Skip to Main Content

Elloree, South Carolina: Big Blue Teapot

Large blue teakettle-shaped building once held 5,000+ teapots collected by Sybil and Julian Boland. The Tea-rific Teapot Museum inside the building closed in 2020, but the teapot is still there.

Address:
2732 W. Cleveland St., Elloree, SC
Directions:
Downtown. The teapot is behind the buildings on W. Cleveland St. To see the pot, drive north one block, then turn onto W. Hampton St. The pot is just east of Railroad Ave.
Save to My Sights

Visitor Tips and News About Big Blue Teapot

Reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters. Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip.

Tea-rific Tea Museum

The teapot museum, despite having a functional website, has closed. The blue teapot out front is still there, but everything else is gone. A call to the number on the website confirmed that the museum is no longer operating.

[Chris Nulph, 09/10/2020]
Tea-rific Tea Museum

I called Mrs. Bland to see if she was still giving tours and she told me she donated the museum. She didn't have a number for the new owners, but she thought the museum would be re-opening to the public on March 16, 2019.

[Dawn Rykheart, 03/05/2019]
Teapot Museum in Big Teapot

Stopped by here. I knew you had to have an appointment to get in. Here are the numbers for Sybil Boland that we found posted on the door: 803-829-2944 or 803-707-2017. We will have to give her a call on another day to visit.

[D, 06/30/2016]

Teapot Museum in Big Teapot.

Teapot Museum in Big Teapot

The couple traveled around the world as missionaries and collected these teapots. Each country's flag is on its display. The husband passed away only two years ago, two years after erecting the teapot structure and completing his vision. Very sweet story, amazing displays, and well worth the few minutes off the interstate! Call Sybil for an appointment -- she's sweet and will show you around!

[Kelly Smith, 03/12/2016]

Teapot Museum in Big Teapot.

Teapot Museum in Big Teapot

We had the chance to visit this amazing collection of more than 3,000 teapots recently. It is no longer open regularly since Dr. Boland, the pharmacist who began the collection more than 40 years ago, died in September, 2014. His wonderful wife graciously drove the 30 minutes from their home to give us a personal tour after we called the number posted on the teapot's door. She'd prefer that folks make appointments farther ahead.

She recommended we have lunch at the Trackside Cafe just next door while we waited for her and we were glad we did -- perfect sweet iced tea and the best cheese grits we ever ate.

Mrs. Boland is a fun and knowledgeable tour guide, quipping that it's all her fault cause she bought the first one and her husband took it from there. The teapots are beautifully arranged by theme -- a "Hen House" for the chicken pots, an ark for other animals, a garden plot for the flower tea pots, etc. And many from around the world, since the Bolands were frequent travelers. Totally worth the quick side-trip to Elloree off the Interstate. If you are a camper, spend the night at Santee State Park, just 10 minutes away.

[Jane Brown, 12/09/2014]

Nearby Offbeat Places

Animatronic Mr. Snider and Stuffed MuleAnimatronic Mr. Snider and Stuffed Mule, Elloree, SC - < 1 mi.
UFO Welcome CenterUFO Welcome Center, Bowman, SC - 14 mi.
Old Coffee Pot On RoofOld Coffee Pot On Roof, Cordova, SC - 23 mi.
In the region:
Army Tank, Blackville, SC - 41 mi.

Latest Tips Across Roadside America

Catch up on the latest discoveries from the road.

Explore Thousands of Oddball Tourist Attractions!

Unique destinations in the U.S. and Canada are our special obsession. Use our attraction recommendation and maps to plan your next road trip.

My Sights

My Sights on Roadside America

Create Your Own Bizarre Road Trips! ...Try My Sights

Mobile Apps

Roadside America app: iPhone, iPad Roadside America app for iPhone, iPad. On-route maps, 1,000s of photos, special research targets! ...More

Roadside Presidents app: iPhone, iPad Roadside Presidents app for iPhone, iPad. POTUS landmarks, oddities. ...More

South Carolina Latest Tips and Stories

Latest Visitor Tips

Sight of the Week

Sight of the Week

JFK's World Famous Twine Ball, Highland, Wisconsin (Mar 18-24, 2024)

SotW Archive

USA and Canada Tips and Stories

More Sightings

Favorite Quirky City Sights