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.
Explore Daufuskie Island by golf cart, an experience that is completely different and that you’ll remember for a long time. Great for all ages.
Every year over two million visitors flock here to enjoy the warm sunshine and more than 12 miles of beaches that encircle Hilton Head. Beachcombing is a natural activity for all ages. Have fun searching for crabs, shells, sand dollars, starfish, driftwood, and other treasures.
Hilton Head dolphins are as friendly as the people here. They show up in all the populated places – the Atlantic beaches, the sounds, and the creeks. Their graceful, silvery bodies never fail to catch attention as they arc through the waters or pop up to grin at you with their smiling faces.
If you want to see one of the Hilton Head’s most intriguing inhabitants, the American alligator, you probably need to go only as far as the nearest fresh water or brackish lagoon.
Both the amateur and the avid birdwatcher quickly recognize Hilton Head as a prime place for birding. Birding is so popular and such an essential part of the Lowcountry experience that most guided ecotours include bird watching as part of their excursions.
The Lowcountry’s estuarial ecosystem has led to the preservation of three national wildlife refuges that are open for exploration: Pinckney Island, ACE Basin, and the Savannah Wildlife Refuges.
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.
The giant bronze statue of Neptune, Shelter Cove Harbour’s most famous landmark, furnishes an ideal family photo, but it is not the only thing that draws people to Shelter Cove Harbour.
Coligny Circle and the Forest Beach area is easy to find; it is freely accessible by foot, car and bike; it’s right on the most popular public beach; and there are numerous hotels, shops and restaurants within walking distance.
Before there was Sea Pines, there was Palmetto Bay Marina, opened in 1959. The marina’s free-spirited Key West ambiance makes it a popular all-day destination. Water activities, restaurants, and shops will keep folks of all ages and interests busy from morning to night.
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.
Hilton Head Island’s Harbour Town Yacht Basin is “must do” – a great place for the whole family to spend a whole day. It is the center of activity within The Sea Pines Resort.
Feeling a little crabby? An easy and relaxing Hilton Head family activity, perhaps easier than fishing, is an outing to go crabbing. If you would like to learn more about crabbing, there are a number of companies in the area who can show you the ropes.
For a tranquil experience on the water, take a sail on a sailing catamaran. You’ll feel totally relaxed as you take in the serene Hilton Head Island waters.
Don’t miss out on taking a cruise on Hilton Head’s only trimaran, berthed at the Harbour Town Yacht Basin in the Sea Pines Resort.
Parasailing is your ticket to a peaceful yet thrilling experience. Soar over Hilton Head Island and you’ll see the Lowcountry for miles in every direction. Go solo or fly tandem. Choose how high you soar, from 400 to 800 feet in the air. Get wet or stay dry.
How about an extreme day. Experience the thrill of speeding behind a powerboat on nothing more than a pair of water skis or a bouncy rubber tube.
For an action-packed outing on the water, take a banana boat ride.
Anthropologists guess that around 400 A.D. a form of belly boarding on wood planks was introduced in ancient Hawaii. Over the centuries, the art, sport and culture of surfing has evolved.
For a real thrill, surf the wake. Try wakeboarding, wakesurfing, or kneeboarding. However, know that these three watersports are somewhat different.
A popular sport on Hilton Head is jet skiing, or waverunning. Our waters are safe and uncrowded so you can go “fast and bouncy” or “slow and cruise.”
Kayaking is a Hilton Head “must do.” It is one of the best ways to enjoy the natural gifts the Lowcountry has to offer.
Stand up paddle boarding is one of today’s fastest growing water activities, great for all ages. World-class surfers, fitness gurus and watermen alike have embraced this latest exercise trend.
For an exhilarating guided water tour with plenty of photo opportunities, be sure to consider the thrill of riding in a hard bottom inflatable zodiac-type raft.
For a unique way to tour the Island’s tidal creeks and marshes, rent the “Paddy Wagon,” a four-passenger paddleboat. As Hilton Head ‘s newest form of family fun, this is a “green” way to get out on the water.
What’s a vacation without some leisurely time to kick back and drop a fishing pole into the water? If you aren’t a heavy-duty angler, you have kids in tow, or you just don’t want to spend the time or money for a charter boat, then try fishing in one of the Island’s many lagoons and ponds.
Arrive home with the ultimate fish story – “I caught JAWS!” Perhaps this is why shark fishing is one of the most popular excursions for both family fun and serious sports fishermen alike.
There are few experiences as typical to the Lowcountry lifestyle as a picnic on one of our many sandbars. Locals love to head out to the sandbars to picnic and party at low tide, particularly to the May River Sandbar.
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.
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.
The Sandbox on Hilton Head Island is a hands-on interactive museum for children with exhibits that are designed to help children learn while having fun.
Check out The Art Cafe in Coligny Plaza to create your own Hilton Head souvenir. It offers a variety of unfinished ceramics, from coffee mugs to wall hangings, for you to paint and add your creative talent.
Lawton Stables has Hilton Head’s only small animal farm where your youngsters can meet and pet a beautiful and friendly collection of animals.
Did you come to the Island with some kids and a dog that really need to run free? People and pets can find plenty of freedom at family-friendly parks all around the Island.
While adults are typically the ones who enjoy the world-class golf on Hilton Head Island, the entire family can enjoy our fun and unique miniature golf courses.
When the tourist season swings into high gear, the night skies of Hilton Head sizzle with fireworks. Running from mid-June through to mid-August, beginning around 9:00 p.m. (weather permitting, of course), Shelter Cove Marina hosts a pyrotechnic display visible all along Broad Creek.
Whether it’s Blackbeard or Jack Sparrow, pirates always seem to excite and fascinate us. Now your youngsters have a chance to experience what it must have been like to be a pirate along the South Carolina coast with Pirates of Hilton Head, which offers pirate sails daily during the summer.
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.
From the cemeteries to bordellos to haunted mansions, Savannah has a reputation for having more than its fair share of ghosts and goose bumps, many of which have a basis in historical fact.
Bomboras is a unique restaurant and bar that is located right near the beach in Coligny Plaza. They are open daily for lunch, dinner, and late night.
Deep sea and shark fishing trips aboard a party boat.
Dolphin and nature excursions aboard zodiac rafts; sail boat rentals; sailing lessons; and Kids Camps.
The Crabber J II is great fun for the whole family. Learn about sport crabbing and the Atlantic Blue Claw Crab. You’ll teach you how to catch carb as you glide through the salt marshes of Broad Creek.
Dolphin and nature tours aboard the “SS Pelican” and the “Island Queen.”
Dolphin and nature tours around Hilton Head Island, “cruise to dinner” excursions to Marshside Mama’s on Daufuskie Island, summer fireworks cruises, and daily shuttle service to Daufuskie Island.
Dolphin watching and nature tours aboard the six passenger 27-foot Flying Circus. Sunset and fireworks cruises available. Sailing lessons also available.
Hilton Head landmark lighthouse featuring a museum as you climb and a souvenir shop at the top.
Dolphin and nature cruises aboard the “Holiday” and crabbing aboard the “Crabber J II.”
Public recreation programs, wellness activities, and special events for youth, adults and seniors.
Offers a wide variety of outdoor programs including: guided kayak rentals and tours, boat-based dolphin tours, charter fishing, boat charters and rentals, tours of historic Daufuskie Island, stand-up paddleboarding, and team & leadership programs.
Offers rentals of waverunners/jet skis, boats, and kayaks, also offers guided kayak tours; operator of the Dolphin Seafari for guided nature and dolphin tours, cruises to dinner on Daufuskie Island, and daily shuttle service to Daufuskie Island.
Dolphin watching and nature tours aboard sailing catamarans, the “Flying Circus” and the “Pau Hana”; sunset and fireworks cruises available. Sailing lessons also available.
Offers pirate sails daily aboard the “Black Dagger” during the summer for youngsters (best suited to the ages of three to ten).
A hands-on interactive museum for children with exhibits that are designed to help children learn while having fun.
Gift shop atop the Harbour Town Lighthouse; also features a wrap-around balcony for a 360 degree view.
Sightseeing, dinner, dolphin, nature, and historical cruises on Hilton Head Island aboard the “Vagabond,” the “Spirit of Harbour Town,” and the “Stars and Stripes.”
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