Beafort/Port Royal Area

Beaufort Arsenal Museum
(under renovation-scheduled to re-open Summer 2009) 713 Craven Street, (843)379-3331 Mon-Sat 10am-4pm, Sun.-Closed. Call in advance for holiday closings. Operated by the Historic Beaufort Foundation. Built in 1798 & expanded in 1852. As a result of the secessionist movement. Contains Civil War artifacts and exhibits on local history. Admission Free. www.historic-beaufort.org

Beaufort National Cemetery
1601 Boundary Street, (843)524-3925. One of the first cemeteries established during the Civil War, it is one of the few that contains both Confederate and Union dead.

Chapel of Ease
Land’s End Road, St. Helena’s Island
Built between 1742 and 1747 to serve the planters on St. Helena Island. In 1886, a forest fire destroyed part of the brick and tabby chapel. The ruins and a small graveyard remain.

Charlesfort-Santa Elena National Historic Landmark
Parris Island. Visit the site of the early French and Spanish settlements. There is a small exhibit at the site; full exhibit at the Parris Island Museum.   www.pimuseum.us

Hunting Island State Park
Located 17 miles from Beaufort
(843)838-2011. Lighthouse, cabins, camping, picnic shelters, lagoon fishing, boat ramp, nature programs, park store, gift shop, nature center, marsh boardwalk, admission fee.

Lowcountry Estuarium 
A Coastal Learning Center
Corner of 14th Street & Parris Ave., Port Royal. (843)524-6600. Hours of operation: 10am-5pm. Feeding is at 11:30am & 3pm. Provides hands-on learning about the coastal environment, with a focus on salt marshes, beaches and estuaries. Admission fee. Special programs available. www.lowcountryestuarium.org.

Old Sheldon Church
Located at the junction of Highways 21 & 235.
1.7 miles north of the junction of Highways 21 & 17 near Gardens Corner. Sheldon Church has laid in ruin for more than 140 years. Its gable roof, pediment, windows & interior have disappeared, but the classic simplicity of its design still remains. Burned by Prevost’s British troops in 1779, and again during the Civil War it still serves as a religious center for special observances. Admission – Free.

Parris Island Museum

Marine Corps Recruit Depot
(843)228-2951, Daily 10am-4:30pm, 10am-7pm on Family Days (Thursdays prior to graduation).
Housed in the War Memorial Building, it is devoted to the portrayal of the history &  development of Parris Island and the Port Royal area along with the Marine Corps & recruit training facilities.www.pimuseum.us

Penn Center Inc.
Martin Luther King Drive, St. Helena Island, (843)838-2432. Hours of operation: 11am-4pm Mon-Sat. The 50-acre Penn School National Historic Landmark District features the York W. Bailey Museum as well as 18 other structures related to the education of African Americans, Reconstruction, and the Civil Rights Era. Enjoy a permanent exhibit, “Education for Freedom: the Penn School Experiment,” as well as temporary exhibits. The museum, housed in the newly renovated Historic Cope Industrial Building, includes four galleries and a gift shop. www.penncenter.com

John Mark Verdier House
801 Bay Street, (843)379-6335. Hours of operation: 10:30am-3:30 pm, Mon-Sat. Call for holiday closings. Operated by the Historic Beaufort Foundation. Circa 1800. Built in the Federal style by one of Beaufort’s most successful merchants, it is an excellent example of an early Lowcountry home. Museum gift shop open. www.historic-beaufort.org