Atalaya Castle at Huntington Beach State Park
Categories: Active Life Beaches Arts & Entertainment Museums Beaches, Museums [Edit]
16148 Ocean HwyMurrells Inlet, SC 29576
(843) 237-4440
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
3 reviews for Atalaya Castle at Huntington Beach State Park
3 reviews in English
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Review from Phillip Y.
Des Moines, IA
1/2/2011
Well, I must say that I am amazed by Huntington Beach State Park in general. It has a little bit of everything for everyone- bird watchers/naturalists, beach goers, and history buffs. The castle is only a part of the whole state park. Admission is $5 per person to enter the park and $1 per person to enter the castle. There is additional fee for the audio tour at the castle. You can pay at the castle entrance or at the gift shop across from the castle. The guide at the castle was nice to lend us a large laminated map with some descriptions about the rooms for self-guided tour. Perfect location right next to the beach. A little run-down historic site which would be fixed up in the future according to the guide. We visited this place over the holidays during a snow storm so it was really cold. However, great landscaping and architecture in the castle!!!
The gusty winds at the beach deterred us from venturing on the shore. Plus, we already have a great view on Myrtle Beach just north of here. But, we managed to visit a couple of boardwalks inland to see the freshwater lagoon and the salt water marsh. These are the perfect spots to view wildlife like herons, pelicans, ducks, etc. The nature center was closed during Christmas weekend but there are programs as well to see when it's open. Overall, I was surprised that this was a state park since it has alot to offer on the scale of a national park. Tons of things to do but probably nicer during the summer time to take advantage of the beach. -
Review from Elena T.
Columbia, SC
11/4/2008 2 photos
Atalaya... "tower of the sea"....romantic Moorish ruins...home to a timeless love story and the Gold Watcher mystery.
Get up close and personal with the most remarkable, visionary, and humorous couple of the 20th Century: sculptor Anna Huntington and philanthropist Archer Huntington.
Admission to Atalaya is FREE (you only need to pay to enter Huntington Beach Park). There are free guided tours from March through October, Tuesday - Friday at 2 PM and Saturday and noon. You can also tour Atalaya on your own daily from 9 AM to 5 PM.
Tour Highlights:
- "Behind-the-scenes" history nuggets like how they paid $225,000 for 6,600 acres) and they pioneered cross country RVing. The crew included dogs, monkeys and birds!
- The "castle" consists of 32 rooms (not all seen on the guided tour) connected by long extremely narrow passages. Wear something comfortable and expect a hearty up and down walk.
- Most interesting stops were at the master bedroom, the library and Anna's 2 studios. I loved reading all the quotes posted on the walls.
My favorite from Anna: "Now I have five monkeys chattering in the studio, the peafowl screaming in the yard and the bears crawling on the other side. As a sculptor I call it an embarrassment of riches but others my not think so..."
Here is a virtual tour: http://shoutaboutcarol...
TIP! Make sure to visit the Brookgreen Gardens located across the street from the park entrance. It features an incredible collection of outdoor sculptures, beautiful gardens, the Lowcountry Zoo and nature trails.Listed in: Almost free things to do with…
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Review from Brendon C.
Berea, OH
9/5/2010 1 Check-in Here
What a simple little gem for a photographer! I took quite a few photos of the emerald green ironwork over the earthen home and they popped beautifully. There is a lot of wonderful history here and a perfect backdrop to a visit to Brookgreen, right across the street.
