Last Updated on July 14, 2023 by Tori Mitchell
There are so many things to do in Myrtle Beach, SC. There’s the boardwalk and live shows, parasailing and Broadway at the Beach. But as one of the most visited beaches in the US, Myrtle Beach can get busy and well, cheesy, with all of the typical tourist spots. I lived there for 6 years, and my family still does, so I can help you get off the beaten path and find some more unique things to do in Myrtle Beach.
Don’t get me wrong, some of the touristy things are still fun, but you definitely don’t want to fill your itinerary with them. Also, when you’re planning the trip, you can use my guide on how to plan your perfect vacation to take you step by step through the planning process.
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Unique Things to do in Myrtle Beach
Stroll Along the MarshWalk in Murrells Inlet
My favorite thing to do when I’m back in Myrtle Beach is to drive south to the small town of Murrells Inlet and go to the Marsh Walk! Located just 20 minutes from the center of Myrtle Beach is a boardwalk on the marsh filled with restaurants and a few shops.
Spend the evening strolling the boardwalk, eating delicious seafood and jamming to live music. With tons of restaurants to pick from, you’ll be sure to find the perfect spot for dinner for any group. Most restaurants have amazing live music on the weekends and most weeknights during the summer. For a unique and unexpected twist, there are goats and peaco*cks that live on the little islands in the marsh and they are lots of fun to watch.
If you have a little more time to spend here, book a fishing boat, a banana boat ride for the kids, or a brew boat for the adults! Pedal around the marsh during the day, or better yet at sunset, with a drink in hand and music on the radio. This is especially fun for girls’ trips or bachelorette parties. I would know, this is one of the things my sister booked for my bachelorette party and we had SO much fun! Afterward, I danced the night away to the 80’s music that the local bands played. It was definitely a night I will never forget.
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Eat Hushpuppies at Dead Dog Saloon
Looking for the best restaurant on the Marsh Walk? My favorite has always been and will forever be Dead Dog Saloon, a seafood restaurant right in the middle of the action. A pretty typical seafood spot, but with the BEST hushpuppies! Share a steam pot for a hearty seafood meal.
If you sit out on the porch, you’ll likely get to listen to the live music. Or, head outside after your meal for a drink and some dancing!
Wander the Pathways of Brookgreen Gardens
Just past the Marsh Walk lies Brookgreen Gardens, a 9,100 acre property filled to the brim with flowers, plants, art and animals. Although the garden was voted one of the top 10 in the country, most Myrtle Beach tourists don’t venture this far out of town, about a 30 minute drive south on 17. With less tourists flocking here, this means you will have more space to yourself for a peaceful morning strolling the gardens, so it definitely is one of the most unique things to do in Myrtle Beach.
Tickets to enter during the day are $20 per adult and $10 per child. But, I encourage you to check the event calendar as they often have fun activities and even some unique nighttime events.
Locals love visiting Brookgreen Gardens any time of year, but it’s no question that the best time to visit is around the holidays. The property glows with over 2,700 hand lit candles and millions, yes literally millions, of lights. Walk around with apple cider or hot chocolate and listen to the Christmas music, taking in the enchanting glow.
This property at Christmastime is so incredibly special and an absolute requirement to attend if you are in the area from November to January.
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Spend the Afternoon at the Hammock Shops in Pawleys Island
Drive a little further south and you will find the small beach town of Pawleys Island. The gem of this town is a place called the Hammock Shops. This little village of restaurants and stores is tucked back in the trees where you will wander weaving pathways, listen to live music, and yes, relax on the hammocks. You can even buy an authentic Pawleys Island hammock while there.
With 21 shops and two delicious restaurants, this is the perfect place to spend an afternoon.
I recommend eating at Local, with an eclectic menu and large drink menu, there’s something for everyone.
Relax at Surfside Beach
You can’t visit Myrtle Beach without visiting the beach, so I’ll include the best local beach on my list of unique things to do in Myrtle Beach. I have to recommend Surfside Beach as the place for locals to go to soak up the sun. This small stretch of beach squished just south of Myrtle consists of mostly family beach houses and a few restaurants, and definitely lacks the wild tourist vibes.
With only a small handful of hotels located here on the water, there aren’t nearly as many opportunities for visitors to stay, so the crowds tend to stay away. But this doesn’t mean it’s not a great place to hang out; actually it’s quite the opposite. We adore this beach and have ever since we started vacationing here 20 years ago. The beach is much calmer, has more space to stretch out and it is much easier to find parking.
All of my memories visiting Myrtle as a little girl include splashing in the water under the Surfside pier, begging mom for a few bucks to get ice cream on the pier and then ending with a meal at the River City Cafe or the cutest little restaurant, Bubba’s Fish Shack (more on that next).
There’s also a lot of shark’s teeth hidden on the shoreline in the whole Myrtle Beach area. It can be super fun to hunt for them! Buy a sifter to help you find them if you want to get super serious!
If you haven’t locked in a place to stay while you are in the area, I encourage you to consider staying here! You’ll get to enjoy this sweet little beach town while still having access to all of the activities close by, like Wild Water and Wheels, an awesome water park.
Have Fresh Seafood at Bubba’s Fish Shack
Another great local spot for seafood is Bubba’s Fish Shack, just across the street from the beach, right by the pier. They serve fresh seafood with lots of southern flare. You can get any protein you want fried to a golden crisp, but the real winner here are Bubba’s Fried Pickle Nickels. I just love hopping over here for lunch or dinner after a full day relaxing at the beach. (Bubba’s also has another location opening soon, adjacent to Broadway at the Beach on 21st Avenue in Myrtle Beach, just down the street from Pelicans Stadium.)
Catch a Baseball Game at Pelicans Stadium
You might not know it, but Myrtle Beach actually has a Minor League Baseball team, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, and they are so much fun to watch! Now we definitely used to visit as tourists back in the day, but Pelicans games remain such a fun time for locals and is absolutely a more unique thing to do in Myrtle Beach compared to what most tourists do in the area.
The ballpark is located just five minutes inland, right next to Broadway at the Beach. You can get tickets from $14 to $20 per person, and they have awesome weekly promotions. This year they are offering Taco Tuesdays where you can get $2 tacos and $3 tallboys, or Thirsty Thursdays where you can get Bud Lights for $2 and Duplin Winery wine for $3 (more on Duplin later!). There’s many other deals so check the website before you pick a night to go to a game!
This is clearly a fun outing for adults, hello Thirsty Thursday….But these games are perfect for families. The ballpark has a kids “Fun Zone” and on Fridays and Sundays they do on-field activities and fireworks after the games. This might be the best part of your kids’ vacation.
Eat, Shop and Play at Barefoot Landing
Just a short drive to North Myrtle Beach is Barefoot Landing, an outdoor shopping and dining village, and is definitely a place that tourists visit. However, it is not nearly as packed and touristy as its counterpart, Broadway at the Beach. Barefoot Landing is much quieter and more relaxed and offers some smaller, more unique shops and restaurants, so it definitely fits in with being one of the unique things to do in Myrtle Beach.
There are many opportunities for adults to have an awesome time here with many quality restaurants, and there’s a House of Blues here! An awesome night out with shopping, dinner and a concert there or at the Alabama Theater? Count me in.
But Barefoot landing is also perfect for families, with games, rides and other fun activities for kids. I especially LOVED the T.I.G.E.R.S. Preservation Station where you can see real live tigers, hold their babies and hang out with other animals too like the cutest monkeys. This is such a unique experience because you can actually hold the babies and get adorable pictures with them!
Have Sushi and Seafood at Flying Fish
Looking for somewhere to eat while at Barefoot Landing? Our go-to is the Flying Fish Public Market & Grill, a fresh and unique seafood restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. The patio looks out over the intercoastal waterway, and the indoor seating has a lively atmosphere with an open kitchen.
The menu includes a nice mix of fresh fish, southern meals, seafood boils and a full raw bar and sushi menu. There are burgers and other non-seafood items as well for those in the group who don’t eat seafood.
We just love this spot, it is consistently delicious, has great service and a really large, varied menu, there’s always something for everyone!
Sip Wine at Duplin Winery Tasting Room
Located at Barefoot Landing, the Duplin Winery Tasting Room serves locally made sweet wines. The winery is located in North Carolina, but they built this awesome tasting room so that more people can visit and enjoy their yummy wines!
The tastings are more unique than you have likely had at other wineries. For $15 you get a tasting of 10 different wines, gourmet cheese dip, homemade gourmet crackers AND you get to pick your favorite wine to enjoy a whole glass of after the tasting. Sounds to me like all tasting rooms should offer such a gourmet experience if you ask me!
This is one of those unique things to do in Myrtle Beach because most people definitely don’t visit this area for the wine. You’d probably be surprised to know that there are even wineries in the Carolinas!
A few things to know before you visit; they are closed on Sundays, but open 11am to 6pm the rest of the week for tastings, which I recommend you book in advance. They have live music on the patio almost every day of the week during the summer. They only make sweet wine. This is because the only grape that grows in the Carolinas is the Muscadine grape, which produces a sweet wine. And finally, be sure to let them know that it is your first visit when you get to the tasting…you might get a free gift!
Explore The Market Common
Another outdoor shopping and dining area that locals adore is The Market Common, located in Myrtle Beach just 5 minutes from the beach and super close to the airport. It is on the location of the former Myrtle Beach Airforce Base. This is a very upscale area with expensive shopping and mid to higher end restaurants. There is tons of green space, walking paths and a large lake to enjoy for working out or letting your kids run around. There is also a beautiful movie theater.
They have a great event schedule with some really fun summer and weekend events, like small concerts and farmers markets. Check the schedule and plan your visit around that!
Drink the Best Margaritas at Nacho Hippo
There are honestly a ton of amazing restaurants located at The Market Common, but several are small chain restaurants. I want to recommend my favorite local spot, called Nacho Hippo. A super fun and vibrant Mexican restaurant that has the best margarita in town.
The menu is not your typical Mexican menu, with many unique twists. The real star here are their nachos, with tons and tons of topping options!
Take a Day Trip to Charleston
Depending on how much time you have in Myrtle Beach, a day trip (or weekend trip even) might be an option for you! If you can manage to squeeze it in, then I highly recommend driving down to Charleston, SC. With a two hour drive south, you can transport yourself into a charming historic city that has so much to offer, you’ll never be able to fit in all of this beauty in your short trip.
Spend a few hours on a horse and carriage tour and learn the history of the city. This will allow you to see a lot of town and get a lay of the land, while learning and understanding the foundation of the city. Next, visit the City Market. It is a huge market, 4 blocks long, with dozens of local vendors. The real gem of the market, that you should consider buying, is a sweetgrass basket. These baskets (and other items) are handwoven by the locals using sweetgrass that grows in the marsh around the city.
Stroll down King Street, past the luxurious storefronts and beautifully dressed locals. Visit Waterfront Park to see the pineapple fountain and the pier. Continue down to Rainbow Row (take some pictures!) and then the historic Battery. There is so much more to do in Charleston, so please join my email list to get notified when I post more about this enchanting city!
The food in town will also blow you away. Try out Poogan’s Porch, Amen, Husk or Virginia’s on King for a nice dinner out. For lunch we love Fleet Landing, Hyman’s Seafood and Butcher & Bee. Finally, the best meal, brunch. We love Toast, The Darling and Stars.
As you can see from the photos, my husband Austin and I had our wedding in Charleston, so it will forever hold a super special place in our hearts. Our reception was held at the Francis Marion Hotel, which is a gorgeous historic hotel located right in the heart of town. If you decide to stay the night in town, definitely stay there!
Locals love spending a long weekend here, walking through the beautiful campus of the College of Charleston, and getting away from the action of Myrtle Beach.
These are the Best Unique Things to do in Myrtle Beach
I urge you to check out as many things as you can on this list of more unique things to do in Myrtle Beach. The locals know the best, more quaint spots in town to avoid tourists, so it is sure to create a more enjoyable and special vacation. Once you have your plans laid out, check out my other blogs about traveling in the U.S!
xoxo,Tori
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