A visit to Cypress Gardens
Many films have been shot here – but that’s not the only reason why the man-made swamp in South Carolina is worth a visit!
History
South Carolina, and especially the region around Charleston and along the Cooper River, is one of the most historic areas in the US. Immigrants from Europe and the Caribbean and countless slaves from Africa all brought their cultures here. Political and economic upheavals contributed to the disappearance of old estates and properties – or gave them a new lease on life.
Cypress Gardens is a 170-acre nature reserve with gardens in Moncks Corner, near Charleston, South Carolina. The heart of the garden is the 80-acre blackwater swamp with swamp cypresses and tupelo trees, crisscrossed by boat and hiking trails.
The gardens were originally part of the Dean Hall rice plantation, which relied on fresh water from the Cooper River. The area, which is now a swamp, was excavated and equipped with water locks to serve as a freshwater reservoir. In 1909, Benjamin Kittredge purchased the land to use as a duck hunting area and later developed it into a park at his wife’s request.
It has been open to the public since 1931 and is considered a nature reserve. In addition to alligators and turtles, many species of birds have also found a home there. The park has been destroyed twice so far: by Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and by a flood in 2015. It took many years to repair the damage each time.
Cypress Gardens is best known as the location for many well-known films, including “Swamp Thing” (1982), “The Patriot” with Mel Gibson (2000), and “Cold Mountain” (2003).
Visit to Cypress Gardens
Even though I have been to South Carolina many times, there is still much to discover there. I visited with my daughter during the Easter holidays. We had just watched the film “The Notebook” a few weeks earlier, which was filmed in and around Charleston. The boat scene with the many swans was reason enough for us to visit Cypress Gardens, which I had not seen before.
The weather was perfect, and we were greeted with Easter greetings at the entrance. Since it was not particularly busy, we were able to board immediately with our tickets for a guided boat tour. The guide, who had seen my camera, let us board right at the front.
We were on the tour for about an hour and a half, during which our guide entertained us with many stories about the park. We learned that the swans had been brought in and accustomed to people in November for the film scene. The film was shot in February, and afterwards all the swans had to be recaptured – before the alligators woke up from hibernation! Otherwise, it would have been a feast…
The Results
Cypress Gardens is an enchanting piece of landscape, like something from another world. It is very difficult to convey this in pictures. Nevertheless, a few very beautiful shots were taken. The bridge will definitely make it into the 2026 calendar.
