City: Charleston, SC

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (843) 553-0515

Address: 3030 Cypress Gardens Rd.

Description: For those with time and the inclination to go even farther afield, there’s yet another treat in store. Discover the beauty and wonder of Cypress Gardens—a true Southern cypress swamp and a 162-acre water forest of uncommon natural beauty. This park, once part of Dean Hall Plantation, is now owned and operated by Berkeley County. You’ll find meandering footpaths for hikers, but the traditional way to see Cypress Gardens is by bateau—a flat-bottomed boat poled or paddled by expert young boaters who are always on hand to do the work for a small price. You have the option of rowing yourself if you like, but the serenity of the black waters mirroring springtime azaleas, dogwoods, daffodils, and wisteria deserves your undivided attention. Scenes from the movies The Patriot and The Notebook were filmed here. In a separate building, Cypress Gardens’ 24,000-gallon “swamparium” features fish and turtles native to the Lowcountry and has a display of venomous and nonvenomous snakes. There’s also a butterfly house, a large greenhouse with flowering plants, birds, a pond, and live butterflies to explore. Cypress Gardens is open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year’s. Call ahead for seasonal hours and special admission prices. Hours are usually 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. No admittance is allowed after 4 p.m. Admission is free for children younger than 6.