Visiting from OHio... We were both SO IMPRESSED with the whole area. First,it was incredibly inexpensive: the park fee was nothing; the boat tour was too; everything was so clean! The boat tour was the highlight. Relaxing and informative not to mention scenic. So much to see. It is obviously off season but fun nonetheless . They whole park was so nice and everyone was unbelievable friendly. First impressions are literally everything! read more

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Ok I found this place because of social media and it was pretty cool. With admission you get access to the boat and the small animal area. My suggestion is once you get there head to the dock and scan the QR code so you can get on the waiting list for a boat. We got there just passed 9:30 and the wait was already 45 minutes. Once your in the boat you row at your own pace around the swamp and take some cool pictures. read more

Cypress Gardens is a nice park built around a swamp but that is about it. One person at the booth collecting the fees and one person running the boat rental, the rest is on your own. Butterfly display had only a few butterflies despite the heated environment in early February Swamparium had a good number of reptiles, not all local and after seeing this we had no desire to get a paddle boat to ride around the swamp in what must be 45 degree water full of algae A couple of alligators and a couple of beautiful peacocks in separate enclosures without any legends to describe their age or anything else due to their limited budget i would think read more

Cypress Gardens - Beautiful Peacock - Parks Near Me - Moncks Corner, South Carolina

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Great views and worth a visit and a walk. Didn't do the boats don't think you need to as you can see more on foot. Awesome place check it out! read more

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Such a cool experience at Cypress Gardens. Only $10 per person and they have so much to see: a butterfly house, swamp-arium, gift shop and of course the row boats. They offer both self guided boat tours vs guided tours. We opted for the self guided boats and took about 45 mins to paddle the whole course. So magical and picturesque. A must see and felt straight out of the notebook. read more

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When in Charleston, you must visit the popular Cypress Gardens where they filmed The Notebook!! It is $10 per person to enter. Tickets can be bought online and there is so much to do here including the self-guided boat tour, reptile area, and butterfly area. There were no birds when we went during winter 2025 but I believe they have some during warmer seasons. You may also walk around the swamp but if you're waiting for a spot to do the boat tour, I recommend walking close by. You got to get to the pier within 10 minutes. Depending on how you paddle, the boat tour is approximately 40 minutes and you follow arrows on the trees so you won't get lost. It's a loop around the swamp. Life jackets are available on the boat if you wanna wear them. Definitely need teamwork to paddle on the right direction :) You cross through two bridges and should duck to avoid hitting your head. There are some gators too! We didn't see any during the boat tour but there are some just basking near the entrance. I had so much fun! read more

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Breathtakingly beautiful! I am so happy to have my The Notebook moment when we visited Cypress Gardens. It is located just outside of Charleston, SC. They have so much activities here for all ages! They have a nice butterfly garden and a variety of animals to visit. The Spanish moss was also super pretty. My favorite was the self guided boat ride. The gentlemen who were managing the boat area was super nice and explained to us our the route. It was definitely a nice romantic spot! read more

Cypress Gardens - Parks Near Me - Moncks Corner, South Carolina

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I absolutely enjoyed my visit. The self guided boat tour was very enjoyable despite the long wait, but it was very well worth it! The animal exhibition was neat too. The gators were huge! The butterfly enclosure was my favorite. Spent a few hours here walking the grounds and enjoying the nature. read more

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This place is beautiful!!! Great way to spend an out. We did a guided tour with Avery and although he scared me by pointing out every single spider around, he had us laughing the entire time. My friends & I would definitely come again and he deserves a raise!!!! read more

Cypress Gardens - Parks Near Me - Moncks Corner, South Carolina

Cypress Gardens is almost an hour outside of Downtown Charleston and would require a car, but this spot is the entire reason I flew out to South Carolina. I came to take some engagement photos as many couples come here to do as well. It's so easy to see why as the gardens is absolutely breathtaking and it's where they filmed the lake scene from The Notebook --it's iconic. The gardens is $10/pp with free row boat rentals. If you want a guided boat tour, it's extra though. You simply scan a QR code to get onto a waitlist for the boats, which is super easy. Each boat is allowed 45 minutes, which was fair. Be careful rowing under the bridges though as they're very low so you need to duck. Cypress Gardens is so dreamy and worth making the trip for all my Notebook fans. Even if not, it's still such a romantic place for couples. P.S. If you're looking for a local Charleston photographer, I highly recommend @bygracekathryn! read more

Cypress Gardens - The swamp. - Parks Near Me - Moncks Corner, South Carolina

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My family and I had a beautiful time at the Cypress Gardens during our trip down to South Carolina. This was our first time visiting and it was such a lovely visit. We arrived down in South Carolina early in the morning and grabbed breakfast before heading over to Cypress Gardens. We arrived early, even before the main gates were open, and there were already two cars waiting. So we joined the line. Even though we didn't plan it that way, we really lucked out getting there early. We were one of the first five families to arrive. We made a quick bathroom stop and then beelined it right for the boats. Luckily we did! It gets filled up quickly! We reserved our boat through a QR code on a sign by the dock and we didn't have too long of a wait. We did a self-guided boat tour and it was absolutely fantastic. I sat in the front of the boat, my two kiddos sat in the middle, and my husband was in the back. They gave my kids two small oars and they were so excited and had so much fun helping us row the boat. We took our time, and it was about a 45 minute boat ride through the swamp. There are so many beautiful sights and cute bridges that you go under. It was easy to navigate around the swamp and they have arrows on the trees to follow. The staff were very helpful and it was such a great way to start off our vacation. We then went into the small aquarium to walk around. It was very cute inside and you could look at so many cool fish and turtles. There were also peacocks and other animals in a smaller section that we didn't stop by to look at. There's a nice playground right by the entrance if your kiddos want to run around and burn off some steam. It was such a lovely way to spend our morning. I highly recommend visiting Cypress Gardens! read more

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Great place to visit, especially now while the Azaleas are blooming and the spring temperatures are still comfortable. Wear comfortable shoes, you can walk around this park for hours and not get bored! read more

Cypress Gardens - Great place to visit, especially now while the Azaleas are blooming! - Parks Near Me - Moncks Corner, South Carolina

So pretty, huge walking trials around the gator filled swamps. $10 to enter which included the boat ride, swamparium and walking trails. Could spend hours here. Our wait time for the boat said 3 hours but ended up only being 1 which was nice. All the staff was super friendly. So many springs flower spots and the most perfect spot for an engagement or elopement. We saw 1 gator from the walking trails and 1 on the boat. read more

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We had such an incredible time canoeing! It is beyond gorgeous. There can be a long wait if you don't get there early. We got there at opening but there were several people ahead of us in line, so we waited 1.25 hours. In the meantime, we saw the talking birds, reptile exhibit, and butterfly garden. It was absolutely worth the wait for the self guided canoe tour read more

Cypress Gardens - Parks Near Me - Moncks Corner, South Carolina

Great little day trip to get out of the hustle and bustle of the real world. Visited on a cool morning and the boys were delighted to see the large playground near the parking area. We played there for a while before heading on the nearby trails. The boat docks was fun with quotes from the notebook throughout. Such a fun touch since the film was partially filmed here. Beautiful trails. Butterfly house. Swamparium. Also only $6.50 for military entrance fee! read more

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The most romantic and surreal date for Valentines Day. If you love The Notebook then this is the place to be. It's so beautiful and the nature around you is unreal. It's very peaceful even for a lot of people being there, you could still have some privacy going through the water. The staff was very kind and even the walk around the water was beautiful. A must do when visiting Charleston! read more

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We had an amazing time. My family wanted something fun to do and we had a great time here. They were busy but no crowded. We were able to move freely and see all of the exhibits and take our time. For the boats it would be smart to go sign up early because it will be a wait if not. Have fun! read more

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It was nice way to spend an afternoon.Nature was put on a show.The flowers were blooming temperature was just right back in the spring People were friendly & exhibits were nice. Nice way to spend a afternoon read more

Arrived right at the opening on a Saturday and took the 10am guided boat tour. We then did the longer walk all around the area. A beautiful setting and the trails were very well marked. read more

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This is amazing spot outside of Charleston to spend some time at. Admission is 10$ adult, 5$ kids and 6.5$ military/elderly. The boat ride offered a spectacular view, and there were also several small exhibits of birds butterflies and other reptiles as well! read more

Cypress Gardens - Parks Near Me - Moncks Corner, South Carolina

There is an entry fee of $10 per person,with discounts for kids and seniors, but it's worth it! We just had sandles on so stayed on the main trails, but they do have hiking trails. You can rent a boat to go through the swamp or pay to have a guided tour( will absolutely do this next time we are here!). The gardens also have a huge playground area for the kids as well as an aquarium that houses snakes, fish and turtles. As if that isn't enough they have a bird sanctuary as well as a butterfly garden These pictures do not do justice to the beauty you will be surrounded by. Do yourself a favor and check it out! read more

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Thoroughly enjoyed a Sunday afternoon out here! Entry was $10/person. They have special rates on certain days for Berkeley county residents. There's a self-guided boat tour included in the price, guided tour may be extra, not sure. Staff at the boat docks were friendly and helpful! They also have animal exhibits with different reptiles and birds and a beautiful peacock. The parrot said hello once haha. There is an exhibit with a massive gator in it as well! Playground for the kids beside a picnic area with ceiling fans. Nice place for a date or with family/friends. I would definitely return! read more

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4.5 stars A wonderful way to spend a morning. They gave us both the $6.50 rate (with my dad having the military ID). Unfortunately, it wasn't too quiet with groups of children having just arrived for a field trip. They had parrots, inside "swamparium", canoes that you could ride in (free, although there was a bit of a wait as this was where the boat scene in the Notebook was filmed), and trails to walk. Flowers were in bloom and the landscape was beautiful with park benches and gazebos. Watch out for gators 2024 #11 read more

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Cypress Gardens is a 170-acre nature preserve and gardens that opened in Moncks Corner, South Carolina in 1931. The gardens were originally part of the 1750 Dean Hall rice plantation, which depended on fresh water from the Cooper River. The area that is now a swamp was dug out and fitted with water gates to become a fresh water reservoir. The property had fallen into disuse when, in 1909, Benjamin Kittredge purchased it to use as a duck hunting reserve. During the Great Depression, over 200 men built out the 4.5 miles of trails around the swamp. It was opened to the public in 1931. More than 16 theatrical films and television series have been filmed on the property, including "Swamp Thing" (1982), "The Patriot" (2000), "Cold Mountain" (2003), and "The Notebook" (2004). My family and I visited Cypress Gardens this past summer while we were visiting family in the area. Our cousins told us that the grounds were beautiful and that our children would really enjoy it. We first went inside the Butterfly House and saw several beautiful butterflies flying around the flowering plants. Afterwards we took a guided boat tour around the swamps. The swamps, trees, and various plants were so beautiful and serene. I've watched a lot of the films that were shot on location here, and it was so fun to see the grounds with my own eyes. We made sure to be on the lookout for alligators and eventually I spotted one sunning itself on a log. After our boat tour, we looked around in the Swamparium which displayed several live turtles, snakes, amphibians, fish, and a large taxidermy alligator. We all had a great time at Cypress Gardens and highly recommend it to anyone visiting the Greater Charleston area. read more

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Beautiful spot! Tranquil. Clean. Great fit kids. Butterfly garden and animals to check out. You can walk around the water or boat through it. Recommend both! read more

Cypress Gardens - Parks Near Me - Moncks Corner, South Carolina

I love going to Cypress Gardens. The staff that I have encountered are always friendly. There are plenty of things to see nature wise and they have some trails you can walk. They also have some row boats that you can rent. There is a park for kids to play at. They also have some small exhibits of fish, snakes, alligators and more. There is also a butterfly house that you can go into. If you like taking pictures, there is plenty of great places to do so. Also, some movies have had scenes filmed here (check out their website for that info though). Will continue to come back here. read more

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I still love Cypress Gardens. I found more trails this time and saw a 10-foot alligator! It was far away ao my dog was safe:) Unfortunately, they will stop allowing dogs soon. This is a beautiful area and it is amazing. A great place for some exercise and relaxation. read more

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What a beautiful venue-had the pleasure this evening of attending a wedding on the grounds and then the reception in Dean Hall. read more

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Incredible place! Pricing is Amazing for the experience. Highly recommend going here especially if you are into photography! read more

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We came on a hot summer day. Some say, don't come when it's 95 degrees (F). But given the option of coming when it's hot and not coming, I'm going to pick sweating every time. The gift shop here is small, but it does have AC. I think that's your only AC option in the park. We had a good time. The favorite was taking a boat ride, powered by oars, through the black cypress waters - the same waters shown in the movie " The Notebook" read more

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Beautiful area! We came here before it was flooded and after it was renovated and they have done a wonderful job keeping the integrity of the classic cypress gardens and adding nicer boats. It's definitely more popular now, but for a reason! Definitely worth a trip. read more

"If you're a bird, I'm a bird" Ok! I had to say it, and this review isn't really about birds but it is about The Notebook and Cypress Gardens. A literal dream! The birds were trained here for the movie but obviously no longer here after migration and to my knowledge not native to the area. I'll admit I love a good swamp experience. Alligators, insects, snakes, animals, boats, row boats, you name it. I'm a big fan of checking these places out if we have the chance. If we're somewhere where we can take in a swamp, I'm all about it. I knew we'd be in the area, and while my definition of area may be a bit different than most peoples I'm a firm believer in exploring and making the most of wherever you are when you're there. We were going to be in Columbia, so I knew Charleston was a given and that's when I remembered that Cypress Gardens was also near by'ish. I'd planned our day with visiting Cypress Gardens first, because who doesn't want to come row around in a swamp in 85 degrees before strolling around Charleston ;) not me! I won't be making the US Olympic rowing team anytime soon, let's just say that but I LOVED having the chance to be here. If you're a fan of the Notebook or any of the other movies filmed here it's a super fun spot to come and enjoy. We rowed around the swamp, then walked around the gardens (not much was in bloom in May) but it's still a very lovely experience. We didn't actually see any alligators but we did see several snakes. I'd highly recommend a visit. It obviously screams "date" spot but since I'm single and not dating I wasn't going to let that stop me, let's get romantic with my bestie, Mom and my son's girlfriend. It's still a totally fun experience and an absolute not to be missed if you find yourself anywhere near by this area. I'm not certain what the entry was, I paid at the gate. Maybe $36... for the 4 of us, since I'm catching a break with my Mom being Senior now. I was so elated to know I'd made it here to finally view this place in person. I'm not a big fan of movies/TV or anything that requires sitting still for long periods of time and paying attention, I'd rather be active but this is definitely a place I'd always wanted to experience. Of course, because it's an activity! Great date spot for anyone you'd like to bring. Wear a hat/sunscreen and bring water! We forgot the bug repellent but I didn't get a single insect bite here. PRO TIP: wearing espadrilles may not be the best foot wear choice, pair of flats or closed toe may be a better idea ;) me running from snakes in heels is a sport I wasn't aware I'm good at. Magical. read more

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Oh my gosh, a must experience if visiting Charleston SC. It's $10 each person entry but it includes hiking, butterfly room, and paddling around the black water swamp. If you have seen The Notebook then this is a must 45 minute paddle through beautiful landscape and views. After the boat ride we walked the loop and loved every bit of it. Highly recommended read more

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It is a very cool place to visit if you are a fan of the movie The Notebook, or are a fan of alligators. The entry fee is very reasonable and then you are free to wander the buildings and trails. The butterfly house is fantastic and beautiful. The building with creatures was very cool too... we saw some nice large alligators too. The trails around the swamp were beautiful and the boating was also awesome! read more

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We have loved visits to Cypress Gardens for decades. Its peaceful surroundings allow for a wonderfully immersive experience in which to learn about and experience the beauty of our Lowcountry. read more

Being raised in Berkeley County , Cypress Gardens has always taken center stage growing up whether it be from field trips , high school club events , prom or family events . Cypress Gardens has always been there to host events and support the community. I have seen it grow and change from when I was a kid and although I'm sad some aspects are no longer there (like the alligator pit) I am grateful this special place has overcome obstacles to continue to thrive today. Our most recent visit was to the Halloween event that featured a haunted swamp canoe ride and haunted trail and house . While the props and actors were cheesy , we really enjoyed the event and supporting the park . We liked the storyteller , Bruce Orr and also enjoyed the vendors . There is plenty of parking and Cypress Gardens often offers free admission to Berkeley County residents on special dates (call to check when the dates are) . This place is a gem and the Lowcountry is so fortunate to have them ! read more

We went on a weekday evening when it was rain slightly. I say this because there was no one there besides us. It was wonderfully uncrowded, and peaceful. We had a truly amazing, and beautiful experience. The self directed boat tour was enchanting. I wish I could have stayed in the swamp for a week enjoying the peaceful environment and nature on display. Alligators and turtles were easily spotted if you look carefully. Beautiful flowers and plant life in every direction. The various buildings to walk through were all fascinating. An aquarium, a butterfly building and nice little gift shop. All the staff were warm and friendly. They readily answered question and explained wht we were seeing. Parking was easy and a short distance to the entrance. The site was mostly flat terrain and wheel chair friendly. No stairs or steps that I saw. I'm sure we will go again & again. read more

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Cypress Gardens is an absolute dream. A hidden Gem located in Moncks Corner, it's filled with serene views and breathtaking wildlife along with a friendly staff. The gorgeous grounds were part of the filming for "The Notebook" and my husband and I really felt like we got to live our own version of the boat scene. It's so peaceful out on the water even with the gator population. They are majestic creatures and they were basking in the sun as we rode by. We also got to stop in to the butterfly room and the aquarium to see some other animals. The cherry on top of this whole trip is that this experience can be had for a low cost. Just pay a modest entry fee and the entire site is yours. The have great parking, a playground for littles and the bathrooms are very clean. We will definitely come back again before the year is out. read more

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It's such a cool place to visit. My sister and I loved it. Beautiful doesn't even begin to describe this place. We took the guided boat tour and enjoyed it very much. Nice walking trail around the water. Butterfly house,birds, and reptile display. It's worth a stop in. I highly recommend checking it out. read more

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We had family come to town and decided to finally venture out to Cypress Gardens. You pay for admission at the entrance and parking is free. We arrived around 9:30 am and there were not many cars in the lot. We first headed over to the bird exhibit. They have some beautiful birds here. Next was the butterfly house. A previous review, a month ago, mentioned that there weren't many butterflies but we saw a lot. They also have a breeding program so we saw caterpillars crawling around on plants and butterflies that had just emerged from their chrysalises. Very cool! Loved this exhibit. We then headed over to the Swamparium. They have some huge snakes, turtles, fish, a baby gator and more. The kids loved looking at everything. Next up was the boat ride!! We had nine in our group so we had to wait a little bit for an available self guided boat. Anyone under 16 has to wear a life preserver, which is great, but I didn't see them spraying them down after use. It was so hot out and everyone was sweating so kinda gross. Maybe I just missed them doing it though?? Anyone know for sure if they do or do not sanitize after each use? We were just told to put them back in the same place we picked them up at. Anyway. The boat ride was fun and I was surprised that there weren't any mosquitoes attacking us. The two in our group paddling the boat probably didn't enjoy it as much since it was so hot. They were both pretty tired after so if you don't want to put in the work I'd definitely recommend signing up for the guided tour or doing the boats when it's not 91 degrees out. They have some nights where they do torch lit rides which would be super cool. Check their website or Facebook for event dates. After the boat ride, we let the kids play at the playground for a little bit before heading out. I will definitely be back when it's cooler bc I didn't even walk the trails so I'd love to do that and do the boat again with other family members. Great experience!! read more

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