Honey Horn consists of 68 acres at the intersection of the Cross Island Parkway and Highway 278. The Town of Hilton Head purchased this parcel of land in order to protect it from development. The Coastal Discovery Museum leases the property from the Town and takes very seriously its responsibility toward this land, and is protecting the majority of it as green space.

In addition to the breathtaking natural beauty of Honey Horn, there are also a dozen historic structures scattered throughout the property. Honey Horn has already been used for several community events and will continue to be a place where the island's visitors and residents can gather for special occasions.

Guided Walks at Honey Horn:

• Honey Horn History Walk
• A Walk in the Woods
• Salt Marsh Discovery

Terrace Talks at Honey Horn:

• Lowcountry Nature A-Z
• Hilton Head Island After The Bridge
• The Civil War Era
• Hilton Head: The Early Years

2008 Events hosted and planned at Honey Horn:

• February 10 - Celebration of Authors and Books
• February 16-17 - Arts, Crafts and Food Expo
• March 5 - Palmetto Quilt Guild Demonstration
• April 26 & 27 - The Art Market

Honey Horn History
The land that is known as Honey Horn has a rich history that reflects the Lowcountry. The land was once home to cash crops prior to the Civil War. While the main house on the property was begun in 1859 by William J. Graham, it was not completed until after the Civil War. Many additions have been made to the main house over time. Other small houses and structures were constructed on the property as needed.

After the Civil War, the land was used for farming and hunting by many Native Islander families. Beginning in the 1890s, northern businessmen purchased large sections of the island for hunting, fishing and other sporting activities. Honey Horn was included in these transactions until it was purchased by the Hack family in the 1950s for permanent residential use. The Town of Hilton Head Island purchased the property from the Hack family in the late 1990s as part of its land acquisition program. This action ensured that the property would not be commercially developed as a shopping center or residential complex. The museum's use of the property and structures on it will educate residents and visitors about the rich history, culture and natural environment of the Lowcountry and Hilton Head Island.

Gullah Exhibit at the Coastal Discovery Museum

The Coastal Discovery Museum is pleased to announce its inaugural exhibit in its new facility at Honey Horn.  “Artists Influenced by the Gullah Culture: 1907-2007” will be presented in the Hilton Head Regional Healthcare Gallery in the Discovery House. The 40-plus artworks, of varying media, in this exhibit are on loan from private collectors in the surrounding community and from two respected South Carolina institutions, the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston and the McKissick Folklife Museum in Columbia.

Artwork in the exhibit was created from the early 20th century until the present day.  The pieces that are on exhibit were made by artists with a wide difference in their experiences.   Most of the artists, both African American and white, have roots in the south. From the work of untrained, but nationally recognized artists like Sam Doyle, Jimmy Lee Sudduth, Bernice Sims, and Helen Stewart and to academically trained artists like Jonathan Green, James Denmark, Elizabeth O’Neill Verner and Leo Twiggs.  Two of Hilton Head Island’s best-known artists, Walter Greer and Joe Pinckney, are also included.

“Each year,” according to Natalie Hefter, Vice President of Programs, “the Coastal Discovery Museum will plan to have three or four temporary exhibits in the Discovery House.  Having a collection of artwork from nationally and regionally known artists for our inaugural exhibit is a great way to celebrate the Museum’s move to Honey Horn.”  “The Gullah culture,” Hefter adds, “is such an important part of our area’s past and present that it is critical that we share this story with our visitors and residents.”

The pieces on loan from the Gibbes Museum focus on the artists of the 30’s.  They include:

• Linocut Woodcut by Hale Aspacio Woodruff
• Elizabeth O’Neill Verner (for whom the Verner Award in the Arts is named) pastel portrait of Cato Waring
• Linoleum print form 1945 by Margaret Moffett Law
• Wood engraving from 1937 by Howard Cook
• Edwin Harleston’s “The Honey Man”

Highlights from private collections include:

• Jonathan Green - “Horse in the Pasture” and “House of Praise ‘
• Isabelle Dayton – “Morning Baptism”
• Charles Deseaussure with the dramatic portrait of “Miss Fishburn” his grandmother
• Della Wells, who is represented in the Hurn Folk Art Museum with mesmerizing “Yellow Girl Thinking”
• Leo Twiggs "Rivers I have Crossed”
• Joe Pinckney – “Tator Woman” and “Uncle Ben”

“We are extremely pleased with the look and feel of the new temporary exhibit gallery at the Discovery House at Honey Horn, funded by the Hilton Head Regional Healthcare.  This 1000 square foot gallery will allow the Museum the flexibility it needs to stage a wide range of temporary exhibitions and shows” commented CEO and President Michael Marks.

The Discovery House opens on Saturday, October 27th, during the Grand Opening of the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn.  The Discovery House is a 6,000 square foot historic building that was recently renovated to include new permanent exhibits, a temporary gallery space, administration offices and a community meeting room.  Honey Horn’s 69 acres also includes specimen live oaks, access to Jarvis Creek on three new boardwalks and historic structures that provide a glimpse into Hilton Head Island’s hunting-club era past.

For more information about the exhibit – please contact Natalie Hefter.

Directions to Honey Horn
After crossing the bridge to Hilton Head Island, travel 3 additional miles on Business 278 to Gum Tree Rd (Do not take Cross Island Expressway). This will be the third traffic signal. Turn right at Gum Tree Rd. and follow signs to Honey Horn.