The King Neptune Statue and Sundial at Shelter Cove
A 12-foot bronze Neptune on the harbour plaza whose trident casts the shadow that tells the time, dedicated in 1983. Free, and open any time.
- 13 Harbourside Ln, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
- Every day: Open any time
- Statue: 12 feet tall, bronze
- Sculptor: Wayne Edwards
- Dedicated: August 11, 1983
- Cost: free
The King Neptune statue stands on the plaza at the entrance to Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina, looking out over the marina. He is 12 feet of bronze, poised to strike with his trident held over his head, on a 26-foot circular base, and he is also a working sundial: the resort that built him calls it the world’s largest. It is the harbour’s meeting point and its most photographed spot, and the crowds for HarbourFest, Music & Taste and the Fourth of July gather around it. At Christmas he wears a Santa hat.
How the Neptune Sundial Tells Time
The trident is the sundial’s pointer. Its shadow falls across the base, which is marked like a clock face, and the statue had to face due south for the reading to be right. To find true north, the sculptor and two engineers from Sea Island Engineering, Frank Yerkes and Richard Hamilton, lined up the Big Dipper’s pointer stars with Polaris and Cassiopeia from the harbour, which took four nights of waiting for a clear sky. A sundial tells solar time, so while daylight saving time is on it reads about an hour behind your phone; it is easiest to read in the afternoon, when the shadow is long.
The Statue’s History
Local sculptor Wayne Edwards brought a four-foot clay model to Greenwood Development, the owners of Palmetto Dunes, and the harbour gave it 27 feet of space with nothing to shade the dial. He spent more than a year designing, sculpting and casting it. It was cast at Johnson Atelier, a foundry in Princeton, New Jersey, trucked to the island at about 3,000 pounds, and dedicated on August 11, 1983.
Visiting the Statue
The statue is outdoors on the public plaza by the harbour shops, free and open at any hour, and parking at the harbour is free. Neptune’s Niche, the gift shop named after it, is a few steps away, the waterfront restaurants ring the marina behind it, and on summer evenings the Shannon Tanner show and the HarbourFest fireworks are close by.
More at Shelter Cove Harbour
Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina: HarbourFest, Tuesday fireworks over the water, free family shows, dolphin tours, fishing charters, kayaks and boat rentals.
Shannon Tanner’s free family shows at Shelter Cove Harbour: two shows a night on summer weeknights, the Oyster Reefers on Thursdays, and how to go.
Neptune's Niche, a gift and souvenir shop at Shelter Cove Harbour on Hilton Head: T-shirts, sandals, beachwear and keepsakes, plus address and phone.
The Shelter Cove Harbour shops & restaurants directory: every restaurant, shop and service around the marina basin, with parking and satnav tips.
Shelter Cove, Hilton Head: the marina and its charter boats, Towne Centre shops, HarbourFest fireworks, the waterfront park and where to stay.
When and where to see fireworks on Hilton Head Island — weekly Shelter Cove HarbourFest shows and Fourth of July displays at Shelter Cove and Harbour Town.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the King Neptune statue at Shelter Cove a real sundial?
Yes. The shadow of Neptune’s trident falls across the marked base and tells solar time, so in summer it reads about an hour behind clock time.
Who made the King Neptune statue in Hilton Head?
Local sculptor Wayne Edwards. It was cast in bronze at Johnson Atelier in Princeton, New Jersey, and dedicated at Shelter Cove Harbour on August 11, 1983.
Where is the King Neptune statue on Hilton Head?
On the plaza at the entrance to Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina, by the harbour shops at 13 Harbourside Lane. It is free to visit at any time.
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