Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn

• Admission: free, donations welcome
• Parking: free
• Hours: Mon–Sat 9–4:30, Sun 11–4:30
• Affiliation: Smithsonian Affiliate

The Coastal Discovery Museum is the Hilton Head Island museum most visitors mean when they search for one. It sits on the 70-acre Honey Horn property off William Hilton Parkway, land whose history goes back more than 300 years, and it is a Smithsonian Affiliate. It began in 1985 as the Environmental and Historical Museum of Hilton Head Island and moved to Honey Horn in 2007. Its stated mission is to inspire people to care for the Lowcountry, and about 130,000 people a year come through its gates. Locals use the two names interchangeably: Honey Horn is the grounds, the Coastal Discovery Museum is what happens there.

Admission is free, with donations welcome, and parking is free, which makes it one of the best no-cost half days on the island.

What to Do at Honey Horn

• Hands-on learning stations: the Butterfly Learning Station and Blue Crab Discovery are the two families with young children head for first.

• Guided tours and walks: historical walks of the property and Gullah heritage tours, led by the museum’s own guides.

• On the water: dolphin and nature cruises and kayaking trips, booked through the museum.

• Workshops: sweetgrass basket workshops, a craft that comes from the island’s Gullah Geechee heritage.

Programs and tour times change with the season and some need a reservation, so check the museum’s visit page before you plan around one. Groups reserve ahead by email.

The Farmers Market and Art Market at Honey Horn

The grounds also host the museum’s Farmers Market and Art Market, which is why you will hear the Honey Horn farmers market named as often as the museum itself. Market days and hours shift with the season, so check the museum’s events calendar for the current schedule.

Plan Your Visit

Gates lock 30 minutes after the museum closes, so leave the grounds before then. For a children’s indoor option in town, see The Sandbox Children’s Museum, and for the story of how the island got here, start at the history of Hilton Head Island.