50 of the Best Things to Do
in Myrtle Beach!

And yes, some are totally free!

The Myrtle Beach area, often referred to as the Grand Strand, has over 100 golf courses and has been named the best established golf destination of the year for 2000 - tops in the world - by the Association of Golf Tour Operators. For a list of courses with links to their websites, CLICK HERE. While hard-core golfers care little about other attractions offered in the Myrtle Beach area (many never even set foot on the beach), the rest of the vacationing population does. Here, then, are 50 other great things to do on the Grand Strand.

1 - The Grand Strand offers over 60 miles of beach, and it is the number 1 reason reason people visit with us. Enjoy swimming, running, fishing, shell gathering, sand castle building, Frisbee throwing, volleyball, etc., etc. That's what makes the beach so great!

2 - The Bark Park, located off Mallard Lake Drive at the site of the former Air Force Base is a very popular dog run park which includes a lake. It is free, so you can give Fido a vacation too!

3 - Shop, dine, and be thoroughly entertained at Barefoot Landing, featuring 100-plus shops, great restaurants, Alligator Adventure (linked below), The Alabama Theatre (linked below) Jungle Princess and Queen Mary II , and the House of Blues.

4 - Challenge friends and family to a race at NASCAR SpeedPark, where visitors can experience the excitement of NASCAR on seven challenging racetracks. Follow up with lunch or supper at the NASCAR Cafe.

5 - Take a boat tour! Here are some popular ones to get you started:
Rover Tours
Cap'n Rod's Low Country Tours
Low Country Tours
Carolina Safari Jeep Tours
Safari Jeep Tours

6 - Shag the night away! Such spots as Fat Harold's Beach Club in North Myrtle Beach, often called the home of beach music and the "shag" - the official state dance.

7 - The Myrtle Beach Pa vilion and Family Kingdom are must-stop for all vacationers, especially if they have children or grandchildren. Admission is free, then you pay for the rides you want.

8 - Let the talented cast of the Carolina Opry entertain you and yours for an evening. Enjoy pop music, country, show tunes, comedy, and more.

9 - During baseball season, cheer for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. The Pelicans are a Class A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.

10 - Broadway at the Beach offers 20 restaurants,100 specialty shops, 15 attractions including an IMAX theater and mini-golf, 3 on-site hotels and 10 nightclubs. Take a free ride in the Miss Broadway boat.

11 - Go antiquing. The Grand Strand has dozens of whatnot shops, thrift stores, highbrow galleries, and everything in between.

12 - Sample wine at La Belle Amie Vineyard and select your favorites to enjoy or take home.

13 - Create a cuddly creature at Build-A-Bear, located at Broadway at the Beach.

14 - Whet your appetite for fine art. Visit the Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum on the south end of Myrtle Beach. Free Admission! Or, if you're shopping for local artwork, visit one of many local galleries.

15 - Take the children to the Children's Museum of South Carolina, where hands-on activities rule. The all-time favorite is Bubble Mania.

16 -If you have an interest in the strange, the unusual, the interesting and odd things, visit Ripley's "Believe It Or Not".

17 - Go parasailing. You won't have to travel far to hook up with a parasail crew, because this popular activity takes place from one end of the Stand to the other.

18 - Discover Brookgreen Gardens. One of those must-see places, Brookgreen is an outdoor sculpture garden that was lovingly created by sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington and her husband, Archer, on the site of four former rice plantations. More than 500 works by American sculptors are showcased beneath magnificent oaks, nestled among native flora.

19 - Chill out at a water park. Myrtle Waves is in the heart of Myrtle Beach, and Wild Water is on the South Strand. Family Kingdom Water Park is the only oceanfront waterpark. Enjoy slides, lazy rivers, wave pools, kiddie pools, concessions, and more.

20 - Head south for a half-day or more in Georgetown, a historic port city about 30 miles south of Myrtle Beach. Stroll along the waterfront, learn about the city's past at the Rice Museum, and savor local cuisine at one of many restaurants.

21 - Waccatee Zoo - located within 500 acres of private carefully planned wooded property. The children will love this zoo!.

22 - Shop for an authentic Pawleys Island hammock (and watch one being made) at the Original Hammock Shops. Other versions of the comfy rope hammocks can be found at local shops and outlets throughout the area.

23 - Rent a Jet Ski (personal watercraft) or sailboat for an hour or more of fun beyond the breakers.

24 - See the area's newest show, Calvin Gilmore's "Tribute The Concert" featuring tributes to legendary performers

25 - Go outlet shopping at Tanger Mall North and South. Barefoot Landing also has several outlet stores.

26 - Spend some time in historic Conway. Learn the history of the county seat at Horry County Museum. Shop for antiques, and have lunch at a quaint Main Street eatery.

27 - Join the kids for arcade games. Besides high-tech video games, you'll find old favorites like Skeeball, pinball, air hockey, baseball, and more - not to mention photo booths, where you can all pile in for a goofy family photo.

28 - Go crabbing. For less than 10 bucks you can outfit your family for a day of fun. All you need is crab line, chicken necks (or other parts), a net, and something to put the crabs in. Or crab the lazy way with a wire trap.

29 - Reserve tickets for a celebrity concert. Nearly every week, someone BIG is playing at the Grand Strand. (Hint: Check the listings at House of Blues and Alabama Theatre).

30 - Go deep-sea fishing. Take a half-day or full-day trip and bring home supper! Bottom fish a few miles out, or head all the way to the Gulf Stream for a sports fishing adventure.

31 - Satisfy your need for speed at Myrtle Beach Grand Prix Family Thrill Park, featuring Formula 1 Grand Prix cars for licensed drivers, go carts for ages 5 and up, and lots of other rides for all ages.

32 - Spend an evening with Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede and Dinner Show

33 - Take in the big screen at the IMAX Discovery Theater, located in Broadway at the Beach.

34 - Visit Huntington Beach State Park. This oceanfront park is the Grand Strand's best preserved beach . Here, you'll discover a freshwater lagoon with alligators, salt marsh, nature trails, picnic shelters, and the historic castle Atalaya.

35 - Be surprised by the wonderful look-alikes (and sound-alikes) at Legends in Concert, where you'll find the next best thing to superstars including Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, the Blues Brothers, and others.

36 - On Saturday night (April-September), go to the races at Myrtle Beach Speedway, a half-mile, tri-oval asphalt track sanctioned by NASCAR.

37 - Hit the surf with your own board, or rent one at a local surf shop. While you're at it, pick up some colorful surfer duds to throw on and enhance your mood after a tough week at work.

38 - Travel back to the Middle Ages at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament, where knights on horseback joust and guests enjoy a banquet fit for a king.

39 - Are you a bookworm? Browse to your heart's content and enjoy your favorite coffee or cappuccino at Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million or The Living Room bookstores.

40 - Hit the flea markets. The Grand Strand has some great ones such as Hudson's.

41 - Explore the salt marsh. Go alone,or take a boat your, listed above. Learn about blue crabs, flounder, spartina (marsh grass), oysters and clams, Great Blue Herons, and other creatures that call the salt marsh (aka creek or inlet) home.

42 - View some live beach cams and enjoy the beach before you arrive or on your laptop from your hotel. Beach Cove...Pawleys Island.

43 - Venture through Alligator Adventure, one of the largest exotic reptile parks in the world. Inhabitants include alligators (including rare albinos), a Komodo Dragon, lizards, turtles, giant snakes, frogs, exotic birds, and tigers. Watch the alligator feeding frenzy and enjoy the newest additions of the bears, Bonnie and Clyde

44 - Spend a day pier fishing. There are eight great piers in the area, and you don't even have to fish to enjoy them - spectators are welcome.

45 - Visit our public parks. Chapin Park at 16th Ave. and N. Kings Hwy offers picnic tables, play equipment and some lovely shade trees. McLean Park at 2nd Ave south in North Myrtle Beach has an in-line skating rink, playground, picnic area, baseball field and tennis courts.

46 - Spend a day at Myrtle Beach State Park. Besides a great beach, the park has a fishing pier, hiking trails, picnic shelters, nature center, and more.

47 - Enjoy the Alabama Theatre's brand-new house show, "One," featured on evenings when no celebrity concerts are booked.

48 - Journey into the underwater world of Ripley's Aquarium, voted the state's No. 1 tourist attraction in 1999. Other Ripley's attractions in the area include Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum, Ripley's Moving Theater, and Ripley's Haunted House.

49 -Visit the largest mall in South Carolina! Coastal Grand Mall opened in March, 2004. Coastal Grand.

50 - Play a game of miniature golf. To entice visitors, each course has a fun theme-everything from swashbuckling pirates to man-eating dinosaurs.!

* Watch for the Grand Opening of Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville coming this summer to Broadway at the Beach!

50 of the Best Things to Do in Myrtle Beach!

50 of the Best Things to Do
in Myrtle Beach!