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Myrtle Beach Attractions
Ligers, Tigers & Bubbles
For a break from all that craziness along the beach, animal lovers should check out the two unusual attractions offered by Myrtle Beach Safari (tel. 843/361-4552; www.myrtlebeachsafari.com). The main event is the Wild Encounters Tour, a guided walk through a 50-acre preserve of 60 big cats and other exotic creatures. You can meet and play with great apes, watch tigers swim and run at full speed, hold a tiger cub, and meet “Bubbles” the African elephant. This is also the only place in the world where you get up close and personal with a Liger (a mix of tiger and lion). It’s not cheap: tours are $239 per person (the minimum age for the tour is 6), though purchasing a photo at the Preservation Station in Barefoot Landing gives a $40 discount on the tour fee. Tours run 3 to 5 days a week from mid-March to mid-October, beginning at 10am and lasting approximately 3 hours. The preserve is 17 miles south of Barefoot Landing, but for the privacy of the animals, exact directions are only given to those who have tour reservations.
Alternatively, you can visit the T.I.G.E.R.S. Preservation Station (tel. 843/361-4552) at Barefoot Landing, 4898 South Highway 17, North Myrtle Beach. Here you can also meet some of the animals up close, typically tiger cubs or young chimps and orangutans. Entrance is free, but photo sessions are $79 for any group of up to five. All proceeds from photo sessions and portrait sales go directly to support international wildlife conservation projects through the Rare Species Fund (www.rarespeciesfund.org). The station is also open mid-March to mid-October, though times vary.
16 Results
- The Performing Arts
Dixie Stampede Dinner and Show
Owned by Dolly Parton's Dollywood Productions, this show house features a stable of trained horses that prance, jump, and pirouette in tandem with a rodeo and Civil War theme. Throughout, the show is permeated with a rather charming sense of humor about cultural differences between… - Theme Park
Family Kingdom Amusement Park
This is one of the declining numbers of old-fashioned sea-front amusement parks, replete with roller coasters, carousels, cotton candy, and the Giant Wheel—at over 100 feet, the second-largest Ferris wheel in South Carolina. A few of the park’s attractions were salvaged from the… - Museum
Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum
Opened in 1997, this modest museum contains 10 galleries that change throughout the year. At any given time, visitors might encounter a series of classic images by Ansel Adams, a celebration of local textile traditions from around the Southeast, or collections from farther afield,…$Around Town
- Theme Park
Hard Rock Park
Opened in 2007, this rock-'n'-roll theme park is one of the largest investments ($400 million) in the Myrtle Beach area in decades. Sprawling around the perimeter of a freshwater lake, and dotted with restaurants, bars, roller coasters, theme rides, and minispectacles that… - Museum
Horry County Museum
Myrtle Beach is in Horry County (pronounced “O-ree”), with the small city of Conway on the Waccamaw River (15 miles northwest of the beach) acting as the county seat. Other than strolling the pleasant Riverwalk here, lined with good restaurants, it’s worth popping into the county… - Museum
L.W. Paul Living History Farm
Managed by the Horry County Museum, this 17-acre working farm recreates life in rural South Carolina circa 1900 to 1955. Though none of the buildings are original (local businessman Larry Paul funded its construction in 2006), the wooden outhouses and period interiors are faithful… - The Performing Arts
Legends in Concert
Although the jokes are invariably cleaner, this is similar to what you might have seen in Las Vegas, a show that features impersonations of the biggest stars in the business, including Garth Brooks, Madonna, George Strait, Buddy Holly, Cher, Dolly, Reba, the Blues Brothers, and… - Cooking Class
MagiQuest
Here’s how it works: You (and presumably the children who accompany you) will select a magic wand (which you get to keep forever), after which the adventures begin as you learn how to harness its power. Within a 20,000-square-foot space, you can befriend a pixie, learn from an… - Theme Park
Myrtle Waves Water Park
Myrtle Beach is hot in summer, so it’s little wonder that June to August this park is crammed with families escaping the heat. The state’s largest water park has 1.2 million gallons and some 20 acres of curves, waves, and swerves. Some 200,000 visitors come annually for more than 30… - Theme Park
NASCAR Speed Park
The entrepreneurs of the park claim that "if you got any closer to the real thing, you'd have to hire a pit crew!" Opened in 1998, it's practically a Disneyland devoted to racing, complete with seven thrilling racetracks and such attractions as speed bumper boats, an indoor climbing… - Zoo/Aquarium
Ripley’s Aquarium
This is the most-visited attraction in South Carolina, and deservedly so. Visitors are surrounded on all sides by menacing 10-foot sharks as they travel through Dangerous Reef, a 750,000-gallon tank. The question always asked is why don’t these monsters gobble up the other fish in… - Ride
SkyWheel Myrtle Beach
For a bird’s-eye view of the beach, take a ride on this revolving behemoth. The 187-foot-tall Ferris wheel opened on the new 1.2 mile-long Oceanfront Boardwalk in 2011, offering sensational views along the Grand Strand. One ride comprises three smooth loops (8–10 min.) inside one of… - The Performing Arts
The Alabama Theatre
The country-music supergroup Alabama unveiled this $7-million, 2,200-seat theater, located in an expanding waterside shopping complex, on the Fourth of July 1993. The theater features three kinds of shows. Alabama performs at least 10 shows a year; celebrities such as George Jones,… - The Performing Arts
The Carolina Opry
Missouri-born musician-entrepreneur Calvin Gilmore has been called a better businessman than a guitarist. He's credited with starting the entertainment explosion in Myrtle Beach by launching this theater back in 1986 and thereby immediately spawning a host of imitators. In 1992, the… - The Performing Arts
The Palace Theater
This domed, impressive-looking theater features at least three different shows throughout the year within two distinctly different showrooms. Le Grande Cirque is the headline show, featuring acrobats, jugglers, and circus performers from around the world. There is also a spirited and… - Museum
Wheels of Yesteryear
Gearheads and folks who appreciate a combustion engine surrounded by fine details and miles of chrome will enjoy the 100-plus cars on display at this small museum. Started by Paul Cummings and his wife Carol, the collection has high points like a 1965 cherry-red Pontiac GTO (for…$Around Town
Myrtle Beach Shopping
The Market Common -- Cited by urban critics as one of the most appealing combinations of residential and commercial real estate that's ever been seen along South Carolina's coastal region, this recently inaugurated compound has added a welcome touch of upscale class and charm to the strip-mall flavor of some other parts of Myrtle Beach. Designed with streets, adequate parking, lots of stores, movie theaters, and restaurants, it resembles a self-contained village, a feeling that's reinforced by the dozens of private town houses and condos that occupy the upper floors of retail buildings.
Coastal Grand Mall (tel. 843/839-9100; www.coastalgrand.com), South Carolina's largest shopping center, is at the intersection of Hwy. 17 Bypass and Hwy. 501. Containing four megasize department stores (Sears, Dillard's, Belk, and JCPenney), it also features dozens of specialty retail outlets along with at least a dozen restaurants and specialty food vendors. You can shop until you drop at outlets that range from Radio Shack to Victoria's Secret.
- Malls & Shopping Centers
Broadway at the Beach
This is one of the biggest, most fun, and most-visited shopping, dining, and entertainment venues in South Carolina. It sprawls across a vast area around 23-acre Lake Broadway in the heart of town. Some of its most notable features include the pyramid-shaped Hard Rock Cafe, as well… I Love Sugar
As you walk into this tribute to the world of all things sugar-filled, -infused, -loaded, and -injected, you'll see a gummy bear disco ball overhead. That about sums up the I Love Sugar store, which is smack-dab in the middle of the hurly-burly, low-down environment of Ocean…$Around TownNostalgia City and Museum
Trading on a love for nostalgia is what the folks at this store do best, as they bring together thousands of collectible (and less so) items in a sprawling store that extends to outside grounds with several dozen cars, including a rare Packard coupe. It's not exactly an original…$Around TownPepper Palace
Peppers, hot sauces, and dips rule the day at this outpost of a shop chain that has brought the heat to every corner of the United States. Pepper Palace is part of the Broadway at the Beach complex and it's a cut above other tchotchke stores thanks to a careful curation of culinary…$Around Town- Malls & Shopping Centers
The Market Commons
Several miles from the pounding surf of the Atlantic, this pedestrian-oriented outdoor mall offers tall palms, lots of free parking, and over 70 stores, including Chico's, Tommy Bahama, and Anthropologie. Upscale chic is the scene and you'll find lots of retirees strolling about…$$Around Town
Myrtle Beach Nightlife
As you’d expect of a major resort, there’s plenty to see and do at night in Myrtle Beach, but it’s not just pubs and clubs. Much of the entertainment is geared towards families.
The Alabama Theatre (tel. 843/272-1111; www.alabama-theatre.com), Barefoot Landing, 4750 Hwy. 17 S., N. Myrtle Beach, features country-music supergroup Alabama and similar acts in musical productions such as “ONE The Show,” with performances daily at 7:30pm. Tickets usually range $35–$48 for adults, $18 for children 3 to 16, and free for children 2 and under (in adult’s lap).
Calvin Gilmore’s The Carolina Opry, 8901 N. King's Hwy. at U.S. 17. (tel. 800/843-6779; www.thecarolinaopry.com) presents family-friendly 2-hour country shows blending high-energy music, comedy, and dance most nights at 7pm. Tickets range $35 to $50 for adults, $23 for students, $17 for children 3 to 16, and are free for children 2 and under.
Legends in Concert, 2925 Hollywood Drive (tel. 800/960-7469; www.legendsinconcert.com), is an entertaining tribute show, featuring surprisingly good impersonators of Michael Jackson, Elton John, the Blues Brothers, and of course, Elvis. Tickets range $38 to $49 adults, $14 to $46 for children 3 to 16, and are free for children 2 and under.
The Medieval Times & Dinner Show, 2904 Fantasy Way (tel. 888/935-6878 or 843/236-4655; www.medievaltimes.com) is a kitschy but fun night out for kids and adults, with costumed serving “wenches” and jousting knights, and medieval-themed music and food. Tickets are $52 for adults, and $26 for children 12 and under.
The Palace Theater at Broadway at the Beach, 1420 Celebrity Circle (tel. 800/905-4228 or 843/448-0588; www.palacetheatremyrtlebeach.com), is the place for live entertainment shows, Broadway-style theatre productions, and musicals from around the world. Monday to Saturday showtime is 8pm, with additional shows Wednesday 10am and Thursday 2pm (tickets vary according to performance, but are usually around $30).
Young ones will love the over-the-top Pirates Voyage, 8901 N. Kings Hwy. (tel. 843/497-9700; www.piratesvoyage.com) dinner-show experience. Roast pork and chicken are served whilst the Crimson and Sapphire pirates do battle in full-size pirate ships on a 15-foot indoor lagoon. Shows start most days at 6pm, and cost $49 to $54 for adults, and $24 to $29 for children 4 to 11.
- Comedy Clubs
Carolina Improv
The Carolina Improv company has been doing its thing since 2008, holding court four nights a week at a space over at the Myrtle Beach Mall. It's a small space (room for about 75, give or take), but with room enough for shows like "Whose Beach is it Anyway?", "Trashy Novel," and "50…$Around Town - Bars & Pubs
Crocodile Rocks
Taking its name from the eponymous song by Elton John, this vast performance space and piano bar offers up live sing-alongs seven nights a week. Things usually get started around 8pm with a rousing medley or two in the dueling pianos fashion, complete with a few originals (which have…$$Around Town Eighty Eights Piano Bar
Tucked within Rossi's restaurant is this celebration of the not-so-lost art of the piano bar, complete with stellar pianist Rod France on those 88 keys. The lights go down low at 6pm six nights a week, and adults of all ages will find much to enjoy, especially if they like the…$$Around Town- Production Shows
Pirates Voyage
A spectacle of mates, live animals, relatively vicious (but still tame) pirates, and a bevy of talented folk make up the sea-bound entertainment here. As part of the Dolly Parton empire, the shows of Pirates Voyage hew close to the mainstream conventions of storytelling that you…$$Around Town - Production Shows
The Carolina Opry
Housed in a mighty edifice that looks like what Wayne Newton would prefer if he lived in South Carolina, The Carolina Opry stands as a vessel for good old-fashioned entertainment that leans toward contemporary cornpone, with dancing, singing, and a bit of comedic interludes. The…$$$Around Town
