In the year 1920, the first Superintendent of Parks, Andrew Dibble, planted five acres of azaleas along the beautiful Edisto River. A playground and greenhouse soon followed, and, in 1951, the first rose was planted. Today, the Edisto Memorial Rose Garden is home to 79 beds of roses from miniatures to Old Garden Roses. This landmark example of Orangeburg County’s natural beauty is also the home to the Orangeburg Festival of Roses, one of the Southeastern Tourism Society’s top twenty events, celebrating the annual blooming of the garden. The Gardens are found within the City of Orangeburg’s limits on US Highway 301 a few blocks from the city center. Consider visiting during the peak of spring bloom, from March 15 to April 15. Call the City of Orangeburg Parks and Recreation Department for up-to-date bloom information at (803) 533-6020.

Take your family on an aquatic adventure to the Midland’s newest water park. Featuring a zero-entry pool, fountains and spray jets, and an enormous twisting water slide for the kids alongside a full-sized pool and several athletic fields. The Santee Recreation & Water Park is operated by the Orangeburg YMCA.

If you’re looking to kayak or canoe on the Edisto, America’s longest free-flowing blackwater, Baughman’s Landing is the perfect spot to put in. Baughman’s Landing is just seven miles from the Edisto Memorial Gardens in downtown Orangeburg, which features its own landing spot.

Santee Cooper Country Club offers some of the most scenic golfing in the area. Set among Santee's tall pines, expansive native foliage, and with portions of the course overlooking majestic Lake Marion, this well-conditioned George Cobb layout offers a tough challenge for seasoned golfers and great to spot to learn for newcomers.

Opened in 1969, Lake Marion Golf Course is one of Santee's premiere courses, with pine tree-lined fairways, bordering lakes, and 47 sand bunkers. With the area's largest golf pro shop, a lighted driving range, and lessons available from PGA golf professionals, Lake Marion Golf Course is a great spot for golfers of all skill levels. And on-course on-course villas, townhouses, hotels and inns make it the perfect vacation destination for the whole family.

Right off of I-95 and I-26, the Golf Digest 4-star rated Santee National offers a challenging course featuring Bermuda fairways and Champion Bermuda greens, winding around several strategically placed lakes. Each hole offers four tees, so golfers of all skill levels can enjoy.

House of Pizza on Sims Street is a family friendly restaurant, that has been serving a variety of delicious American, Italian and Greek food for over 30 years. They are also the home to the fantastic sports bar The Barrel Room.

A reminder of the style of old South Carolina, Lone Star BBQ & Mercantile’s take on classic southern barbecue landed a spot on USA’s “Ten Best Joints in America” and the State’s “Best of Downhome Cooking”. But there’s plenty more to Lone Star than a great buffet, weekly live Bluegrass and Country music shows, and the twice-annual Bluegrass & Country Music Festival. Housed across four country stores dating back to the 1800’s, filled to the brim with antiques, and boasting a gift-shop for old-timey treasures and fares, visiting Lone Star is a trip into the past.

Often called “South Carolina’s most intimate little performing arts venue”, the Bluebird Theatre has been a pillar of Orangeburg’s arts community for over forty years. Theatre-goers can see the Bluebird’s resident thespians, the Orangeburg Part-Time Players, putting on everything from the Nutcracker to My Fair Lady, all in classic venue with a deep history.

The Orangeburg County Historical Society owns and operates the Salley Archives on the corner of Middleton and Bull Streets, the home of non-publicly held historical records of Orangeburg County. Built around 1960 with help from South Carolina’s first archive (a native of Orangeburg), Alex S. Salley, the Salley Archives house genealogical files for more than 6,000 Orangeburg County surnames, along with artifacts and historical records for businesses, organizations, and government entities from Orangeburg’s past. Visit the Orangeburg County Historical Society and Salley Archives to dive into Orangeburg County’s rich history and heritage.

On September 8, 1781, the South Carolina saw its final battle of the Revolutionary War. Listed on the National Registry, the Eutaw Springs Battleground Park is a monument to the battle between Patriot General Nathaniel Greene and British Colonel Alexander Stewart that left nearly 1200 dead and marked the end of British occupation in South Carolina. The site includes historic markers detailing this fateful encounter as well as the tomb of British Commander Major John Majoribanks, noted for his outstanding leadership during the battle.

Vallentine’s Gin, a general store and cotton gin, was founded in 1911 by J.I. Vallentine in the community of Cope (established 1894) and operated in full until the early 2000’s, passed down through the Vallentine family. While this community pillar is no longer operational, decades of twentieth-century wares are still on display and open to public viewing.