Day Trip: Visiting Sumter’s Swan Lake Iris Gardens

Editor’s note: The Morning News kicks off its new feature of day trip ideas today. Whether you’re looking for something to do this weekend or this year, we have a list of ideas to keep you adventurous — all in a day. You can look for future day trips in the Pee Dee Living section of the newspaper.

And, if you have any suggestions for a day trip, e-mail us at cnews@florence news.com.

SUMTER — Every Memorial Day weekend since 1940, the Swan Lake Iris Gardens has held its annual Iris Festival, bringing thousands of people to Sumter.

The three-day event, which runs this year from Friday through Sunday, features an art show, live entertainment and the iris marketplace set up by Master Gardeners offering visitors the opportunity to learn about and purchase irises.

The Iris Festival is one of the biggest events of the year at the gardens.

Swan Lake Iris Gardens, however, offer families an enjoyable day trip any time of year. Open from 7:30 a.m. until dusk, the gardens are free of charge.

Families can bring a picnic, tour the sensory gardens and feed the eight species of swans that reside in the park. In addition to the rare swans — Swan Lake is the only public park in the world to house all eight swan species — visitors to the park will enjoy an abundance of other wildlife, such as nesting great blue herons and many types of butterflies in the butterfly garden.

Another special feature of the park is the sensory garden designed to create an interactive outdoor experience for people with disabilities.

And, if now is not the time for your trip, consider December when the gardens and lake display more than a million lights during the holiday season.

Located at 822 W. Liberty St. (U.S. 763) in Sumter, Swan Lake Iris Gardens is a short trip from Florence and surrounding areas.

— Staff photographer Rebecca J. Ducker can be reached at (843) 317-7254.

Directions: From Florence: Take Interstate 95 south to the S.C. 378 exit. Follow S.C. 378, then take a slight left onto Route 76. Follow West Liberty Street (U.S. 76/763), and Swan Lake Iris Gardens is located at 822 W. Liberty St.

For more details, visit http://www.irisfestival.org or call the visitor’s center at (800) 688-4748.