MONTH

Enchanted Storybook Forest

Open from 3:30 p.m. Sunday, May 12 - October 21, 2013

Beginning at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, May 12 and continuing through October, our younger guests may enter the magical world of the Enchanted Storybook Forest, a collection of storybook playhouses created by local builders, architects and organizations. Each house is based on a classic children’s story or nursery rhyme and will encourage reading and interaction with the natural world. Special programs, classes, and activities will occur throughout the season and include storytelling under the trees, book sharing, arts and crafts and lessons on nature. The exhibit is free with garden admission.

Fairy tale origins date back thousands of years and have bewitched young readers since their beginning. The origin of these types of oral stories is impossible to determine. Ancient cultures from all over the globe have fairy tales and the first known written fairy tales are from ancient Egypt around 1300 BC. What distinguishes a fairy tale from other stories is that it speaks to the heart and soul of children and what they have imagined — that the world can be a very scary place. But fairy tales don’t stop there, their message continues with a sense of courage, adventure, and hope. They offer a promise that if you have courage and if you persist, you can overcome any obstacle, conquer any foe. This summer, we hope to introduce some of that promise to our young guests.

We would like to extend our appreciation to the following businesses who have partnered with us to build the storybook houses.

Participating builders include:
Appliance Science, Dependable Service Plumbing - Cinderella’s Castle
Mozingo & Wallace Architects and Coastal Structures Team– Dr. Seuss theme
Poulin Custom Builders – Crooked Man’s House
Riptide Builders – Hanzel and Gretel’s Gingerbread House
Sterling Homes – Rapunzel’s Tower and Little Old Lady Who Lived in the Shoe
W.C.Jennings Company – Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
Brookgreen Volunteers – wattle fencing