Things to do in Myrtle Beach with Kids
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With over 60 miles of warm, sandy beaches, it is no surprise that Myrtle Beach is such a popular vacation choice for millions of Americans. One of the top domestic tourist destinations in the continental United States, Myrtle Beach, SC, welcomes nearly 14 million visitors a year who come to enjoy wide beaches, the Atlantic Ocean, and activities and entertainment including shopping and dining, sightseeing cruises, nightclubs, waterparks, museums, and golf, golf, golf.
Sea, Sand and Sun
With over 200 sunny days per year and a mild year-round climate, Myrtle Beach provides endless hours of swimming, surfing, sailing, and other sun and sand activities. Choose from one of the city’s seven piers or one of the Grand Strand‘s many boats for a deep sea challenge. Myrtle Beach is rightfully known as the “golf capital of the world,” with over 120 regulation golf courses and nearly 50 miniature golf courses.
Some of NASCAR’s biggest stars have trained at Myrtle Beach Speedway. Every Saturday night, racing fans can watch live racing action and see the future stars of NASCAR. Visit the NASCAR SpeedPark, located on Highway 17, for stock car racing, racing games, and racing simulators.
Spend a day or two in one of Myrtle Beach’s nearby state parks for slower-paced adventures. Myrtle Beach State Park, four miles south on Highway 17, has 312 acres of oceanfront land and beaches. Camping, renting a cabin, picnicking, fishing, and visiting the nature center are among the activities available, in addition to swimming, beachcombing, and other water activities on the one mile stretch of beach. Hike the 4.4-mile Sculptured Oak Nature Trail to get a close-up view of native foliage and wildlife. Huntington Beach State Park is three miles south of Murrells Inlet on Highway 17. Among the activities available are some of the best bird watching in the state, Coastal Exploration “field trips” to see alligators and marshes, and tours of the Atalaya, the winter home and studio of American sculptress Anna Hyatt Huntington, which is modeled after a 15th century Moorish castle.
Family-Friendly Attractions
Myrtle Beach’s Family Kingdom has over 30 rides, including a thrilling wooden roller coaster and South Carolina’s largest Ferris wheel with breathtaking views of the ocean. Locals and tourists alike know it as the best place in town to have the time of their lives. Splash down the Log Flume, freefall 110 feet in the Slingshot Drop Zone, bounce around on bumper cars, or race around the Go-Kart tracks. Across the street is Family Kingdom’s oceanfront waterpark. You can race down a water slide or simply relax as you float down a lazy river. Splash pools with two refreshing rain trees, a uniquely designed waterfall, and eight kiddy slides are available for children.
Ripley’s® Aquarium, South Carolina’s most visited attraction, is a $40 million, state-of-the-art, 87,000 square-foot aquarium experience. Guests are entertained by some of the most beautiful, fascinating, and dangerous aquatic life on the planet. Dive shows and marine education classes are offered on an hourly basis.
Carolina Safari Jeep Tours explore salt marshes, hear tales and legends, see a 15th century style Moorish castle, visit a rice plantation, see cypress trees, and real slave cabins and chapels, all while providing an in-depth look at Myrtle Beach’s past and present. Learn how Native American, Spanish, French, British, Jewish, and African cultures converge to form the coast’s distinct Gullah culture.
The Children’s Museum of South Carolina is more of a discovery center filled with captivating interactive fun for kids of all ages than a museum. Your children will be able to explore fossils, learn about rocks, discover the wonders of the human body, and participate in a special puppet show, among other activities.
Alligator Adventure, the Reptile Capital of the World, invites you to take a walk on the wild side! These mighty beasts can grow to be 13 feet long and weigh up to 600 pounds! Wendy and Casper, two solid white albino alligators, can also be met by visitors. Visitors enjoy live shows and feedings at this incredible facility, which also houses river otters, tropical birds, frogs, lizards, giant Galapagos tortoises, turtles, and snakes. Alligator Adventure is a thrilling and educational experience for the entire family!
Theaters and Live Performances
Le Grande Cirque is a mesmerizing spectacle of artistry and imagination performed by some of the world’s best acrobats and actors.
Alabama, winner of every major award in country music, performs frequently at the 2000-seat Alabama theatre. They bring the American Pride Show to the Grand Strand in collaboration with Opryland USA. Big stars and the popular Christmas in Dixie series guarantee a great show all year.
Calvin Gilmore’s Carolina Opry offers memorable family entertainment that combines comedy and music.
Come out to Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede for some good ol’ down home knee slappin’ entertainment the whole family will enjoy as 32 horses perform incredible feats while you relax and enjoy a four course Southern feast.
Festivals and Special Events
Sun Fun Celebration of Summer in early June, Beach Boogie & BBQ in late August, Canadian-American Days in mid-March, and the Grand Strand Fishing Rodeo from April to October are among the annual festivals, events, rallies, and celebrations.
Each fall, the Atalaya Arts and Crafts Festival features fine art, quality crafts, and Lowcountry cuisine, as well as musical performances by some of the area’s best musicians.
History
Myrtle Beach, also known as The Grand Strand, first incorporated as a town in 1938 and became a city in 1957. Its name comes from the wax myrtle, a shrub that grows abundantly in the area. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, people began to vacation here, though there were few permanent residents. Drawn by the beauty of the area, more people began to call Myrtle Beach “home” as the 1900’s progressed and in recent years, according to the 2000 Census, the city is the 13th fastest growing US metropolitan area.
Sights
In 1931, Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington, founded Brookgreen Gardens to preserve native flora and fauna and to display objects of art within that natural setting. Today, Brookgreen Gardens is a National Historic Landmark with the most significant collection of figurative sculpture in an outdoor setting by American artists in the world, and has the only Association of Zoos and Aquarium-accredited zoo on the Carolina coast, offering a variety of daily programs, exhibitions, excursions and special events that change seasonally. South of Myrtle Beach and north of Georgetown, Brookgreen Garden’s Lowcountry History & Wildlife Preserve is a diverse mix of forested swamps, salt marsh, sandy ridges and fresh tidal swamps. A 5-hour motor coach Low Country Tour is a comfortable and scenic way to enjoy these sites.
The Historic Bedon Lucas House is one of only five remaining “high houses” in South Carolina. Called a “high house” because it was built high off of the ground, it was built in the 1820’s very near to the first settlement in Hickory Valley where it still stands today, one of the oldest homes in the county. In 1996, the Colleton County Historic and Preservation Society raised funds to purchase the property and properly maintain the house for future generations. With historical and antique artifacts inside the house, not to mention the antique architecture itself, it is a must-see for the early American history buff.
