If you are expecting the Smithsonian Institution, you will be disappointed. If you are expecting a small, rural, cheap half day activity you'll be pretty happy. Good for kids; like all things in South Carolina, you'll want to check the weather. Bee City on a hot summer day..............no thanks. Bee City on an unseasonably nice cloudy day was pretty good. This is a good 40 minute drive from Charleston, so if you are on a day outing I would highly recommend combining this with a trip to Walterboro. Bee City in the morning, followed by lunch in Walterboro. Food selections at Bee City were very very limited.
Grandchildren (ages 6 & 7) were in Charleston for a long visit. We were looking for something different to do and found it at Bee City. We've lived in Charleston for nearly 30 years and had never heard of Bee City --'just up the road a piece' near Cottageville. Found it through an internet search. The website was very informative and sold us right away.These kids LOVE the interaction with friendly animals and Bee City has a great variety of creatures, including fluffy bunnies to pet. They hand fed deer, goats, alpacas lemurs and monkeys. Lots of farm animals roaming about, too. In the nature center you can get up close and personal with reptiles and learn about spiders, birds, etc. The bees are there, too, but safely tucked away in the classroom area. The day we were there a group was finishing up a birthday party in classroom, but we were still able to go inside and see the bee exhibit. The one-hour drive from Charleston is pleasant --you can take I-26 to Ridgeville exit or take the scenic route up Hwy 61. In addition to the petting zoo, nature center and classroom, there's a small area where kids can fill a watering can and water some plants. Everything about the place was family friendly, including the cafe and gift shop. We bought ice-cream treats and honey. The entrance fee is very reasonable ($5). We went on a Saturday around lunchtime and it was not too crowded. Plenty of parking.
This is a great place to bring your kids to, or just go alone. They have all kinds of animals, products made from honey and a nice little cafe. Archie and Diane are very nice and helpful, and tell you stories along your journey here. I would go again and again!
I went with my son on a field trip to Bee City. I was not at all disappointed. The young woman who had just started working there, was very knowledgeable, kind and patient with both the adults as well as the kids. Thank you for a fun filled day!!
Hands on, clean, animals are so healthy, happy. The staff has heart and are a wealth of information.
My family always has a great time at Bee City. The kids can get very close and even feed some of the animals. They have a cafe that sells food so you can have lunch there and their honey is really a great price. The cost is only $5 per person.
My kids loved this place. The price is great for all there is to see and do. The kids loved the animals and being able to interact with them. The little "train" ride was a big hit for my 7, 6, 4 and 1 year old. Totally worth the drive out there.
I agree that the animals need more room and there could be some changes in the 'Nature Center,' but I also will acknowledge that you're going to get that anywhere when you have animals in captivity. I had a good time on my visit and being able to feed some lemurs was a very cool experience. I did expect more bees though. The exhibit they had was nice, but I don't know, just from what I read, I expected more bees. The family that ran it was super nice and the cafe there was good for a lunch. Great drive out there and fun for the whole family.
Bee City did not disappoint! My children, ages 8 and 5, were entertained here for hours. What at first appeared to be nothing more than a glorified petting zoo ended up becoming a favorite day trip. Although there are only a few attractions here kids can spend a great deal of time at each one, making for a great day. Highlights for my children included feeding the lemurs and monkeys, visiting the reptile house and watering the garden. We all enjoyed the presentation on bees, although the name Bee City is a bit misleading, as the bees are secondary here to an array of other animals. We enjoyed lunch at the cafe and found the employees to be extremely friendly and helpful. My kids were already asking when we can return before we even left the parking lot:) Highly recommend!
The kids had a great time for not a lot of money. There was a variety of honey products. You only need to buy one cup of animal food was more than enough for two kids.