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Cypress Gardens is a 170-acre (69 ha) preserve and gardens located at 3030 Cypress Gardens Road, Moncks Corner, South Carolina, United States. The centerpiece of the garden is the 80 acres (32 ha) blackwater bald cypress/tupelo swamp, surrounded with both boat and foot trails.
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,[1] Benjamin Kittredge purchased it to use as a duck hunting reserve. During the Depression, over 200 men built out the 4.5 miles (7.2 km) of trails around the swamp. It was opened to the public in 1931.[2]
Kittredge's son, Benjamin Rufus Kittredge Jr. (1900–1981), donated the property to the City of Charleston on June 1, 1963.[3] In the 1970s, the house at Dean Hall was moved to Beaufort County for preservation.[1]
Hurricane Hugo in 1989 severely affected the park, causing it to close for a year.[4] Berkeley County took over ownership when the City of Charleston no longer wanted to support the garden.
In October 2015, historic flooding hit the state of South Carolina that greatly impacted the botanical preserve. On October 13, it was announced that the attraction would be closed indefinitely following an assessment of millions of dollars of damage. Cypress Gardens officials announced intentions to apply for FEMA assistance. Though they hoped to reopen by the summer of 2016,[5] the park remained closed for nearly four years.
On April 13, 2019, Cypress Gardens reopened. Over 3,000 people visited for the Grand Opening. Berkeley County Officials announced the park would remain free for Berkeley County residents until June 30.
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Open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day; an admission fee is charged.
The gardens are viewed via flat-bottom boat or footpaths. Plantings around the swamp include azaleas, blueberries, a camellia garden, daffodils, a daylily island, dogwoods, pitcher plants, redbud, a small rice field, and a rose garden, as well as the following major features:
- Swamparium (1998) – features native and exotic fish, reptile and amphibian species from swamp habitats, including common local venomous snakes and large aquatic salamanders called sirens. The Swamparium holds approximately 24,000 US gallons (91,000 L; 20,000 imp gal) of water.
- Aviary – houses African grey parrots and a sulfur-crested cockatoo, former pets.
- Butterfly House (1997) – a 2,500-square-foot (230 m2) indoor exhibit housing butterflies, birds, koi, goldfish and turtles.
The gardens also include picnic tables, rental facilities, and 4.5 miles (7.2 km) of walking paths and nature trails.
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Cypress Gardens has hosted over 16 major movies and television series, including:[6][7]
Cypress Gardens
Cypress Gardens Cypress Knees
Cypress Gardens Wildflower Field
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