With kids · Myrtle Beach · United States
Myrtle Beach with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Pictured: Family Kingdom Amusement Park, Myrtle Beach · Photo: Fk714, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Myrtle Beach is built for family holidays: gentle beaches with lifeguards in season, oceanfront hotels with lazy rivers, mini golf on every corner and attractions from aquariums to old-fashioned amusement parks. The state parks and Brookgreen Gardens add nature and wildlife. Top picks: Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade, SkyWheel Myrtle Beach and Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach. Families usually base themselves in North Myrtle Beach.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 8
- Best area for families
- North Myrtle Beach
- Rainy-day options
- 2
- Busiest months
- June–July
Plan a trip to Myrtle Beach
Compare flights, places to stay and rental cars, then book with the provider you choose.
Best things to do with kids
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
Aquarium · Broadway at the Beach
3.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
Theme park · Central Myrtle Beach and the Boardwalk
4.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
5.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
Beach · Murrells Inlet and Garden City
6.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
Market · North Myrtle Beach
7.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
Park · Market Common
8.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
Rainy-day ideas
- Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach — Go on a rainy beach day as early as possible; that is when everyone else has the same idea.
- Variety shows at the Carolina Opry and Alabama Theatre — Christmas shows from November are a local tradition and sell out early.
Where families should stay
$$ · Best for families, quiet stays, beach and couples
North Myrtle Beach
North Myrtle Beach is a separate city made up of old beach communities such as Cherry Grove, Ocean Drive and Crescent Beach. Main Street at Ocean Drive is the home of the Carolina shag and its beach-music clubs, and Cherry Grove Pier and the tidal marshes of Hog Inlet are at the north end. Barefoot Landing is on the Intracoastal Waterway nearby.
- Good
- Calmer than central Myrtle Beach; Many condos and beach houses; Shag clubs and local character
- Watch out
- A drive from Broadway at the Beach; Fewer big hotels
- Nearby
- Cherry Grove Pier, Main Street, Barefoot Landing, Alabama Theatre
Family travel tips
- Choose an oceanfront hotel with a lazy river and indoor pool for rainy or windy days.
- Swim near lifeguards, which are on duty in season, and watch for rip currents.
- Sunscreen and shade are essential; midday sun in summer is intense.
- Book variety shows and dinner theatres ahead in summer.
- Surfside Beach and North Myrtle Beach are quieter than the central strip for younger children.
Day trips for families
- Wilmington, North Carolina (About 1.5 hours by car) — Wilmington's riverfront historic district has a Riverwalk along the Cape Fear River, and the battleship USS North Carolina is moored across the water as a museum.
- Calabash, North Carolina (About 40 minutes by car) — A small fishing village on the Calabash River that gave its name to the lightly battered fried seafood style.
When to go with children
The best months overall are May–June and September–October. June–July are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Myrtle Beach good for kids?
Myrtle Beach is built for family holidays: gentle beaches with lifeguards in season, oceanfront hotels with lazy rivers, mini golf on every corner and attractions from aquariums to old-fashioned amusement parks. The state parks and Brookgreen Gardens add nature and wildlife.
+What can kids do in Myrtle Beach?
Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade, SkyWheel Myrtle Beach, Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach, Family Kingdom Amusement Park and Mini golf on Kings Highway.
+Where should families stay in Myrtle Beach?
North Myrtle Beach: Low-rise beach city, shag-dancing clubs on Main Street and Cherry Grove's marsh.