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Myrtle Beach
Photo above: The Sky Wheel on the Boardwalk of Myrtle Beach, 2017, Carol M. Highsmith. Source: Library of Congress.
Associate Pages
Visitor Statistics
Myrtle Beach
More than 17 million visitors per year.
Park Size
Over sixty miles of Grand Strand beaches and attractions.Park Fees
Entrance Fee - Free. No beach tags necessary. Various attractions do charge.Fees subject to change without notice.
Weather
Hot in summer, but not as hot as you think with the ocean breeze. Very few bugs for a shore point. Weather is changeable with thunderstorms in summer, but there are an average of 215 sunny days per year. Possible hurricanes, although not as probable as Florida, in season. Winter temperatures average 58-62 in January and February. Water temperature in summer reaches the high 80's.
Above photo: The Upside Down House, a Science Museum, at Broadway at the Beach. Courtesy America's Best History. Right: One scene of the beach and ocean in North Myrtle Beach. Courtesy America's Best History.
Myrtle Beach
What started out as a sleepy beach and fishing town along the Atlantic Ocean and Intercoastal Waterway is now a mecca for over seventeen million visitors per year. Despite that, it never seems that crowded, unless you are at one of the attractions. Mainly because Myrtle Beach, the central town of the Grand Strand, is surrounded from one side to the other with a total of sixty miles of different beach towns. To the north, North Myrtle Beach, to the south at Pawley's Island. There are eighty-six full golf courses, more than a few designed by some of the best architects in the world. There are over one thousand eight hundred restaurants, from the unique seaford haunts along the beach and waterways, to your regular chain restaurants two miles off the beach along Route 17. There are amuseument parks, theme parks, miniature golf courses galore, plus fishing, boating, and kayaking adventures. You will not have trouble finding something to do; you will have trouble fitting them all in.
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Myrtle Beach Then
It's origin is the tribe of the Waccamaw before Spanish explorers began to establish colonial towns in the United States from 1526 forward. However, Myrtle Beach was not really one of them. The area grew very slowly through the next three centuries. In colonial times, the Whithers family came to the area, naming it New Town or Whithers; they would leave in 1822 after a large hurricane. George Washington came during the Americcan Revolution to the North Myrtle Beach Area.
Franklin Burroughs, of Burroughs and Collins, a turpentine barron, and his sons, brought the railroad to town in 1900 after buying lots of coastal land, including that of the Whithers in 1881, and built the first inn, the Seaside Inn, in 1901. With the Inn's establishment, the beaches here began to draw more tourists to its rustic camps and sparse houses. The town was renamed Myrtle Beach around this time by Burroughs wife, but itself was not even officially founded until March 12, 1938.
Photo above: One of the old steamships that used to ply the area waters named the F.G. Burroughs, pre-1900, author unknown. Courtesy Independent Republic Quarterly via Wikipedia Commons. Photo below: Sunrise over the water. Courtesy America's Best History.
Myrtle Beach Now
Myrtle Beach now is a destination that is both sub-tropical, but on the northern end of that. You won't feel the extreme humidity in summer that you do in Florida, nor the amount of rain. It has become one of the premier golf destinations through most of the winter. And during the height of the season, which is known here as March 1 to October 31, you have a beach and ocean running for sixty miles. Myrtle Beach itself is known for its boardwalk, high rise resorts, Broadway at the Beach (a theme park with an aquarium, theaters, the Tiger Woods version of miniature golf, rides, and the Upside Down House), Ripley Museums, Pirate Shows, the Carolina Theater, and so much more. At the other resort towns north and south, there is a slightly slower pace, but still plenty to do, and the Myrtle Beach attractions are never more than twenty miles away.
Minute Walk - Myrtle Beach
Much more about the natural history and fun you can have at the many awesome attractions than about its man-made history. The Atlantic Ocean is the star here, whether that be for wading, surfing, porpoise watching or tours, or just a sunbathe under an umbrella watching the surf and the people go by. But Myrtle Beach is much more than that for vacationers. 1,800 restaurants, nearly 100 golf courses, countless Miniature Golf Courses, amusement parks, and a boardwalk. Watch this video and learn a little more about the South Carolina treasure you may already have visited, or should, sometime in the future.
T-Shirts and Souvenirs
Myrtle Beach T-Shirts and other souvenirs from the official merchandise of America's Best History.
Myrtle Beach
Things You Should Not Miss
1. It's would be hard to miss it, but it is the first priority to most. Spend some time most days on the beach and in the ocean. Water temperatures are fine from May forward into the end of October. The beaches are clean. The water has very little seaweed, and you might see a school of dolphins from your umbrella.
2. Take a Dolphin Cruise. You might get lucky from the beach, but there's a much better chance from a chartered boat along the Intercoastal Waterway that take you miles out into the ocean. They know where to look. Many choices of operators. Check the local guidebooks for options and coupons.
3. Go to Boardwalk at the Beach. There is no charge to enter the area and it appears, around a large lake, like a theme park. Yes, there's the Upside Down House Science Museum, a theater that when we were there had a Cirque de Soleil show, Ripley's Aquarium, and speed boat rides. Plus lots of shops and places to eat. There are charges for the attractions and shows.
4. Play golf. You came to one of the best destinations for courses in the United States, it would be a shame if you didn't at least go mini.
Photo above: Alligators at the Alligator Adventure attraction along Route 17, 2017, Carol M. Highsmith. Courtesy Library of Congress.
Visitor FAQ
What's There Now
Amuseuments and Attractions
We will highlight a few, because there are so many, the article would have to have its own server.
Broadway at the Beach - We have written much about this theme park just a block off the ocean and along Route 17 in Myrtle Beach. Just a walk through here is spectacular. Thrills abound. Rides aplenty.
Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Downtown - It's a little trouble finding places to park and knowing how much time to put in the meter, but the boardwalk here is a rather new addition, and includes arcades, shops, restaurants (including one that specifies it has bad service), volleyball courts, the Sky Wheel, and a winding path to some hotels and condos. The downtown used to be the highlight here and it has its own unique flare just behind the boardwalk venues. There are souvenir shops, several Ripley attractions, and more. Just a few blocks down the street is an old fashioned amusement park, Family Kingdom.
Barefoot Landing - I would say this is a bit of a lesser theme area in North Myrtle Beach, but it has a number of unique attractions, including a Hard Rock Cafe, the Alabama Theater, and just in front, the Alligator Adventure.
Photo above: One scene of the boardwalk shops and restaurants in Myrtle Beach. Courtesy America's Best History.
Golf and Miniature Golf
There are eight-six golf courses in the Myrtle Beach area and probably over one hundred if you count the courses just over the North Carolina line. They range from moderate to PGA caliber, with courses that were designed by Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Raymond Floyd, Tom Fazio, and more. And for those that want a more sedate version of golf, that of the miniature kind, the courses here are spectacular themed vistas that you might hit a bad shot or two looking at the surroundings. One of the new courses is the Pop Golf course of Tiger Woods at Barefoot at the Beach theme park. It's different, hard, pricey, but they will bring your drinks out to you on the course.
Photo above: Arnold Palmer designed golf course just over the state line in North Carolina. Hardest course ever played. Below: Just one example of the miniature golf courses on the Grand Strand. Courtesy America's Best History.
Directions and Lodging
The Grand Strand, and Myrtle Beach is located just over the North Carolina state line and is about one hour plus off I-95. It is two hours north of Charleston, South Carolina.
Lodging and Camping
There are so many choices of lodging here, from bed and breakfasts to hotels, to resorts, to condos, it is almost overwhelming. And then you have to choose whether you want to be in the center of things, i.e. Myrtle Beach itself, or one of its satellite Grand Strand Beach towns. Your choice, but here's a good catch. It is cheap, particularly compared to the northern beach towns of New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, or even North Carolina. There are plenty of campgrounds here, too, including some right on the beach.
One of our favorite locations is the condos of Marsh Villas in Cherry Grove. Quiet. Great beach. Residential with commercial area one mile away. Check it out, great prices for a second row beach condo, view of bay/marsh, sleeps six. Fifty yards to beach. And yes, the writer here owns it. Myrtle Beach Condo, Cherry Grove
Photo above: Beach and Ocean view from dining terrace of Molly Darcy's Irish Pub. Courtesy America's Best History. Middle: Marsh Villas Condo in Cherry Grove, Myrtle Beach
