Where to Shop on Daufuskie Island
One general store, an indigo studio in an old schoolhouse, a metal sculptor’s yard and a glass studio: small, local and worth the cart ride.
Daufuskie has no supermarket, no mall and no chain stores. What it has is one Daufuskie Island general store at the marina, for the practical things, and a few artists who make what they sell on the island. Shopping here is a stop on a cart ride, not an afternoon of its own; for the rest of the day, see our things to do on Daufuskie Island.
Freeport General Store
The Freeport General Store is at Freeport Marina, a few steps from the dock where the day boats from Harbour Town and Broad Creek tie up and next to the Old Daufuskie Crab Company. Its owners call it the “Not so General” General Store, and it is the island’s one real stop for supplies: snacks and staples, beer and wine, and a room of T-shirts, gifts and souvenirs. It is also where you pay for a golf cart booked with the Vagabond boat.
If you are staying the night, bring your groceries from Hilton Head: the island has no supermarket. The public ferry lets you bring a folding wagon of shopping as your carry-on, and our Daufuskie Island ferry page has the size limit. Call ahead for the store’s hours, which change with the season.
Daufuskie Blues
Daufuskie Blues is the best thing to take home from the island. Leanne Coulter and Rhonda Davis dye cloth in vats of organic indigo, the Lowcountry’s old plantation dye, which still grows wild on the island, using Japanese dyeing techniques that leave each piece with its own pattern of white on blue. Their studio is in the Mary Field School building, where Pat Conroy taught, so a visit is also a stop on the island’s history trail; our Daufuskie Island history page tells that story. They also teach indigo-dyeing workshops, which you can book by appointment.
Galleries: Iron Fish and the Glass House
A glass-working studio and gallery on Billie Burn Lane.
Chase Allen, a self-taught metal sculptor, has been making coastal sculptures from sheet steel on Daufuskie since 2001, and his work has won an American Made award. At the Iron Fish, his fish, mermaids and crabs hang along the fences of the yard, and the gallery runs on the honor system, so bring cash. The pieces ship, but orders take weeks, so it is worth buying one on the spot.
The Daufuskie Island Glass House on Billie Burn Lane is a small glass-working studio and gallery. Check its page for hours before you go.
Wine, Rum and the Lighthouse Gift Shop
Bloody Point Lighthouse on Daufuskie Island, SC: the 1883 range light and keeper's house, now a museum with Silver Dew Winery, and how to visit it.
Daufuskie Island Distillery makes small-batch rum and vodka: pours, flights and cocktails Tuesday to Saturday, and lunch at the On Deck Diner.
Old Daufuskie Crab Company at Freeport Marina: deviled crab, oysters, fried seafood and the Scrap Iron tea, open daily from 11 a.m. Order at the bar.
Two more things travel well. The Bloody Point Lighthouse has a gift shop in the keeper’s house, and the Silver Dew Winery next to it sells its wine by the bottle. The Daufuskie Island Distillery makes rum on the island and pours it at tastings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a grocery store on Daufuskie Island?
Not a supermarket. The Freeport General Store at Freeport Marina sells snacks, staples, drinks, beer and wine, so anyone staying the night should bring groceries from Hilton Head.
Where is the Freeport General Store?
At Freeport Marina on Daufuskie Island, next to the Old Daufuskie Crab Company, where the Vagabond boats from Harbour Town and the Island Head boats from Broad Creek Marina land. It is also where you pay for a golf cart booked with the Vagabond boat.
Can you buy alcohol on Daufuskie Island?
Yes. The Freeport General Store sells beer and wine, the Silver Dew Winery at the Bloody Point Lighthouse sells its wine, and the Daufuskie Island Distillery pours its own rum at tastings.
What should I buy on Daufuskie Island?
Something made there: an indigo scarf or shirt from Daufuskie Blues, a steel fish or mermaid from the Iron Fish Gallery, glass from the Glass House, or a bottle from the island’s winery or distillery.
What should I bring to Daufuskie Island?
Water, sunscreen, bug spray, and cash for the Iron Fish Gallery, which runs on the honor system. If you are staying over, bring groceries: the island has one general store and no supermarket.
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