Myrtle Beach, South Carolina has no shortage of fun things to do, with family activities of all kinds, hundreds of thriving business, endless entertainment, and a beautiful coastline. But, it is easy to spend more than your budget allows, so these are our recommendations for affordable fun in Myrtle Beach.
Go Window Shopping
The Boardwalk and Promenade
Visiting the boardwalk is a quintessential part of any beach trip, and Myrtle Beach boasts an ocean front boardwalk and promenade that is over a mile long, and a wide variety of shops, rides, places to eat, and other attractions like the classic Gay Dolphin souvenir shop and Skywheel, or Ripley’s 5D Theater and Haunted Adventure.
Broadway at the Beach
Some say that it’s worth skipping the boardwalk and visiting Broadway at the Beach instead – there are a plethora of shops, restaurants, rides and attractions in this clean, cobblestone shopping area. The atmosphere is bright and festive, and you can find unique attractions like the enormous Ripley’s Aquarium and the upside down WonderWorks science museum/entertainment center. But, if you’re looking to save money, window shopping it is!
Barefoot Landing
Barefoot Landing is a smaller, and perhaps calmer shopping experience in the quieter area of North Myrtle Beach. It has a few rides and lawn games, a nice playground, and tons of charming shops and restaurants to explore.
Find Affordable Thrills
The rides at the Boardwalk and Broadway on the Beach are not cheap. A carousel ride can be $10, and a ride on the Sky Wheels is $20. We found a more reasonable option at Barefoot Landing, which has a $5 carousel.
There are also multiple ropes courses and ziplines in Myrtle Beach. But, they are costly. We found the cheapest option again at Barefoot Landing – Lulu’s (a Lucy Buffet restaurnat) offered a triple level ropes course which my kids enjoyed for $15 a person. There is also a large, clean arcade beside it for little ones who don’t want to climb.
If you’re looking for a wider variety of rides, but don’t want to pay the high ticket prices charged for most amusement parks, Family Kingdom is free to enter and has over 35 rides. You can buy an unlimited ride ticket, but if your family is like ours and not everybody wants to ride, this is a great alternative to having to buy everyone a ticket.
And the winner for the most fun ride to watch your kids enjoy? The Dragon Fly Jump! It’s a bungee cord ride that I haven’t seen anywhere except at Myrtle Beach (there were ones at Broadway and at Barefoot Landing – both charged around $17 per person), where the kids are strapped into a set of bungee cords and jump up and down on a soft pad.
Go Wildlife Viewing
Alligator Adventure and Ripley’s Aquarium are awesome, but with a large family, the cost of tickets can really add up and become unaffordable. Luckily, it’s easy to see beautiful creatures in the wild in and near Myrtle Beach.
Huntington Beach State Park costs $8/adult and $4/kid over 5 years old, and is located past Surfside beach (south of Myrtle). We went in hopes of seeing some alligators in the wild, and were pleased to see a few sunning themselves right away when we got there. There were also lots and lots of different types of wading birds. We enjoyed seeing the wildlife, and walking the trails.
We also drove through the campground and saw a turtle (probably a terrapin) laying its eggs in a hole. We checked out the beach and the Spanish-style sprawling home known as Atalaya, the former vacation home of a famous sculptor, Ann Huntington, for whom the park is known. Tours of the home are only $2 per person. There is also a nice nature center if you turn left after entering the park.
Myrtle Beach State Park is a closer state park with the same entrance fees. Swimming is allowed, and there is a lifeguard from May to September. Pets are allowed during certain hours. There are also opportunities for fishing from the pier, hiking, and camping.
Go to the Beach during Shoulder Season
Aside from the State Parks, there are plenty of other public beaches in Myrtle Beach, and they are free. You may have to pay for parking, but many areas have restrooms, and are within easy walking distance to restaurants and shops.
We visited during shoulder season, and even though it was spring break week in April, there were many affordable options to stay right on the beach with walking access to the ocean. We had a great experience at Water Point II in North Myrtle Beach, which we booked with points from our Bank of America card, through Vacasa for less than $1000 for 4 nights. The weather was beautiful and even though there was a bit of rain and some cooler temperatures in the early morning and evening, we managed to go swimming and enjoy the ocean every day. It was glorious.
One last tip: There are endless mini golf options in Myrtle Beach and they are affordable and lots of fun!