These two attractions stem from the estate of Archer Milton Huntington, a New York millionaire who spent his fortune on the dream building a Spanish style castle and transforming 9,000 acres of Lowcountry forest into a lush garden estate. The home, christened Atalaya, was comprised of 36 rooms and 22 fireplaces and employed thousands of area workers in the Great Depression era. His wife Anna was a famous sculptor who turned the gardens into a display for her artwork.Now known as Brookgreen Gardens, it is America’s largest showcase of American figurative sculpture with over 900 sculptures by 300 different artists. The remainder of the estate and Atalaya were incorporated into Huntington Beach State Park. This unspoiled preserve is a 25, 000-acre beachfront state park laced with hiking trails throughout the maritime forest and has 3 miles of the most remote, untouched beaches along the Grand Strand.
