Kids Fun In Myrtle Beach

Great weather, lots to do — no wonder South Carolina's playground is a national vacation destination year-round.

Typically very hot in the summer (average high temperatures in the upper 80’s F) and more temperate during the rest of the year, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is a four-season resort. Plenty of kid-friendly surrounding attractions have sprung up to amuse beach-goers during their time off of the sand. Or if you’re looking for something more relaxing, you could always check out Marsh Walk, a mile-long wooden boardwalk with a beautiful view and plenty of shops and restaurants, with some of the finest Lowcountry cuisine.

Meanwhile, we’ve chosen our favorites among the attractions available, and you can get other information or a free Myrtle Beach vacation guide by contacting the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce (800/356-3016), who provided the photos in this story. Everyone loves this region; as you can see by these comments from the AAA website:

• “We went to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was very exciting. We were on the beach seven days in a row. My whole family was down there which made it even better. I recommend a trip down there to anyone! ” -by Kevin
• “I’m 5 years old and love Myrtle Beach. They have an awesome Kids’ Club at Sands Resort with games, lazy river, indoor & outdoor pools, pizza parlor, ice cream station and a water park. They have Teen Night for my 13-year-old sister and you get a cool Kids’ Club t-shirt and other gifts just for being a kid. ” -by Adam

The extended area is popularly known as the Grand Strand and stretches from Little River to Pawleys Island, comprising 12 distinct cities, several golf courses, and 60 miles of sandy beaches; for more information visit www.visitmybeach.com (800/356-3016).

Family Kingdom Amusement Park
300 South Ocean Boulevard
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
843/626-3447
Family Kingdom is an old-fashioned amusement park with 30 rides, including a wooden roller coaster, plenty of kiddie rides, and the largest Ferris Wheel in South Carolina. It also features Myrtle Beach’s only oceanfront water park (843/916-0400), with big slides and splash pools for kids. Those who remember the beloved Myrtle Beach Pavilion will be sad to learn that it closed in 2007, after 58 years in business, it is however, making a comeback with the Myrtle Beach Pavilion Nostalgia Park at Broadway at the Beach (843/913-9400). Here visitors can ride the classic theme park rides from the original park. Each ride is 1 ticket, with a ticket price of $3/ticket.

Broadway at the Beach Mall
1325 Celebrity Circle
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
800/FUN-INMB
Broadway at the Beach is another theme mall with accompanying attractions. Restaurants include the Hard Rock Cafe, Joes Crab Shack, and Cold Stone Creamery. Other attractions include Ripley’s Aquarium and a Build-A-Bear Workshop (877/789-BEAR)

Myrtle Beach Pelicans
1251 21st Avenue N
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
843/918-6002
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans, minor league baseball team of the Atlanta Braves, play right across the street from the Broadway at the Beach complex. Reasonably priced tickets are available throughout baseball season.

Great American Riverboat Company Cruise
8500 Enterprise Road
Myrtle Beach, SC 29588
800/685-6601
Enjoy some of the area’s best scenery and wildlife during a sightseeing cruise on a grand riverboat. Dinner cruises with children’s prices are also available. All cruises carry musical entertainment onboard, and one of the boats. They have three cruise boats, the Jungle Princess is their 150 passenger boat, which travels down the Maccamaw River, featuring restrooms and a snackbar for passengers to enjoy. Then there is the Jungle Baby, an intimate pleasure trip for small groups of six, providing a slower, relaxing ride. One of their newest attractions comes all the way from New Zealand. The Barracuda Jet Boat, a twelve-passenger boat that promises to take adventurers through twists, turns, spins, and slides for a ride they won’t forget. Open year-round.

Hard Rock Park
211 George Bishop Parkway
Myrtle Beach, SC 29579
843/236-ROCK
Rising on 140 acres, the first rock ‘n’ roll theme park opened in April 2008 and closed six months later. The $400 million venture boasted two roller coasters, indoor and outdoor shops, music memorabilia, and sections named the All Access Entry Plaza, British Invasion, Born in the U.S.A., Cool Country, Lost in the 70s and Rock & Roll. A group of new investors purchased the park for $25 million in early 2009 and are committed to reopening it for Memorial Day. Stay tuned!

Barefoot Landing Mall
4898 Highway 17 S
North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
843/272-8349, 800/272-2320 ext.108
This lakeside shopping, dining and entertainment complex earns its place as one of the grand “theme malls” of the area. The shopping area contains over 100 specialty and retail shops, plus several outlets and restaurants. The carousel, Alligator Adventure (home to Albino American Alligators, as well as hundreds of other alligators) and the 85-foot drop “Accelorator” may be especially enticing entertainment options for kids. Nighttime entertainment includes music at the House of Blues and shows at the Alabama Theatre (800/342-2262), founded by the country music group with the same name.

T.I.G.E.R.S. Preservation Station
4898 South Highway 17
North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
843/361-4552
Is there an animal lover in the family? Then they will love The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.), a free-living tiger exhibit, which features many different species of the large cat. Not only will animal enthusiasts get to hold their choice of baby tigers or apes, but this is one of the only places in the world where they will be able to see a Liger (and that’s not a typo – it’s a cross between a lion and a tiger)!  Other attractions include flying trained falcons, and watching tiger feedings. Also available are Wild Encounter Tours, which are approximately three fun-filled hours of wolves, leopards, chimpanzees, and many other rare animals. While you explore the preserve professional photographers shoot high quality photographs and video. Open from early March to early October, all proceeds from photos and the Tigers Den Gift Shop go to the maintenance of the animals and their endangered counterparts.

NASCAR SpeedPark
1820 21st Avenue, North Extension
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
843/918-8725
Featuring excitement galore and fun for all ages with seven tracks, this SpeedPark is great fun for the entire fast-paced, thrill-seeking family. There are even two NASCAR-themed mini-golf courses, an arcade and a speed bumper boats.