A great library with fun kid programs! I have also rented out their rooms for public functions and…read morehave had questions answered in a timely manor and the process is simple to use!

This is a wonderful facility for all ages. The architecture is unique both inside and out. The…read moreLibrary contains great local knowledge and local history. You can explore not only the books but the plaques, displays, and other materials that are entwined within the spaces. The amount of technology they make available to the residents is amazing! The creative programs and activities they offer the younger generations are truly a gift to the community. All the staff we encountered were so knowledgeable, kind and accommodating. We didn't have much time to take it all in. So a repeat visit is on the books.

I love our local library! It is tucked away down a side road on Saint Helena Island and is quite…read morethe gem! The ladies and gentlemen are friendly and helpful! I love that if you are in a rush, just call ahead and they will bring your book out to the car as you go through the line :-) at Christmas time they gave me a gingerbread house for the kids to build :-) this summer they had an amazing reading program for kids in Beaufort County to participate in. If you order a book or something else through the library, you can sign up to be texted, emailed, or called when your items arrive. In my case, I get all three!

Amazing experience! My husband and I got an impromptu tour from Russ who volunteers as a museum…read moreguide. Russ is very knowledgeable! He walked us through each and every stand and told us a lot of fun stories. We got to ask lots of questions and got them all answered. Best and most personalized museum experience ever!

What a cool place, walking distance from downtown and our B&B. Our docent, Tom Kelley, really knew…read morehis history of the area and was engaging throughout our tour. Learning about the town you visit is always important to us, so the tour was right up our alley. Very cool place and visitor center onsite offers loads of information about the area from things to do, places to see and great restaurants. I loved hearing about the history of Beaufort and if you want to learn something, this is definitely the place to go! It looks like a castle as you come down the street and the folks there are most welcoming. They can also schedule walking tours or golfcart tours for you for another time. Make sure you say hello to Jenny & Chris in the visitor center and tell Tom we've been talking about his tour since we got home! Thanks for a great tour!

Unfortunately, they had most of the center closed. It was packed with lines of people & they only…read morehad one side of the women's bathroom open - it was insane. Not sure why a visitor center would be closed at 2 in the afternoon on a Monday, but.....

I've never stopped here before but I'm assuming it's recently been redone. Everything smelled new…read moreinside the building. Bathrooms were clean. There was a nice grassy area outside for the dog. Vending machines were available. I've been to some pretty gross rest stops before so this was definitely a welcomed sight.

My husband and I relocated to South Carolina 6 months ago & needed to address some Medicare & SSA…read moreissues we were having. How fortunate for us to have SSA rep POPPY meet with us. POPPY fielded & handled every question & concern we had. At the end of our appointment all of our issues were resolved. What an extreme pleasure it was to deal with someone from SSA who is so professional, knowledgeable, kind, understanding & most importantly - empathetic. That's who POPPY is!! We know the SSA has a difficult task in trying to handle an overabundance of issues from the public, but please know that POPPY is excellent at her role in making life better for all of us! Thank you so much for all you do! Julie & Bob Pellegrino

Surprisingly I have a great review of the Social Security Administration Beaufort office. Located…read morejust of Rt 170 on the southbound side. Plenty of parking. When you go in, it reminds you of any other federal or state building with customer facing. There's a security agent who directed us to the Kiosk where you answer a few questions about yourself prior to being issued a ticket which is your number in line. There's a TV screen which promotes the SSA offering as well as showing which number is being served next. My wife and I were fortunate to have Quinton as our agent who answered all our questions pertaining to SS and Medicare, HSA's and the different options for now and the future. My wait time was no longer than 5 minutes. My time with Quinton was probably 30 minutes. We may have gotten lucky, but we left very pleased. Time well spent.

Civil War History…read more Dining at Old Fort Pub is always preceded by our walking tour of the Civil War fort, Fort Mitchel (one L.) Fort Mitchel and other Union forts, together with a superior Union Navy were Key to ultimate Union victory. Old Fort Pub is closed, and visitors to FT Mitchel have decreased. This Fort played a vital role in Coastal defenses.

Fun and Interesting historical presentation on old site of this fort area. Well spoken guide met us…read morenear parking and welcomed us, began discussion readily, sharing Civil war history. We ambled to park benches as he continued, explaining the importance of the area, and fortifications there, preserved as possible despite nearby modern development. His talk was augmented with a second presentor, in character and costume, to explain local sentiments during war times, with good humor and good understanding of historical local, slave and soldier perspectives. Well done! Well appreciated! Give a listen , everyone! Volunteer guides, money supports local history library.

Penn Center was recommended as a cultural stop during our visit to Beaufort…read more We did not take a tour but overall found the experience underwhelming. Perhaps we had been spoiled by the excellent IAAM in Charleston. The art work was interesting and the history of the school somewhat but if you have limited time I'd recommend elsewhere.

This loosely laid out complex of buildings paints a historical picture of an island that served as…read morea cultural center for what's now called Gullah-Geechee. The immediate sights next to the parking area are a visitor center where you buy tickets and a small history museum where you hand the tickets in. The history museum included an extensive tour by a local docent, from whom I got very specific details about local history and a friendly conversation of the sort the region is known for. It's a hard experience to explain to those who are living a more conventional American life, but part of the conversation here is about preserving history, with signs in the neighborhood hinting at a legal battle to prevent the surrounding island from being bought up and developed the way that some (but not all) of the surrounding islands have been. A restored schoolhouse on the site is National Parks property, unlike most of it which seems locally owned. Tours and events are offered, but at fairly limited times. It is an interesting place to browse and does have exhibits. There are also some handy water fountains and bathrooms in this area. Otherwise, the site includes a walking tour of several buildings of historic significance, most of which were used to house groups of visitors or for some administrative purpose, but the aesthetics were interesting to look at. This isn't the most dramatic or well-developed experience, and while it seemed more visitor areas might be coming, what's there is a compelling picture of island life and a unique culture.

Adjacent to the north end of the causeway that leads to the Beaufort Memorial Bridge, this marker…read morepoints out the history of a great tragedy that struck Beaufort. The marker text is on two sides. On the front, "This site was the starting point of the Great Fire of 1907, one of the worst disasters in the history of Beaufort. On Jan. 19, a fire started around 1:30 p.m. in F.W. Scheper's barn south of here and move into a large store at this corner. The fire moved west along Bay Street, while strong winds scattered embers over much of downtown. Flames spread up Carteret Street and to the northeast, burning buildings as far as 1/2 mi. away from this location." And on the reverse, "Companies of black and white volunteer firemen struggled to extinguish the flames, which overpowered their equipment. By the time the fire subsided, at least forty buildings had been damaged or destroyed. The event prompted new local ordinances governing the materials and location of new buildings. Despite the destruction, the only death occurred when William Bennett, a member of the well-known African American Allen Brass Band was shot by a soldier on patrol." There is street parking on Bay Street and a public lot nearby. [Review 19480 overall - 1052 in South Carolina - 450 of 2023.]