3100 S. Ocean Blvd., Myrtle Beach

The Franklin G. Burroughs Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum has 11 galleries of rotating shows of a variety of artists working in a wide range of media, including paint, textiles, sculpture, photography, video, ceramics, assemblage and collage. Its home was built in 1924 and moved eight miles to its present location in 1975.

The building that housed the first school for black children in the area was rebuilt near its original location after the 1932 four-room, wood-framed school building was abandoned and allowed to fall into disrepair. It had been replaced in 1953 by the Carver Training School. One room is a museum about the school that is staffed by its now-elderly former students.

805 Main St., Conway, SC

The Horry (Pronounced O-ree) County Museum, housed in a 1905 former school, has exhibits that will tell you all about the pre-history, history, and natural history of the largest county in South Carolina. The museum also includes the L. W. Paul Living History Farm, a recreation of life on a one-horse family farm after the Civil War and the collapse of the plantation system. The museum’s building is on the National Register of Historic Places and includes a freshwater aquarium featured on Animal Planet’s popular reality show “Tanked.”

The beautifully preserved example of Lowcountry architecture is in Georgetown, just south of Myrtle Beach, the third-oldest city in South Carolina after Charleston and Beaufort. The house, available to tour, was built by and the residence of wealthy merchants until it and all its furnishings were donated in a will to the City of Georgetown in 1972 by a woman named Julia Kaminski, whose family had owned it since 1931. The Georgian style house was designed in the Lowcountry “single house” style of the mid-18th century.

This museum has more than 20 of the games from the 1970s to today, preserved and playable, are likely to be time machines that will transport visitors to happy days when the games were new and wildly popular. It’s a museum where you can pay $12 an hour to play with the exhibits, not just view them behind velvet ropes. Tickets must be bought in advance when making reservations.

Also in Georgetown, the Rice Museum tells visitors about the area’s development into what, for about 100 years, from the 1750s until the 1850s, was the center of rice production in what became the United States. The Rice Museum also has a connection to the Kaminski family. One of its buildings is the Kaminski Hardware Building, which Heiman Kaminsky bought in 1868, remodeled and expanded. In its third floor is the Maritime Museum Gallery, where the preserved skeleton of the Browns Ferry Vessel is displayed. The 50-foot boat was built in the early 1700s and sunk in approximately 1730 and is the oldest vessel of colonial manufacture on exhibit in America. The Rice Museum’s main structure, the Old Market Building, was built in 1842 to replace a wooden structure that had been severely damaged in an 1841 fire that destroyed much of Georgetown’s Front Street. The building’s distinctive town clock was added in 1857.

True crime fans have a fascinating new place to explore in downtown Myrtle Beach. Serial Killers: The Experience takes visitors beyond the documentaries and podcasts with exhibits focused on notorious cases, criminal profiling and the realities behind serial murder. Created by longtime profiler and true crime expert Phil Chalmers, the museum features rare historical artifacts, firsthand research and details from cases you may not have heard before. It is certainly one of the more unexpected museum experiences at The Beach and a memorable stop for anyone curious about the darker side of history.

Fans of American-made vehicles can find more than 150 cars and trucks at this privately owned museum. The vehicles are owned by enthusiast Paul Cummings and his wife, Carol, who collected them for 55 years.

Calling all curious children! EdVenture is just the place for little ones to discover and learn about the world around them with exciting, hands-on fun! Explore the World of Work, create masterpieces in our Maker Space, and blast off in our Flight exhibit. Perfect for children under the age of 10 years old, EdVenture is sure to spark a joy of learning with interactive experiences and engaging programming activities.

Dive into a world of wonder at Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach, where aquatic enchantment meets endless excitement! Nestled within the vibrant Broadway at the Beach hub of shopping and dining, our aquarium promises year-round fun for the whole family, ensuring 365 days of non-stop enjoyment.

Embark on a journey of discovery as you encounter the newest attractions at Ripley’s:

• Just Arrived Fall 2026! – 7 African Penguin Chicks - as if you needed any more reasons to visit. 

• Goldfish Realm – our brand-new gallery with a magical, reimagined take on goldfish. Step into this shimmering world of color and creativity, where these beloved fish are showcased like never before.

• Sloth Valley – meet Cleo and Rico, our adorable two-toed sloths in their lush habitat.

• Ripley’s Penguin Playhouse – home to a lively colony of South African penguins ready to charm visitors of all ages.

• Discovery Center – featuring two new touch tanks where you can get hands-on with jellyfish and other fascinating sea creatures.

• Norman’s Water Lab – where science turns into splashy, interactive fun!

And of course, no visit is complete without a walk through our 330-foot Dangerous Reef shark tunnel. Get face-to-face with majestic sharks, giant sawfish, Gabby the green sea turtle, and more than 14,000 dazzling fish in a colossal 750,000-gallon exhibit. With exhibits representing oceans and seas from around the globe, adventure awaits around every corner.

As the holidays draw near, don’t miss the glow of our Festival of Trees – South Carolina’s largest indoor display of over 50 beautifully decorated Christmas trees, creating the perfect backdrop for holiday memories that will last a lifetime.

Swim into adventure and make a splash at Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach – now featuring the all-new Goldfish Realm!

WonderWorks is an indoor amusement park for the mind combining education and entertainment with over 100 hands-on exhibits. Visitors will navigate NASA spacecrafts, lie on a bed of nails, get blown away by 84 MPH hurricane force winds, compete in laser tag and much more! Located at Broadway at the Beach, WonderWorks is the perfect indoor attraction and a staple Myrtle Beach for all, with something fun and exciting for guests of all ages! It's perfect for the whole family!