Scarecrows in the Garden Exhibit Showcases Local Talent
Event Kicks Off Autumn Activities, October 1 – October 31
Robert Mills House & Garden, 1616, Blanding Street, Columbia, SC
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Historic Columbia Foundation will host its second annual Scarecrows in the Garden Exhibit, October 1 – 31 at the historic Robert Mills House & Garden, 1616 Blanding Street. The exhibit will showcase local talent from schools, businesses, families, and organizations.
Visitors can stroll through the gardens on the grounds of the historic Robert Mills House to find Sneaky Steve, Historic Columbia Foundation’s missing scarecrow; participate in a scavenger hunt; and select their favorite scarecrow. The free exhibit is open to the public Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sundays, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
For information on entering a scarecrow, please email aposner@historiccolumbia.org or call 803.252.1770, ext. 24. For more information on the exhibit and activities, visit www.HistoricColumbia.org.
Other Scarecrows in the Garden activities include:
Scarecrows in the Garden Open House and Member Event
Thursday, October 1, 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. Robert Mills House & Garden
Visitors can enjoy appetizers, beverages, and brews while viewing a variety of creative scarecrows in our garden. The reception will feature Halloween activities, shopping, and local celebrities who will cast their votes for the best scarecrow display. Admission is $10. Free for children 12 and under. Members are free. Become a member or bring a friend to join and enter drawing for prizes. Reservations are required. Admission is free for contest participants.
Historic Hauntings, October 27-28, 6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Robert Mills House, 1616 Blanding Street
Participants can enjoy a tour of the Robert Mills by lantern light while learning about mysterious occurrences in the historic house. Following the lantern tour, participants can take a bus tour to Elmwood Cemetery for a moonlight tour to hear captivating stories of 19th and 20th century Columbia families, soldiers, and leaders buried at the site as a costumed guide leads groups on a path full of surprises. Tickets are $15, $7 for children of non-members, $10 for members, and $5 for children of members.
Tiny Tot Tuesdays: Silly Scarecrows, October 20, 11 a.m. Robert Mills House, 1616 Blanding Street
Toddlers are invited to become Silly Scarecrows and enjoy spending the afternoon in the gardens with scarecrows on exhibit. The program will feature crafts, games, and tours of the Scarecrows in the Garden exhibit at the Robert Mills House. Participants can dress up as scarecrows and help find Historic Columbia’s missing scarecrow, Sneaky Steve. Activities include making scarecrow hands, designing a pumpkin mask, a flying broom relay; decorate pumpkin cookies, a scavenger hunt, and story time featuring the book Show Crow Shoo by Dana M. Rau.
Tiny Tot Tuesdays is a monthly program for toddlers ages 2-4 to explore the homes and grounds of the Historic Columbia Foundation using their senses. Each month will feature a topic for participants to enjoy through stories, games, crafts, and activities.
Admission is $6 or $4 for members (admission includes one adult and one child). Each additional child is $1. For reservations, call 803.252.1770, ext. 24 or email reservations@historiccolumbia.org.
Family Day: Harvest Hoopla, October 31, Noon- 2:00 p.m., Robert Mills House, 1616 Blanding Street
Visitors can view the Scarecrows in the Garden exhibit on its final day and participate in a variety of autumn activities. Learn old Halloween customs and the history of harvesting gardens. Hands-on activities include making masks and cornhusk dolls. Participate in our costume contest and find out the winners of the Scarecrows in the Garden Contest. Admission is $6 per child, $3 for each additional child, free for one accompanying adult. Free for members and contest participants.
For reservations and more information, call 803.252.1770, ext. 24 or visit www.HistoricColumbia.org.
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Historic Columbia Foundation was founded in 1961 by a group of preservationists determined to save the Ainsley Hall House, known today as the Robert Mills House. More than four decades later, Historic Columbia Foundation manages four historic house museums and their associated artifacts, and tells the stories of people, places and progress in Columbia and Richland County. For more information, please visit www.historiccolumbia.org.
