Honey Horn is described as the last significant parcel of open space on Hilton Head Island.
This majestic property hosts the Coastal Discovery Museum. It is a visitor friendly venue consists of salt marshes, open fields and of centuries-old live oak trees. Also on the property is the State’s largest Southern Red Cedar tree, dated at 1595, and a collection of some of the oldest buildings that exist on Hilton Head Island.
The property has three boardwalks that extend over Jarvis Creek. At low tide at the Osprey Outlook Boardwalk, you will see the Smooth Cord Grass growing in the marsh. You will also see oyster beds at the edge of the creek and fiddler crabs on the exposed mud flats. Find out how the tide works and what a clapper rail sounds like. At high tide, water covers the flats and most of the grass. As you look carefully at Oyster Alley Boardwalk, you will see more Smooth Grass Cord. It survives daily flooding that comes with the tide.
Fiddler Crab Boardwalk is where you keep an eye out for the Fiddler crabs or evidence of their burrows on the flats next to the boardwalk. Males wave their large claws as a territorial or courtship display. Interpretive panels, interactive exhibits and viewing scopes are installed on each of our three boardwalks.
Walk the 68-acre Coastal Discovery Musuem’s property on the Around the Horn Trail.
This three-quarter mile long oyster shell trail will allow you to see all there is to see here. The trail begins at the Discovery House and leads to all boardwalks, the Butterfly Enclosure, the Heritage Garden, the property’s cemetery and many of Honey Horn’s early twentieth century buildings. Encounter interpretive panels, interactive exhibits, and the Museum’s active bee colony.
The 1200 square-foot butterfly habitat is open daily (free admission) and is home to some 13 species of native butterflies to the Lowcountry. During your walk through the enclosure you will discover what types of plants are necessary to sustain butterflies throughout their lifecycle. You will encounter butterfly eggs, caterpillars, and chrysalis. And if you are lucky, witness a chrysalis evolve into an adult butterfly. Interpretive panels will provide additional information on the anatomy of the butterfly and how you can help them thrive.
Their large garden contains a variety of Lowcountry flora.
Learn the historical relevance of these plants. See indigo, rice, cotton plants and sweetgrass. Another section of the garden focuses on typical Lowcountry crops to include corn, okra, beans, sweet potatoes, collards and more.
To contact the Museum call 843-689-6767 or visit www.coastaldiscovery.org.
