​Walterboro Wildlife Center

Stretching across more than 600 acres and standing as South Carolina's largest municipal park, the Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary combines conservation with ecotourism. It offers boardwalks, hiking, biking and canoe trails through the hardwood forest and what are known as braided creeks of the Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto Basin.

The new Walterboro Wildlife Center, built in a repurposed downtown building, connects the sanctuary to Walterboro's downtown. Its interpretive exhibit hall shows the significance and history of Lowcountry swamps and the many species living within them, complete with live exhibits of plant and animal life.

While the center originally had the sole purpose of showcasing the wildlife sanctuary, that purpose grew into something larger throughout years of development and came to encompass downtown revitalization. The center takes advantage of the downtown location and provides a large event and meeting space as well as an amphitheater, Walterboro's first outdoor entertainment venue.

Funding to create the center came from state grants, the Municipal Association of South Carolina's Hometown Economic Development Grants, federal grants, as well as the City of Walterboro. The total funds brought together for the project reached $2,625,000. The Friends of the Great Swamp Sanctuary helped with the design of the facility, while Colleton County sold the city an adjacent parking lot.

Future plans for the center include wildlife programming, event rentals and performing arts events.

Contact Jeff Molinari at jmolinari@walterborosc.org or 843.782.1011.