The state of South Carolina is an all-time favorite for tourists. Perhaps it is the sunny weather, the laid-back lifestyle, or the numerous sandy beaches that keep tourists returning for their annual vacations year after year. Or they might be simply in for the southern charm and hospitality. However, out of all tourist attractions in South Carolina, Myrtle Beach might be the most tourist-friendly option.
This coastal city boasts all the features you want in an oceanfront city – sandy beaches stretching over 60 miles, the waves of the Atlantic crashing down at the coastline, ample adventure opportunities with surfing, swimming, and jet skiing. And if you are bored with all the ocean and sand, there are other indoor entertainment options with parks, shopping, restaurants, museums that you will never get bored of.
If you are visiting Myrtle Beach for the first time and unsure about what to expect, we are here to help. Read on to find out what you can do in your stay at Myrtle Beach.
1. Make the Waves Your Friend At The Myrtle Beach
While it may sound obvious, the beach itself ranks first place on our list. Stretching over 60 miles of the coastline will give you ample beach surfing opportunities. You can either swim in the Atlantic, bike along the sandy beach, or even try your hand at fishing. Or, if you want an adrenaline rush, get your fix with jet skiing or with other water sports.
While the beach is open for the public 24/7, you should be cautious about swimming after dark. If you rent an oceanfront condo or stay at a hotel, you will have no problem finding some space on the beach right in front of the rental.
2. Stroll along The Boardwalk
The Avenues of Myrtle Beach will provide you ample opportunities to explore the tourist attractions- the souvenir shops, restaurants, and some other landmarks, which we will discuss later. The Myrtle Beach boardwalk stretches over 1.2 miles of coastline and provides a spectacular ocean view.
You can enjoy a quiet sunset here and indulge in local cuisine. Besides, if you want to go boating, fishing, scuba diving, or parasailing, you can arrange it from here. The boardwalk stages come alive at night with various concerts.
3. Visit Ripley’s Aquarium
Every oceanfront city boasts an aquarium of some sort, and Myrtle Beach is no exception. You can find the most family-friendly tourist attraction at Myrtle Beach –Ripley’s Aquarium right by the boardwalk. You can spend half a day here exploring the 340-foot long underwater tunnel, the danger reef, the interactive discovery exhibit, behind the scene tours, or swimming with stingrays. The danger reef is the most popular among these activities; you can walk along the tunnel and see sharks, eels, and sea turtles through the tunnel’s acrylic wall.
However, if you are dead set against captivating sea creatures in a much smaller tank than their natural habitat, you can cross it out from your list.
4. Visit the Broadway At The Beach
Broadway at the beach is a full-fledged entertainment complex with a shopping center, restaurants, live shows, amusement park, and other attractions. It is located by Lake Broadway, and you can spend an evening paddle boating around the lake.
With dozens of food joints, a movie theater, wax museum, helicopter ride facility, and live concerts, you will never run out of activities to try at Broadway. To add to the festive mood, you can experience spectacular fireworks exploding through the Broadway sky twice every week. While you can spend the day beach surfing, you can reserve the night for exploring Broadway at the beach.
5. Visit Myrtle Beach State Park
You might be staying at a vacation rental at Myrtle Beach; however, You don’t get the true essence of a beach unless you don’t camp out there at night. Myrtle Beach state park is the ideal place for camping out at Myrtle Beach.
The 312 acres of land will provide you with trekking facilities, a relatively clean beach for nighttime camping, a campground with RV facilities, fishing piers, or even horse riding facilities.
6. Play Some Golf
Myrtle Beach boasts about 100s of golf courses, and the majority of them are world-class. You should not miss out on the chance to play some golf at Myrtle Beach. Whether you are a pro golfer or just trying your hand at the game, you will find a golf course that fits your needs.
7. Visit the Warbird Park
Aviation enthusiasts shouldn’t miss the chance to visit the Warbird Park at Myrtle Beach. Located at Market Common, this park exhibits warcraft from the 1950s and 1970s. The most spectacular exhibits are an F-100 jet fighter from 1950-1970, an A-10 Warthog Thunderbolt used in operation desert storm, and an A-7 fighter jet.
You can find the history and information regarding each piece of military crafts. Apart from the exhibition, this park is also a way to pay homage to the heroes of Myrtle Beach that served the air force base.
8. Splash Some Water At Myrtle Waves Water Park
Myrtle Waves Water Park is the largest water park in South Carolina, and you don’t want to miss this one. With 22 slides and 12 water rides, you will have a fun-filled day with something other than the ocean water. This vast water land spreads across 20 acres of land with nearly 1 million gallons of water in different rides, tunnels, waves, and curves.
Rides like the rocking ray, turbo twister, 20 feet long super chute ride, thunderbolt speed slides, and snake mountain are as thrilling as their name suggests. Besides, those who are not great at surfing in the wild ocean can easily try surfing here with the only surf rider in South Carolina.
9. Visit Wonderworks Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach Wonderworks is a unique combination of science and museum, and children can learn about nature and science while having fun. This 50000sft park has a hurricane wind force replica that will let you feel the effect of a 70mph speedy hurricane.
The exhibits also focus on natural disasters, light, sound, space exploration, and so on. There are also some adventures for children, such as indoor glow-in-the-dark rope challenge, laser tag arena, 360-degree bike riding experience, and so much more. In the 3D theater, children can experience extreme 3D motion and environmental effects.
10. Be Closer To Nature at Brookgreen Garden
The Brookgreen Garden is considered one of the top ten gardens in the USA. This 9127-acre sculpture garden is an extraordinary place to enjoy both art and nature. In addition to botanical gardens, history, and wildlife preservation, this garden also holds seasonal events, creek excursions, and so much more.
With figurative sculptures woven in lush green, Brookgreen Garden is a must-visit for art and nature lovers. Besides, you can also take a guided tour to the historic Oak Plantation rice field and the civil war fort, located just by the creek.
11. Enjoy a Birds-Eye-View Of Myrtle Beach From The Sky Wheel
Myrtle Beach Sky Wheel will provide you the opportunity to view the whole expanse of the 60-mile coast from high above the ground. After its opening in 2011, it quickly became one of the most renowned landmarks in Myrtle Beach.
This 187 feet tall sky wheel has 42 gondolas with several glass-made VIP ones. Whether it’s day or night, it can take you high above the Atlantic anytime you want, and it is the cheapest way to explore Myrtle Beach from above the ground without hopping on a helicopter.
12. Visit Ripley’s Believe It Or Not
If you are looking for a fun-filled few hours, you should check out Ripley’s Believe It or Not at Myrtle Beach. You will find the various interactive experiences as enjoyable as the water rides at Myrtle Wave Water Park.
It is home to weird and unusual objects like rare skeleton animals, shrunken human skulls, and all other bizarre collections. If all these don’t sound interesting to you, the visual illusion at the mirror maze will spike your interest.
13. Explore the Marshland
If you are intrigued by the saltwater ecosystem and marsh life, you should grab the chance to explore the marshlands in Myrtle Beach. It will give you a nice break from the crowded tourist spots during this pandemic. You can rent a boat for a day and get your explorer mode across the Waccamaw River.
The Bottom Line
While we have listed some of the popular tourist attractions of Myrtle Beach, there are still a lot of offbeat things that you can do at Myrtle Beach. You can visit the various quirky small towns and neighborhoods, taste the local cuisine and history, or indulge in more adventures along the creeks or track along the reserved forest to get some break from the ocean. Above all, Myrtle Beach has something to offer for everyone, and you won’t be disappointed by the visit. Chances are, you will be counting down the days for your next visit to Myrtle Beach as soon as you get back home!
