Visiting Myrtle Beach, United States: Top Sights on Foot

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is a coastal city known for its lively waterfront, entertainment venues, museums and family attractions. From the Myrtle Beach SkyWheel and classic amusement rides to aquariums, theatres and places that preserve local history, there are plenty of things to do in Myrtle Beach beyond spending time on the beach. Neywo also offers a free audio guide for Myrtle Beach with 22 narrated places.

What to See in Myrtle Beach

Hollywood Wax Museum Myrtle Beach

At Broadway at the Beach, the Hollywood Wax Museum Myrtle Beach brings together lifelike figures from film, television and music. The exhibits include Hollywood legends, modern stars, a NASCAR set and a section devoted to horror villains.

One of the most dramatic sights is outside: the 35-foot-tall Great Ape of Myrtle Beach, shown climbing the Empire State Building in a tribute to the 1933 film King Kong. The museum opened on June 14, 2014, as the fourth wax museum owned and operated by descendants of Spoony Singh.

Broadway at the Beach

Broadway at the Beach is home to several of Myrtle Beach’s entertainment attractions, including the Hollywood Wax Museum, Ripley’s Aquarium, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum and Pavilion Park Action Park. It is a useful area to explore if you want to combine several activities in one visit.

Ripley’s Aquarium

Ripley’s Aquarium centres on the Dangerous Reef aquarium and its acrylic tunnel. Walking through it gives visitors views of sea turtles, stingrays and giant sharks moving through the water around them.

The aquarium also includes the interactive Discovery Center, behind-the-scenes tours of the systems control room, regular feedings and dive shows. More adventurous experiences include overnight camping inside the tunnel and diving with sharks in a controlled environment.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum is dedicated to unusual objects, curiosities and interactive displays. Among its striking exhibits are a roller coaster made from more than 30,000 matchsticks, a vampire killing kit and a purported vampire skull.

Optical illusions, a maze of mirrors, animation and sound effects make the museum as interactive as it is unusual. Its origins go back to Robert L. Ripley, whose museums have presented oddities from around the world for more than ninety years.

Myrtle Beach SkyWheel and the Boardwalk

The Myrtle Beach SkyWheel is one of the city’s most recognisable waterfront sights. Its air-conditioned pods rise 187 feet, or 57 metres, above the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk, offering views across the city and the Atlantic Ocean.

The SkyWheel opened on May 20, 2011. During the day, the height provides broad coastal views; after sunset, the illuminated pods and lights along the waterfront create a different atmosphere.

Family Kingdom Amusement Park

Along Ocean Boulevard, Family Kingdom Amusement Park combines seaside views with classic amusement-park rides. Its 37 attractions include thrill rides, family rides, children’s rides and go-karts.

The park’s best-known ride is the Swamp Fox, a 2,400-foot wooden roller coaster with a figure-eight layout. For a gentler experience, the Giant Wheel rises 100 feet above the park in open, round gondolas, with views of Myrtle Beach and the Atlantic Ocean.

Pavilion Park Action Park

Pavilion Park Action Park, at Broadway at the Beach, is divided into the Fun Park and the Action Park. Together, they offer both traditional amusement rides and more intense attractions.

The Herschell-Spillman Carousel, spinning Wave Rider and Teacup ride give the park a nostalgic character, while the two sections provide different levels of excitement for visitors of different ages.

The Carolina Opry

The Carolina Opry is a musical variety theatre that has been part of Myrtle Beach’s arts scene for more than three decades. Its performances bring together singers, musicians, comedians and dancers.

Shows can include classic songs, soulful ballads and tribute acts celebrating famous music icons. Some performances also feature artists associated with America’s Got Talent and American Idol. The theatre has presented more than 9,000 productions.

Pirates Voyage

Beside The Carolina Opry, Pirates Voyage combines a dinner with a live swashbuckling show. The story follows a battle between the Sapphire and Crimson crews, with pirates swinging from ropes, performing acrobatics and taking part in sword fights.

Sea lions, parrots and other exotic animals also appear in the spectacle. Their tricks, contests and comedy add another dimension to the performance, and audience members may be invited to join the action.

Myrtle Beach Colored School Museum and Education Center

The Myrtle Beach Colored School Museum and Education Center preserves the story of a school created for African-American students during segregation. Before the school opened in 1932, students in the Myrtle Beach area were often taught in local churches because discriminatory practices prevented them from attending white schools.

The original school was a modest four-room, wood-framed building, but it became an important place for education, opportunity and community pride. The museum offers a way to understand this part of Myrtle Beach’s African-American history.

Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum

The Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum is a centre for visual art that opened in June 1997. Its eleven galleries present regional and national artistic perspectives through exhibitions and programmes for visitors of all ages.

Displays can include painting, textiles, sculpture, photography, video and ceramics. Since exhibitions change throughout the year, the museum offers a different view of the collection with each visit.

Warbird Park

Warbird Park presents Myrtle Beach’s military history through aircraft displayed on the grounds of the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. The park was created after the base was privatised in 1993 and serves as both an educational attraction and a tribute to the people who served there.

The aircraft include the A-10 Warthog Thunderbolt, which supported ground troops during Operation Desert Storm, the F-100 jet fighter and the A-7 Corsair.

Children’s Museum of South Carolina

The Children’s Museum of South Carolina is another family-oriented stop in Myrtle Beach. It is designed as a place to discover at your own pace, adding an educational option to the city’s selection of attractions.

Plan Your Myrtle Beach Visit with Neywo

For a Myrtle Beach self-guided walking tour, download Neywo and explore without joining a group or following a fixed schedule. The app’s Myrtle Beach walk, “Myrtle Beach Boardwalk Highlights: Kong, Wheel and Coaster,” covers 6.9 km in about 116 minutes and includes four narrated stops: Hollywood Wax Museum Myrtle Beach, Broadway at the Beach, Myrtle Beach SkyWheel and Family Kingdom Amusement Park.

Neywo has one walking tour in Myrtle Beach and 22 narrated places in its free city audio guide. Each story plays as you reach the place, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Narration is available in 11 languages.

Myrtle Beach is part of South Carolina, in the United States. To continue exploring the state, you can also look at Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, Beaufort, South Carolina or Port Royal.