Things to do · Myrtle Beach · United States
15 best things to do in Myrtle Beach
15 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Pictured: Family Kingdom Amusement Park, Myrtle Beach · Photo: Fk714, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Myrtle Beach are Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade, SkyWheel Myrtle Beach and Family Kingdom Amusement Park. Of the 15 picks below, 5 are free, 2 work on a rainy day and 11 suit children. Allow about 7 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade
- Free sights
- 5
- Good on a rainy day
- Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach
- Time to see the highlights
- 7 days
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At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade | Central Myrtle Beach and the Boardwalk | 1–2 hours | Free |
| SkyWheel Myrtle Beach | Central Myrtle Beach and the Boardwalk | 30 minutes | Low cost |
| Family Kingdom Amusement Park | Central Myrtle Beach and the Boardwalk | 2–4 hours | Low cost |
| Mini golf on Kings Highway | Central Myrtle Beach | 1 hour per course | Low cost |
| Broadway at the Beach | Central Myrtle Beach | Half a day | Free |
| Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach | Broadway at the Beach | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Brookgreen Gardens | Murrells Inlet and Garden City | Half a day | Mid-priced |
| Huntington Beach State Park and Atalaya | Murrells Inlet and Garden City | Half a day | Low cost |
| Myrtle Beach State Park | Market Common | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Murrells Inlet MarshWalk | Murrells Inlet and Garden City | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Barefoot Landing | North Myrtle Beach | Half a day | Free |
| Golf on the Grand Strand | Grand Strand | 4–5 hours | Expensive |
| Variety shows at the Carolina Opry and Alabama Theatre | Grand Strand | 2–2.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Cherry Grove Pier and Marsh | North Myrtle Beach | 1–2 hours | Low cost |
| The Market Common | Market Common | 2 hours | Free |
The 15 best things to do
Waterfront · Central Myrtle Beach and the Boardwalk
1.Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade
A boardwalk of about 2 km runs along the dunes between the 14th Avenue Pier and the 2nd Avenue Pier. Its northern section is lined with arcades, gift shops, bars and candy stores selling saltwater taffy, while the southern part is a quieter wooden walkway raised above the dunes.
Walk it early in the morning for quiet and sunrise over the ocean, or after dark when the SkyWheel lights up.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Kids
- After dark
- Food
Viewpoint · Central Myrtle Beach and the Boardwalk
2.SkyWheel Myrtle Beach
The observation wheel on the Boardwalk rises about 57 metres above the beach, with enclosed, climate-controlled glass gondolas that make three rotations per ride. At the top you see the length of the Grand Strand, and at night the wheel's LED light shows are visible along the coast.
Ride just before sunset for daylight views up the coast and the lights coming on below.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
- Couples
- After dark
Theme park · Central Myrtle Beach and the Boardwalk
3.Family Kingdom Amusement Park
An old-fashioned seaside amusement park across Ocean Boulevard from the beach, with rides for small children, a log flume and the Swamp Fox, a wooden roller coaster dating from 1966. A separate oceanfront water park sits across the road. Entry is free, and rides are paid for with tickets or wristbands.
Buy a wristband if your children will ride more than a handful of times.
- Time needed
- 2–4 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- After dark
- Iconic
Experience · Central Myrtle Beach
4.Mini golf on Kings Highway
Myrtle Beach has dozens of elaborately themed mini-golf courses, with fake volcanoes, pirate ships, waterfalls and dinosaurs, mostly along Kings Highway and Ocean Boulevard. Many stay open late into summer evenings under floodlights.
Play after dinner in summer, when the courses are cooler and lit up; many offer a cheaper second round the same day.
- Time needed
- 1 hour per course
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- After dark
- Iconic
Neighbourhood · Central Myrtle Beach
5.Broadway at the Beach
A large shopping and entertainment complex built around Lake Broadway, with shops, restaurants, bars, attractions such as WonderWorks and the Hollywood Wax Museum, and evening fireworks over the lake on summer nights. Ripley's Aquarium is part of the complex.
Park once and walk the loop around the lake; summer weeknight fireworks are free to watch from the boardwalks.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Shopping
- Kids
- After dark
- Food
Aquarium · Broadway at the Beach
6.Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach
The aquarium's highlight is Dangerous Reef, an underwater tunnel with a moving walkway where sand tiger sharks, sawfish and sea turtles pass overhead. Other galleries include a stingray touch pool and a penguin habitat.
Go on a rainy beach day as early as possible; that is when everyone else has the same idea.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Garden · Murrells Inlet and Garden City
7.Brookgreen Gardens
Founded in 1931 by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington on four former rice plantations, Brookgreen combines formal gardens under live oaks with one of the most important collections of American figurative sculpture. It also has a Lowcountry zoo of native animals and boat tours through the old rice fields of the Waccamaw River.
Admission is usually valid for several consecutive days; save the creek boat tour for a second visit.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Nature
- Couples
- History
- Photo spot
Beach · Murrells Inlet and Garden City
8.Huntington Beach State Park and Atalaya
Across US 17 from Brookgreen, this state park has about 5 km of undeveloped beach, a salt-marsh boardwalk and a freshwater lagoon on the entrance causeway where alligators are often seen. Atalaya, the Huntingtons' Moorish-style winter house with a square tower, can be toured.
Stop on the causeway and scan the lagoon on the left for alligators and wading birds; it is one of the best birding spots in the state.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Outdoors
- History
- Kids
- Photo spot
Park · Market Common
1.Myrtle Beach State Park
South of the city centre, South Carolina's first state park, opened in the 1930s, protects one of the last stretches of maritime forest on the Grand Strand. A nature trail runs through the trees to a quiet beach and a fishing pier, and there is a campground.
Walk the Sculptured Oak Nature Trail, then fish or watch the sunrise from the pier.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
Waterfront · Murrells Inlet and Garden City
2.Murrells Inlet MarshWalk
A wooden boardwalk of about 800 metres runs along the salt marsh of Murrells Inlet, connecting a string of seafood restaurants and open-air bars, many with live music. Herons, egrets and ospreys feed in the marsh, and fishing boats head out through the inlet.
Arrive an hour before sunset, walk the full length, then pick a deck table for dinner.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Free
- After dark
- Couples
- Nature
Market · North Myrtle Beach
3.Barefoot Landing
An open-air shopping and dining village on the Intracoastal Waterway in North Myrtle Beach, built around a lake with boardwalks. It is home to the Alabama Theatre's variety shows and Alligator Adventure, a reptile park with alligators, crocodiles and snakes.
Combine an Alligator Adventure feeding show in the afternoon with an evening show at the Alabama Theatre.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Shopping
- Kids
- Food
Experience · Grand Strand
4.Golf on the Grand Strand
The Grand Strand has dozens of public golf courses, from championship designs to short resort courses, many lined with marsh, pines and lagoons. Spring and autumn are peak golf seasons, when stay-and-play packages fill the hotels.
Late-afternoon twilight rates and summer rates are much lower than spring and autumn peak green fees.
- Time needed
- 4–5 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Book tee times ahead in spring and autumn, especially for weekend mornings.
- Active
- Outdoors
Experience · Grand Strand
5.Variety shows at the Carolina Opry and Alabama Theatre
Myrtle Beach is known for family variety shows of country, pop, comedy and dance, staged in large theatres such as the Carolina Opry on Kings Highway and the Alabama Theatre at Barefoot Landing. Dinner-theatre shows such as Medieval Times and Pirates Voyage add jousting and pirate battles.
Christmas shows from November are a local tradition and sell out early.
- Time needed
- 2–2.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- After dark
- Rainy day
Waterfront · North Myrtle Beach
6.Cherry Grove Pier and Marsh
At the northern end of North Myrtle Beach, Cherry Grove's fishing pier stretches well out into the Atlantic, with a two-level observation deck at its end. Behind the beach, the tidal channels of Cherry Grove marsh are good for kayaking, crabbing and watching birds.
Rent a kayak or paddleboard and explore the marsh channels at high tide.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Nature
- Outdoors
Street · Market Common
7.The Market Common
A walkable town centre of shops, restaurants and a cinema on the former Air Force base. Grand Park next door has lakes, walking trails, playgrounds and memorials to the base's history.
Visit on a summer evening for outdoor concerts and events that are often held on the green.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Shopping
- Free
- Food
- Kids
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Brookgreen Gardens |
| History | Brookgreen Gardens and Huntington Beach State Park and Atalaya |
| Views | SkyWheel Myrtle Beach and Cherry Grove Pier and Marsh |
| Outdoors and nature | Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach, Brookgreen Gardens, Huntington Beach State Park and Atalaya and Myrtle Beach State Park |
| Food and markets | Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade, Broadway at the Beach, Murrells Inlet MarshWalk and Barefoot Landing |
| After dark | Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade, SkyWheel Myrtle Beach, Broadway at the Beach and Murrells Inlet MarshWalk |
| With children | Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade, SkyWheel Myrtle Beach, Broadway at the Beach and Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach |
| On a rainy day | Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach and Variety shows at the Carolina Opry and Alabama Theatre |
What to book ahead
- Golf on the Grand Strand: Book tee times ahead in spring and autumn, especially for weekend mornings.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Myrtle Beach?
Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade. A boardwalk of about 2 km runs along the dunes between the 14th Avenue Pier and the 2nd Avenue Pier.
+What can you do for free in Myrtle Beach?
Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade, Broadway at the Beach, Murrells Inlet MarshWalk, Barefoot Landing and The Market Common. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Myrtle Beach when it rains?
Head indoors to Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach and Variety shows at the Carolina Opry and Alabama Theatre.
+What is there to do in Myrtle Beach at night?
Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade, SkyWheel Myrtle Beach, Broadway at the Beach and Murrells Inlet MarshWalk are best after dark.