When my husband and I decided to take a trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C., with our three children (ages 5, 2, and 11 months) in tow, we knew we weren’t taking a “vacation” like we did earlier in our marriage. But we still wanted to have a good time traveling with kids, and not feel like we were just taking care of our kids in a different city.

Luckily for us, Myrtle Beach is a super family-friendly destination, and not just for families of older kids. While there may be tons of activities for the thrill seekers — think roller coasters, escape rooms, and making your own monster truck — there’s still plenty you can do with your toddlers.

How to Vacation in Myrtle Beach with a Young Family

Below are some of the top places for younger kiddos in Myrtle Beach, as well as tips for where to eat, stay, and even how to get through the 9+ hours drive.

Full disclosure: my family did not visit every place on this list. In fact, we barely scratched the surface. Our kids were more than happy to spend the majority of our days poolside. However I look forward to checking out these places when we visit again next year.

Tips for Getting Through the Drive from Bucks

If you’re coming from Central Bucks County, the drive down is roughly nine and a half hours, but can easily take longer, depending on traffic and number of rest stops. We packed our car the night before to make for a smoother getaway early the next morning.

We’re fortunate to have family in Virginia, so our first stop was their home for a quick breakfast and playtime. Then we popped in a family-friendly podcast and continued on our way. We stopped for a second rest and late lunch at a local fast-food chain somewhere in North Carolina. This gave our kids the opportunity to stretch their legs, exert some pent-up energy, take a potty break, or get a diaper change.

For a road trip this long, be sure to pack the car with plenty of snacks and travel-friendly toys. These are some of the best, road-trip toys we’ve brought on our vacation journeys:

• Travel doodle boards
• Magnetic game sets
• Activity flash cards
• Cars and monster trucks my boys can’t leave home without!

If you’re bottle-feeding or nursing, don’t leave those items behind. And if you have a portable pump, bring it, as well as freezer bags for pumped milk.

Where to Stay

You might find that when traveling with kids, choosing the right accommodations for your family can make or break a trip. For example, if you’re a family of four you might not want to go with a studio that will require everyone to sleep in the same room (we did this two years ago when we traveled to Puerto Rico).

Think about your family’s needs. Do you need a separate room for the baby? A full kitchen to make meals (which I highly recommend) or will you be eating out?

The Suite Life

We stayed at the Sheraton Broadway Resort Villas, a family-friendly resort located just two miles from the beach. As a family of three young children, all ages five and under, we knew we would be spending the majority of our time at our resort. A place with a pool was a must, as well as a place that had a kids center.

One day on this trip, it simply poured. However, the kids were able to make a craft with other families. Then we picked out some board games to take back to our accommodations.

The resort has not one, but three pools, one of which is indoors, as well as a pirate ship with waterworks, a lazy river, and a mini toddler wading pool. My kids loved stopping at the pond on the way to and from the pool to feed the turtles. And on top of all that, they had their own mini golf.

Happy Campers

If your family is the camping type, check out Myrtle Beach State Park. This parks offers a mile of beach, cabins, campsites, a fishing pier, and picnic shelters. Camping in Myrtle Beach is a great way to enjoy the natural beauty of the coast, while staying close to all the local attractions.

With beachfront campgrounds, RV parks, and wooded sites, there’s something for every type of camper. It’s a fun and affordable option for families looking to relax outdoors and spend quality time together.

What to Do

The Beach

Obviously, if you’ve come all this way, you’re family is probably going to spend most of their time at the beach. Myrtle Beach is located right in the center of a long and continuous 60-mile stretch of coastline known as the “Grand Strand.”

• DO what we did and park near a portion of the beach that includes a playground and wash-off station.
• DON’T make the same mistake we did and try to bring your stroller out onto the sand.
• DO grab a couple of kites and fly them along the dunes if it’s windy — unless it’s busy. You don’t want your kids tripping over sunbathers trying to keep their kite in the air.

As it turned out, we only went to the beach a few times, and not during the height of the day. We went before or after dinner in order to avoid the harsh sun. My kids had the absolute best time simply running back and forth at the water’s edge, running from the waves. It really is the simple things.

Brookgreen Gardens

You and your toddler will love walking hand-in-hand through Brookgreen Gardens. This lovely garden hosts daily activities and extra play areas.

Take your kids through the Enchanted Storybook Forest, the Children’s Sensory and Nature Trail, the Lowcountry Zoo, and the Whispering Wings Butterfly Experience.

Mini Golf

Myrtle Beach takes its mini golf very seriously, which is great because so does my family. Though my son was only five, he made for a challenging competitor with not one, but two hole-in-ones. When you step onto the green here, you’re not just entering into the Mini Golf Capital of the World, you’re embarking on a totally new adventure.

There are more than 30 miniature golf centers in Myrtle Beach, but a couple of our favorites (aside from our resort’s convenient course) were Captain Hook’s Adventure Golf and Mount Atlanticus Minotaur Golf.

The latter of these mini-golf centers hosts two 18-hole courses with water features and lushly planted tiki huts in between holes. This makes for a perfect covering during a rogue rain shower. Additional family-friendly amenities include a stroller-friendly course, elevators, and free parking.

Broadway at the Beach

If your family enjoys flashy attractions and doesn’t mind the crowds, Broadway at the Beach is where you want to be. Just a 10-15 minute walk from our resort, Broadway at the Beach stands out as the most popular tourist destination in the entire Myrtle Beach area.

You’ll find a handful of attractions geared to families with young kids. These are some of the highlights:

• Ripley’s Aquarium
• Pelicans Ball Park
• The carousel
• Dino Park

While visiting Broadway at the Beach, consider a stop at the old-timey portrait studios to make a fun family memory.

EdVenture Myrtle Beach

If you’re looking for a break from the beach, EdVenture Myrtle Beach is 3,000 square foot museum space that packs big fun, and exciting exhibits into a one-of-a-kind experience. Let your little ones crawl, climb, and explore this interactive children’s museum in The Market Common.

In EdVenture, they can pretend to shop for groceries like Mom and Dad at the Publix exhibit, blast off into space in the Space Climber, be wowed by the Airways tubes, play in Toddler Beach, and build a house.

Savannah’s Playground

Sure big, novel attractions are fun, but they also come with a price tag and when you’ve got small kids nothing beats a playground. And nothing beats Savannah’s Playground, which helped Myrtle Beach earn its title as an “autism-friendly” city and destination.

This two-million dollar playground was built for children of all ages and abilities, with soft surfaces and design planning that enhances the safety and experience for all. Myrtle Beach’s most unique playground includes a few recent improvements to include four permanent restrooms, a water fountain, a bottle-refilling station and a fence around the pond. The restrooms also have changing stations.

Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show 

You don’t often find a live show featuring high-diving pirates waging an epic battle on land, on deck, in a lagoon, and high above a pair of full-sized pirate ships but Myrtle Beach can deliver, even on a tall request like this one.

All of the above can be found at the Dolly Parton-produced, Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show on North Kings Highway in Myrtle Beach. Better yet, guests can enjoy the spectacle of it all while savoring a delicious four-course meal.

Where to Eat

Art Burger Sushi Bar

Art Burger Sushi Bar is exactly what it sounds like: creative sushi, served side-by-side with gourmet burgers. Adding to the menu-for-all appeal, the restaurant space features local art on the inside and gorgeous beach views on the outside. And while it may sound fancy, it’s a really chill place for families. The kids were given coloring books while mom and dad sifted through the menu, deciding whether to go surf or turf (the correct answer, both).

Unfortunately, we only got one of our kids to try the sushi, but they were content with their kids’ burger and fries. Afterwards, we stepped out their back patio and took a little walk along the boardwalk.

Crooked Hammock Brewery

I breathed a sigh of happy relief when I saw the outdoor set up at Crooked Hammock Brewery, an establishment in a cute, little retail and entertainment village called Barefoot Landing. Connected to their outdoor seating area is an all-ages backyard escape experience. The family-friendly area features indoor and outdoor seating, fire pits, a playground for kids, bocce ball, corn hole, and of course, hammocks. 

Our kids played a game of corn hole while my husband and I watched from a safe distance, washing our Longboard Nachos down with their watermelon sour ale.

Medieval Times

We did not stop at the castle for a joust, because our kids are still too young to fully appreciate it. However, when I was in college I had the greatest time at Medieval Times with my friends, cheering on our appointed knight.

If you’ve been to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, then your family will have a time fit for a king. Watch knights battle with brawn and steel to determine one victor to protect the throne, all while savoring a delicious medieval-style meal. Maybe we’ll give this place a try next year.

Costco

I cannot not put our favorite wholesaler on this list. In fact, it’s the very first place our family headed after checking into our resort. After all, we had an empty fridge that needed filling with snacks.

Past experiences taught us that getting three small kids to sit-down at a restaurant for breakfast, lunch, and dinner would make for a logistical nightmare. Therefore, we stocked up on our kids’ tried and true meals and kept our dining experiences low key to avoid unnecessary stress.

Family Road Trip: Bucks County to Myrtle Beach Adventure

Traveling from Bucks County to Myrtle Beach offers families an enjoyable journey that blends scenic routes with the excitement of a coastal destination. Whether you choose to drive or fly, the trip is manageable and well worth the effort for the relaxing beaches, fun attractions, and warm Southern hospitality. Myrtle Beach is not only a popular vacation spot but a cool place for a family to create lasting memories together, making it an ideal getaway for all ages.

All photos by Christine Wolkin.