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Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort, Myrtle Beach

Things to do guide

The best things to do in Myrtle Beach

Updated 7 October 2026 · 16 things to do

Pictured: Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort

Myrtle Beach does not do subtle. It does sixty miles of pale Atlantic sand, a Ferris wheel that glows like a UFO after dark, and more crazy golf courses than any town strictly needs. This is the great American seaside holiday, loud and sugary and enormous fun, and it has been pulling families back down the South Carolina coast for generations.

Look past the neon, though, and the Grand Strand has a quieter side. There are state parks where the dunes are still wild, a sculpture garden laid out on old rice plantations, and a salt-marsh inlet where the day's catch goes straight from boat to plate. The trick is to mix the two: a morning with the herons, an evening with the arcades.

Don't miss

  1. 1Myrtle Beach Boardwalk
  2. 2SkyWheel
  3. 3Broadway at the Beach
  4. 4Brookgreen Gardens
  5. 5Murrells Inlet MarshWalk

The big sights

The bright, noisy heart of the Grand Strand.

  1. Myrtle Beach Boardwalk

    Landmark

    A little over a mile of oceanfront promenade, running between two piers in the middle of town. One side is sand and surf; the other is arcades, ice-cream counters, beachwear shops and bars with live bands. It is at its best in the early evening, when the heat drops, the lights come on and everybody in Myrtle Beach seems to be out for a stroll.

    Tip: Walk it once in daylight for the beach and once after dark for the lights. They feel like two different places.

  2. SkyWheel

    Landmark

    The SkyWheel Ferris wheel on the Myrtle Beach oceanfront
    Photo: DiscoA340, CC BY-SA 4.0

    The giant Ferris wheel on the Boardwalk is the town's signature. Enclosed, air-conditioned gondolas lift you nearly 200 feet above the seafront for a view that runs along the whole curve of the coast, hotel towers one way and open ocean the other. Go at sunset and you get the beach turning gold, then the wheel's own light show as you come down.

  3. Broadway at the Beach

    Activity

    Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach
    Photo: David, CC BY 2.0

    Despite the name it sits a few minutes inland, wrapped around a lake. This is Myrtle Beach's big entertainment complex: a sprawl of shops, restaurants, bars, theatres and attractions joined by bridges and boardwalks. Families come by day for the aquarium and the rides; by night it turns into the busiest going-out district in town.

    It suits anyone who wants a whole evening sorted in one car park, and it is a reliable answer to a rainy afternoon.

  4. Golf on the Grand Strand

    Activity

    Myrtle Beach likes to call itself the golf capital of the world, and with dozens of courses strung along the coast it has a case. They range from forgiving resort layouts to serious tests designed by the big names of the game, many of them threaded through pine woods, marsh and old plantation land. Spring and autumn are the classic seasons for a golf trip.

    Tip: Tee times at the best-known courses go early in spring and autumn. Ask your hotel to book before you travel.

Beaches and nature

Where the high-rises stop and the coast gets its breath back.

  1. Myrtle Beach State Park

    Beach

    Aerial view of the fishing pier at Myrtle Beach State Park
    Photo: formulanone, CC BY-SA 2.0

    At the south end of town, the towers suddenly give way to maritime forest. This is one of the last undeveloped stretches of oceanfront on this part of the coast: a broad, quiet beach backed by dunes and woodland, with a fishing pier, nature trails and picnic spots under the trees. It is the place to come when the Boardwalk has worn you out.

  2. Huntington Beach State Park

    Nature

    Driftwood on the beach at Huntington Beach State Park
    Photo: DogsRNice, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Further south, near Murrells Inlet, this park is the wild side of the Grand Strand. A causeway crosses a lagoon where alligators bask and wading birds stalk the shallows, and the beach beyond is long, empty and unspoilt. Birdwatchers rate it highly, and there is a curious Moorish-style mansion, Atalaya, standing just behind the dunes.

    Tip: Bring binoculars and stop on the causeway: it is the best spot for seeing alligators and birds from a safe distance.

  3. Brookgreen Gardens

    Nature

    Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina
    Photo: DiscoA340, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Across the road from Huntington Beach lies the most beautiful place on this coast. Brookgreen is a vast sculpture garden laid out in the 1930s on former rice plantations, with hundreds of American figurative sculptures set among pools, fountains and avenues of live oaks hung with Spanish moss.

    It is calm, shady and unhurried, which makes it a favourite with couples and anyone who needs a day off from amusements. Allow more time than you think.

Days out with the family

  1. Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach

    Wildlife

    A nurse shark at Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach
    Photo: Clevergrrl, CC BY-SA 2.0

    The star attraction at Broadway at the Beach. The highlight is a long glass tunnel with a moving walkway that carries you under a tank of sharks, rays and sea turtles, close enough to count teeth. There are touch pools and jellyfish galleries too, and it is entirely indoors, so it earns its keep on wet or scorching days.

  2. Family Kingdom

    Activity

    The Swamp Fox wooden roller coaster at Family Kingdom
    Photo: Martin Lewison, CC BY-SA 2.0

    An old-school seaside amusement park right on the oceanfront, a short walk south of the Boardwalk. The headline ride is a classic wooden roller coaster that rattles and roars in the proper manner, and there are gentler rides for small children and a water park across the road. It feels cheerfully retro, and that is the point.

  3. Crazy golf

    Activity

    Miniature golf is practically a religion here. The Grand Strand has dozens of courses, each trying to outdo the last with pirate ships, dinosaurs, waterfalls, caves and volcanoes that erupt on cue. It is silly, competitive and exactly right for a warm evening after dinner. Every family ends up with a favourite, and an argument about the scorecard.

Eat and drink

  1. Murrells Inlet MarshWalk

    Food

    Murrells Inlet, south of town, calls itself the seafood capital of South Carolina. Its MarshWalk is a wooden boardwalk along the edge of the salt marsh, lined with waterfront restaurants and bars. You eat oysters, shrimp and the catch of the day while pelicans loaf on the pilings and fishing boats come home.

    Come for a late-afternoon drink and stay for sunset over the marsh. It is the best evening out on the Grand Strand for grown-ups.

  2. Calabash-style seafood

    Food

    The local way with seafood takes its name from Calabash, a small fishing town just over the North Carolina line. Shrimp, flounder, oysters and clams are dipped in a light cornmeal batter and fried fast, then piled high with hushpuppies, the little fried cornbread balls of the South. You will find it on menus all along the Strand. Go hungry.

  3. Barefoot Landing

    Activity

    North Myrtle Beach's answer to Broadway at the Beach, set on the Intracoastal Waterway. Boardwalks link shops, restaurants and music venues around a lake, and the mood is a notch calmer than its southern rival. It works well for a waterside dinner followed by a show, and it is handy if you are staying at the north end.

Day trips

  1. Pawleys Island

    Day trip

    The beach at Pawleys Island with seagrass in the foreground
    Photo: Phoebe, CC BY-SA 4.0

    One of the oldest seaside resorts on the East Coast, and proud of looking it. Pawleys is a slim barrier island of weathered beach houses, tidal creeks and a long, quiet strand, famous for its rope hammocks and its fondness for the phrase arrogantly shabby. There is not much to do, which is precisely its charm.

  2. Georgetown

    Day trip

    The Harborwalk in Georgetown, South Carolina
    Photo: Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0

    A small port town to the south, among the oldest in South Carolina, with a handsome historic district of eighteenth and nineteenth-century houses under spreading oaks. A boardwalk runs along the harbour past seafood restaurants and shrimp boats. It is a gentle, good-looking contrast to Myrtle Beach and easy to combine with Brookgreen Gardens or Pawleys Island.

  3. Charleston

    Day trip

    The pastel houses of Rainbow Row in Charleston
    Photo: Thomson200, CC0

    A long day, but a rewarding one. Charleston is one of the most beautiful cities in the American South: pastel townhouses along the waterfront, church steeples, cobbled lanes, a covered city market and a restaurant scene that food lovers cross the country for. Set off early, wander the streets south of Broad, and stay for dinner before the drive back up the coast.

Where to stay in Myrtle Beach

Not sure which area suits you? Read our guide: Where to stay in Myrtle Beach →

Getting around

The Boardwalk area is walkable, but almost everything else is strung out along the coast and built for cars. Hire one if you want to reach the state parks, Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet or the golf courses. Traffic on the main roads is heavy in high summer, so allow extra time.

When to go

Summer is hot, humid and busy, with the sea at its warmest and every attraction in full swing. Spring and autumn are milder and calmer, and are the favourite seasons for golf. Winters are cool and quiet, and some seasonal attractions close.

Questions about visiting Myrtle Beach

What is Myrtle Beach best known for?
A very long, wide sandy beach, the oceanfront Boardwalk and its SkyWheel, family amusements, crazy golf and a huge number of golf courses along the stretch of coast known as the Grand Strand.
What is there to do in Myrtle Beach with kids?
Plenty. The beach and the Boardwalk come first, then the SkyWheel, Ripley's Aquarium at Broadway at the Beach, the rides at Family Kingdom and as many rounds of crazy golf as you can stand.
What is there to do in Myrtle Beach besides the beach?
Visit Brookgreen Gardens for sculpture and old oaks, look for alligators and birds at Huntington Beach State Park, eat seafood on the Murrells Inlet MarshWalk, play golf, or take a day trip to Georgetown or Charleston.
Do you need a car in Myrtle Beach?
Not if you stay by the Boardwalk and plan to stick to the beach and the nearby amusements. For the state parks, Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet and the golf courses, a hire car makes life much easier.

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