History Walk

Hopelands Gardens and Rye Patch 135 Dupree Place, Aiken, SC, United States

History Walk. Join Allen Riddick, Aiken’s own local historian, for a walk back in time to Aiken in the age of the Winter Colony (late 1800s). Learn about Hopelands Gardens and Rye Patch, the historic properties, and the families (Rogerses and Iselins) who owned them. The walk is cancelled if inclement weather occurs. Please meet in front of the Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum. Online registration utilizing PRT online registration In-person registration is now available at the front desk of Odell Weeks Activity Center, 1700 Whiskey Rd, Aiken, SC 29803. For more questions about registration, please email info@hopelandsgardens.com or call the Weeks Center at (803) 642-7631.

History Walk

Hopelands Gardens and Rye Patch 135 Dupree Place, Aiken, SC, United States

History Walk. Join Allen Riddick, Aiken’s own local historian, for a walk back in time to Aiken in the age of the Winter Colony (late 1800s). Learn about Hopelands Gardens and Rye Patch, the historic properties, and the families (Rogerses and Iselins) who owned them. The walk is cancelled if inclement weather occurs. Please meet in front of the Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum. Online registration utilizing PRT online registration In-person registration is now available at the front desk of Odell Weeks Activity Center, 1700 Whiskey Rd, Aiken, SC 29803. For more questions about registration, please email info@hopelandsgardens.com or call the Weeks Center at (803) 642-7631.

Native Amphibians

Hopelands Gardens and Rye Patch 135 Dupree Place, Aiken, SC, United States

Sean Poppy from the Savannah River Ecology Lab will present Native Amphibians. South Carolina is home to dozens of frog, toad and salamander species. See, in person, many of the native amphibians found in South Carolina. You’ll learn about their unique adaptations, calls and what you can do to help amphibians in the wild. After the talk, take a short walk in Hopelands to see if we can find a few that call the Gardens “home”. Please meet in the Guest Cottage located next to the Rye Patch stables. Online registration utilizing PRT online registration In-person registration is now available at the front desk of Odell Weeks Activity Center, 1700 Whiskey Rd, Aiken, SC 29803. For more questions about registration, please email info@hopelandsgardens.com or call the Weeks Center at (803) 642-7631.  

Eco-Venture!

Kimberly Fickling from the USC Aiken RPSEC will guide children (ages K-4th grade) on an Eco-Venture! through Hopelands Gardens. Each child will be given a backpack that will have magnifying lenses, bug collection boxes, a ruler, binoculars, etc. Along the way, students will find some interesting items to put into a Ziploc bag. We will have microscopes for them to look at what they have collected at the end of the hike. Please meet in front of the Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum.

History Walk

Hopelands Gardens and Rye Patch 135 Dupree Place, Aiken, SC, United States

History Walk. Join Allen Riddick, Aiken’s own local historian, for a walk back in time to Aiken in the age of the Winter Colony (late 1800s). Learn about Hopelands Gardens and Rye Patch, the historic properties, and the families (Rogerses and Iselins) who owned them. The walk is cancelled if inclement weather occurs. Please meet in front of the Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum. Online registration utilizing PRT online registration In-person registration is now available at the front desk of Odell Weeks Activity Center, 1700 Whiskey Rd, Aiken, SC 29803. For more questions about registration, please email info@hopelandsgardens.com or call the Weeks Center at (803) 642-7631.

Trees are our Friends

Hopelands Gardens and Rye Patch 135 Dupree Place, Aiken, SC, United States

Trees are our Friends. Walk through Hopelands Gardens with Aaron Campbell, City of Aiken Horticulturist and Arborist. View and learn about the extensive collection of trees, many planted by Hope Goddard Iselin in the early 1900s. Discover the importance of trees to our gardens and ourselves. Look for the Arboretum Trail! Please meet in front of the Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum. Online registration utilizing PRT online registration In-person registration is now available at the front desk of Odell Weeks Activity Center, 1700 Whiskey Rd, Aiken, SC 29803. For more questions about registration, please email info@hopelandsgardens.com or call the Weeks Center at (803) 642-7631.

History Walk

Hopelands Gardens and Rye Patch 135 Dupree Place, Aiken, SC, United States

History Walk. Join Allen Riddick, Aiken’s own local historian, for a walk back in time to Aiken in the age of the Winter Colony (late 1800s). Learn about Hopelands Gardens and Rye Patch, the historic properties, and the families (Rogerses and Iselins) who owned them. The walk is cancelled if inclement weather occurs. Please meet in front of the Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum. Online registration utilizing PRT online registration In-person registration is now available at the front desk of Odell Weeks Activity Center, 1700 Whiskey Rd, Aiken, SC 29803. For more questions about registration, please email info@hopelandsgardens.com or call the Weeks Center at (803) 642-7631.

Explore Monarch Butterflies

Explore the wonderful world of Monarch butterflies! Spend the morning with Holly DeVault from the Savannah River Ecology Lab Outreach Team to discover about the lifecycle and great annual migration that Monarch butterflies complete. This hands-on STEAM class is designed for children ages 8-11 years old. Please meet in the Guest Cottage located next to the Rye Patch stables.

Join Michaela, Greenhouse Manager of Cold Creek Nursery, for a demonstration class. You’ll learn the art of crafting a beautiful holiday wreath using fresh, foraged greenery. She will guide you through the steps of selecting, arranging and securing the greens to create a natural holiday wreath. Please meet in the Guest Cottage located next to the Rye Patch stables. Online registration utilizing PRT online registration In-person registration is now available at the front desk of Odell Weeks Activity Center, 1700 Whiskey Rd, Aiken, SC 29803.For more questions about registration, please email info@hopelandsgardens.com or call the Weeks Center at (803) 642-7631.

National Pet Day

Come out and walk with us around the pet with your leashed furry loved one. Aiken Dog Walks will lead a one-hour walk through the gardens. Speaker: Denise Parmentier- Aiken Dog Walks

Eco-Venture

Eco-Venture:  Eco-Venture Let’s go on a hands-on “walk and talk” at Hopelands!  Kids, grades 1st-5th, can join Kimberly Fickling (Director of Environmental Education at Ruth Patrick Science Education Center) on a fun, one-hour exploratory walk through the gardens. They will use their senses as well as some scientific tools to observe the world around them! Speakers: Gary Senn and Kimberly Fickling – Ruth Patrick Science Center