News Release

Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn Undergoing Major Upgrades

August 23, 2024

The Coastal Discovery Museum is getting much-needed enhancements to its pavilion, grounds, and other facilities on the Honey Horn property, with work underway this month.

"The museum and Honey Horn are magnificent and majestical parts of Hilton Head Island’s landscape. Protecting this environmental and historical asset aligns with our strategic goals to provide best-in-class facilities and programming in our community, preserve our natural aesthetics and maintain places that provide exceptional quality of life offerings for events," said Hilton Head Island Mayor Alan Perry.

As part of its Capital Improvements Program for fiscal year 2025, the Town of Hilton Head Island budgeted $450,000 for a series of improvements at the museum including upgrades to the Mary Ann Peeples Pavilion area, beginning with essential tree care for the majestic live oaks on the property. This work occurred between August 19 and August 23. The pavilion was built in 2006 and is a popular and picturesque site for special events, school and public programming, private parties, and weddings. The upgrades are designed to elevate the experience of all events hosted at the pavilion and ensure they meet the highest standards now and in the future.

In the upcoming months, the Town will replace light fixtures and fans and upgrade the electrical system within the pavilion to support future needs. Additional lighting will be installed to accentuate the oaks and illuminate the pavilion’s pathways. New hardscaping, patios, pathways, and fresh landscaping will enhance the event space around the pavilion and improve accessibility to the adjacent building and throughout the Camellia Garden.

The enhancement to the pavilion is just part of the infrastructure work the Town committed to address as part of the 2023-2025 Strategic Action Plan. These upcoming projects, set to be funded through the CIP budget, include renovations to flooring and office spaces, interior repairs to the Discovery Lab, structural repairs to the horse barn, and various other enhancements such as gate and boardwalk repairs, well and field irrigation, fence repair, and HVAC upgrades. Funding for all the improvements is generated through electric franchise fees the Town receives from its local electric utility.

Construction signage and other safety control measures will be in place throughout the work projects, and the public will be notified as work occurs. Pedestrians and bicyclists are asked to exercise caution when navigating near work areas. You can also follow the progress of project work via the Capital Improvement Program dashboard on the Town’s website at hiltonheadislandsc.gov.

For more information, please contact Scott Harris, Senior Project Manager, at ScottH@hiltonheadislandsc.gov.