Myrtle Beach, South Carolina has a little bit of something for everyone. Whether you’re on a family vacation, a romantic getaway, or if you’re just looking for a bit of relaxation, you’ll be sure to find something to do. On our most recent trip to Myrtle Beach, we were able to explore several historic places around Myrtle Beach. My dad is a huge history buff, so he was especially excited to see these historic sites! However, these sites aren’t just for history buffs! They were fun for the whole family.
The first site we visited was Brookgreen Gardens, which is celebrating its 85th birthday as a cultural center and attraction. Brookgreen Gardens features sculpture gardens, a zoo, a play area and nature trail for children, a walking trail, and more. For an extra fee, you can take a boat ride down the Waccamaw River, visit the Butterfly House, or take a guided tour of the Oaks Plantation. Currently, there is a Lego exhibit at Brookgreen, featuring Lego sculptures scattered throughout the zoo area. Find peacock statues made of Legos, giant Lego flowers, and more. Be sure to check out the Brookgreen Gardens website to find out about special programs or exhibits during your visit, such as the Gullah Cultural Program every Wednesday from March to November.
Brookgreen Garden is best visited as all all-day excursion, because there’s so much to see that you won’t want to leave. Don’t worry about getting hungry while you’re visiting, because Brookgreen offers several dining options. You’ll find something for even the pickiest eater. After lunch, you can walk through the sculpture gardens. See Live Oak Allee, explore in the children’s garden, our check out the “Trail Beyond the Garden Wall.” There are plenty of benches if you get tired, and if you’re lucky, you might see an alligator sunbathing in one of the many ponds on the property.
We were able to take the boat ride excursion, a 45 minute tour on the Waccamaw River focusing on the history of rice plantations in South Carolina. On the tour, our guide also pointed out native wildlife, including a giant alligator mom and her babies, a Great Blue Heron, and even a rarer Little Blue Heron. We were able to see a Carolina Big Grain rice plant, which was passed around the boat. Our guide (called an “interpreter”) was able to answer all of the questions on the river cruise. Boat ride tickets must be purchased at least 10 minutes before the excursion begins.
There is a free shuttle to take you from place to place at Brookgreen Gardens, which you’ll want to take advantage of as Brookgreen is so large. Regular admission tickets are good for seven consecutive days. We could have visited for each of the seven days and still found things to do!
Another great historic site is Hopsewee Plantation, located about an hour outside of Myrtle Beach. This plantation offers a tea room, guided tours, and is also a popular event venue. We took a guided tour of Hopsewee Plantation, which was once used for the production of rice, like many plantations in South Carolina.
Rice plantations were generally working plantations, with the plantation owners setting up their “big house” in Charleston, so the house is smaller than those on cotton plantations you may visit. The house has only been owned by five families, and is currently still lived in. One of the owners of the plantation operates the tea house on the property, where you can pick up a light lunch or enjoy a full Southern tea. (They offer gluten free options!)
The tour begins with a short video highlighting the history of the plantation and rice cultivation in South Carolina. After this, groups meet with a tour guide for a guided tour of the plantation grounds and house. The house is furnished with antiques, and has several unique architectural features, such as hand-carved molding and an intact carriage block at the front of the house.
After the tour, you are free to explore the grounds on your own or grab lunch at the River Oak Tea Room. The tour at Hopsewee takes about an hour, but plan to spend at least two hours there to explore the grounds and snack in the tea room.
Between Myrtle Beach and Hopsewee Plantation lies Historic Downtown Georgetown. Front Street, the main street in Georgetown, suffered a fire several years back, but we would have never known if a South Carolina native hadn’t informed us after we visited. Georgetown features a Harborwalk along the river, lined with plenty of small shops and several museums. Start at the Visitor’s Center and grab a map of Historic Downtown Georgetown, then hit up one of the five museums on Front Street. Or, if you have the time, visit all five! One popular museum is the Rice Museum, focusing on- you guessed it- the history of rice cultivation in South Carolina. Other fun options include a shelling tour, offered by several boats in the harbor. You can take a ride down the river, stop at a barrier island for some shelling, and see a historic lighthouse on the journey! If you’re into spooky family fun, take one of the ghost tours offered in the area.
If you get hungry while walking through Georgetown, stop in one of the small local cafes, like Aunny’s, and grab a bite to eat. Some of the restaurants have patios on the water at the Harborwalk, so you can eat while watching boats.
There are plenty of attractions in the Myrtle Beach area, so it can be hard to decide what to do. For anyone who loves history, these three locations should be a treat. Don’t pass them up if you’re not a history fan, though! There’s fun for the whole family.
Which of these attractions would you like to visit first during a vacation in Myrtle Beach?
There is a little kitchen(not the snack bar) that has the best key lime pie at Brookgreen as well. So love this place.
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Those are really cool historical sites. Whenever I go to another place, I make it to a point that I can visit local sites and eat at local food place.
I’ve never been to Myrtle Beach but I’d really love to go, especially after seeing your photos. It looks like a beautiful area with lots of history.
Well now that I’ve read a bit more about Myrtle Beach, if I’m ever there I will definitely have to visit. I’ve always wanted to go to Myrtle Beach and it’s definitely on my bucket list of places to visit.
I would love to bring my family here. Hope I can find something like this in our country. Nice post!
What a great share. I never been into places like this one but I am hopeful that I will go one day.
I have never visited a plantation, but I bet it’s an amazing experience. These all look so awesome to see.
I have never been to Myrtle Beach. It is on my list of cities to visit. It is so beautiful.
I love plantation style housing! The Hopsewee looks like it would be a great place to visit.
I would love to spend the day in Brookgreen Gardens. It looks so beautiful there.
These are really cool love that place and I want to go there someday
These are all great historical places to see in Myrtle Beach. Hopsewee Plantation and the Historic Downtown Georgetown looks like great places we would love to visit. Thanks for sharing the historic places.
I love historic sites and have never been to Myrtle Beach! It looks like a fun place to bring the family!
I used to have a summer place in Myrtle Beach. I wasn’t aware of these amazing places. Thank you for the information.
I love Mrytle Beach and I love history. I’m going to have to plan a trip there very soon to check out these 3 awesome places.
I have family that visits South Carolina yearly. I think it sounds like a great place to visit too.
What a charming area! I love the archway made of sticks. So rustic and cool!
These pics are gorgeous! I have always wanted to go to Myrtle Beach!!
This is a great list. I’ll be bookmarking it for next year. We really hope to take our daughters there for vacation.
This looks super cool, I will have to visit there some day 🙂 Gorgeous photos!
This looks like a great place to visit. I will add it to my list of places I want to go on vacation. I would love to see the Brookgreen Garden.
I hear a lot about Myrtle Beach being a great summer spot for swimming and tanning. Never would have thought there were historical spots! How cool!
I have heard amazing things about South Carolina, but have yet to ever visit the area. I always find it fun to learn about the culture and history of a specific region.
When I think of Mrytle Beach I only think of beaches. I really want to visit though, especially since they’ve started promoting family travel.
I would love to go back to Myrtle Beach! I have family in Maryland, so we try to go on road trips whenever we are visiting. It’s been years since I’ve been there. The plantations are gorgeous!
I love visiting places with gardens or botanical gardens! I’ve never been to Myrtle Beach, but have heard that it is a popular vacation spot. Hopefully, one day, I will get to visit it. I also love plantation homes, as I’ve visited two, in New Orleans area.
Wow! This place looks like ideal to remove stress. I want to visit the Brookgreen Garden too. Will recommend this to a friend. 🙂
You know what, we live in South Carolina but we’ve never been to Myrtle Beach! After reading this, I think I’m going to force my husband to go this summer.
These all look like great destinations. The thing I love about your posts is that you always bring us the best of the best.
Brookgreen garden is absolutely gorgeous! I love that pool, and the grounds are so serene.
I would LOVE to check these places out! I love all these historical places. They are just interesting to learn about. It looks beautiful too!
I bet my family would love Brookgreen Gardens! The Lego sculptures look really cool and since my twins are into Legos, I’m sure they’d be all over that!!!
These all sound fun. I have never been to a plantation, so I would love to tour one.