The end of a long day we decided to come here. It was just perfect for that after a long day but…read morestill something to do kind of activity. Wish we walked around more but as my son kept saying he was tired of walking lol. Of course he wasn't to tired to go check out the gift shop :P

The Coastal Discovery Museum came up in a search of things to do on a rainy day in Hilton Head…read more While there is a museum component in the main house, much of the attractions are outdoors, so something to keep in mind should you visit when it's raining or when the weather isn't ideal. The outdoor component includes several boardwalks, sculptures, a butterfly enclosure, and gardens. It's meant to introduce you to the coastal ecosystem and marsh life, which makes it quite unique. Admission is complimentary and there's a decent amount of parking. The main house and museum (the Discovery House) I would rate a 3.5 out of 5 stars. The volunteers on hand do a good job in welcoming guests and introducing the site so that guests aren't just left to wander on their own. While the permanent exhibits explaining the local area, ecosystem, and history were decent, I felt the more modern artwork was quite underwhelming, with many of the works on display having price tags (leads me to believe it was amateur artwork for sale). It left me wishing the weather was nice so I could explore the grounds, but that wasn't meant to be as there was a downpour of rain outside. If you have free time in Hilton Head, I'd recommend a visit to the Coastal Discovery Museum, but probably moreso when the weather is nice so you can explore the grounds.

Interactive play. Go…read moreonline and make reservations if your children want to experience the museum. They fill up fast. You have morning and afternoon sessions available. There are both indoor and outdoor activities. You would have to see if it is a place your kids would want to play and learn.

This is the second time my daughter and I took my granddaughter to the Sandbox Children's Museum…read more The first time we went, there were no issues at all. The little one had a great time and we felt very welcomed by the staff. However, this time we felt the experience was not as good and the main reason was because of the attitude & actions of some employees. First off, while we were checking in, the staff was not as friendly and helpful as they were on our previous visit. They had a bit of an attitude because we didn't make reservations before coming. We have a toddler- it's not always easy to preplan your whole day when you have a toddler. Reservations were not full so we were able to go right in. Later on, my granddaughter, who will be three in a month, wanted to play in the area marked for children two & under. At the time, there were no other children playing in that area, so we let her play. An employee walked by and asked how old she was. We told her and she rudely said that she had aged out and that she needed to leave that area. So we left the museum. We could understand if there were children younger than her playing there at the time, but there was no one else in there at all! And my granddaughter is a toddler, not a 6 or 8 year old child, for goodness sakes! It was silly. Use common sense and reasonable discretion when deciding when to enforce certain policies! But truly, the rude & condescending attitude of the employee is what made it so irritating. My daughter did reach out to the Executive Director to discuss the situation and received an apology, so we will give them another chance next time my daughter & granddaughter come to visit. The place is pretty small overall and I would not recommend for older kids as all of the exhibits/play spaces are limited and really geared for younger kids. I personally think $12 per person for admission is a bit much for what the place actually has to offer, but as long as my granddaughter is entertained, we are willing to pay it. She wil likely "age out of it" in a few years unless they add some new & more advanced exhibits/play areas.

We came to see the lighthouse. I did not climb to the top. I am unable to climb that high any…read morelonger. I wish I could. There were many busses there and individual family's there. This lighthouse is located in a quaint and cute neighborhood. We did not stay long, as we're on our way to where I wanted to go:Sugar Shack. Then we're were going g to head home:Jacksonville, Florida. Recommend? Only younger people who can climb many steps.

We took a day trip from Savannah Georgia, where we were staying over to Tybee Island, which is a…read morequick jaunt and it was worth the day trip. We headed over to the lighthouse and got the tickets. They have senior discounts, military discounts, and various deals, but the price is very reasonable and it includes your trip up the lighthouse and you also have the museum across the street that has so much detail you can spend hours there. The view from the top of the lighthouse gives you such an amazing perspective of Tybee Island and the beach is enormous and you can see quite a bit of it from the top of the lighthouse. Make sure you're in good physical condition to walk up 196 stairs, which is like six levels up. They limit the number of people that can go up the lighthouse all at one time so it doesn't get congested up at the top. They keep just a handful of people going at one time.

The Museum is a work in progress. Reservations are required, unbeknownst to us. Currently, from…read morewhat I understand you receive a history lesson (background of the Gullah), have q&a, then you can take a walk around to visit some of the original home places. We did have a quick visit with Dr. Cohen. Although she was "closing up shop " for the day reason for the stars given), we appreciate the brief chat and information provided. Once up and in full operation, I'll have to return for a history lesson and adjust my stars.

The Gullah Museum of Hilton Head Island is developing…read more Currently there is a very good $25.00 tour, and plans call for the 9th Annual Gullah Food Festival. There will be great music, storytelling, bouncy houses and face painting for the kids. Food vendors will be available for non-seafood eaters.

Bluffton claims the South's secession that led to the Civil War started here. Later, more than 80%…read moreof the town was burned by Union forces. The Heyward House is one of eight buildings that survived, and the only one of seven that still exist that's open to the public. It provides a glimpse into everyday 19th-century life. Our knowledgeable docent provided an interesting and engaging 45-minute tour. Naturally, there's a small gift shop with info about other local attractions.

Bluffton ought to be ashamed of itself calling this atrocity a "Welcome Center" or a "Visitor…read moreCenter." There are several "Visitor Center" signs on the roads all over town with arrows pointing to this place. And then once you arrive there is a blackboard at the front entrance to the building directing you to the open screened back porch. But the only thing there was a half empty rack with a few pamphlets. Ironically, most of the pamphlets were for museums and other "touristy" things to do in Savannah, which is where we came from! We enjoyed the rest of our visit to Bluffton today, but calling this place a "Visitor Center" is a joke - - - and a bad one at that.

The Museum of Hilton Head Island is a small, interesting and very family oriented museum. I had the…read moreopportunity to check it out, when I first moved to HHI, as it is at the Visitors Center. Within the museum there are a few exhibits and collections of artifacts that relate to the islands history and culture. There are a few small tours that focus on the traditional lives of the Native Americans on the Sea Islands, in addition these is a Pinckney Island walking tour, which is enjoyable (there is a great butterfly sanctuary) Lastly, a Sea Pinces Plantation Overview, which I skipped as I was exploring prior to the tour taking place and feel I got the main points. There are special events that occur from spring till summer-bird tours, which I have not done, but will return to do so. From there, there are a few agricultural exhibits as well as some wildlife preserve areas, with the information boards, explaining the dwellers, their history and habitats. The cost for most of the tours is $12 for adults and $7 for children, which is a bit steep, but with limited private funding, the money needs to come from somewhere...

What a wonderful educational day trip this place makes for people or children of any age. You can…read morelearn more about the environment and animal life that can be found in this area. They also offer tours (which we didn't try yet but certainly plan to). You can walk around for free (however they do kindly ask for a donation).

A drive through the islands leads one past this building (perhaps an old oyster factory from the…read morelooks of things) with a spectacular view and a story to tell. There are a couple of rooms worth of free exhibits describing the environment, the wildlife, and the human interactions with the area. It's free, and notably there is a loop that runs under the highway so it is reasonably easy to get to the museum from either direction. The place is not open on Sunday, which is common in the South but not ideal from my perspective as that would be when I would most likely be wanting to do some outdoor activity. When I finally found my way there on a Saturday, albeit kind of an unplanned visit, I saw that they offered kayak tours, but apparently these require advance registration and I could not go on one having just shown up, which is kind of disappointing. It looks like a very nice area to see from the water. I would certainly encourage tourists to make the stop regardless.

Great museum celebrating the marine corps. Gate guards were great to talk to my kid is definitely…read moreinterested in joining.

This is an on-base museum, and one has to provide license and registration to MP's at the gate. The…read morefirst time I tried, the base was closed to anyone who wasn't active duty military, which I don't think is an uncommon situation given what I read elsewhere. This is an area where you want to have an alternative destination in mind if it doesn't work out. Comes with the territory. Once admitted, you're on the training grounds for recruits into the Marine Corps. As someone who just visited the massive new USMC museum near DC, being here is just a different experience. The sea island environment is rugged, biting insects are numerous, and even in the shade, the heat is sweltering. The museum is an older-looking, utilitarian building, but the exhibits are extensive and I spent around two hours and certainly did not read every detail. The training program itself is extensively described, and I don't think I would last very long. But given the lack of discipline in the civilian world, the nature of training here illuminates the differences and is educational even for someone who is not a Marine. I was also surprised with the level of detail in which the history of the island was covered. There was quite a lot about colonial history, and you'll learn about Native Americans, the Gullah people who were left behind here after the Civil War, and the introduction of women into the service. I also found it notable that the museum wasn't quite as jingoistic as some of the other military sites I've been to. You can see exhibits on the Fall of Saigon or John Brown that aren't exactly America's finest moments. Don't get me wrong, the museum still certainly has a perspective, and you couldn't leave without getting a very clear impression of what the values of the Marines are. A visitor center within walking distance was closed, but once inside the base, the other area that I found tourist-friendly was a historic area near the golf course which talks about Spanish and French colonial history and gives you a nice view of the natural environment. I come from an Army-Navy family myself and I don't have any strong ties to the subject, but one can't help but walk out with an appreciation of the relevance of our Marine Corps to the way the rest of us are able to live our lives.

Daufuskie is full of history from its plantation life before the Civil War to the union occupation…read moreduring the war to becoming a worldwide producer of Oysters in the early 1900's. After the oyster beds were ruined in the 1950's by pollution in the Savannah River the population of the island dropped to around 100 as residents needed to move "across the water" to earn a living. Today the island is primarily inhabited by tourists. The former Haig Point plantation has become a gated community similar to many of the plantations on Hilton Head and the rest of the island is supported by tourism. Don't expect to find a miniature Hilton Head, Daufuskie is still in very pristine condition. You won't be shopping and bar hopping. So if you'd like to spend a day surrounded by history and beauty on a largely unspoiled island in the low country I'd recommend you visit Daufuskie Island. https://youtu.be/zBUA0xiE4CA

We left from Broad Creek on the Delta Queen Paddle Boat. It was a nice ride over to the island…read more Arrived at the marina around 11:00. Once on the island you are touring in your golf cart. The island had 19 + stops to visit. Some of the unique stops was Bloody Point Beach, Bloody Point Lighthouse, Silver Dew Winery, The Iron Fish Gallery, The Daufuskie Rum Distillery, Mary Field Cemetery, African Church, Marshside's Mamas, the Marina. We had to decide whether to go in the order on the map or "wing it". We got our golf cart and took off on the order of 1-19. We had 6 in our group and must have gotten the oldest cart in the bunch. We "putted" around the island. There were moments when we wondered if we would make it back to the boat in time for departure. NOTE: the smaller groups had newer carts with CD players to give the history. We were left with person in the front of our cart reading off the brochure. It was Okay but not what we paid for or were told we would have access when we made our reservations. Since the island was just bouncing back from the Hurricane Matthews, not all sites were open. Each one had its own unique history behind the spot or location. When you first arrive at the marina, you can try to the Scrap Iron drink. BEWARE...sip it or you won't know you took a tour. Strong liquid libation that is made on the island and only sold on the island. A word of caution, don't spend a lot of time at the various sites or you won't have time to eat and make the trip back to the marina for the ferry departure at 4:00 p.m.

We have heard about this place for years and we saw it for the first time today! What a delightful…read morearea to visit complete with no Sims to give us a remembrance to take home. No trip to Hilton head would be complete without a bug bite. Aside from the bug bite, we enjoyed the views along the waterway. We may return and take a souvenir cruise at some point.

From their website, it's described as a legendary Lowcountry location, and I'd say that's spot on…read more A visit to The Sea Pines Resort isn't complete without a trip to the Harbour Town Lighthouse. Its museum-like setting offers visitors the chance to explore the rich history of the island while climbing the 114 steps of the iconic red-and-white-striped structure. The museum features a fascinating collection of memorabilia from the Heritage Classic, now known as the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing, along with artifacts from the island's historic eras, including the Civil War. At the top of the lighthouse, you're rewarded with panoramic views of the Lowcountry and the island's most elevated shopping experience at the Top of the Lighthouse Shoppe. Honestly, the entry fee was only $7.50 -- a small price to pay for such a beautiful view. Even on a super windy day, the scenery was breathtaking and definitely worth the climb, a must-do activity! Great service!