Family Vacation GuideMyrtle Beach

It's the safest way to watch 15-foot gators leap from the water to devour their dinner. This reptile sanctuary features gators, snakes, and other animals.

It's a museum filled with exhibits that promote creative play. Kids can pretend shop at a farmers market or build things with giant foam blocks.

With 14 theaters to choose from and extra-comfy seats, it's a great place to watch a movie on rainy day. Stop by Cold Stone Creamery for a cold treat after the show.

It's quieter than Broadway at the Beach and geared more towards nature with tiger and alligator attractions. It's also home to House of Blues.

With tons of shops, restaurants, activities, and a vibrant nightlife, it's similar to Downtown Disney. Just watch out for those catfish in the lake!

Lined with designer shops, restaurants, and a huge movie theater, it's an outdoor mall with condos above.

Finished in 2010, the boardwalk is filled with beachside restaurants, souvenir shops and the iconic Skywheel. It also hosts concerts and summer events.

This huge 2,000-seat venue rotates its in-house production, "One – The Show" and a guest artist concert series featuring hot names in country music.

For eight summers in the 1970s, Alabama was their house band. Today they carry on the tradition with live country music at this boardwalk venue.

Most of the time it's reggae-influenced rock 'n' roll and Americana, but twice a year it turns into Shag Central – a hub for Carolina Beach Music.

With a large concert hall, restaurant stage, and outdoor stage, there are lots of choices. Come Sunday mornings for the Gospel Brunch at Crossroads.

You can listen to live music from your boat. They host a variety of concerts across genres, and most acts are free! Come for their Sunday Funday summer concert series.

They book a wide variety of acts from big names to local stars. On Mondays they host an Acoustic Jam Night for something light and soulful.

Get a sense for all the great local artists. If you come Tuesdays you can even join in and jam with them.

Hop from bar-to-bar for live music, drinks, and food along the water in Murrells Inlet.

It's tucked away, hidden almost in an industrial section of town. But don't let that deter you. Come by for tastings or tours with their laid-back, friendly brewer masters.

Built with Roman columns, All Saints Church is a grand example of Classical Revival architecture. These hallowed grounds are also home to a haunted cemetery.

It's an enchanting mansion, once the home of famous philanthropists, Archer and Anna Huntington. Explore the ruins and have a picnic in the surrounding state park.

It's an annual BBQ competition where you can taste BBQ from the best pitmasters in the country. Come hungry and ready for ribs, pork, and live music.

Few kids can resist the allure of giant pumpkins. This annual harvest festival at Brookgreen Gardens is good for the little ones and grandma and grandpa too.

It's the best way to end your summer day at the beach. From Jun-Aug, the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk hosts nightly entertainment from 8-11 pm.

Join other Buffet fans for live music, food, and drink in the garden at La Belle Amie vineyard.

On the grounds of the mysterious Atalaya Castle, hundreds of local artists sell their clothes, jewelry, and crafts. Best of all, the beach is just yards away.

Enjoy duck confit and souffle in the quaint town of Little River. Their wine list is excellent and they have a tasting menu too. Oh yeah, and the place is haunted (just the kitchen).

The town will actually pave around historic trees. That's how much they care about preserving its beauty. So stroll on the gorgeous riverwalk and enjoy the local food.

It's what Myrtle Beach used be like before all the high-rise hotels. This laid-back beach town is a nice place to unwind. Take a stroll on its newly refurbished boardwalk.

The battle at Ft. Fisher helped seal the Confederacy's fate, cutting off the last supply line to Robert E. Lee's Army.

You'll still find tobacco warehouses here, but the crown jewel is Webster's Manor. Stop by for an authentic country buffet in an old mansion from the 1800's.

Sit back in an old mansion for an authentic country buffet on Blue Willow China. Their fried chicken and Buttermilk Pie is some of the best around.

Housed in a large warehouse, you'll find tons of antiques, some of them hundreds of years old, set up in themed displays. It's like exploring Ikea.

Some think of it as a 'drive by town' on your way in and out of Myrtle. But stop by the Aynor Inn for something surprisingly delicious.

About an hour from Myrtle, between old colonial buildings you'll find some of the best antiquing in South Carolina

It's filled with tons of items from fine China, silverware, and nick knacks to furniture and leather bound books.

Early colonial settlements here were some of the oldest in the nation. Stop by today for museums, waterfront restaurants, art galleries, and boutiques.

Get a snapshot of old-school Myrtle with beach houses, seafood shacks, and souvenirs. Make sure you eat at Duffy's Seafood Shack for a true beachy meal.

Long considered a fisherman's hotspot, this quaint town has dozens of great seafood restaurants on the waterfront. It's also a great place for deep sea fishing.

The light and crispy fried fish that you see all over the Grand Strand comes from Calabash. Also, be sure to check out Callahan's, a famous, quirky Christmas store.

Shaded by gorgeous oak trees, these elegant Victorian-style shops are a nice relaxing way to cool down on a hot day away from the action.

Find great deals on high-end brands at one of two outlet shopping locations in Myrtle Beach.

Find great deals on high-end brands at one of two outlet shopping locations in Myrtle Beach.

Next to the Intracoastal Waterway, this indoor mall has favorites such as Belk and Dillard's. There's also a great food court in the center and movie theater.

It's a little smaller than other Myrtle Beach malls, but it's home to a great kids club hosting frequent events, as well as a brand new movie theater and bowling alley.

Even if you're not buying a boat, the Bass Pro Shop is still fun with its fish tank and kids activities. This large mall has stores, a movie theater, and seasonal skating rink.

If you're in Little River, beware the ghost of Blackbeard who once used this quiet town as a refuge before his beheading at the hands of Lt. Maynard.

This guided walking tour takes you to the darkest sites of ancient ghosts. Odds are you'll see a ghostly orb or two along the way.

Talented actors and storytellers come together to re-create the area's infamous local legends.

Dark corners, scariest noises, and that guy with a chainsaw make this haunted house show fun for the whole family.

The food is great, but the kitchen is haunted. A dark figure is said to loom on the staircase and a human face often appears in an old mirror.

Alice Flagg fell in love with a common lumberman, but her wealthy father shipped her off to boarding school, where she die of malaria. To this day, her ghost searches for her lost lover.

One of the scariest excursions in South Carolina! Tour an old warehouse filled with haunted attractions. Investigators claim to have found paranormal activity lurking in the walls.

If you see a mysterious man dressed in gray rags warn you of an impending storm, get out of town, he's probably right.

Hop aboard the Sea Gypsy with the little ones ones, as they dress in pirate outfits and shoot water cannons off the starboard. This boat cruise is a delight for young kids.

Old Joe was told to guard a mysterious fortune of gold coins for the wealthy Huntington's. The next day it vanished, never to be seen again.

It's a day on a farm from the early 1900's. Watch blacksmiths hammer out tools and farmers plow the fields. It's a great educational activity for the kids.

Young kids will marvel at the pirates who sing, dance, and launch off in aerial stunts. And then there's the sea lion who steals the show.

One of best things to do in Myrtle Beach on a rainy day is go under the sea. They have a stunning walk-thru reef and shark tunnel, along with a cool hands-on tidepool exhibit.

This 2,200-seat theater hosts a show featuring comedy, dancing, and singing performed by talented stars from TV acts like American Idol.

It's a museum of history featuring a number of exhibits with artifacts from the Revolutionary War, Native American settlements, and the area's wildlife.

They offer massage treatments, pilates and fitness, and therapeutic rituals. You can also take a soak in their whirlpool Jacuzzi set in an outdoor garden.

Their signature Milk and Honey body wrap uses complex essentials oils and therapeutic mud to rejuvenate the skin.

Treatments include hot stone massages, sugar and salt scrubs, and detoxifying body wraps.

During spring and fall, Hot Jersey Nights features the hit songs of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Other shows include Carnival of Magical, Christmas Wonderland, and an MMA Fight Night.

Inspired by the great vineyards of Europe, Silver Coast produces a number of local wines. They also host their own art gallery and seasonal events, like the Purple Feet Festival.

They just opened a brand new tasting room at Barefoot Landing where you can sample their signature muscadine wines.