Three days, two ceremonies, one brand-new Marine. The timing, the gate, the picnic, and the parts nobody tells you — from a family who has sat in those bleachers.
Every time below comes from the Depot's own visitor pages. The guide tells you what to do with them.
The Marine Corps 101 tour and the family brief at the Douglas Visitors' Center. Then Bay Street for dinner, and the picnic shopping on the way home.
Your first look at your recruit on the Motivational Run, then five hours of liberty. They can't leave the Depot — the guide explains how to make those hours count.
Morning Colors, the ceremony on Peatross Parade Deck, and the moment you walk off base with a Marine. Why your flight shouldn't be before 4.
The packet arrives in week 9. Beaufort sells out long before that. What to book, and how to book it so a training delay doesn't cost you.
Every family on the Depot eats at the same handful of spots between 10 and 3. The families who bring a cooler get an extra hour with their Marine — and a checklist that feeds nine.
The 2026 security changes: REAL ID or passport for every adult, vehicle documents, the search, and the one form foreign nationals need on file first.
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"Truly appreciate how easy you made things when we didn't know what to expect with the Marine experience. Made it less stressful!"
"The location couldn't have been better — super convenient for graduation events and an easy, walkable distance right into downtown Beaufort."
"We were visiting for the Marine Corps graduation, and the location was very convenient and close to the base. Highly recommend, especially for anyone visiting the area!"
Four bedrooms that sleep nine, a table for ten, parking for four cars, and a walk to downtown Beaufort for dinner. Pack Thursday's picnic from a full kitchen — the Family Day Picnic Kit is already in the house.