The SC Coastal Discovery Museum: A Honey of a Place

By: J.M. Slagell

South Carolina tourism offers a wide variety of family friendly activities and attractions. One location sure to excite and invigorate the mind as well as the body is the Costal Discovery Museum at locations in Honey Horn, and Hilton Head, SC. You will find a variety of programs and activities that encourage learning about the people, animals and ecology of the South Carolina coastline.

So what makes this place so family friendly? Well, just check out some of its offerings and then decide for yourself why a trip there is a must.

• Beach Discovery Walks- Take a guided tour of the shoreline and learn about the plants and animals of the barrier islands. Guides are happy to answer any questions and encourage hands-on learning whenever appropriate. There are a variety of walks to choose from. Featured ones are the Butterfly Discovery Walk where one can get up close and personal with these beautiful insects, the Honey Horn History Walk that educates one about the residents of the area, the Salt Marsh Walk that leads you, via boardwalks, along the shore and has signs and markers telling about the animals and ecology of the shoreline, and the Walk in the Woods where you will learn about indigenous plants, trees and their uses in both food and medicine.
• Talks and Lectures- Learn about the history of the South Carolina coastline through special guest speakers, artifacts and assorted exhibits and demonstrations. From plantation owners to bridges there has been much change over the past 200 years.
• Animals from A to Z- Learn about area animals like the alligator, blue crabs, sea turtles, barred owl, opossum and armadillos. Hands-on interaction is encouraged whenever possible. If you have a budding marine biologist or zoologist then this is a great place to foster more learning in a safe and fun environment.
• The Discovery Museum’s interactive children’s area encourages imagination and learning with an assortment of themed centers. Whether it is playing pretend in the Dress up area, watching the birds via the Bird Cam, participating in a scavenger hunt, or curling up with a good book in the learning area, there is plenty to keep the kids engaged in learning fun!
• Spend some time in the garden-The Low Country Heritage Garden offers a variety of vegetation that have historical, medicinal and household uses. You will see indigo, rice, cotton plants and sweetgrass along with Low Country favorites like corn, okra, beans, sweet potatoes, collards and more. A special perk is that all plants/trees/bushes are labeled.

As you can see, there are many family friendly activities to be enjoyed at the Coastal Discovery Museum of South Carolina. So grab your camera, your notebooks, put on some comfortable shoes and get ready to spend some time making learning fun.