This SC castle in Murrells Inlet once housed bears for a famous sculptor. Go check it out.

It’s one of Murrells Inlets’ “hidden” gems.

Take a five-minute drive from the entrance of the Huntington Beach State Park and you’ll find yourself at an old-stone castle just 150 yards from the ocean.

Although, Atalaya Castle’s tour guide Jim Coty described it as more of a fortress.

Atalaya Castle was the winter residence of Archer Huntington and his successful artist wife, Anna. Built by local laborers in the early 1930s, Atalaya Castle was inspired by Moorish architecture found in southern Spain, near the coastlines.

Every detail of the 30-room home points back to the design of those Moorish fortresses, including the iron grates that cover almost every window, Coty said.

“On the outside, it looks like a prison,” he said. “On the inside, it’s very ornate and beautiful.”

The Huntingtons designed the fortress to look intimidating because they were wary of pirate raids while Anna was recovering from tuberculosis.

Strolling through the palm-lined walkways and beautiful ironwork, it’s easy to see the effect of time on the castle.

Much of the structure has remained exactly same, according to Huntington Beach State Park employee Ava Houser. But the doors at the entrance to the castle were replaced and the castle has suffered some damages from storms, including Hurricane Ian in the summer of 2022.

The only thing missing from the castle is the furnishings. Houser said she wished she could have seen how it looked back in the day, where house staff, animals and the Huntingtons roamed around the hallways and courtyards.

Today, the castle is an artistic attraction for locals and visitors to the area. It’s a great alternative to spending a crowded day at the beach, and many visitors are surprised to find the castle, Houser said.

“Everyone is amazed,” Houser said. “There’s no structure like it on the entire east coast.”

Atalaya Castle is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, and costs $2 admission.

Events at Atalaya Castle bring visitors from all over

Huge events are hosted at the castle every year. Most significant is the Arts and Crafts Festival, held every September for the past 40 years.

Paintings, sculptures and other displays from about 100 artists line the empty halls of the Castle during the festival. Houser, who seems to know everything there is to know about Atalaya, said that the admissions fee from the large events go into maintenance of the castle.

Last year, the admission price for the arts and crafts festival was $10 for adults.

Other events that have drawn crowds in the past are the Kite Festival and the Palmetto Campout, where you can sleep either outside the castle in the yards or inside the hallways.

In addition to special events, Atalaya Castle gets booked up nearly every weekend as a popular wedding destination, Houser said. The first dates to book up are during the summer months, so if you’re thinking of choosing Atalaya as a venue, you better act quick.

Here are the wedding rules listed online:

• Setup time is depending on your day chosen

• Event slots are 5 – 10 p.m. (4 – 9 p.m. standard time) with the option to purchase additional time to the end of the event.

• Outside vendors are welcome

• Any remaining cleanup may be finished from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. the following morning

• Water, electricity and restrooms are available inside

• Alcohol is allowed

But if you just want to look around, audio tours and self-guided tours are available all year round. Guided tours are available as well; dates and times are listed on the program schedule.

For more information on events held at Atalaya Castle, you can call Huntington Beach State Park 843-237-4440 or visit the website.

The U.S. Airforce used Atalaya as barracks during WWII.

The name “Atalaya” is the Spanish word for watchtower. Between 1942-1946, the castle was used as barracks by the U.S. Air Force, who were on the lookout for German U-boats during the war, Houser said.

In 1960, 2,500 acres of the former estate, including the house and Brookgreen Gardens, was leased for free to the state of South Carolina.

After Anna Huntington died in 1973, Atalaya Castle was listed in the National Register of Historical Places in 1984.

Who were Archer and Anna Huntington?

Anna Huntington was famous for her sculptures, and the winter castle home housed many different animals, including bears and monkeys, to be used as models in her artwork.

Her famous sculptures, some of which now reside at Brookgreen Gardens, include Diana of the Chase and a model of Don Quixote’s horse, which she worked on at Atalaya Castle.

Some have a misconception that Anna married Archer for his wealth, tour guide Coty said. In reality, Anna Huntington was making $50,000 by the time she was 30 — the equivalent of millions today.

Amid a time where many women struggled to make their own wealth, Anna Huntington had a successful career.

But where did Archer get his money?

He got it the “old-fashioned way,” Coty said. Archer Huntington was a known philanthropist and scholar who contributed a lot to the field of Hispanic studies. His father was a railroad tycoon and industrialist during the Gold Rush era, Coty said.

The couple contributed significantly to the area of Murrells Inlet, and built Brookgreen Gardens and the Mariners Museum in Newport News, Virginia.

Huntington Beach State Park

The state park offers three miles of unspoiled natural beauty for swimming, running, biking, and everything in between. There are about 173 campsites, six tent sites and three picnic shelters, according to the website.

The park is open every day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and admission is $8 for adults, $5 for South Carolina seniors; $4 for ages 6-15; and free for children 5 and younger.

Huntington Beach State Park is loved by birdwatchers as well - over 300 species of birds have been spotted in the marshes, according to the website.

The state park, Atalaya Castle, and the many trails and events are the best combination for a perfect “day trip,” Houser said.