15 Unexpected Myrtle Beach Experiences Most Visitors Never Find
There’s the Myrtle Beach you already know, 60 miles of wide, sandy shoreline, the boardwalk, the mini golf and the bright amusement-park lights.
And then there’s the Grand Strand you might not see coming. A world-class fire dancing show, an unexpectedly great arts scene, a cozy historic downtown filled with holiday spirit, and the kind of barbecue that comes out of a cinder-block roadside pit.
Whether you’ve been coming to The Beach for years and are ready for something new, or just want to dig a little deeper beyond the usual stuff shown on the brochures, these are the unexpected experiences worth seeking out, drawn from around the 14 distinct little communities stitched along the Grand Strand.
The Quick Answer
What are some unexpected things to do in Myrtle Beach?
Beyond the boardwalk, the Grand Strand is full of surprises. Fifteen unexpected experiences: live music at The Landing at the Boathouse, Polynesian fire and hula shows, the one-of-a-kind Boulineau's IGA in Cherry Grove, karaoke at Garden City Pier, the history of Atlantic Beach ("The Black Pearl"), Myrtle Beach State Park, the Myrtle Beach Art Museum, local farmers and flea markets, the Wishing Tree at Vereen Memorial Gardens, a booming craft brewery scene, historic Downtown Conway, wild Waties Island, the region’s best down-home barbecue, the Myrtle Beach Arts & Gallery Trail, and one-of-a-kind dining experiences. Full details and insider tips for each are below.
Jump to an Experience
The Grand Strand boasts a surprisingly great music scene, and The Boathouse is one of many great venues that show off the destination's unique setting while also featuring some amazing acts. Located right on the Intracoastal Waterway, it's know as the home for outdoor live music with a unique, scenic backyard and waterfront stage.
Free Show Fridays and standout Saturday-night bands draw a devoted crowd, while it "Sunday Funday" Summer Concert Series turns the whole place into a laid-back afternoon party. Come hungry, too: the kitchen turns out perfectly seasoned crinkle-cut fries, seriously good sandwiches, and the must-try chicken bog balls, a fried, bite-sized love letter to the Lowcountry rice-and-sausage classic.
Myrtle Beach is known for it's top-notch variety shows, but most visitors don't know you can also find world-class fire jugglers right here at the Beach. There are two ways to experience this unique mix of thrilling entertainment and laid-back island vibes while you're in town.
Polynesian Fire Productions puts on a dinner show at St. John's Inn that pairs an island feast with great live music, Polynesian dance and fire juggling from a team that includes world champion jugglers.
Prefer something free and family-friendly? Head down to Surfside Beach during the summer months, where the town puts on a free hula and fire dancer show every Monday from June through August, on the beach beside the Surfside Beach Fishing Pier. The hour-long show journeys through Hawaii, New Zealand, Tahiti, and Samoa with dance and fire-knife performances. Bring a beach chair and hang loose.
The Garden City Pier is one of the Grand Strand's most underrated spots for live entertainment — a go-to for karaoke and live music, and the anchor for one of the area's most fun, low-key day trips.
Located in the heart of Garden City Beach, the pier is a well-known as a family-friendly spot for strolling, fishing, playing in the pier-top arcade or grabbing a bite to eat. What most folks don't know is that it's also a fun spot for day-time and nighttime entertainment with karaoke happening in the afternoons and live bands at the pier-end stage throughout the season.
Build a whole day around it: park near the pier for free, wander the Garden City Arcade, grab a classic hot dog or burger at Sam's Corner, stroll the causeway, and drop into the Causeway Bar & Grill for a drink with a view.
Atlantic Beach is the only historically Black-owned oceanfront town on the East Coast, a living piece of African American history with quiet beaches and a story most visitors never hear.
Nicknamed "The Black Pearl," Atlantic Beach was a haven for Black beachgoers during segregation and remains proudly independent today. A stop through the town's historic district reveals over 50 stops listed on the National Register of Historic Places, making it one of the most meaningful stops on the Grand Strand for anyone interested in African American coastal heritage. While you're there, also CJSS Skillern Family Art Museum or check out the local murals that have popped up around town.
It's also a great spot to hit the beach, as it's oceanfront area is free of high-rise hotels and offers easy access to the beach. You can even get out on the water for a jetski or banana boat ride with Atlantic Watersports.
Myrtle Beach State Park trades the boardwalk buzz for maritime forest, a fishing pier, and one of the calmest stretches of sand in the area, all for $8.
This is where you slow down. Walk the shaded nature trails through one of the last maritime forests on the Grand Strand, learn something at the nature center, and fish or stroll the pier. Grab an ice cream, spread out on a quieter beach, and let the afternoon go long.
A tip worth knowing in peak season: you can now reserve a parking spot online in advance, which guarantees your entry from 6 a.m. to noon even when the lot fills up. Otherwise, come early. The park regularly reaches capacity by early afternoon on summer weekends.
The Myrtle Beach Art Museum, the Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum, is an air-conditioned art escape steps from the sand, and one of the top art museums in the Carolinas.
Housed in a 1924 beach cottage right off Ocean Boulevard, the museum rotates through galleries of regional and national work. As of June 2025 it charges a modest admission: $8 for adults and $5 for seniors 65+, and free for visitors 18 and under, students, veterans, and members (plus free for everyone the first full weekend of each month through Bank of America's Museums on Us). It's the perfect midday reset when the sun gets intense.
From fresh-produce farmers markets to sprawling flea markets, the area's markets are a great, low-cost way to taste and shop the real Grand Strand, and there's one open nearly every day of the week.
The Waccamaw Market Cooperative runs seasonal farmers markets across the area: Market Common (Valor Park, Saturdays), Surfside Beach (Tuesdays), Conway (Saturdays, under the Main Street bridge), and North Myrtle Beach (Fridays), all stocked with local produce, seafood, and makers.
For a rainy-day treasure hunt, browse a classic flea market like Everything Under the Sun or Hudson's Flea Market in Surfside for jewelry, vintage finds, and collectibles.
Boulineau's is a gloriously unclassifiable landmark in Cherry Grove area of North Myrtle Beach. Part grocery store, part beachwear shop, part Southern lunch counter, and it's cute, kitschy and worth building a beach day around. This is the type of place where come for one thing and leave an hour later with a full cart, a full stomach and a taste of beach nostalgia.
This classic IGA not only has a fully-stocked grocery store, but also everything you need for a beach trip — from boogie boards and sandals to souvenirs and sandals. But possibly the best part is the lunch counter serving genuinely delicious Southern food including bbq sandwiches, fried chicken and staples like collards and banana pudding.
It's a great place to anchor a day in Cherry Grove, which also has its own fishing pier, mini golf, easygoing restaurants, and beach bars like Snooky's. It's the kind of classic, only-here spot that reminds you the beach used to feel exactly like this.
Vereen Memorial Gardens in Little River is a free, wildlife-rich escape with boardwalk trails, an oyster-shell shoreline, a historic cemetery, and the beloved Wishing Tree.
Tucked along the water just below the N.C. state line, Vereen Gardens feels a world away from the boulevard. Walk the boardwalk and woodland trails and you'll spot herons and other birds and countless little fiddler crabs scurrying through the marsh. It's home to a rare walkable "beach" made of oyster shells, a historic family cemetery worth a quiet look, and the one-of-a-kind Wishing Tree, where visitors leave notes and make a wish.
Afterward, head to the Little River waterfront for a meal, Crab Catchers on the Waterfront and Snooky's on the Water both serve fresh seafood with a view.
The Grand Strand's craft beer scene has boomed in the past several years, with more than a dozen breweries now around town, and the taprooms are some of the best places in town to get a taste of the Grand Strand..
Since the late 90s, New South Brewing has been "the beer from here" and paving the way for brewers in the area. It's tap room, in a warehouse just inland from the beach is still a great stop for any true craft beer lover.
If you're looking for the a full-featured brewery experience, spots like Tidal Creek Brewhouse, Crooked Hammock Brewery, Grand Strand Brewing Co., and Southern Hops Brewing, all offer great beer and food, plus fun family-friendly atmospheres with plenty to do.
And keep an eye on newcomers like Voodoo Brewing, Yee-Haw Brewing and South Coast Brewing, all great stops bringing new life to the scene.
Twenty minutes inland, Downtown Conway is a delightful getaway from the bustle of the beach, with Spanish-moss-draped oaks, a riverwalk on the Waccamaw, and a walkable grid of murals, shops, and heralded restaurants.
Known not just for its history, but also as one of the most festive area's in S.C. — they go all out for Halloween and nearly every major holiday — it's a fun and unique stop worth visiting. Stroll the Conway Riverwalk along the black water of the Waccamaw River, hunt down the town’s growing collection of downtown murals, and browse the locally owned boutiques and antique shops around Main Street.
Come hungry: Rivertown Bistro is a longtime special-occasion favorite, and its sister spot Bonfire smokes its own meats for a creative take on the taqueria.
Waties Island is a largely undeveloped barrier island at the north end of the Grand Strand, a paddler’s paradise of tidal creeks, salt marsh, and empty beach that’s now moving toward permanent protection.
Reachable only by boat or kayak, Waties (also spelled Waites) is about as wild as this coast gets: nesting shorebirds, sea turtles, and miles of shell-strewn sand with barely a footprint. Long managed as the Anne Tilghman Boyce Coastal Reserve with Coastal Carolina University, the island is now the focus of a conservation effort that could make it one of South Carolina’s newest state parks. Bring a kayak or book a guided paddle, and go early.
The Grand Strand takes its barbecue seriously, from polished pit-masters to cinder-block roadside joints where the best pulled pork you’ll ever eat comes on a foam plate.
Start with some of the most-heralded and easy-to-find spots. Places like Swig & Swine for wood-smoked whole hog and brisket, Black Drum Brewing for oceanfront, upscale BBQ or Big Mike’s Soul Food for fried chicken, pulled pork and a sampling of soul food sides.
But locals know the real magic is often out in the county at the hole-in-the-wall pits: Little Pigs BBQ in Myrtle Beach, Radd Dew’s in Aynor, Big D’s BBQ Trough in Conway, Ritchie’s in Loris, and, for the truly devoted, legendary Scott’s BBQ out in Hemingway.
The Myrtle Beach Arts & Gallery Trail strings together 60 miles of public art, galleries, and museums across all 14 Grand Strand communities, a self-guided, do-it-your-way art crawl.
Follow it and you’ll take in the downtown murals of Conway, the largest collection of American figurative sculpture in the country at Brookgreen Gardens, the working galleries and studios of Pawleys Island, and the oceanfront statues and public installations in Myrtle Beach. Grab the free digital pass and check in as you go.
Some of the most memorable meals on the Grand Strand aren’t about the food alone: they’re dinner-and-a-show, dueling pianos, and rooms with serious character.
Try tasty Austrian food and enjoy the old-world charm of Café Old Vienna, sing along at The Library & 88 Keys Piano Bar, dig into Mediterranean plates with a side of belly dancing at Jerusalem, check out the speakeasy at downtown Conway’s Crooked Oak Tavern or dine at the storied Parson’s Table inside an old church in Little River.
And these are just a few of the many unique dinsing experiences scattered across the 2,000+ restaurants our area has to offer.