If you’re considering a visit to Myrtle Beach, you will not be disappointed by the array of attractions it has to offer.
Nestled against the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of South Carolina, Myrtle Beach is a popular vacation destination known for its sixty-mile-long stretch of sandy beaches, beachfront resorts and entertainment venues, restaurants, and theme parks. It offers exciting attractions, Southern charm, and the quintessential vacation experience. As a result, nearly twenty million people and sun-seeking vacation families come to the Myrtle Beach area every year.
Besides being perfect for thrill-seeking enthusiasts, the Myrtle Beach amusement parks are also ideal for a family vacation – with water parks, laser tag, kiddie rides, mini bumper cars, arcade games, go-karting, zip-lines, and other family-friendly rides.
Some of the best amusement parks in the USA can be found here and include everything from massive Ferris wheels to thrilling rides and waterslides. Read our list below to discover some of the best and most popular amusement parks in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Top Amusement Parks in Myrtle Beach, SC
Family Kingdom Amusement Park
Perhaps the most popular theme park to visit on a Myrtle Beach vacation is Family Kingdom. It is located next to the Sea Crest Oceanfront Resort and offers family-friendly attractions, classic rides, fair-style concession stands, and various games.
Open Hours and Tickets
Guests of the Sea Crest Resort are within walking distance from Family Kingdom, and only about three minutes by car. Because the park’s opening hours change every season, it can be a good idea to check the schedule ahead of time.
This mighty beachside amusement park has free admission, and visitors can buy tickets for rides as they need them. Individual tickets typically cost around two USD, and ride tickets use anything from three to five tickets per ride. This means that you can expect to pay around six to ten USD per ride. There is also the option of buying a ticket booklet, which is ideal for visitors planning to visit the park every day for a long vacation.
Alternatively, visitors can purchase unlimited ride wristbands for around thirty-three USD, allowing them to skip ticket lines and focus on having fun. With these wristbands, visitors are also allowed to leave the park and return later to enjoy some more rides.
You can expect to pay around nine USD per vehicle for on-site parking. If you’re traveling as a family with young children, there are strollers available for rent at around ten USD.
Rides and Entertainment
Family Kingdom has over thirty-eight rides, from children’s rides to classic rollercoasters. There are bumper cars, water rollercoasters, a slingshot ride, a carousel, a train, and more! If you’re a family of thrill-seekers, you will be delighted by the variety of activities.
Kids can have some spirited and wholesome fun in the arcade, spend time at the go-kart tracks, or have a splash at the Myrtle Waves water park. There is even a miniature Ferris wheel for young children to enjoy.
The park is home to carnival games, like water balloon races and basketball toss, as well as face painters and jugglers to provide extra entertainment throughout the day.
Dining Options
There are seven concession stands on site, as well as fair-style vendors selling delicious treats. Foods include typical carnival fare, like burgers, corn dogs, pizza, cotton candy, and Philly cheesesteaks.
300 S Ocean Boulevard
Skywheel Myrtle Beach
A must-visit entertainment attraction on any trip to Myrtle Beach is the SkyWheel, one of the biggest amusement park rides in the area. It towers nearly two hundred feet above the ocean and contains forty-two gondolas. Visitors on the Myrtle Beach SkyWheel get a panoramic view of the sea, the city, and the boulevard below, making it a great place to take memorable photos.
The gondolas are climate-controlled, making this a great ride regardless of the season. Each gondola can house up to six people, as well as certified service animals.
With annual passes, visitors can expect to pay between twelve and sixteen USD per SkyWheel ride, but there are VIP tickets available.
1110 N Ocean Blvd.
Free Fall Thrill Park
If you’re looking for some excitement, be sure to stop by Free Fall Thrill Park while you’re in Myrtle Beach. It is located just under two miles from Family Kingdom and includes various fast, gravity-defying rides that are sure to get your adrenaline pumping.
Open Hours and Tickets
Open hours are seasonal and subject to change, but when you go during the right season, the park is open from the afternoon around twelve PM until late at night.
As with many other amusement parks, the Free Fall Thrill Park is free to enter. Visitors can expect to pay around thirty USD for the Slingshot ride, but there are many other activities to be enjoyed.
There is parking available behind the park.
Rides and Entertainment
The Free Fall Thrill Park is perfect for adult thrill seekers, or families with older children looking for non-stop entertainment and exciting rides.
There is the Air Strike, a ride that twirls visitors around and allows them to feel the full force of 3.6 Gs, and the Slingshot, which propels visitors over three hundred feet in the air at a speed of one hundred miles per hour.
If you’re looking for a scare, you can step onto the Sky Fall ride and experience what it’s like free falling one hundred and forty feet. And if you enjoyed swinging, why not try the extreme swings on the Shoot Star?
Dining Options
Considered a hidden gem in Myrtle Beach, the Free Fall Thrill Park Snack Bar offers a wide variety of delicious, sweet treats that shouldn’t be missed. It offers amazing milkshakes in many flavors, brownies, ice cream, cookies, and jumbo funnel cakes.
This is also an excellent place to buy lunch for eating on the go, with menu items like chili fries, nachos, and mini corndog bites.
1201 N Ocean Boulevard
Pavilion Nostalgia Park
Pavilion Amusement Park was once the most popular park in the city and a Myrtle Beach landmark. While it has long since closed, the rides it once held now live on in two smaller nostalgia parks in north Myrtle Beach, namely the Fun Park and the Action Park.
Open Hours and Tickets
The Pavilion Park is usually open over the weekend, but other open hours are subject to change depending on the month or season. It is best to check the hours online before planning your trip.
Visitors can expect to pay two USD per ticket, which is valid at both parks. There is also the option of an All-Day Pass Wristband for just under forty USD, which gives tourists unlimited rides for an entire day. If you only want to ride the Broadway 360 Observation Wheel, you can purchase a ticket for twelve USD.
Additionally, The Pavilion Park offers ticket packages that groups naturally love because of how much money they can save. These packages can be purchased at the following prices:
- Seventy Tickets – One Hundred and Ten USD
- Fifty-Five Tickets – Ninety USD
- Thirty-Five Tickets – Sixty-Three USD
- Eighteen Tickets – Thirty-Three USD
Admission to the park is free.
Rides and Entertainment
The Pavilion Park Park features rides specifically geared towards younger children, like toddlers and elementary school kids, as well as giant swings and slides for older visitors. It is jam-packed with fun for the whole family.
The Broadway 360 Wheel is the tallest observation wheel in North America. Visitors can observe the world in temperature-controlled gondolas, from over one hundred and fifty feet above the Grand Strand. The Rio Grande Train and Mini Tea Cups are perfect for younger children, and the Scrambler is a great way to get your adrenaline pumping.
However, the truly big rides can be found at the action park, and includes massive attractions like the Beast, the Moonraker 20, the Wave Swinger, and the Speed XXL.
There are also nearby attractions like Myrtle Waves Water Park, Broadway Grand Prix, and the Hollywood Wax Museum.
Dining Options
Both the Fun Park and the Action Park are located on Broadway at the Beach, an area with a wide variety of dining options.
Some of the most popular include Joe’s Crab Shack, where visitors can enjoy fresh seafood, Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen, for hearty meals, and Hard Rock Café.
Keep in mind that glass bottles or containers, cooler boxes, food, and drinks from outside the park are not allowed in.
1171 Celebrity Circle
The Funplex Myrtle Beach
The Funplex is the newest amusement park in the city. It is one of three Funplex Amusement Parks scattered along the east coast of South Carolina.
This great park in Myrtle Beach features seven rides, on-site dining, and a wide variety of activities to please the whole family.
Open Hours and Tickets
Admission to the park is free of charge. Credits are purchased in advance and loaded onto a reusable card (The Fun Card). Each ride uses five to ten credits. Each credit costs one USD, which means that twenty-five USD loaded onto the Fun Card equates to twenty-five ride credits. From fifty credits and up, visitors get one free ride. And, if you load seventy-five or more credits, you get two complimentary rides.
Visitors planning to spend a whole day here can purchase a Day Pass for thirty-six USD. For those planning on stopping by multiple days, there is a Week Pass available for ninety-nine USD. Both passes include unlimited rides.
Rides and Entertainment
The Funplex has many rides to choose from. There are rides well-suited to younger kids, such as the Hang 10 Silly Cups and the Sunny Day Swing, as well as thrilling rides for older guests.
Mach Fun is the tallest interactive ride in North America, taking guests high up in the air in little airplanes before spinning at a great speed. There is also Up & Overboard, a gravity-defying ride that flies and spins in the air, and Fun in the Sun, one of the best rollercoasters in the area.
Dining Options
One of the most popular dining options at this fun-filled amusement park is the Off-The-Coast Beach Bar and Grill.
The restaurant is open daily and have something to satisfy every kind of guest. The menu includes delicious treats like wraps, grilled sandwiches, waffles and fried chicken, wings, sliders, fried Oreos, funnel cakes with ice cream, and refreshing drinks like ciders, beer, or frozen margaritas.
Mondays to Fridays, from four PM to seven PM, is happy hour and includes several specials and promotions. It’s an excellent place for the entire family to refuel after a long day of excitement.
1405 N Ocean Boulevard
