Located in Sumter, South Carolina, Swan Lake Iris Gardens began in 1927 as a private fishing lake for wealthy businessman Hamilton Carr Bland, who also began landscaping his garden with Japanese Iris flowers. It is currently the only public park in the United States to have all eight species of swans--including Royal White Mutes, Black Necks, Coscorobas, Whoopers, Black Australians, Whistlers, Bewicks, and Trumpeters.
The Iris Market is open on Sunday from 1:00pm-5:00pm, on Thursday and Friday from 11:00am-2:00pm, and on Saturday from 12:00n-5:00pm. It offers sandwiches, hot dogs, salads and other treats. During the Christmas season, the gardens come alive with the nighttime Fantasy of Lights display, featuring more than 1,000,000 sparkling lights in an array of colors and shapes. Wintertime snacks are available for purchase as well as children's pictures with Santa on select weekends.
Video Swan Lake/Iris Gardens
See also
- List of lakes in South Carolina
Maps Swan Lake/Iris Gardens
Sources
- http://www.sumtersc.gov/swan-lake-iris-gardens.aspx
- http://scgreatoutdoors.com/park-swan.html
Source of article : Wikipedia