Home to 60 miles of light beige sand and teal blue waters, Myrtle Beach, is ideal for a family-friendly vacation. The breathtaking natural beauty attracts adventurers and outdoor enthusiasts with abundant rip-roaring pursuits. One can spend hours indulging in watersports or hiking the numerous trails lined with botanical wonders and wildlife.
Aside from the unfiltered natural beauty, Myrtle Beach offers world-class entertainment, award-winning dining experiences, and luxury retail. Golfing enthusiasts can choose from over 80 championship golf courses, while nightlife seekers can attend exciting concerts and events.
Whether you want to enjoy real fun under the sun or delight yourself with thematic entertainment, Myrtle Beach has much to offer. Children adore this action-packed holiday destination, brimming with theme parks, interactive museums, and activity-based attractions.
Read on to explore practical tips for planning the perfect family vacation to Myrtle Beach.
1. Enjoy Dramatic Dinner Shows
Families eager to save money and extend their budget toward a wide array of attractions must sign up for the dinner shows. Myrtle Beach is world-famous for its dramatic dinner shows – an eclectic combination of multicourse meals and theatrical entertainment. Booking a dinner show will cover entertainment and food for the night, and there’s a wide variety of shows to explore.
Would your children love devouring a four-course feast as they set sail on an exhilarating pirate-themed adventure? Children adore the pirate-themed Myrtle Beach dinner and show – a spectacular, entertaining show.
The Pirates Voyage Dinner and Show is indeed a one-of-its-kind experience featuring an indoor lagoon with two full-sized pirate ships. The entertainment is splendid and packed with action, with aerialists, mermaids, and pirates decked in elaborate costumes. The four-course meal is a decadent spread with various options for adults and kids.
This dinner show is highly recommended for families who adore riveting plots, action-packed sequences, and indulgent meals.
2. Time for Toes in the Sand
One can hardly plan a trip to Myrtle Beach without taking out at least two days to explore the breathtaking beaches. The picturesque shoreline is the most delightful attraction in Myrtle Beach. There’s a beach for everyone and everything, whether you seek a quiet corner to soak up the sunshine or immerse in water sports, including jet skiing and parasailing.
Families with children flock to the vibrant Ocean Drive Beach mainly because kids adore the OD Pavilion. Ocean Drive Beach is home to an amusement park, numerous restaurants and seafood joints, and live entertainment.
Cherry Grove Beach is a more laidback beach to feast your eyes on the Atlantic while the children splash around. You can dip your toes in the warm sand, swing in a hammock or curl up with a book without being overwhelmed by tourists.
Families eager to explore Barefoot Landing must head to Windy Hill Beach, a 9-mile stretch of magnificent Atlantic coastline. Serenity seekers and shopaholics will prefer Crescent Beach, the ultimate spot to dine, relax and shop. Crescent Beach is perfect for soul-searching, golfing, antique hunting, and beachside parties.
3. Explore the Indoor Attractions
Myrtle Beach offers a wealth of indoor attractions, kid-friendly amusement parks, and arcade zones filled with interactive games. The abundance of world-class entertainment and recreational attractions makes Myrtle Beach a popular family-friendly destination. There’s much to do and explore, and we advise setting priorities to include attractions your children are bound to love.
The Fun Plaza Arcade, Ripley’s Aquarium, and Rockin’ Jump Trampoline Park are highly recommended for children craving a break from outdoor fun. Myrtle Beach is home to innumerable live theatres, nighttime shows, and recreational activities for adults. Families can also sign up for extensive activities like fishing charters, ticketed shows, and live music.
Parents eager to educate little ones on local heritage and history can check out the string of small museums. The Franklin G. Burroughs – Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum is famous for its fascinating installations. Children can also sign up for pottery classes at the museum. Cinema lovers must head to the Hollywood Wax Museum to walk through the wonderful maze of mirrors. The museum also has a spooky haunted house.
4. Some Unpretentious Fun under the Sun
One can hardly travel to a magnificent destination like Myrtle Beach and resist exploring the hiking trails, forests, and wildflower meadows. Outdoorsy families eager for real fun under the sun will find themselves in heaven. The hiking trails offer the best of South Carolina’s flora and fauna, tranquil forests, and beautifully manicured botanical gardens.
Many trails lead deep into the heart of the wilderness, brimming with native wildlife, sandy beaches, and rare blooms. The Myrtle Beach State Park offers two amazing child-friendly trails: the Sculptured Oak Trail and the Yaupon Trail. It’s easy to combine both trails to create a long-winding route that covers the entire park. The park offers multiple picnic spots, campsites, and cabins for families planning a camping adventure.
Parents planning to challenge their children with a more extensive hiking trail should consider exploring Huntington Beach State Park. The 2-mile Sandpiper Pond Nature Trail is an intensely rewarding excursion through a forest lined with oaks and red cedars. The trail is set along the beach, offering sweeping scenic views with plenty of wildlife spotting.
Vacationers who want to immerse in nature without exhausting themselves will enjoy the beauty of Brookgreen Gardens. Famous for housing the biggest outdoor collection of sculptures worldwide, every corner of Brookgreen Gardens begs to be explored. The Vereen Memorial Gardens are also ideal for romantic walks through a wooded estate.
Final Thoughts
Destinations like Myrtle Beach are packed with entertainment and outdoor recreation. But to make the most of one’s time, strike a balance between extensive planning and spontaneity. It’s wise to plan most of your itinerary so you can make prior bookings, especially for the ticketed attractions.
Myrtle Beach attracts crowds of tourists throughout the year, and getting tickets on the spot can prove immensely challenging. Getting your tickets for dinner shows, nighttime shows, theatrical events, and live entertainment will help avoid disappointment and inconvenience. But make room for spontaneity so you can embark on last-minute adventures, hiking trips, and beachside fun.
We advise families to designate at least two days for the beach, indulging in water sports and splashing around in the Atlantic.