best attractions in the grand strand

Best Attractions in The Grand StrandIn an area with dozens of attractions and points of interest, you may have trouble deciding where to spend your time. Here are the highlights for this destination, as chosen by AAA editors. GEMs are “Great Experiences for Members.”

Aside from its fabulous beaches, The Grand Strand's premier natural attraction is Brookgreen Gardens , a 9,000-acre collage of landscaped grounds, garden rooms, wildlife habitats, nature trails and historical exhibits flanked by wetlands that once sustained rice plantations. The gardens of this AAA GEM attraction in Murrells Inlet frame hundreds of American sculptural works.

Rice production fortified the Lowcountry's pre-Civil War economy. Hopsewee Plantation near Georgetown comprised seven plantations operated by Thomas Lynch, who married the daughter of Brookgreen Plantation owners. Complement a tour of Hopsewee with a visit to the Rice Museum .

Cruise Vacations in the Grand Strand

The Grand Strand's intricate network of waterways sets up endless possibilities for sightseeing cruises. Options include peaceful shelling and lighthouse junkets or a pirate-themed sail on a tall ship offered by Rover Tours of Georgetown; Capt. Dick's at Crazy Sister Marina marsh tours out of Murrells Inlet; and Myrtle Beach Watersports Dolphin Tours/Sea Screamer , departing from Little River, and Myrtle Beach Watersports Dolphin Tours/Sea Thunder , departing from North Myrtle Beach.

Things to Do with Kids in the Grand Strand

If you're in the mood to sup with royalty while knights on horseback battle before your eyes, choose Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament in Myrtle Beach .

In the Branson tradition, Grand Strand variety shows are big on family appeal. Broadway meets Nashville onstage at The Carolina Opry, Myrtle Beach's longest running show, in The Calvin Gilmore Theater . In North Myrtle Beach the Alabama Theatre , the namesake of the legendary country music group that sang in area clubs during its leaner years, dazzles visitors with its elaborate musical revue “One—the Show” and weekly concerts by top-name performers. Check the company playbill to find out who's performing at Legends in Concert in Myrtle Beach. A star-studded tribute cast—Elvis Presley, Alan Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, just to name a few—rotates among several Legends venues nationwide.

Four Myrtle Beach attractions bear the widely recognized Ripley's name. Visitors in the mood for something different will find oddities galore at Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium , a creepy-good time at Ripley's Haunted Adventure and captivating sea creatures at Ripley's Aquarium .

A rainy day won't dampen your vacation plans if you take the kids to the Children's Museum of South Carolina . Rain or shine, this hands-on discovery center guarantees the little ones hours of activities packed with educational value.

Conway 's L.W. Paul Living History Farm offers the opportunity to experience what life on a family farm was like in the first half of the 20th century. The 17-acre site features animals, farm buildings and a visitor center.

See all the AAA recommended attractions for this destination.