Why Myrtle Beach is Great for Kids (and Adults, Too!)

by Colette Connolly

Where else can you see the strange and downright unbelievable, go on a high-tech scavenger hunt, feel like a NASCAR driver, and savor some good old-fashioned fun in the myriad of arcades, gift shops, food joints, and other funky, honky-tonk establishments that make up this southern resort?

In Myrtle Beach of course! Yes, the whole family can enjoy South Carolina’s most popular destination because there are plenty of activities for all. Here are a few reasons to consider going this summer.

Reason #1: Broadway at the Beach

This is a huge 20,000 square-foot entertainment complex complete with 100 specialty stores, 15 different attractions, three hotels, and over 30 restaurants and clubs. The complex is built around a manmade lake, with several stations set up for feeding fish. Look into the water as you cross the bridges that connect the various parts of the complex and you’ll see fish popping out of the water (no kidding!) looking for their next meal. Vending machines with peanuts and other snacks are conveniently set up for this purpose. Play a round of miniature golf at Dragon’s Lair, check out an interactive game called MagiQuest, or visit Ripley’s Aquarium where you can watch an array of fish, including sharks, swim right over your head.

You can buy a wristband for unlimited paddle boat rides around the lake. It also covers other activities like rock climbing and a bungee jump trampoline. Planet Hollywood, Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, Senor Frogs and Key West Grille are all good places to eat. There’s plenty of opportunity for shopping, too. Specialty stores include Harley Davidson, the tween favorite Claire’s Boutique, and Crazy Shirts, makers of message tees. Look on the Broadway at the Beach web site (www.broadwayatthebeach.com) for coupons to various attractions.

Reason #2: Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium

Fancy getting your picture taken with Robert Wadlow, the world’s tallest man, or seeing pictures of Wang, the “Human Unicorn,” a Manchurian farmer with an antler-like 13-inch horn growing out of the back of his head? You won’t see them in person of course, but you can pose beside a wax model of Wadlow and find out more about that and other oddities in Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium located on North Ocean Boulevard. The museum is one of several Ripley museums located around the world, displaying the curious artifacts and phenomena that Robert Ripley found on his travels in the United States and abroad. You’ll marvel at Cleopatra’s barge, an 8-foot-long, 125-pound display made entirely out of pastry sugar. It was designed by Lazio Dorofi, master pastry chef at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Or the Tower of London Bridge, made in 1896 from over 3,000 pieces of scrap metal.

Reason #3: Pavilion Nostalgia Park

Even though the original Pavilion Amusement Park closed permanently in 2006, the memories of this special place, with its classic rides and historic artifacts, still live on at The Pavilion Nostalgia Park at Broadway at the Beach. The 1912 Herschell-Spillman carousel, which was an integral part of the pavilion, is still being used. This one contains a menagerie of frogs, lions, ostriches, zebras, giraffes, roosters, and even dragons. My kids had a lot of fun trying to find the lead horse. Yes, that’s the one that is most decorated. As you walk around the park, you’ll hear the historic German Baden Band Organ playing, another Pavilion relic. Eating funnel cakes, corn dogs and cotton candy will make you feel you’re at a traveling carnival.

Reason #4: Myrtle Waves Water Park

The summer can get pretty hot in South Carolina, so, to cool off, you might want to try Myrtle Waves Water Park. At least that’s what my kids did. You don’t have to be a thrill seeker to have a good time, because there’s something to suit everyone here. There’s the Ocean in Motion wave pool, the LayZee River (for the less energetic!), the Bubble Bay leisure pool, not to mention the Turbo Twisters/Riptide Rockers, where you’ll get the ride of your life. My son loved the dark tubes, spiraling downward at 50 feet per second.

Reason #5: Explore the Beaches

Myrtle Beach was the perfect place for my family because our accommodation was literally minutes away from the water. My kids especially loved walking the beach at night, flashlights in hand looking for shark teeth. There are loads of them strewn in the sand, not to mention the other interesting sea life that gets washed up on the shore. From our seventh floor hotel balcony, we marveled each day at the schools of fish that formed just yards away from the shore. At times like this, lifeguards routinely warn swimmers not to enter the water for fear of shark attacks.

Reason #6: Ocean Boulevard Stores

Stroll along Ocean Boulevard and have fun wandering in and out of the many beach accessory stores and other funky gift shops. We bought two cool Myrtle Beach boogie boards for the kids, which they tried out the very next day. Arcades are plentiful here. Try out the Fun Plaza arcade, the Gay Dolphin and the Bowery.

If you Go:

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium

Open Sunday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily; Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Adults: $13.99; children, ages 6-11: $7.99. Children 5 and under are free.

Pavilion Nostalgia Park

Open year-round, except the Carousel Park which is closed during January and February. For specific times, check the web site at www.pavilionnostalgiapark.com. Tickets are $3, with all Pavilion Nostalgia Park Rides requiring one ticket each. You can also buy 9 ride tickets for $20; 25 ride tickets for $50.

Myrtle Waves Water Park

Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for June, July and most of August. See web site (www.myrtlewaves.com) for more details. Prices: $28, ages 9-54; $20, ages 3-8 and seniors over 55. Ages 2 and under: free. Admission after 3 p.m., $18 for ages 9-54; $15, ages 3-8 and over 55. Admission to the park includes all water rides, free soft drinks, complimentary life jacket, complimentary tubes, free parking.

For accommodation and other entertainment options, go to Discover Myrtle Beach (www.discovermyrtlebeach.com).

Colette Connolly is a freelance travel writer living in the New York City area.