Explore the Lay of the Land Exhibit

At the Downtown Beaufort Visitor Center take some time to explore the exhibit “Lay of the Land” and think about the question: “Are we still in the process of Reconstruction?” The exhibit covers the history of Reconstruction, 1861-1900. Exhibit panels cover local, regional, and national events and figures, and address the legacy Reconstruction. Opened in November 2024, the exhibit was created by a team at the park with help from partners and an intern from Morehouse College. The exhibit uses the Sea Islands in the Lowcountry of South Carolina as a Case Study for the broader national Reconstruction era. Throughout “Lay of the Land” important Reconstruction figures are highlight both locally and nationally including Charlotte Forten, Robert Smalls, Frederick Douglass, and Ida B. Wells. “Lay of the Land” is open when the Visitor Center is open. For more information visit our Operating Hours and Season page. Come and explore the exhibit and learn how formerly enslaved people got the “Lay of the Land” during the Reconstruction Era.