Mr. McB and I spent Christmas at Myrtle Beach. It was the first time I have ever visited the beach in the winter but I definitely plan to do so again.
Despite many visits to the Myrtle Beach area, this trip marked my first visit to Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet. The gardens occupy land that once made up several rice plantations. The land was purchased by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington in 1930. The southern location was good for Anna’s health and the makeup of the gardens was the perfect place to display her sculptures. As time went on the Huntington’s broadened their vision to include pieces from other artists and now the garden is the largest collection of American sculpture in the world and the largest outdoor sculpture collection in the U.S.

The pieces are varied just like the land that comprises the gardens. It’s clear that the Huntington’s put a great deal of thought into the best way to integrate the art into the landscape.

I highly recommend seeing the gardens if you get the chance. The tickets are reasonable and are good for several days. If you are visiting the area in the heat of the summer, multiple visits may be your best choice for seeing everything. As it was, we walked for at least eight miles and still didn’t see every single piece.

See the photos below to get a taste of what you could see during a visit to Brookgreen.

The wall divides the more manicured gardens from the natural area near the tidal river that runs through the gardens.

Black Panther

The children’s garden is full of whimsy and color.

A great example of how the sculptures fit into the landscape.

Some blooms even in December

Candles left from the Night of 1,000 Candles holiday display

Time and the Fates of Man

Don Quixote – Anna Hyatt Huntington

Fall of France – One of my favorites
This piece depicts France’s fate in WWII.

Frog Baby in the children’s garden

Pegasus

Muses

Cardinal Seahorse (reminds me of Mooseal from the Wuzzles)

Song of Myself – one of many quotes and verses in the gardens

This fox lives in the zoo that is on the property.

So do these cows.

It’s a great place and again, one that I highly recommend.