Explore Beaufort SC

The Beaufort area is home to five very distinct museums that house an awful lot of history. From the beginning of Beaufort at the Beaufort History Museum to the beginning of the United States Marine Corps at the Parris Island Museum, you can see and learn so much about Beaufort’s and America’s past by visiting each one.

Beaufort History Museum

The Beaufort History Museum promotes appreciation for the history of Beaufort, SC and the surrounding area through its exhibits and events. To relive the area’s rich history, start with a visit to Beaufort History Museum inside the historic Beaufort Arsenal (c. 1798) in downtown Beaufort.
Visit here for hours and special program information.

Parris Island Museum

Explore the long and rich legacy of the United States Marine Corps as well as the exciting history of the Port Royal region at the Parris Island Museum. See thousands of artifacts, images and other materials illustrating the stories within the exhibit galleries from Native Americans to modern Marines.  FREE to public.
Visit here for hours and special program information.

Verdier House Museum

The John Mark Verdier House Museum is a prominent Federal-style mansion built in 1804 by John Mark Verdier, a successful merchant and planter. The house on downtown’s Bay Street served as Union Army headquarters after Beaufort fell early in the Civil War. Its beautiful interior serves as a reminder of the glory of the Antebellum era in the south and is also home to three permanent exhibits: The Story of Robert Smalls, Civil War photos by Samuel Cooley and The Beaufort Volunteer Artillery.
Visit here for hours and special program information.

York W. Bailey Museum

The York W. Bailey Museum at Penn Center on St. Helena Island offers a look into the stories of the people whose lives were changed by this important American institution. Especially inspiring are the many photographs of Penn Center’s students at work, some of which were taken as far back as the 1860s. Videos offer historic and personal recollections of Penn Center’s past and local artists fill the gift shop with handmade sweetgrass baskets and colorful, original cultural artwork.
Visit here for hours and special program information.

Support Beaufort’s rich and important history by attending some of the many fundraising events put on by our museums all throughout the year. Visit here to keep up to date on Beaufort SC events.