12 Best Things to Do in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is a popular East Coast vacation destination, known for its long sandy beaches, great seafood, golf courses and a choice of activities. Stroll along the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk & Promenade, ride the Myrtle Beach SkyWheel, go paddleboarding, visit museums, have fun in one of the amusement parks and other attractions. Here are the best things to do in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Photo: SeanPavonePhoto/Fotolia

Located along the Atlantic Ocean, the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk & Promenade is a 1.2-mile oceanfront walkway that opened in 2010. The boardwalk is made up of three sections. If you are wondering where to go in Myrtle Beach, this is a great place to start exploring. The first is the North Walkway, which goes from the 14th Avenue North Pier to Plyler Park and features a raised wooden deck with dune vegetation and landscaping.

The second section goes from Plyler Park to 8th Avenue North. With its many beachfront arcades, cafes, and shops, it is the busiest part of the walkway. Finally, the South Promenade, from 8th Avenue North to 1st Avenue North, is a meandering seaside park with natural landscaping and benches. A weekly fireworks show takes place at the 2nd Avenue Pier. Photo: SeanPavonePhoto/Fotolia

The Myrtle Beach SkyWheel, a 187 foot tall Ferris wheel, is located on North Ocean Boulevard next to the Landshark Bar and Grill and is one of the top Myrtle Beach attractions.

The SkyWheel opened in 2011 and uses gondolas for the flights, each of which lasts three revolutions, or about eight to ten minutes. Two to six people are allowed to ride in each gondola.

The SkyWheel also offers a VIP flight, a first class experience where up to four people ride in a special gondola with glass floors and leather seats, and receive a bottle of water and a souvenir bag. The SkyWheel offers special rates for groups of 15 people or more.

1110 North Ocean Boulevard, Myrtle Beach, SC, 843-839-9200 Photo: SeanPavonePhoto/Fotolia

Located on South Ocean Boulevard, the Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum features visual arts exhibits, classroom space, and a library. Opened in 1997, the museum is housed in a 1924 building that eventually moved from the Cabana section of Myrtle Beach to its current location.

There are four collections, including the Art Museum Permanent Collection, the Barbara Burgess and John Dinkelspiel Collection of Southern Art, the Bishop Maps and Prints Collection, and the Waccama Arts and Crafts Guild Collection. Temporary exhibitions display items like ceramics, photography, sculpture, and much more. There are many education programs and field trips for children. Keep reading for more Myrtle Beach attractions.

3100 S Ocean Blvd, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Phone: 843-238-2510 Photo: Franklin G. Burroughs - Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum

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The Myrtle Beach State Park is located on South Kings Highway along South Carolina’s Atlantic Ocean coastline. There are several miles of maritime forest as well as a beach and camping facilities. Opened in 1935, the park is situated on 312 acres on the south end of Myrtle Beach.

It is a quiet park that offers educational experiences, great surf fishing, and a picturesque nature trail. Summer programs give children the opportunity to learn about marine life such as dolphins and sea turtles, as well as the plants and animals typical of the park. In addition to campsites, guests can also rent cabins. Keep reading for more Myrtle Beach attractions. Photo: Maryna/Fotolia

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Located on Celebrity Circle in the heart of Myrtle Beach, Broadway at the Beach is an entertainment area and shopping center. Established in 1995, it now is one of the area’s most popular shopping destinations. Set on 350 acres of land, Broadway at the Beach is a $25 million attraction that includes 100 specialty shops, more than 20 restaurants, and three theaters. Broadway at the Beach shops and attractions surround the 23-acre Lake Broadway.

There are also hotels, nightclubs, and other exciting attractions, which include Carmike Cinemas Broadway 17, Legends in Concert, Hollywood Wax Museum, Ripley’s Wax Museum, and many more. Be sure to see the latest attractions, the Backstage Mirror Maze and the Vault Laser Maze.

1325 Celebrity Circle, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Phone: 843-444-3200 Photo: Refocus Photography/Fotolia

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Located on Campbell Street, New South Brewing is a small microbrewery that produces beers such as dark star porter, lager, nut brown ale, stout, and many more. Established in 1998, brewery has a goal of offering fresh draft beer to the public. In 2009, the brewery added canned packaging to their products. Guests have opportunity to purchase souvenirs like T-shirts and six packs.

1109 Campbell Street, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Phone: 843-916-2337 Photo: New South Brewing

Located on South Ocean Boulevard in the heart of Myrtle Beach, Family Kingdom Amusement Park is a seaside amusement part with 37 rides for children and adults. Opened in 1966, the 13-acre park is one of the few amusement parks in North America that is admission-free. Instead, visitors purchase tickets for each individual ride.

They can also find free entertainment at the park including balloon sculptors, clowns, face painters, magicians, and many more. Some of the attractions are a 1923 carousel, a wooden roller coaster called Swamp Fox, and the Giant Wheel Ferris wheel that takes guests 100 feet up in the air in open gondolas.

300 South Ocean Boulevard, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Phone: 843-626-3447 Photo: KerstinKuehne/Fotolia

Myrtle Beach Safari offers a guided walking tour called the Wild Encounter Tour through its 50-acre wildlife preserve. This three-hour tour allows visitors to see animals living in the wild outside the confines of cages. The animals are mostly African mammals such as chimpanzees, leopards, orangutans, tigers, and several other endangered species.

Tours are offered from March to October. The Myrtle Beach Safari provides another way for visitors to learn about wildlife. At its Tigers Preservation Station at Barefoot Landing, there is a compelling free-living tiger museum and wildlife exhibit. At this facility, guests are able to get close to the animals and even hold a young ape or tiger cub.

4898 Hwy 17S, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Phone: 843-361-4552 Photo: KerstinKuehne/Fotolia

Wheels of Yesterday in a classic car museum located on Hospitality Lane. Its collection features more than 100 classic cars owned and restored by Paul Cummings, a classic car enthusiast. The museum displays about 50 classic cars at one time, and it changes its inventory once a year in January.

Opened in 2009, the museum has one of the largest collections of vintage American-made cars in the Southeast. Some of the makers of the classic cars include Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth. A few of the most popular cars are a 1949 Dodge truck, a 1969 Mercury Cyclone CJ, and a 1963 Corvette Split Window Sting Ray Coupe. Read more

413 Hospitality Lane, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Phone: 843-903-4774 Photo: Wheels of Yesteryear

Backstage Mirror Maze is located at Broadway at the Beach on Celebrity Circle. It features unique mirror and laser mazes in a 2,000 square foot space that is designed in the style of an old-time theater. The maze is set up to mimic a New York Mafia bank robbery and escape: it’s 1933, and Lucky Luciano and his gang have just robbed the Times Square Bank.

Guests help to find the mobsters who have escaped through the maze with its many hallways, mirrors, dead ends, trap doors, props, and twists and turns. Guests also wear kaleidoscope glasses that increase the effects of the mirrors and lights. More girls weekend getaways

Broadway at the Beach, 1314 Celebrity Circle, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Phone: 843-712-1794 Photo: Backstage Mirror Maze

Looking very unassuming on the outside and hidden in a strip mall in Myrtle Beach, Café Old Vienna is very different once you get inside. This authentic German/Austrian restaurant is spacious, with heavy beams on the ceiling, light wood furniture, and touches of European décor; it is cozy and homey and will capture your attention even before you get to the food. And the food, prepared by Austrians Werner and Martina Horvath, is as authentic as it gets. Of course, schnitzel of all kinds rule the menu, pork, veal and chicken, and even modern variations such as the almond-crusted Wiener schnitzel or the delicious Farmers Schnitzel with an egg on top. There are also many popular European dishes, such as French chicken cordon bleu, Hungarian goulasch and Italian osso bucco. For lunch, there are some wonderful substantial sandwiches, such the Bavarian bratwurst with the side of spaetzle, red cabbage, and German potato salad.

1604 N Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577, Phone: 843-946-6252 Photo: Cafe Old Vienna

Located at Broadway at the Beach on Celebrity Circle, the Pavilion Park is a popular amusement park divided into three sections of attractions. The Pavilion Park East features rides like the park’s famous carousel and the Rocket, among others. At Pavilion Park Central, you can find thrilling rides like the Cliff Hanger and the Pipeline Slide for adults, while Pavilion Park West features more rides for children.

Here, kids can have fun riding the Myrtle Turtle roller coaster, riding on the Rio Grande Train, or flying on the Red Baron Mini Jets.

1171 Celebrity Circle, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Phone: 843-839-0303 Photo: Rosario Rizzo/Fotolia

If you always wanted to learn to surf, kayak, or paddleboard and are vacationing in Myrtle Beach, you are in the right place. When Jack’s Surf Lessons and Board Rentals in Myrtle Beach was launched in 2010, it was the first area service focused on teaching people to surf. Since then, Jack’s has added stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking to the range of services offered and, with their knowledge of the Myrtle Beach & Murrells Inlet waters, are considered the authority on these sports. Jack’s also offers board, equipment, and kayak rentals. All rentals include a short water safety instruction and all the necessary gear.

3200 F S. Ocean Boulevard, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577, Phone: 843-647-7471 Photo: Daxiao Productions - Fotolia.co