Adventure attractions make memories for family summer
vacations The attractions and amusements in the Myrtle Beach area
range from wild and exhilarating to peaceful and relaxing. Hundreds
of entertainment options await you—thrill rides, water parks, bungee
jumping, boardwalk arcades, go carts, wax museum, horseback riding,
boat tours and world-renowned sculpture garden, to name but a few.
Whatever your family’s vacation style, you will find many
opportunities for turning your summer vacation into your dream
vacation.
There’s so much to see and do on the Grand Strand that your agenda
can remain as full as you like. From indoor attractions to outdoor
amusements, you’re invited to set your own pace. Seek out the
exciting and exhilarating or relax in the serene and tranquil.
Customize your Myrtle Beach family vacation to please you!
Tribal
Island Tiki Adventure Golf
Putt your way around caves, waterfalls,
caverns and even an active volcano that erupts every hour.
Tribal Island Tiki Adventure boasts two 18-hole miniature
golf courses—Volcano Valley and Tiki Bay—that will challenge
golfers of all levels. It’s fun for the whole family.
Open daily.
(901 Highway 17 North, Little River; 843-281-1177)
www.harbourviewgolf.com
Inlet
Point Plantation Stables
Featuring equestrian adventures
in a coastal paradise, Inlet Point Plantation Stables
offers horseback fun for children and adults, both novice
and experienced riders. Ages 10 and up are invited on
a 2-hour beach ride through the plantation and along the
private island beach. Children 7-years old and up will
enjoy the 1-hour trail ride that meanders through a pecan
grove and along portions of the Intracoastal Waterway.
Kids up to the age of 10 will love the half-hour pony
rides. Saddle up and call Inlet Point Plantation Stables
for reservations.
(5800 Highway 236, North Myrtle Beach; 843-249-2989)
www.inletpointplantation.com
Alligator
Adventure
Before you decide to adopt a
“wild thing,” come see us on your summer vacation. One
of the largest reptile facilities in the world awaits
visitors at Barefoot Landing. Nature exhibits, zoological
gardens and live shows provide a unique experience for
all ages. There’s more to the natural swamps and marshes
of Alligator Adventure than just alligators. Pythons,
rattlesnakes, Galapagos tortoises and black bears, Bonnie
and Clyde, call Alligator Adventure home, as does Utan,
a 20-foot long crocodile raised in Thailand. At 2,000
pounds, Utan is the largest crocodile ever to come to
the United States.
(4604 Highway 17 South North Myrtle Beach; 800-361-0789)
www.alligatoradventure.com
Bob’s
Watersports and Clowns Arcade
Experience the Atlantic Ocean
from a new vantage point on your vacation with Bob’s Watersports
and Clowns Arcade. Bounce through the waves while experiencing
the wild thrill of a banana boat ride where a jet ski
tows up to six passengers on the ocean. Or opt for parasailing
where you’ll soar with the birds as you sail along the
oceanfront in North Myrtle Beach.
(2208 North Ocean Boulevard, North Myrtle Beach; 843-249-9908)
Carolina Safari Jeep Tours
Visit a riverside graveyard some
say is haunted and hear ghost stories about the famous
Alice Flagg and the Gray Man of Pawleys Island. And a
lowcountry tour isn’t complete until you hear about the
pirates who sailed nearby waters. Strap yourself in for
an adventurous three-hour tour that explores several different
ecosystems and gets you up close and personal with history,
nature, ecology and wildlife. It’s the ecotourism adventure
that takes you through a cypress swamp and the plantation
region’s ricefields. Your tour guide driver will point
out alligators and bald eagles and introduce you to the
African Gullah culture, 15th-century Spanish castle and
slave cabins. Featured in several national newspaper and
magazine articles, Carolina Safari Jeep Tour also appeared
on Discovery’s Travel Channel. Daily tours.
(pick up at most area hotels; 888-497-5330)
http://www.carolinasafari.com/
Fun World Family Amusement Park
Family amusements make summer
fun a great experience. From miniature golf and go carts
to classic kiddie rides and a skatepark, Fun World Family
Amusement Park is year-round family entertainment. The
Viper Race Track and Cobra Road Course are sure to please,
while 54 holes of miniature golf will keep you putting
all afternoon. The skate park, complete with a bowl, is
for skateboards, in-line skates and scooters. For your
safety and convenience, rental helmets for the skate park
are available.
(700 7th Avenue South, North Myrtle Beach; 843-361-9845)
Jungle Princess
Board the tropical-inspired riverboat
at the dock area of Waccatee Zoo for a river journey down
the Intracoastal Waterway. Naturalists will spot osprey
and their nests and point out great blue herons as they
take flight from their natural habitat. Choose from an
open air deck where you can feel the light wind on your
face or find a seat with great Waterway views in of the
two climate-controlled decks. The Jungle Princess has
a snack bar and cruises are offered daily, including sunset
and dinner trips. Call for times and reservations.
(Waccatee Zoo at 8500 Enterprise Road, Myrtle Beach; 843-236-1700)
La
Belle Amie Vineyard
Where can you enjoy a summer’s
breeze on your vacation, sit a spell in a porch rocker
and sample exquisite private label wines and gourmet foods
. . . the quaint vineyard off Highway 90 in North Myrtle
Beach. Run by the Bellamy family, who has owned the property
since the 1800s, La Belle Amie is the French origin of
the family name and means the good friend. Bellamy ancestors
first made wine in the south of France and today the family
tradition continues in South Carolina on property that
was part of a former tobacco plantation. Tour the vineyard,
take a picnic lunch and explore the unique gifts and wine
accessories in the gift shop, including grape preserves
made from La Belle Amie’s own 100-year-old grapevines.
Call ahead for information about seasonal festivals and
special events. Open Monday through Saturday.
(Highway 90, Little River; 843-399-WINE)
www.labelleamie.com
Air
Boingo
Bungee jump from 80-feet up in
the air if you dare. With more than two million safe jumps
on record, Air Boingo is ready to get your adrenaline
pumping. Open daily in summer.
(311 8th Avenue North, Myrtle Beach; 843-626-2863)
Family
Kingdom Amusement Park & Water Park
This family-oriented park is
home of the legendary Swamp Fox, the all-wooden roller
coaster and the Slingshot Drop Zone, where riders freefall
100 feet. You’ll also find South Carolina’s largest ferris
wheel and an historic carousel. Don’t miss the interactive
laser ride, the Pistolero Round-Up, and the other rides,
more than 30 in all. Kiddie Land offers 18 attractions
for young children, including pony rides. It is free to
enter the park, where you can purchase a wristband or
tickets for individual rides. Adjacent to Family Kingdom
Amusement Park is the ocean front water park where flume
rides, lazy river, speed slides and kiddie pools will
cool you off after a day in the warm South Carolina sunshine.
The amusement park is open daily April through September
and the water park is open daily in the summer.
(300 South Ocean Boulevard, Myrtle Beach; 843-626-3447)
www.family-kingdom.com
Huffman
Helicopters
Board a Jet Ranger or a Long
Ranger helicopter and soar over the Grand Strand for a
bird’s eye view of the Myrtle Beach area. With several
tours and custom flights available, Huffman Helicopters
can accommodate up to six passengers at a time. Choose
an affordable 12-minute ride, a spectacular one-hour daytime
flight or a specially-chartered romantic "Lights
of the Grand Strand" night flight. Admire the Grand
Strand from a view like no other. It’s great fun for the
whole family.
(Myrtle Beach International Airport and Business Highway
17; 800-579-HELI)
www.huffmanhelicopters.com
Myrtle
Beach Pelicans Professional Baseball
Longing for sports on your vacation?
The Pelicans, an Atlanta Braves Carolina League Class-A
baseball team, were league champions in 1999 and 2000.
The Coastal Federal Field serves as the team's home field
and their season runs April to September. Lawn, bleacher
and box seats range between $4.50 and $8.50 each or you
might choose to rent a luxury suite for an extra special
family treat. Between innings, team mascots, Splish and
Splash—Myrtle Beach’s favorite pelicans—entertain the
crowd with their on field antics. Typical ballpark fare,
including beer, is available in the stadium’s concourse
area. After the game, don’t forget to stop by the Pro
Shop for your Pelicans’ souvenirs. Call for home game
schedule and weekly promotions.
(21st Avenue North and Robert Grissom Parkway, Myrtle
Beach; 843-918-6000)
www.myrtlebeachpelicans.com
Myrtle
Beach Speedway
Enjoy professional and amateur
car and truck racing on a half-mile, tri-oval asphalt
track sanctioned by NASCAR. Three generations of Earnhardts
have raced and won at the Speedway since it was built
in 1958. Races are scheduled every Saturday from April
through September. Call for times, rain dates and special
events.
(located four miles west of the beaches on Highway 501;
Myrtle Beach; 843-236-0500)
www.myrtlebeachspeedway.com
Ripley’s®
Believe It or Not Museum, Haunted Adventure & 4-D
Moving Theater
Across the street from the Atlantic
Ocean and at the corner of 9th Avenue North and Ocean
Boulevard in Myrtle Beach, you’ll find the wonderful world
of Ripley. If you’re intrigued by the unusual, the strange
and just plain weird, Ripley’s® Believe It or Not is for
you. It features unique artifacts by Robert Ripley and
his team of curators, such as Cleopatra’s famous barge
made of sugar, massive toothpick roller coaster and devilishly
beautiful mermaid. Creep next door, if you dare, to Ripley’s®
Haunted Adventure, where the three-story haunted house
is sure to give you thrills and chills, thanks to all
the special effects and hi-tech animation.
Now showing at the Ripley’s® 4-D Moving Theater, 3-D movies
that you ride. Buckle up and test drive Myrtle Beach’s
only motion-simulator theater. The high-tech adventures
with state-of-the-art visual and audio effects change
throughout the year, so call for the latest listings.
Museum, Haunted Adventure and 4-D Moving Theater are open
daily.
(9th Avenue North and Ocean Boulevard, Myrtle Beach; 877-280-2751)
www.ripleys.com
Waccatee
Zoo
This privately-owned zoo is located
on 500 acres of wooded property at the juncture of the
Intracoastal Waterway, Waccamaw River and Socastee Creek.
Besides housing more than 100 animal species, including
camels, water buffalo, zebras and kangaroos, Waccatee
Zoo is a natural wildlife sanctuary and breeding ground
for many migratory birds. Open daily, weather permitting.
(8500 Enterprise Road, Myrtle Beach; 843-650-8500)
www.waccateezoo.com
Le Grande Cirque
Le Grande Cirque - A mesmerizing spectacle of artistry
and imagination performed by some of the world's greatest acrobatic and
theatrical performers! Guaranteed to leave you spellbound and breathless
with amazement and wonder.
www.PalaceTheatreMyrtleBeach.com
Wild
Water - Water & Race Theme Park
More than 33 exciting rides,
including the Free Fall Cliff Dive and The Dark Hole can
be found in this 16-acre water park. Float in the Wipeout
Wave Pool, brave the high-speed flumes and go down head
first on Head Rush. The Kiddie Pool and Kids’ Activity
Pool will suit your little ones. There's also miniature
golf, a video arcade, food court, picnic facilities and
a separate racetrack complex with rides for all ages.
Open daily in summer.
(910 Business Highway 17 South, Surfside Beach, 800-833-9453)
www.wild-water.com
Brookgreen Gardens
It’s a national historic landmark,
riverfront park, garden, museum and sculpture showcase
rolled into one. Located on the site of four former rice
plantations, Brookgreen Gardens contains the Archer and
Anna Hyatt Huntington Sculpture Garden—where more than
500 works of American sculpture are displayed, the world’s
largest collection. The Lowcountry History and Wildlife
Preserve contains several thousand acres of native plants
and animals. At the E. Craig Wall Jr. Lowcountry Center,
educate yourself with exhibits, lectures and other programs
focusing on area history. Guided walking tours, creek
excursions aboard "The Springfield," and Trekker
rides through three ecosystems and various historic sites
are offered throughout the day.
(Highway 17, three miles south of Murrells Inlet; 800-849-1931)
www.brookgreen.org
Huntington Beach State Park
You’re sure to see alligators
in the freshwater lagoon and there are birdwatching opportunities
galore in the salt marsh, but Huntington Beach State Park
also boasts a maritime forest and three miles of white
sandy beaches that lead all the way to the rocky jetties
of Murrells Inlet, where fishing is popular. Atalaya,
the Spanish-inspired castle that was once the winter home
of world-renowned sculptress, Anna Hyatt Huntington and
her husband, Archer Milton Huntington, still stands today.
The 2,500-acre park with nature trails, boardwalks and
surf fishing is the perfect setting for a family picnic.
Open daily.
(3 miles south of Murrells Inlet on Highway 17, across
from Brookgreen Gardens; 843-237-4440)
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