The Museum is home to thousands of objects from Colleton County and South Carolina.  Many of these objects are on display in our permanent exhibits. The Museum strives to make each visit a new experience. As such, we try to rotate exhibits in our permanent collection as well as featuring art exhibits from local artists and special exhibits from the

PERMANENT EXHIBITS

Animals of the ACE Basin – indigenous animals that live in the ACE ecosystem.  Mounted animals and descriptions which give the visitor descriptions of the multitude of wildlife found in Colleton County’s portion of the ACE basin

Native American Life - A collection of points, sherds, and information about the Native American population in Colleton County

The David Cope Civil War Exhibit - David Cope, a former Colleton County resident loaned his extensive Civil War artifact collection to the Museum.  The collection includes ammunition, uniforms and a fascinating medical artifact collection.  To learn more about the Civil War visit the great timeline at

hatsrcool.com/pages/civil-war-timeline

Rice Production & Plantation Life in Colleton County - Rice production implements, descriptions, information about local plantations and the importance of the rice crop to Colleton County’s history.  Featured is a utilitarian clay urn pot signed and made by Dave the potter from the Edgefield District.  The Harrison family of Colleton County owned the pot and it was originally purchased in Edgefield by William Samuel Harrison, who died in a Union prison camp while serving the Confederacy.

Early Walterboro - Artifacts, photographs, documents of the settlement of the town of Walterboro in 1783 by the Walter brothers and its incorporation in 1826 and subsequent growth as a town including early businesses in the community.

Religious Life - Church pews and organ in a lowcountry “church” setting complete with stained glass windows.  Church histories and photos are featured on the walls, including the local Jewish Synagogue and the 250 year old Temple Menorrahs brought from the Ukraine by the wife of Walterboro’s first pharmacist.

Military Exhibit - Artifacts, photos from the many Colletonians who served in America’s wars.  Featured is an exhibit containing a Gold and Bronze medal for shooting given to Colleton soldier, Henry M. Bailey, in the Paris Olympics.  Also featured is a Tuskeegee Airmen exhibit that notes their training at Walterboro’s Air Field during World War II.

Settlement of Colleton County - A vast array of artifacts found at Willtown, the first permanent settlement in Colleton County located on the Edisto River

General Store - Typical in construction to the General Stores serving rural Colleton County for many years, the replication of Varn’s Cash Store, is replete with vintage items representative of a country store

Carew Rice Exhibit - One of America’s most famous silhouette artists, Rice lived in Colleton County at Brickhouse Plantation down on the Cheehaw River,  near the community of Wiggins.  Featured is a large painted panel used for Rice production advertisement in Colleton County and many of his small silhouettes.

Prehistory Exhibit - Fossils found in the area

Children’s Discovery Area – Where children can learn more about Colleton History (and give their parents a chance to take a look around!)

The Museum offers a number of regularly changing art exhibits throughout the year.