On Site Tours and Programs
Click on the Register for This Event button to go to the Event Calendar where you can find the date and program you would like to register for online.
The blue crab’s life cycle begins with millions of microscopic eggs that eventually develop into active predators with powerful claws. Learn all about the intriguing life of the Atlantic Blue Crab and the important role they play in the coastal ecosystem and lowcountry history. Experience recreational harvesting, cooking, cleaning, and eating of the blue crab! (This is experience includes just a taste of blue crab meat).
FAMILY FRIENDLY
April, May, September, & October: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:30 am.
June- August: Tuesdays at 9:30, Thursdays 9:30, AND Fridays at 2:00pm
November: Thursdays, except Thanksgiving, 9:30-11:30am.
$15 adult, $10 child
Get up close and personal with some native butterflies! Learn about local butterflies and see all four stages of their life cycle (egg, larvae, chrysalis, and adult butterfly) during a guided walk through the Karen Wertheimer Butterfly Habitat. Discover just how easy it is to attract butterflies to your yard and how to increase butterfly numbers in the wild. This tour includes a 20-30min indoor presentation prior to a guided walk through the Karen Wertheimer Butterfly Habitat.
May: Fridays from 3:00-4:00pm.
June, July, & August: Tuesdays from 3:00-4:00pm AND Fridays from 9:30-10:30am.
September & October: Fridays from 11:00am-12:00pm.
This is a FAMILY FRIENDLY indoor/outdoor experience.
$10 adult, $5 child
The Civil War is one of the most important events in the history or our country. South Carolina played a key role in the development and ending of the war. Hilton Head Island was home to thousands of Union soldiers during the Civil War. Find out why they were here and how they spent their time. Historic photographs, maps and artifacts tell the story of Hilton Head from 1861-1865.
Thursdays from 3:00–4:00pm
$12 per person , $7 child (ages 7+) / No children under the age of 7 please.
Drop in and explore the Coastal Discovery Museum’s Discovery Lab!! Visiting the lab is a fun educational experience for all ages. Get a closer look at some live lowcountry animals like fish, horseshoe crabs, hermit crabs, frogs, lizards, snakes, and a friendly alligator. Discover unique and fascinating stories about the lowcountry’s history and environment through hands-on, interactive displays and games.
Open House:
The Discovery Lab will not have any open house hours this summer. This is for the safety of our guests, volunteers, and staff. Thank you for understanding.
No reservations required.
$2 per person (ages 5 and up) / Children under the age of 5 are free.
FAMILY FRIENDLY. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Everyone must have fun!!
Throughout the year, the Museum offers lectures and discussions about the Lowcountry’s history, culture, and environment. Topics vary and guest presenters come from around the region.
Select weekdays at 2 PM (typically Mondays and Wednesdays) from October–May the Discovery Lecture Series is offered.
$7 per person (in person). This program will also be offered online for $5 per lecture.
Check here for the list of 2020 programs. Schedule will be announced in early September.
There is something special happening AFTER HOURS at the Coastal Discovery Museum. Indigo Tie Dye! Come and learn how indigo dye is made from a plant and use it create a tie dye t-shirt to take home. The Museum will provide you with one t-shirt (size Child M – Adult XL) to tie dye with indigo dye. You are welcome to bring an additional cotton item to dye. The property will also be open for you to enjoy and explore after hours.
5- 6:30 pm Thursday evenings through October
Advance registration online required.
$10 per person. 10 people maximum participation.
Begin your Honey Horn experience with this guided tour around the museum’s picturesque and historic grounds. Visit the salt marsh, see historic buildings, and learn about the gardens, plants and trees on site. Your museum guide will share stories about Honey Horn’s past and its natural history.
September through May – Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11:00am-12:30pm.
June through August – Wednesdays from 11:00am – 12:30pm
$12 Adults / $7 Children (ages 4-12) / Not recommended for children under the age of 4.
Experienced professional photographer Scott Moody provides an opportunity for a unique family portrait experience at the Coastal Discovery Museum. The beautiful Honey Horn setting with its majestic live oaks, salt marsh boardwalks, and historic buildings is a great alternative to the beach for your family’s portrait. The fee includes the photography session and printable high resolution images.
Scott Moody has worked as a professional photographer for over 30 years in the Lowcountry. He provides professional portraits captured digitally. The customer then has the ability to print products and images on your own.
Time vary with the sunset. Portraits are offered Sunday through Friday. All reservations must be made over the phone.
The salt marsh is an important and unique habitat that is full of life! Get up close and hands-on with several marsh critters as your guide shares a fun short story about the many critters you might encounter while spending a day in the salt marsh.
This family program is designed for the preschool and younger elementary kids in your family BUT the whole family will enjoy.
June, July, August: Thursdays from 10:00-10:30 AND Thursdays from 11:00-11:30.
$25 per family/group (up to 7 people). 1 group per program.
This is a FAMILY FRIENDLY outdoor experience.
Descended from horses brought to the Lowcountry in the 1500s, there are now around 300 Marsh Tackies left in existence. Learn about the history of these adaptable horses and take a trip to our historic barn. There you will meet the museum’s two resident horses Comet and Hawk and learn about their care and conservation.
September-May: Fridays from 2:00-3:00pm.
June – August: Wednesdays from 9:30am – 10:30am.
Beginning in September, fees are: $12 per adult & $7 per child.
Alligators, snakes, and turtles oh my! Take a closer look at the fascinating and unique characteristics of local reptiles and amphibians. Learn how to protect these amazing creatures and safely enjoy sharing the Lowcountry with them. For the safety of our guests, staff, and volunteers this is a hands-off program. You will see and learn about reptiles and amphibians but you will not be able to touch any. Thank you for Understanding.
This FAMILY FRIENDLY indoor experience is also a nice escape from the afternoon heat or rain!
March, April, May: Wednesdays from 3:00-4:00pm
June, July, & August: Mondays from 11:00am-12:00 pm, Tuesdays from 1:00pm-2:00pm, and Thursday from 10:00-11:00.
September, October, and November: Wednesdays from 3:00pm-4:00pm.
$10 per adult & $5 per child.
The Salt Marsh is a unique environment with a fascinating tale that is often overlooked. Most coastal creatures depend fully or partially on the Salt Marsh. The role the Salt Marsh plays as a filter for water and a nursery for many of the creatures that inhabit the coast is vital for the functioning of the coastal ecosystem. Learn from an expert how and why this particular environment is so important. Considered one of the most productive ecosystems on earth, the Salt Marsh is a place worth visiting and exploring while on Hilton Head Island.
September-May: Fridays from 10:00-11:30am.
$12 adults / $7 child (ages 4-12) / Not recommended for children under the age of 4.
Sea turtles live an extraordinary life. Explore the amazing journey of Loggerhead Sea Turtles from egg to adulthood. Discover just how easy it is to help protect these fascinating sea creatures. You will not see live sea turtles and for the safety of our guests, volunteers, and staff this will be a hands-off experience this summer. Thank you for understanding.
This FAMILY FRIENDLY indoor experience is also a nice escape from the afternoon heat or rain!
June, July, & August: Thursdays from 1:00pm-2:00pm.
$50 per family/group (up to 7 people). 1 group per presentation.
Want to learn about nature and have fun at the same time? Take a narrated Segway tour! Travel through the property, traversing wooden boardwalks over the salt marsh, winding through the Live Oaks draped in Spanish moss. Catch a glimpse of historic Marsh Tacky horses. All while standing tall on your off-road, pollution free, Segway. Great for seniors, families, and friends. Ages 8 and older. Tours range from 1 ¼ to 1 ¾ hours, including training. Extended tours (14 and older only) leave the plantation to nearby Jarvis Park. $69 to $89 per person depending upon the length of the tour.
All booking for these tours is arranged through Segway of Hilton Head. Book online by clicking here or call 800-800-0424. If you don’t find the tour online, please call for availability.
Learn about the history of the Sweetgrass basket, one of the Lowcountry’s best known art forms, from a local Gullah basket maker. Then, try your hand at starting a basket of your own using locally found natural materials.
Select Saturdays at 10:30am.
Upcoming classes: 8/22, 9/5, 9/19, 10/10, 10/24, 11/7, and 11/21
$65 per person.
Please note: A minimum of 5 participants is required for this class to occur.
Reservations required: call 843-689-6767 ext. 223 or register online.
Please call the Museum if you have a group interested in a Sweetgrass Basket Class on a day that is not on the schedule. Special arrangements may be possible.
Hilton Head Island has a fascinating history, from the earliest Native Americans inhabitants that harvested oysters and hunted Black Bear to the modern day residents and visitors who flock here to play tennis and golf. The island has gone through numerous changes and uses by diverse groups of people, from logging to farming, to hunting and finally today mostly as a tourist retreat and home to over 35,000 full time residents. Learn from a museum docent about these changes, and the tale of its participants from Native Americans, to Gullah islanders to modern day residents.
September-May: Tuesdays at 3:00-4:00pm.
$12 per adult, $7 per child (ages 7+) / No children under the age of 7 please.
What lives under the sea? There is an amazing world of marine life under that sparkling blue ocean. Take a closer look at some of the smaller marine creatures. Find out what lived in those shells you find on the beach, feed a horseshoe crab and watch it chew with its legs, and much more! This program is geared towards adults and children upper elementary age and older.
This FAMILY FRIENDLY indoor experience is also a nice escape from the afternoon heat or rain!
June, July, and August: Fridays from 1:00-1:30 AND 2:00-2:30pm.
$50 per family/group (up to 7 people). 1 group reservation per program.
Discover the fascinating lives of butterflies from egg, to caterpillar, to chrysalis, to adult! Explore the Karen Wertheimer Butterfly Habitat with your guide and get an up close look at all four stages of the butterfly life cycle. Create a simple seed craft to take home and start your own butterfly garden.
This family program is designed for the preschool and younger elementary kids in your family BUT the whole family will enjoy.
June, July, August: Tuesdays from 10:00-10:30 AND Tuesdays from 11:00-11:30.
$25 per family/group (up to 7 people). 1 group reservation per program.
This is a FAMILY FRIENDLY outdoor experience.