Beaufort history and movie tours

Beaufort has had more than 300 years to collect stories, and we tell the good ones. This one hour golf cart tour rolls through the historic district, under live oaks draped with Spanish moss and past houses that stood here before the Civil War.

The Spanish, the French and the English all explored this coast. They left us a rich history, beautiful antebellum homes, scenic views and a town with friendly local charm. You sit back in our Yamaha Concierge golf cart. We do the driving and the talking. Ask us anything along the way.

Hollywood likes Beaufort too. About one tenth of the tour covers the films made here, from The Big Chill to Forrest Gump. If the films are your main reason to come, read our Movie Tour page. It is the same tour on the same schedule.

Forrest Gump ran across a bridge over the Mississippi River. That bridge is here in Beaufort. On this one hour golf cart tour you see it, along with film sites from The Big Chill, The Great Santini, The Prince of Tides and more.

We want you to know what you book. This is our History and Movie tour. Most of the hour is the story of Beaufort and its historic district. The film stops and the stories about the stars are woven in along the way, about one tenth of the tour.

You ride in our Yamaha Concierge golf cart past sites and homes where the stars stayed in downtown Beaufort. It is the same tour and the same schedule as our History Tour by golf cart. Book either page and you get the same seat.

Some towns you see best on foot, and Beaufort is one of them. This two hour walking tour of the historic district gives you over 300 years of history, plus stories about the Hollywood movies and actors that came to town. You can ask questions as you stroll.

Beaufort celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2011. The Spanish, the French and the English all explored this coast. They left a rich history, beautiful antebellum homes, scenic views and friendly local charm. They also left a beautiful location for some iconic movies.

You walk through neighborhoods like The Point, The Bluff and The Old Commons, past tabby homes from before the Civil War and live oaks draped in Spanish moss. You see The Big Chill house and The Castle, where Demi Moore stayed during G.I. Jane.

“I’ve come home to the place I was always writing about. I’ve tried to make Beaufort, South Carolina, my own.” Pat Conroy wrote that in The Death of Santini. This golf cart tour shows you the town he meant. We present it in partnership with the Pat Conroy Literary Center.

In about one hour and 15 minutes you see the sites of Pat’s writing life. You see homes in the historic Point where Pat lived and wrote, places tied to his teachers and friends, his parents’ grave site, and locations from the filming of The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini.

After the tour, visit the Conroy Center at 601 Bladen Street. You can see his writing desk and chair, the Great Santini’s flight jacket, and the handwritten prologue to The Prince of Tides. Tour guests get a 10% discount on gifts and books there.

Tell us what your group wants to see, and we build the tour around it. Custom tours run for a half day or a full day, in Beaufort and out on the Sea Islands. They work well for families, reunions, clubs and visiting groups.

Popular requests are the history of Beaufort, the movie locations, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island and its history museum, and St. Helena Island with the Penn Center, Darrah Hall and a Gullah art gallery. Your guide shares the Gullah history of the Sea Islands along the way.

Do you arrive with your own motor coach? See our Step-On Bus Tour Guides page. For everything else, call 843-838-2746 or write to billr@beauforttours.com and we plan it with you.