HIlton Head Island: What to See and Do

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HIlton Head Island: What to See and Do

When you're ready to take a break from building sandcastles and playing in the Atlantic Ocean's waves, you'll discover that there's much more to Hilton Head Island than the beach.

In terms of special events, every April, the Verizon Heritage PGA TOUR golf tournament is played in Hilton Head Island and the Hilton Head Celebrity Golf Tournament is held on Labor Day Weekend. During the month of May, Hilton Head Island and the Lowcountry celebrate the area’s vibrant arts community and diverse cultural heritage through visual and performing arts events, cultural activities and programs with BRAVO-Celebrate the Arts! A popular event in March is the Hilton Head Wine & Food Festival and in early Fall, the community looks forward to a fabulous showcase of vintage cars at the annual Hilton Head Island Concours d’ Elegance & Motoring Festival. (Visit our Calendar of Events page for more spectacular community events.)

A favorite of Hilton Head visitors is biking on our hard-packed sandy beaches and our 50 miles of paved pathways and nature trails. There are numerous bike rental companies on the Island, many of which will deliver bikes to your door. You can also rent a beach wheelchair for any members of your party needing additional assistance accessing the beach.

Families can venture to the top of the Harbour Town Lighthouse in Sea Pines for only $3.00 per person. This activity offers a clear view of the Island’s south end as well as the eye pleasing Harbour Town Marina. Also available in Sea Pines is shopping, waterfront dining and horse back riding. Families could spend an entire day in Sea Pines alone.

Other family friendly spots include Shelter Cove Harbour, Adventure Cove, Island Playground, the Coastal Discovery Museum and The Sandbox, An Interactive Children's Museum. Shelter Cove Harbour offers a variety of experiences such as shopping, kayaking, sailing and cruise excursions, fireworks and concerts. Miniature golf courses include Legendary Golf and Pirate’s Island Adventure Golf.

Island Playground features indoor inflatable fun and creative play for children. They offer giant inflatable slides, obstacle courses and bouncers as well as Imagination Stations like a fairytale castle, dress-up area, Dino Dig table and more. Island Playground is a great place to beat the heat or get out of the rain.

The Coastal Discovery Museum offers programs, activities, and exhibits to make learning about Hilton Head and other sea islands an enjoyable experience. The museum is a great place to visit any time of the year. With indoor and outdoor exhibits, activity centers in the Sea Island Classroom, the History Time-line Exhibit and museum store, plus 11 different tours and cruises around the island, the museum is a fantastic way to become familiar with the Island's unique history and ecology.

The Sandbox is a hands-on interactive museum filled with unique entertaining, and educational play areas to explore. At The Sandbox all the exhibits are designed to help children learn while having fun and bonding with each other and their caregivers. There are no “do not touch” signs at this Museum. Children can sail away on Captain William Hilton’s ship The Adventure, find their Passport to the World in the international airport terminal with a simulator plane ready to take the little ones anywhere, and visit the Loggerhead sandcastle filled with magic sand.

For a more relaxing adventure, two multi-screened movie theaters and one independent film theater allow families to catch the latest on the silver screen. In addition, the stage is always set at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, the South Carolina Repertory Company and the May River Theatre Company.