Coastal Discovery Museum

Surprisingly in an area as awash in money as Hilton Head [1], the island abounds with small, under-funded, but worthwhile endeavors such as the Coastal Discovery Museum (100 William Hilton Pkwy., 843/689-6767, www.coastaldiscovery.org [2], Mon.–Sat. 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–2 p.m., free) just as you get onto Hilton Head. The exhibits here are small-scale but heartfelt, like the excellent little dioramas of traditional island life.

The Coastal Discovery Museum hosts a variety of specialty guided tours, such as a Native Americans on the Sea Islands tour, a Pinckney Island walking tour, and a Sea Pines Plantation Overview. The cost for most of the tours is $12 for adults and $7 for children.

The Coastal Discovery Museum is a partner with South Carolina [3] in a sea turtle protection program, which you can learn more about once there. Standing exhibits include a historical timeline of Hilton Head, a Butterfly Garden, and the Sea Island Biodiversity Room, intended for use with local schoolchildren but fully available to the public.

The Coastal Discovery Museum also plays an important role locally as the steward of the 68-acre Honey Horn greenspace at the intersection of the Cross Island Parkway and U.S. 278. Purchased by the town in the late 1990s, the plan is for the Honey Horn parcel, which contains several historic structures, to be a cultural attraction preserving the heritage of the island. Currently many annual events are hosted here, including wine tastings and the annual Chili Cookoff [4].