Discover Georgetown: Museums, Rice History, and Nature

Five museums in Georgetown’s historic district are within walking distance of one another: the Kaminski House Museum, the Rice Museum, the Georgetown County Museum, the Gullah Museum, and the South Carolina Maritime Museum. Their close proximity makes them a shared focal point for travelers interested in different chapters of local and regional history.

Museums, Rice History, and Coastal Culture

The Georgetown County Museum presents more than 300 years of local history and culture. At the Rice Museum, rice cultivation in Georgetown County is the focus of the permanent exhibition in the Old Market Building and the Town Clock. The rivers also shape this historical perspective: the Waccamaw, Pee Dee, Black, Sampit, and Santee rivers flowed through the county to the sea and enabled the widespread use of tidal-flow cultivation for rice.

The Gullah Museum presents Gullah Geechee culture and history. Its exhibition themes include the Gullah language, rice culture, and Gullah Geechee foodways, as well as distinctive art, crafts, music, and spiritual practices. The South Carolina Maritime Museum opened in 2011 on the waterfront in the historic downtown. Its collection includes the Fresnel lens from the former lighthouse on North Island. If you’d like to plan your museum visit around an event, the Georgetown Wooden Boat Show is held every year on the third weekend in October; check the dates before your trip.

Nature Between Estuary, Wetlands, and Coast

More than 300 bird species have been observed at Huntington Beach State Park. Boardwalks there provide access for observing wildlife in salt marshes and around a freshwater lagoon. The Nature Center complements the wildlife viewing with exhibits on the region’s birdlife and marine life. Since opening hours can change, it’s a good idea to check them before your visit.

Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge offers another way to experience the region’s landscapes. Its habitats include tidal rice fields and wooded wetlands along the Waccamaw River and Great Pee Dee River. Visitor amenities include interpretive nature trails, a mountain biking trail, and a boardwalk. Canoe trips on the Pee Dee River and Yauhannah Lake are also offered, as are paddling trips through a blackwater swamp. More than 200 bird species live here, including the swallow-tailed kite.

North Inlet-Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve brings together additional diverse habitats: tidal and transitional marshes, oyster reefs, beaches, coastal forest, and open water. Sea turtles, sturgeon, terns, and wood storks find habitat there. For a different perspective on the coastal landscape, the 800-meter-long MarshWalk in Murrells Inlet is a boardwalk along a natural saltwater estuary.

Guided History and Special Experiences

Hobcaw Barony spans 16,000 acres and encompasses a wide variety of ecosystems found along the South Carolina coast. The grounds contain more than 70 cultural sites, including cemeteries, cabins of formerly enslaved people, and homes of the Baruch family. Access is available only through guided tours and programs; a two-hour history tour is also offered. Since reservation availability can vary, check before making plans.

Hampton Plantation State Historic Site presents the history of a colonial-era plantation, slavery, and rice cultivation in the region through the end of the Civil War. Visitors can explore the mansion and learn how it was built beginning in the early 18th century and changed over time. Walking paths wind through pine forest on the grounds, which also offer views of Wambaw Creek and remnants of former rice fields.

Hopsewee also combines house history with cultural programming: guided tours take visitors through the historic 18th-century house. The Hopsewee Historic Museum draws on archaeological discoveries to expand the life stories of the people enslaved there. Offerings also include a sweetgrass basket-making class and an indigo-dyeing workshop. Dates can change; check the current schedule if you’re planning a tour or class.

Brookgreen Gardens is a National Historic Landmark and offers a daily selection of tours, programs, and exhibits for all ages. General admission includes the gardens and galleries, the Lowcountry Zoo, and exhibits at the Lowcountry History Center; check current admission terms before your visit. The Creek Excursion takes visitors through the creeks on a 48-foot pontoon boat and lasts about 45 minutes. It’s offered seasonally, so check the current schedule.

Explore more destinations: Pawleys Island, Murrells Inlet, Georgetown, Beaufort County, Dorchester County, Union County, Hampton County, Laurens.

For the main travel overview: South Carolina.