Are you looking for a new secret spot to explore or hidden gems in Greenville, SC and the Upstate? Besides the planned events, playgrounds, parades, and museums, Greenville still holds a few secrets and we asked our readers if they wouldn’t mind unveiling some of their favorites. Bring a little bit of magic to your kid’s daily lives.
So, if you need some ideas to throw into the rotation of fun things to do with the kids, read on because we are revealing some of our readers’ favorite secret spots to enjoy with their families.
Check out our complete guide to Things to Do in Greenville, South Carolina after you check out our list of hidden gems!
Secret Places to Visit: Hidden Gems in Greenville, SC
Gardens at the Kilgore-Lewis House
560 North Academy Street, Greenville
Another secret (kind of) garden! Be sure to put these gardens on your to-do list. They are just beautiful and the kids may enjoy the pond, checking out the flowers, or having a picnic.
Hidden Waterfalls
One Kidding Around Greenville reader is on a mission to see all the beautiful waterfalls within an hour of Greenville. She uses the AllTrails Hiking & Mountain Trails app to find them and suggested Issaqueena Falls near Walhalla, Dupont State Forest in Cedar Mountain, NC, Table Rock, and Paris Mountain. Start chasing those waterfalls!
If you need some ideas, don’t miss our Waterfall Driving Tour! Or, this waterfall you can walk behind!
Last but not least, here’s our Guide to Waterfalls of the Southeast perfect for family hikes and exploration.
Rock Quarry Garden
McDaniel Avenue and Sherwood Street, Greenville, SC
Rock Quarry Garden was built on the site of a pre-Civil War-era granite quarry and is a popular area for wedding and family photoshoots. With waterfalls, flower beds, grassy hills, and a stone bridge over a rocky stream, it is a gorgeous place to take family photos or have a picnic. Located in Cleveland Park, at the corner of McDaniel and Sherwood St, the garden is easily accessible from the Swamp Rabbit Trail near the Major Rudolph Anderson, Jr. Memorial (aka “the airplane”).
Children’s Garden at Linky Stone Park
This park is tucked away right off the Swamp Rabbit Trail in Downtown Greenville and is the perfect little spot for a picnic lunch or to let the kids get out some energy. They have a sensory garden, a musical instrument area, and during the summer, lots of flowers and herbs. Check out our Kidding Around review of Linky Stone Park!
Interactive Secret Garden at The Children’s Museum of the Upstate
300 College Street, Greenville, SC
Who doesn’t love a secret garden? Word has it that there is an interactive “secret garden” beneath the front entrance of the Children’s Museum. Look for the metal frog and butterflies. This whimsical garden is free anytime you are visiting Heritage Green.
Cedar Falls Park
201 Cedar Falls Road, Fountain Inn
If you haven’t been to Cedar Falls Park in Fountain Inn, then you really do need to get there. This park is huge (90+ acres!) and amazing! Hit the playground, take a walk, hike down to the waterfalls. Be sure to pack lunch because they have a picnic shelter and tons of grassy areas perfect for a picnic. And when you’re little one tells you they have to go to the bathroom? No problem! Cedar Falls Park even has restrooms.
See the Tank at Gower Park
24 Evelyn Avenue, Greenville
This local Greenville Park has a tank on display that the kids love to check out. Plus there’s a great, newly renovated playground and restrooms at this park. You’ll find this little park off of Laurens Road.
Family time at Furman University
Furman is quite family-friendly and you can have a great time for free there – hang out at the lake, feed the ducks, take a walk along the stroller-friendly path. In fact, you’ll find a great write-up of what families can do there!
Bass Pro Shops on Woodruff Road
1025 Woodruff Road #H101, Greenville, SC
In a last-ditch effort to find something entertaining on a rainy Sunday when my husband was sick, I trekked out to Bass Pro Shops because I heard they had a small aquarium. They do! And since it is a hunting store, they have tons of animals for the kids to check out in their taxidermy forms. My preschooler was entertained for at least an hour. And fudge too. They have amazing fudge.
See the Plane at Major Rudolph Anderson Jr. Memorial at Cleveland Park
150 Cleveland Park Drive, Greenville
Park at Cleveland Park and take the Swamp Rabbit Trail to view the Major Rudolph Anderson, Jr. Memorial. There you’ll find a F-86 Sabre Jet along with signage about the life of Greenville’s Major Rudolph Anderson Jr. and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Little ones will enjoy looking at the plane while older family members can learn a bit of history.
Bonus: Mini Golf Course at McPherson Park
Did you know there is a free mini-golf course in Downtown Greenville? You’ll find the course at McPhearson Park, but you will need to bring along clubs and balls (which can be found pretty cheap on Marketplace or at secondhand stores).
Do you know of any hidden gems in Greenville, SC to add to our list?
American Burger is moving their KIDS NIGHTS to Mondays
Do you know what time?
I would recommend the park right beside Runway Cafe (at 21 Airport Road Ext, Greenville) at the downtown airport. While the cafe is a business, the park is run separately by the local government and is open to the public. The little ones will love seeing small airplanes land while they play at this wonderful park, and you can sit at a covered table nearby. We even had my 5 year old’s birthday party in a private room at Runway Cafe, and arranged to have a pilot drive a small plane on the other side of the fence during the party; the kids were able to sit inside it and have pictures taken. What a fun experience (and low $)!
Totally agree! It’s one of our favorite spots as well!