waccamaw River from the 'Beyond the Gardens' trail
Waccamaw River from the ‘Beyond the Gardens’ trail
fiddler crab
fiddler crab
pileated woodpecker along trail
pileated woodpecker along trail
labyrinth
labyrinth
pink waterlily
pink waterlily
blue and green dragonfly on pink waterlily
blue and green dragonfly on pink waterlily
pink waterlilies and green foliage
pink waterlilies and green foliage
lavender waterlily with dragonfly
lavender waterlily with dragonfly
'Diana' sculpture (by Anna Huntington)
‘Diana’ sculpture (by Anna Huntington)
the lions and 'Diana' sculpture
the lions and ‘Diana’ sculpture
floral pony
floral pony
blue and pink hydrangeas and view to sculpture
blue and pink hydrangeas and view to sculpture
cattle egret in aviary
cattle egret in aviary
cattle egret grooming (aviary)
cattle egret grooming (aviary)
young black-crowned night heron (aviary)
young black-crowned night heron (aviary)
black-crowned night heron on its sign in aviary
black-crowned night heron on its sign in aviary (with cattle egret)
ibis in aviary
ibis in aviary
heron landing in aviary
heron landing in aviary
turtle in water (aviary)
turtle in water (aviary)
boat dock area
boat dock area
excursion boat heading out
excursion boat heading out
barred owl (injured)
barred owl (injured)
two eagles (injured)
two eagles (injured)
Paul Manship's 'Time and the Fates of Man' sundial sculpture
Paul Manship’s ‘Time and the Fates of Man’ sundial sculpture
pond and sculpture
pond and sculpture
hot otters in dirt
hot otters in dirt
live oaks and Spanish moss
live oaks and Spanish moss
live oak trunk
live oak trunk
live oak allee
live oak allee
red dragonfly
red dragonfly
light blue and green dragonfly
light blue and green dragonfly
yellow and brown dragonfly
yellow and brown dragonfly
black dragonfly
black dragonfly
green and black dragonfly
green and black dragonfly
purple lacecap hydrangea
purple lacecap hydrangea
blue & white hydrangea
blue & white hydrangea
'Evening' sculpture with lantana
‘Evening’ by Paul Manship, with lantana
'Dionysius' sculpture in Gretchen's Garden
‘Dionysius’ by Edward McCartan in Gretchen’s Garden
entrance to sculpture garden
entrance to sculpture garden
more sculptures
more sculptures
5-lined skink in sculpture garden
5-lined skink in sculpture garden
sculpture garden with jasmine vines
sculpture garden with jasmine vines
gecko in sculpture garden
gecko in sculpture garden
'Raphell' memorial sculpture
‘Raphell’ memorial sculpture by Bruno Lucchesi
tropical plants
tropical plants

 

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