The Coastal Discovery Museum should be your first stop for all things Hilton Head. This is place to go to gain a better understanding of the Lowcountry’s cultural heritage and history, its ecology, and its residents, both past and present.
When the Sea Pines Resort founder Charles Fraser built the Harbour Town Lighthouse in 1970, the skeptical public nicknamed it “Fraser’s Folly.” Fraser’s folly soon became Fraser’s foresight. His red-and-white-striped lighthouse soon became the symbol of Hilton Head Island.
Hilton Head Island’s Sea Pines Forest Preserve is a dedicated wildlife habitat. Guided walking tours, family wagon rides, alligator boat tours, and trail rides on horseback all explore the nature and history of this tranquil enclave.
Take a guided family wagon tour through the Hilton Head Island’s Sea Pines Forest Preserve. Sit back, relax, and let the storyteller take you along a memorable journey. You’ll learn about the Island’s history.
Your visit to Hilton Head Island would be not complete without a trail ride on horseback through the Sea Pines Forest Preserve. Pretend you are back in time, in an era before cars, exploring unspoiled forests just as the Spanish did.
Located at in the Sea Pines Resort, South Beach Marina Village is modeled after a New England-style fishing village. It is a great place to congregate, people watch, and spend the day – shopping, dining, and plenty of things to do.
The Gullah culture has woven its way into the fabric of the Lowcountry. Hilton Head Island offers visitors the chance to learn more about this unique and complex culture through guided historical tours.
Thanks to the ingenious masonry methods used by 18th century Lowcountry builders, you can walk the ruins of a grand antebellum tabby mansion. The Stoney-Baynard Ruins tells the colorful story of Hilton Head Island and of the Stoney and Baynard families.
For a quick history lesson, be sure to drive or bike by any one of the area’s historic churches. Most of these churches served as places of worship for abandoned or freed slaves during and after the Civil War, and are still open every Sunday for services.
For the perfect day trip, you don’t have to look any farther than over the bridge from Hilton Head Island to find the quaint, historical town of Bluffton. It features a thriving art district, historical tours of antebellum homes and churches, and great antique shops.
Built around 1840 as a summer residence for plantation owner John James Cole, the Heyward House was one of 15 houses and two churches to escape demolition by Union troops during the Civil War. It is open for tours Monday through Friday.
When you first pull up in front of Rose Hill Mansion, you can’t help but experience a rush of vivid images of pre-Civil War plantation life.
A visit to the Lowcountry is not complete until you’ve experienced the “haints” of the South: Boo Hags and root doctors; Voodoo and grave robbers; pirates and Civil War soldiers. This is the stuff of Lowcountry legends, creepy tales, and goose bumps, both on land and at sea.
Hilton Head Island has the remnants of four Civil War forts. If you are interested in historic forts, don’t miss two of Savannah’s most significant forts: Fort Pulaski and Fort Jackson. And in the Charleston area, historic Fort Sumter.
Just a short distance across the water from Hilton Head Island is Daufuskie Island, a century removed from the upscale stores, vacation villas, and power yachts of Hilton Head’s busiest tourist destination.
If you are curious about Daufuskie Island but want more flexibility than a guided tour, design your own day trip. Visiting Daufuskie can be a completely impromptu adventure, requiring nothing more than a few dollars, lots of curiosity, and time to spend.
A narrated open-air trolley tour of the Historic District is a popular way to get a comprehensive introduction to Savannah’s significant history that began almost 300 years ago.
You’ve already taken a trolley tour, which gave you an overview of Savannah’s Historic District. Now it’s time to focus on the details. Take a specialty guided walking or driving tour.
Since its publication in 1994, John Berendt’s book “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”, or “The Book” as locals refer to it, has made a big impact on Savannah. Learn about this non-fiction depiction of the story’s places and players by joining a guided tour.
The River Street Riverboat Company offers a variety of cruises aboard the Savannah River Queen and the Georgia Queen, replicas of the river boats that cruised America’s rivers in days gone by.
Always proud of its heritage and beauty, Savannah has a long track record of historic preservation. Visitors to Savannah may tour some of these magnificent historic homes.
Savannah was founded as a Church of England settlement, but many other beliefs soon followed. There are many historic churches. Here are a few significant colonial congregations.
As one of the key areas fought over during both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, Savannah offers you a glimpse of America’s earliest turmoil. It historic fort sites inspire awe and bring tears to those who visit.
As long as you’re visiting Georgia’s First City, why not tour her in a style in harmony with her history – a horse drawn carriage.
The city of Charleston is one of this country’s most popular destinations, having received “Condé Nast Traveler’s” Award as “Top U.S. City.” Visitors can choose from a number of guided tours year around.
Tour some of the south’s most iconic plantations: Boone Hall, Drayton Hall, Hampton Plantation State Historic Site, Magnolia Plantation, and Middleton Plantation.
Daufuskie Island ferry service; dolphin tours; guided nature & history tours of Daufuskie Island; fireworks cruises; and golf cart rentals.
Learn what life was like on Hilton Head Island before the bridge to the mainland was built in 1956. Guided tours of the Hilton Head Island Gullah Museum, located in a restored 1930s cabin, are available by appointment only.
Hilton Head landmark lighthouse featuring a museum as you climb and a souvenir shop at the top.
Offering Lowcountry nature, sightseeing, fishing, and water sports adventuring led by experienced and personable captains.
Located in Savannah, offering historic trolley tours, on/off trolley tours, ghost tours, and Land & Sea Tours.
Located in Savannah, offering historic trolley tours, on/off trolley tours, the original Paula Deen Tour, ghost tours, and Land & Sea Tours.
Tour a genuine Lowcountry cotton plantation house located in Bluffton, SC.
Offers a variety of guided specialty walking and van tours of Savannah’s Historic District.
Sightseeing, dinner, dolphin, nature, and historical cruises on Hilton Head Island aboard the “Vagabond,” the “Spirit of Harbour Town,” and the “Stars and Stripes.”
To learn of things to do in California and Oregon, try 101things.com
