The temps have cooled down and parasailing may be out of the question, but that doesn’t mean that off-season fun in Myrtle Beach is hard to find! We’ve got a list of ten spots your family will love between October and May!
1. Brookgreen Gardens
Enjoy a day outdoors strolling through the amazing gardens filled with flowers and sculpture. And before you ask, YES, it’s a GREAT destination for families with kids. There’s also a lovely zoo and storybook playground!
While it’s beautiful in the summer, it’s downright delightful in the off-season. It entails a good deal of walking, which is enjoyable when the temps are mild. There’s also a tram that runs between the welcome center and zoo throughout the day.
There’s often a Groupon discount offered for Brookgreen Gardens. Click here for more information!
2. Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach
Located at Broadway at the Beach, a destination on it’s own filled with shopping and restaurants, the Ripley’s Aquarium is home to a shark tunnel and mermaids! My family and I have visited the aquarium no less than 50 times and were annual passholders for many years. It just never gets old!
For the little ones, it’s a feast for the eyes and hands. There’s color and movement everywhere and so much of what’s before them can be experienced through touch, even if that simply means hands on the glass of an exhibit. Older kids will LOVE the dive and mermaid shows.
Adults, you’ll dig the whole thing! The music, the leaning opportunities, the themes throughout. This is one of the few attractions you should not miss on a trip to Myrtle Beach!
3. Myrtle Beach State Park or Huntington Beach State Park
Take a hike, put your toes in the water, attend a science/environmental program, observe wildlife, or just breathe deeply and relax! Our local state parks offer something for absolutely everyone! When the weather’s nice, it’s never a bad day there! Bonus, if you’re an RV/tent/cabin camper, they’ve got you covered! Here’s a link to their reservation systems. We’ve RVed in both spots many times and love it. Honestly, if they’d let me move into the Myrtle Beach State Park, I’d do it in a heartbeat!
4. 710 North Myrtle Beach
This place goes well beyond bowling, trust me! There is ping pong, corn hole, air hockey, and so much more! And please go there hungry. The food is like nothing you’d expect. Fresh, Gourmet. Amazing!
5. Go Ape Treetop Adventure
If you’re feeling brave, this is for you! Okay, even if you’re not, you’ll still have a great time!
Go Ape North Myrtle Beach is a ropes and zip line course that has you 30 feet in the air, traversing obstacles and flying through the air. We did it with our family and it was beyond fun! They’re all about safety and offer a lower course for younger visitors. Just make sure to call or visit their website before you go to make reservations!
6. WonderWorks
The Upside-Down Museum of Myrtle Beach is just as wacky on the inside as it is on the outside! There’s a Hurricane room, anti-gravity cycles, air hockey without a puck, roller coaster simulator, bubble lab and so much more! Best for guests ages six and up, this hands-on, interactive attraction is worth every penny! And while you’re there, head up to the top floor and strap on a harness for the ropes course! We all did it and lived to tell the story!
7. Take a spin on the Myrtle Beach SkyWheel
No matter how cool it is outside, the view is always beautiful from one of the glass gondolas on the Myrtle Beach SkyWheel! Located on the Boardwalk in Downtown Myrtle Beach, you can enjoy a climate-controlled ride on the east coast’s largest ferris wheel. Take in the scenery, looking far out into the Atlantic Ocean (on a clear day). Switch sides in your gondola and look out over the sites of Myrtle Beach.
Afraid of heights? No worries. The gondolas do not shake and move around. Plus, if you’re seriously freaking out, have a toddler who needs to go potty NOW, and otherwise need to get off the ride, there’s an intercom in your gondola that connects to an employee standing on the ground, ready to assist.
For a limited time, there’s a Groupon for the Myrtle Beach SkyWheel ready to save you some money. Here’s a link!
8. The Original Benjamin’s Calabash Seafood
Did someone say crab legs? The Original Benjamin’s Calabash Seafood is well-known for their locally sourced food AND unlimited supply of crab legs! This buffet-style restaurant features fantastic food with something for everyone plus enough historical artifacts that it’s registered as a museum! While there, make sure to take some time to look at their model ships throughout the eatery. You can even see the shop where they’re built by a master model ship builder – yeah, that job really exists!
9. Children’s Museum of South Carolina
From toddler’s to elementary school aged children, everyone will have a blast at the Children’s Museum of South Carolina, located in the heart of Myrtle Beach, just off Highway 17 Business. It’s totally interactive, hands-on, and entertaining. I loooove a deal and here’s one for at least 40% off admission.
10. Riddles Escape Room
I am going to totally admit we haven’t tried Riddles Escape Room yet but I’m dying too! It’s one of those experiences where you and your group have to solve a series of riddles or clues to work your way out of a situation. They’re not haunted or scary, just mysterious, so it’s suitable for families of all ages, as long as everyone brings their thinking caps along!
Groupon is offering a reduced admission for several of the Riddle’s Escape Room experiences here, and there’s another for a virtual experience here. I’m making my purchase right now!
Whether you enjoy the indoors or the outdoors, Myrtle Beach has fun opportunities for families all year long! Book your stay for the off-season and enjoy fewer people and lower hotel/house rates!
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