A new museum opening soon in SC will let you taste its exhibits. Let us explain
Food and museum are words often considered to have little in common — let alone words that should be blended together.
But these two seemingly unrelated words will come together at the grand opening of the new “Foodseum” in Bluffton on March 7.
This interactive museum is set to be the first of its kind in the South and is intended to attract both residents and tourists to discover the area’s rich food heritage. The museum is a part of the Technical College of the Lowcountry’s Culinary Institute of the South.
This Foodseum is specifically geared to teach and educate visitors about the history and enjoyment of Southern food and Lowcountry cuisine. It is strategically located between two of the most popular food destinations in the Lowcountry, Savannah and Charleston.
The Foodseum is intended to be an interactive space for guests to experience and even taste the different flavors and cuisines of the South.
“Our vision all along was that this be more than a museum or a story that’s confined to four walls,” said Leigh Copeland, assistant vice president for marketing and communications for the Technical College of the Lowcountry. “We see the Foodseum as a vehicle for more conversations around food, culture and educational programming.”
Here are a few of the aspects that visitors can expect from this new museum:
Immersive exhibits
Guest lecturers
Hands-on seminars
Visual displays of the Lowcountry agriculture
Farming history
Artifacts like kitchen utensils, farming tools, recipes and cookbooks.
Photographs and videos featuring Southern and Lowcountry chefs
Spotlight exhibits include Gullah, Geechee, seafood, farm-to-table and more.
This Foodseum has been in the works since the opening of the Culinary Institute in November of 2021. It occupies a 1,000-square-foot space on the first floor of the school.
The grand opening is from 10 a.m. to noon, on Friday, March 7, at the Culinary Institute of the South, in Bluffton. It is located at 1 Venture Drive, Buckwalter Place, across from the Bluffton Police Department and behind Tio’s Latin American Kitchen at the roundabout.
Those interested in attending this event are asked to RSVP at www.tcl.edu/rsvpfood. Space is limited.
After the grand opening, the Foodseum will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, starting March 10. Admission is free.
About the Culinary Institute of the South
The Culinary Institute is a 30,000 square-foot training facility. It features six academic classrooms, two teaching kitchens, a show kitchen, baking lab, lecture theater, teaching restaurant and a café.
They offer three program areas, Baking & Pastry, Culinary and Hospitality, where students can elect to earn an associate’s degree or certificate.
For more information, visit their website.
About the Technical College of the Lowcountry
The Technical College of the Lowcountry is a public, two-year, multi-campus community college that serves approximately 5,000 students annually.
TCL has campuses in Beaufort, Bluffton and Hampton and serves Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper Counties.
For more information, visit their website.
This story was originally published February 28, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
