Edisto Island Serpentarium — Attraction in Kiawah Island

A small serpentarium located on Edisto Island right off a main road about a 3 hour drive from Columbia SC. Worth the drive for sure.

Purchasing a pass gives you access to all the exhibits and shows. I suggest taking a couple hours to enjoy the facility and the area.

My sister and I arrived around Mid Morning from Columbia. We purchased our tickets at the store and went directly to a animal-handler show in the small, covered, outdoor theater with tiered benches. After that we wandered around the majority of the outdoors exhibits and took in the Alligator feeding show. By this time we were hungry and instead of getting random junk food at the canteen we left the facility in search of food before the next show we wanted to watch. We found a place 7 minutes down the road, had lunch and came back. We made our way straight to the outdoor Non venomous snake enclosure to watch the feeding. I do not recommend this to small children who will be uncomfortable with mice being killed. As an adult it was fascinating to watch the snakes so activity and a rare chance to watch then stalk prey and utilize their various skills and techniques. There is no seating and every spot is a good spot for viewing as they basically set mice free through the exhibit and you can watch non venomous snakes eating in the water, on the ground and in the trees. After that we moved to the venomous snake live feeding which was much less action-filled as they use toxins to kill their prey and are much less active. These shows were only available on certain days. After that it was quite hot in the sun so we went indoors and wandered around the small indoor section of exhibits, where they were also feeding the animals. We also wandered the gift shop before heading out and back to Columbia.

I would not make this a whole day trip again but if I was in the area I might go back and have a wander. One time with the live feedings was enough for both my sister and I.

I recommend McConkey's Jungle Shack for lunch. They had wonderful seafood and were very close to the serpentarium. It can get quite busy mid-day in July so be prepared to wait a little, if you want to sit down on the porch. They do take-away, which is what we did and ate in the blissful air-conditioning of the car listening to music.

Serpentarium Amenities: Souvenir Shop Parking Lot Canteen to buy food Rest Rooms

Shows: (Not all shows available every day) Animal Feeding Non Venomous Snake Feeding Venomous Snake Feeding Alligator Feeding Animal Handling

Good For: Families Couples Adults Children (viewer discretion advised for...

Put this one on your to-do list while in the area!

I am always hesitant to walk into reptile 'zoos'. I absolutely LOVE reptiles and can't wait to see them any chance I get, but I always dread what I am going to walk into at these places. I know the smell and sights before I ever step through the door. BUT the Edisto Island Serpentarium threw all of those concerns out the window the first step into their facility.

I was absolutely blown away at their incredibly done and such well-maintained open air snake enclosures! My brain was immediately in overdrive on how I can replicate these at my own facility. There was absolutely no smell (this is a hard task to accomplish housing reptiles, especially indoors!), enclosures were spotless, water features were not only running (seems to always be an issue at facilities of all shapes and sizes) but were clean - clean, clear water, every animal on display seemed healthy and well cared for. It is obvious their team goes above and beyond daily and truly cares about their facility and animals. KUDOS to you!

We were able to catch a snake program and honestly, after many many years in the zoo/aquarium/professional animal care world, this man deserves a serious pat on the back. I am sorry I cannot remember his name, but his ability to get people excited about snakes, especially venomous ones, during this program will always stay with me. I watched so many faces change from uncomfortable to awe as he shared his snake friends with the crowd. His handling techniques with his venomous friends was safe and rhythmic. Any doubts I had watching him carry out venomous boxes dissolved quickly.

Thoroughly impressed and glad we made the effort to spend a few hours of our vacation with...

When we had the idea to visit this place, it's solely was based on the entertainment for our 4-year-old daughter. I had never been to Edisto Island, my wife had been here when she was in high school. So in a way it was everyone's first time. This is located about 10 minutes from the Town center, a very relaxing drive as well.

I was pretty surprised to notice from the street how well maintained and inviting it was. From the time we bought tickets, by the way they give a military discount, I was definitely more interested than I expected to be.

The staff that we met were extremely nice, approachable and engaging. That sentiment only intensified throughout the park. It's hard to describe why this is so awesome because it's so different. You definitely need to come on a Saturday and it needs to be before noon. See, the feedings happen at noon and in hourly increments from that time two different sections of the park. It's hard to describe the carnal experience you witness with each feeding, with each section of the park. The zookeepers that are doing the feeding, manage to stay engaged and take questions from all of us on lookers. I'm not a fan of snakes but today I look at them in a different light and understanding. The sole reason is because of the experience today. The alligators were simply amazing and that feeding experience is something we are glad we got on video. But in the end the most important and gratifying portion was to see how much are 4-year-old daughter learned and loved every part of this experience. We live in Charleston and it only took us about an hour to get here. We definitely are bringing friends and family that visit from out of town. Highly highly...