This fall, the Coastal Discovery Museum at Historic Honey Horn is giving residents and visitors plenty of reasons to rediscover the island and discover something new.
From fascinating stories about Hilton Head’s past and up-close encounters with Lowcountry wildlife to special excursions, creative workshops, and a new art exhibition, the museum’s fall calendar is packed with opportunities to experience the history, art, culture and natural beauty that make our island unique.
Here are a few upcoming events and programs to put on your calendar.
Legends & Luminaries Brings Hilton Head History to Life
One of the highlights of the season is the 2026 Legends & Luminaries Speaker Series, a six-event series featuring people whose experiences are woven into the history and culture of Hilton Head Island. We are also especially proud to support this year’s series as one of the event sponsors.
The series begins October 6 and continues on select Tuesday evenings through November at the Coastal Discovery Museum. Each event begins with Wine & Conversation at 5 p.m., followed by the featured speaker and Q&A from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Sea Island Room. at. Tickets are $20 for ages 13 and older, and reservations are required. Register here: https://www.coastaldiscovery.org/legends-luminaries-speaker-series/
Rather than simply learning about Hilton Head history from a book, Legends & Luminaries gives attendees an opportunity to hear directly from people who lived it. This year’s speakers bring perspectives on everything from growing up at Honey Horn and the early development of Hilton Head to Gullah heritage, tennis and community life.
The 2026 lineup includes:
SOLD OUT October 6: Frederick C. Hack, Jr. Frederick Hack moved to Honey Horn with his family in 1950, before he was three years old. He grew up on the property that is now home to the Coastal Discovery Museum and remembers a Hilton Head of farms, forests and dirt roads, before development began reshaping the island.
October 13: Collins Doughtie - A Hilton Head resident since 1961, Collins Doughtie is a longtime Lowcountry writer, outdoorsman and advocate. His stories draw on decades spent exploring and chronicling the people, places and natural environment of the region.
October 27: Landon Thorne III – Landon Thorne’s connection to Honey Horn began when he was seven years old. A poet, journalist, film producer, pilot, Yale graduate, decorated combat veteran and business leader, he brings a multigenerational Lowcountry perspective to his storytelling.
November 3: Charlotte Pazant-Brown – Charlotte Pazant-Brown’s family history is deeply connected to Hilton Head’s Gullah community. Her mother, Rosalie Pazant, founded the original Gullah Festival, and Charlotte and her sisters helped establish the festival in 1986. Charlotte later served as its president and continues her family’s tradition of preserving and sharing Gullah culture.
November 10: Stan Smith – Tennis legend Stan Smith came to Hilton Head in 1971 after Sea Pines founder Charles Fraser invited him to become Sea Pines’ touring professional. Smith went on to win the U.S. Open that year and Wimbledon in 1972, eventually making Hilton Head home and becoming an important part of the island’s tennis community.
November 17: David Ames – David Ames arrived on Hilton Head in 1973 and joined Charles Fraser’s Sea Pines Company. Over the decades, he was involved in projects including Hilton Head Plantation and Long Cove Club and later served on Hilton Head Island Town Council, giving him a firsthand perspective on the planning and growth of the island.
Each event begins with Wine & Conversation at 5 p.m., followed by the featured speaker and Q&A from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Sea Island Room at the Coastal Discovery Museum. Tickets are $20 for ages 13 and older, and reservations are required.
For longtime residents, these evenings offer a chance to hear familiar Hilton Head history from a very personal perspective. For those newer to the island, they are an opportunity to understand more about the people and decisions that helped create the community we enjoy today.
Create a Lantern for One of Hilton Head’s Favorite Traditions
November also means the return of the Hilton Head Island Lantern Parade from 5-8 p.m. Nov. 14 at Lowcountry Celebration Park. The Coastal Discovery Museum is helping residents get ready with a series of lantern-making workshops. The museum provides the lanterns, lights and crafting supplies, so participants can focus on creating their own illuminated designs before joining the community for the Lantern Parade.
It is a fun way to do more than simply watch the parade. You can become part of the glowing procession yourself.
Lantern Workshops
Butterflies & More will take place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Nov. 3 and Nov. 9. Create and decorate a 16-inch paper lantern with help from Coastal Discovery Museum staff. Choose a butterfly-inspired design or let your creativity lead the way with a lantern all your own. Each kit includes the lantern, lights and all crafting supplies. Space is limited, and advance registration is required for entry into the program area.
Cost: $40 for one lantern kit and one adult. Ages: 13 and older
Family-Friendly lantern-making workshops will take place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 7. Bring the family and create a 12-inch round lantern inspired by butterflies or your own imagination. All materials are provided, making this a fun, hands-on activity for elementary-aged children and older.
Children must be accompanied by a registered adult. The museum recommends no more than two people per lantern, although larger groups may work together. Only registered participants will be admitted to the workshop area.
Cost: $20 per lantern, plus $5 per adult ages 13+ and $5 per child ages 4–12.
For more information, visit https://www.coastaldiscovery.org/workshops/.
In the Galleries
There is still time to view A Better Life for Their Children, photographs and stories by Andrew Feiler about the Rosenwald Schools that transformed education for Black children across the segregated South. On view through November 1.
The Rosenwald Schools program was a partnership between Jewish philanthropist Julius Rosenwald, president of Sears, Roebuck and Company, and Booker T. Washington, prominent African American educator, leader, and founder of the Tuskegee Institute. Between 1912 and 1937, this historic partnership helped fund the construction of nearly 5,000 schools for Black children in the segregated South and border states.
“This is an opportunity for visitors to learn about a significant but largely unknown chapter that connects American, Black, and Jewish history,” said Elizabeth Greenberg, Director of Exhibitions.. “A Better Life for Their Children reflects our mission to inspire people to have a deeper understanding of our region’s history and culture.”
Bringing Back the Light is complementary exhibit by Alan Nussbaum, Charleston-based physician and photographer, that documents the restoration of the historic Rosenwald School in St. George, SC. “Bringing Back the Light” is on view in the Sea Island Room through November 1.
A New Exhibition Arrives in November: Botanica
Art and nature come together in Botanica, a new exhibition celebrating the beauty, complexity and resilience of the organic world November 11 through March 30, 2027.
Featuring contemporary artists inspired by plants, fungi and the ecosystems around us, Botanica builds on the centuries-old tradition of botanical art while giving it a decidedly modern perspective. Through explorations of structure, pattern, texture, growth and decay, the works invite visitors to slow down and take a closer look at the natural forms we often pass by every day.
The exhibition also offers a thoughtful reminder of both the strength and fragility of the ecosystems that sustain the Lowcountry and the world beyond it. It’s an especially fitting exhibition for the Coastal Discovery Museum, where art, history and the natural environment so often intersect.
Featured artists include Stephanie Anderson, Nancy Blum, Betsy Cain, Linda Constantino, Katie DeGroot, Julie Evans, Hillary Waters Fayle, Mike Glier, Amy Gross, Kirsten Hassenfeld, Pam Kessler, Channing Lefebvre, Mara Lefebvre, Elaine Quave, Dana Richardson and Lisa Watson.
Visitors can meet and celebrate the exhibition during the opening reception on Nov. 12,
at 5 p.m. or explore Botanica throughout its run from November 11 through March 2027.
Take a Deeper Dive Into Local History With Coastal Chronicles
The museum is also introducing visitors to more than 4,000 years of Hilton Head Island history through its Coastal Chronicles series.
The programs explore the people, places and events that shaped the Lowcountry, with topics ranging from Native American life and the Spanish settlement of Santa Elena to the Civil War, Honey Horn, island communities, folklore and the evolution of Hilton Head.
It is a fascinating way to discover the stories beneath the places many of us pass by every day.
For more information on specific programs, visit https://www.coastaldiscovery.org/coastal-chronicles/.
Experience Lowcountry Nature Up Close
Living on Hilton Head means sharing the island with an incredible variety of wildlife, and the museum’s Nature Up Close series offers an opportunity to learn more about our coastal neighbors.
Upcoming fall programs explore subjects including horseshoe crabs, prickly pear conservation, turtles, Lowcountry owls and American alligators. The programs combine presentations, observations and hands-on activities designed to help participants better understand the plants, animals and habitats of the Lowcountry.
The October 28 Lowcountry Owls program even includes an owl-pellet dissection, while the November 4 All About Alligators program gives participants an opportunity to safely touch a live baby alligator.
For more information on these programs including registration, visit https://www.coastaldiscovery.org/nature-up-close/.
Discovery Nights at the Museum
There is something special happening at the Museum on Thursday evenings. Discovery Nights offer a chance to learn something new and try your hand at a creative activity. Workshops are designed for adults.
- Cast Net Throwing Class — Oct. 1, 5:30–6:30 p.m.
Learn how to throw and open a cast net while exploring the tradition of cast netting in the Lowcountry and its connection to Gullah Geechee culture.
- Calm in a Bottle: Create Your Own Lavender Roll-on — Oct. 8, 5:30–7 p.m.
Learn about lavender and lavandin, essential oil safety, and blending as you create two personalized 10 ml aromatherapy roll-ons. - Indigo Exploration: Scarf Edition — Oct. 15, 5:30–6:30 p.m.
Learn about Eliza Lucas Pinckney and the history of indigo in South Carolina, then create your own indigo tie-dyed scarf to take home. - A Journey Through Tea: History, Practices, and Tasting Experience — Oct. 22, 5:30–7 p.m. Explore the history and traditions of tea, enjoy a guided tasting with scones, pastries, and desserts, and create your own handcrafted tea blend to take home.
- Pumpkins, Posies, and Prosecco — Oct. 29, 5:30–6:30 p.m.
Create a fall floral arrangement using seasonal flowers, greenery, and a festive pumpkin while enjoying complimentary prosecco. - Indigo Exploration: Tea Towel Edition — Nov. 19, 5:30–6:30 p.m.
Learn about Eliza Lucas Pinckney and the history of indigo in South Carolina, then use folding, twisting, and dipping techniques to create four indigo-dyed tea towels to take home.
Museum Store Sale on Tuesday, November 24, 10 am to 1 pm. Start or continue your holiday shopping at this fun, annual event that supports the Museum.
Rediscover Hilton Head This Fall
One of the things we love about Hilton Head is that there is always another layer to discover.
You may have driven past Honey Horn countless times, attended events there or brought visiting family to the museum. But programs like Legends & Luminaries, Coastal Chronicles and Nature Up Close remind us that there is always another story, another habitat and another part of our island’s history worth exploring.
Whether you are a longtime resident, new to Hilton Head or spending a few weeks here this fall, consider adding a visit to the Coastal Discovery Museum to your calendar.
