Myrtle Beach Remembered

Ripley's Museum has changed a lot in appearance since I last saw it, but its still here! This museum has been open since 1976, and has undergone a major renovation in 1987, with the new "hurricane damaged" exterior.

Ripley's has expanded in the Myrtle Beach area, with an Aquarium at Broadway On The Beach, and two new attractions down the street from the original museum, the Haunted Adventure and the Moving Theatre 4D.

Long-time visitors to Myrtle Beach might recall when this building at the corner of Ocean Blvd and 9th Ave. North was a hash house called "Sloppy Joe's". It was a restaurant in the corner- it was open 24/7/365 - "We Doze But Never Close", and had convenient stools on the corner for watching the crowds while you ate. Along the Ocean Blvd. side was a large Bingo parlor, with a special prize on Saturday night.
 
Another view of Sloppy Joe's, at night

Original museum entrance design, from November 1983. Guarding the office door is the most famous dog in Myrtle Beach- Hershel, owned by then-Ripley's manager Peter MacIntyre.
Thanks to Bob Russell for use of his pictures at webshots.com

The arcade is back! When I last visited in 1995, the arcade had been turned into a pizza restaurant, and all the arcade decorations had been removed. It has been converted back into an arcade, as it should be. There's nowhere near as many machines as there once was, and a large number of these are prize redemption games, but its a start. The free CD jukebox is a nice touch.

Super Fun Zone-style token

I worked here from 1980-1984, as a maintenance technician for the entire museum, but mainly for the arcade. When the museum opened in 1976, it had a magic shop in the middle of the lower section, with a neat "boulder" (actually, painted foam) hanging perilously over it. The magic shop was ringed by 1st-generation video games. By 1980, the Magic Shop was gone and it was all arcade games. This new arcade was darker, with wild, fantasy artwork along the top 1/2 of the walls. Pulsating disco lights were on the ceiling, and a long stage along the right-side wall held a line of video games, with flashing lights underneath. A jukebox by the central column faced outward toward the boulevard. In contrast to today's arcade which is nearly all prize redemption, my arcade was full of games-- I had 70 games, a jukebox, a coke machine, and a "Face Place" polaroid photo booth. Only in 1984 did we get a bank of Skee-balls, which were located where the prize counter is now.

Behind the current basketball games is a door to a small triangular room, which was once my repair shop. I wish that they hadn't stripped out all of the original artwork, lights and special effects that were once in the arcade. But, at least its back.

FUN PLAZA
902 N. Ocean Blvd.
(843) 448-5141

This place hasn't changed at all!!! It still has tons of great games, although its almost all prize redemption games like nearly every other arcade now. Even those old antique baseball games look and work great.

Almost all business now have signs that they are not affiliated with the Pavilion and will not be closing-- they must be getting a lot of concerned questions about that, which is why I'm worried about that whole area after the Pavilion closes.

CASTLE DRACULA WAX MUSEUM/
NEW WAVE CAVE
907 N. Ocean Blvd.

 
Castle Dracula during the daytime, from the air. This view shows the gargoyles astride the main entrance.

The Castle Dracula Wax Museum was located right beside Ripley's BION Museum for several years. The front was like a real castle with a moat and drawbridges. Often, a Frankenstein character would be out front handing out brochures (which ended up all over my arcade machines!). The museum was located on the 2nd floor, and was a twisty maze of caverns, with various scenes with monsters and scary scenes along the sides of the cave. At the very end was a light show, then the exit went down into the gift shop on the ground floor. It caught fire in the winter of 1976; I was there, and saw it burn- power to the whole block was out. It was quickly rebuilt, and was open the next summer.

The bottom floor had some scenes and figures, such as huge Phantom of the Opera-style organist, a coffin with someone inside struggling to raise the lid, and a dead Elvis. Scenes upstairs included a transforming Wolfman, the Pit and the Pendulum, the "Monster Mash" with loose body parts, and an eerie outer-space section with a strange, mushy floor.

 
 
Castle Dracula brochure - the front and back open up into a ready-made horror mask.

The Castle Dracula Wax Museums in Myrtle Beach and Panama City Beach FL do not appear to be related to an old attraction with the same name in the Clifton Hills district at Niagara Falls, now named Dracula's Haunted Castle. Another view of the Panama City Beach location is online here. The Castle Dracula in Panama City Beach burned in 1987 and was not rebuilt.

For whatever reason, Castle Dracula closed after the summer of 1982, and the bottom was turned into yet another t-shirt shop, which remains to this day. That first summer, in 1983, the top was turned into the club NEW WAVE CAVE. They kept part of the caves, and built a series of rooms with comfy chairs, and an arcade. They also opened up a large part of the area for a dance floor and bar area. It was my favorite place ever, on the whole beach. Sadly, it closed after that summer; in 1984, a Coke machine blocked the door, and now, that stairway is completely sealed as shown on the right-hand side of the building.

In July 2006, I spoke with the manager of the t-shirt shop. He acknowledged that the caves are still on the 2nd floor, but that it is impossible to get to them, that the whole top floor is "full of junk" like old display racks. I'll see what I can do about getting up there to document whatever might be left of Castle Dracula and the New Wave Cave, but that might not be possible. Someone sent me mail, saying that the back door still shows "New Wave Cave", and thats true-- after all this time, it can still be read on the heavily oxidized door. In one picture, I tried to recreate what it might have originally looked like.

GAY DOLPHIN GIFT COVE
916 N. Ocean Blvd
(843) 448-6550

Website: Gay Dolphin

This is the ultimate tourist-trap souvenir shop; they claim to be the largest in the nation, and probably so. There's a truly incredible amount of stuff here, and its always fun to browse through it. You'll always find something you never saw before. It has been open since 1948, and is open year-round, 7 days a week.

This shop is much the same as I remember it, but with a few changes. At one time, the entire building was open- you could go up on the top observation deck, and there was another upper cove along the walkway. Also, there was a smaller Gay Dolphin Annex directly across the street, which was the home of the huge, ultra-cool Poster Cove down a spiral staircase in the basement (thats where I got the Hendrix poster for the bathroom wall in my 1984 apartment). Nowadays, the Annex is long gone, replaced by Ripley's Haunted Aventure. All that is visible from the old Annex and the Poster Cove in the basement is this stairwell, which was once the exit. The Poster Cove is completely gone-- they didn't move it to the main building when the Annex was closed.

People are no longer allowed to go up to the top observation deck- the insurance company stopped that sometime around the beginning of 2005, despite the fact there have been no accidents or problems. The staircase winding up the tower is completely closed off, and the old Indian Cove section on the 2nd floor is closed. The snack bar that was once on the lowest level, right by the tower, is completely gone.

Conspicuously missing is the string "waterfall" illusion- cords once ran from the very top of the tower down to the pool at the bottom, with endless streams of drops falling along it. It looked very cool. The pump broke in 2003, and no replacement parts were available, so they had to scrap it. They replaced it with some heavy (1000 lbs each!) dolphin sculptures in the bottom pool, but it just doesn't look the same from the street.

The current manager is Buz Plyler, the son of the Gay Dolphin founder and builder Justin Plyler. The park on Ocean Blvd and 11th Ave. North is dedicated to Justin Plyler, who in addition to developing this whole end of the boulevard, is also responsible for a great many vintage postcards of the Myrtle Beach area.

The Gay Dolphin Arcade is still next door, and still has a great selection of games- its where I first saw the "Crazy Climber" game so long ago. The Gay Dolphin Arcade also once had a fun shooting gallery on the corner of the arcade by the main building, along the street, but it was gone by 1980.

The corner of the arcade next to the main building on the boulevard, was once a western-themed shooting gallery, filled with animated items which would jump, make noise, or play the piano, when their target was hit. This was removed sometime in the late 1970s, to make room for a popular and very successful record-making recording studio in the breezeway between the main building and the arcade-- the canopy over this corner still says that its the studio. When this ended, the shooting gallery was not brought back- the man who ran it, "Gibbs", had died.

The building to the immediate north of the Gay Dolphin was once an old "Carpet Golf", then later renovated into the Around The World In 18 Holes mini-golf course.

Until the early 70s, the area on both sides of the main building was the "Gay Dolphin Amusement Park", with a variety of amusements. There was once a Wild Mouse roller coaster where the arcade now stands, as shown in this old Gay Dolphin postcard (front/back). The entrance to this coaster was on the boardwalk, and it cost 50 cents to ride. This coaster was later sold to Folly Beach, and was lost when the pier burned down in 1/09/1977, which is suspected as arson. (Wild Mouse reference)

ELECTRIC CIRCUS ARCADE
1001 N. Ocean Blvd.
(843) 448-6236

This was once a neat arcade at the corner of 11th Ave. North (now Mr. Joe White Avenue) and Ocean Blvd, now its another T-shirt shop, Wacky T's, which has been in operation for a couple of years as of 2006. They always had a ton of great videos, all lined up in tight rows. This is the only place that I've ever seen an Atari Hercules pinball- which used a pool cue ball as the pinball.

There is still a haunted house on the 2nd floor, with the entrance on the southern end of the building: Nightmare Haunted House

This was originally the Nightmares Haunted House, built around 1985 by Ray Productions, of Orlando, FL. It had 10 rooms with two actors, with a Pet Cemetary, a boiler room, a kitchen, a balcony drop and a chainsaw ending. Admission was $5.00

This haunted house was once Mayhem Manor, from 1993-1999, run by Leonard & Jeanne Pickel of Haunted Attractions magazine. This was built right after the renovation of the Pavilion's Haunted Hotel ride, and totally renovated in 1997. It featured 13 rooms of high fright/low gore effects. He used this as a test location where he developed ideas that are in use in haunted attractions around the country, Mayhem Manor had a laser tunnel, a Pepper's Ghost effect, 9 automated effects, and a giant rat. Admission was $5.00

ROCK BURGER
1107 N. Ocean Blvd.
(803) 448-7731

Rock Burger was for many years one of the only all-hours bars, open 24/7 except for Sunday, when no alcohol could be sold. It was THE favorite after-hours club for all the local people, and at 2-3 in the morning, it would be packed and stay that way all night long. They are also one of the first clubs that I saw with huge wide-screen TVs on the ceiling, and they always had cool things playing-- like MTV way back when it was actually entertaining. I drank many pitchers of beer there. [Hi! to Gary Dunn & his roommate Riff-Raff]

Now, it has been turned into yet another t-shirt shop. WTF is up with these t-shirt shops? Before long, thats all that will be in Myrtle Beach. A guy in the shop, who says that he remembers Rock Burger, said that it closed "about 10 years ago"; other reports confirm that it closed around 1995, after being open from the early 1980s.

Rock Burger re-opened under new management during July 2005, at 1604 N. Kings Highway. This new location was about 4-5 blocks from the original bar, in the old "Filling Station" pizza restaurant (originally Village Inn Pizza). Joseph and April Almakiz bought the Rock Burger name and concept from the original owners, hoping to turn it into a restaurant/bar with live rock bands. They had a fair crowd on Aug. 19th, 2006, when I drove by, but it wasn't anywhere near the crowds in the old one. The new place was centered around a small stage and huge video screen along the back wall, with a long bar on the right, just inside the front door. (phone was (843) 626-3333)
Story on this is online at MB Locals Information

UPDATE: As of 12/24/2006, the Rock Burger building is for sale or lease. It looks like this might be the final end of this classic bar, closing at the end of the 2006 season. As of 3/31/2007, it has been remodelled into one of those "Visitor's Center" businesses that sell ticket packages for area attractions.

BODO'S GERMAN RESTAURANT
407 8th Ave. N
(843) 448-1310

I never hung out here while I was living at the beach; this place opened in 1984, which was the last year that I was there, despite the fact that I walked by it nearly every day. There was once a string of bars and restaurants along 8th Ave. N, now there's only this and Tha' Bar next to it.

The last time I was in Bodo's was in 1995, and it was a lot of fun; they had a dartboard and foosball going, the Pink Floyd was playing continuously (hence their motto), and there was a fair crowd. In 2006, it seemed different, in late July/August, the crowds just weren't there, like many of the downtown businesses. The darts nook was filled with chairs and apparently not used anymore, and although they had a decent dinner crowd (I've heard its great), there wasn't a "hang-out" crowd, which is a shame, because this could be a great place for that. Like most restaurants, they don't know how to properly serve Newcastle Brown (50deg at least!) but the over-chilled ale was a welcome relief from the heat.

SUBWAY
712 N. King's Highway
(843) 445-9109

Not very spectactular or noteworthy as far as Subway restaurants go, but its been at this same location forever, and it seems to be the only name-brand restaurant in the area that has survived. I walked by it every day, and ate there quite a lot. I wonder if my Sub Club coupons from 1983-84 are any good anymore? They owe me a couple of sandwiches!

Many years ago, this was the site of Prather's Texaco station.

CHAPINS DEPARTMENT STORE

This was an interesting art deco department store that opened in 1928, and was noted for extending credit to local customers during hard times. Among other businesses occuping spaces in the building was Delta Drug Company, which sold a series of Myrtle Beach postcards by the famous photographer Bayard Wootten. Chapins was still open when I lived beside it in 1983/84, but closed down in 1992. In 1999, it was turned into a huge miniature golf course at a cost of over $3 million - Mount Atlanticus Minotaur Goff. This sprawling, and from what I've heard, excellent miniature golf course goes through multiple levels of the building and outside toward the highway. Interestingly enough, the entire Chapins building is still there, and looks almost the same from Main Street/US501 side.

MAIN STREET

Directly across from Chapin's on Main Street is a large section of buildings dating back to the same 1920-1930s era. These are still there, many are occupied by new businesses, and several are empty.

The Venue Boutique and Gallery has been open since 1985, founded by Barbara Patrick. This store is located at 510 8th Avenue North, on the corner of 8th Ave. N and Main Street.

 
This was once the Broadway Theater, which was later an x-rated movie theatre back in the late 70s!
819 Main Street - At the very end of the block across from Chapins, was Pizza Villa, a small pizza restaurant in that triangular-shaped end, when I lived here. This was once the Kozy Korner Restaurant, and the Kozy Korner Tavern before that, in 2006 it was the "Soul Food Express".

The downstairs area has been a series of bars over the years; back in the 30s-40s, it was the "Wonder Bar", and was once the "Pirates Cove" ran by Larry McDaniel. In the 1980s it "The Cellar" bar with live music, and was part of the circuit that many local rock and roll bands played.

RIVOLI THEATRE
904 Chester Street

You'd miss the Rivoli Theatre if you didn't know what it was, as thousands of people probably do every day. This gem of a theatre is now long closed, hidden behind the Pavilion's parking deck just off of 9th Avenue.

MY OLD APARTMENT
503 7th Ave. North

Amazingly enough, every place that I had ever lived at the beach is still there.

Before 1980, I stayed for many years in a trailer at the "Holiday Inn Trav-L-Park" which is still there.

The Trav-L-Park Pavilion was the place to be at this park; I worked there for several summers. Unfortunately, the old arcade was destroyed by hurricane Hugo in 1989. Only the concrete pad remains, with this metal shelter over the original building. The restaurant is there the Bingo once was.

 
The arcade had to be moved from the beachfront because of new building codes after the hurricane, now its located by the new, greatly expanded pool by the general store. The pool is great, but the arcade is awful.
 
Watson's, the old general store by Highway 17, is closing. At least Willard's Fireworks is still going strong after all these years.

 
Then, I moved to Myrtle Beach. The house still looks great. This house was originally built and furnished for the head cook at the Ocean Forest Hotel.

Finally, I got my own apartment for the summers of 1983 and 84, in a house on 7th Ave. North, directly across from Chapin's. The first summer, I was in the lower-right hand apartment facing the front. The second year, I was in the ground-level of the garage apartment in back. It appears that the back building isn't used anymore and is in disrepair; note the broken railing on the steps, and the outside shower building has been removed.

If you lived at the beach in 1984, you probably came to the infamous 3-day party that I threw one weekend in August, in that back apartment. While I was there, that commercial building behind it wasn't there-- it was other apartment houses. A motorcycle gang lived behind me, and we got along great.

It was so nice having a little convenience store right next-door (left side of building). Too bad its closed now, and the other side is a bus station- that attracts a really nice crowd. The old Piggly Wiggly grocery store at 614 N. Broadway, just around the corner, is gone too, its now an Asian mart. Across the intersection, the old "Miscue Billiards and Bar" at 637 Broadway is also gone; it was the "7 Mare" Mexican restaurant in 2006, but is closed now.

ASTRO NEEDLE AMUSEMENT PARK
8th Ave North/Chester Street

 
This large, 200' rotating tower ride was for many years the tallest structure in Myrtle Beach, and was often figured prominently in postcards and pictures, second only to the Pavilion itself. This was part of a small park of rides and other attractions that opened in 1970, between Chester Street and Highway 17, directly across from the Pavilion park's parking lot.

Click here or on the picture for info about this park and its impressive tower ride.

MOTHER FLETCHERS
710 N. Ocean Blvd.
Myrtle Beach, SC
(843) 448-2545

This building was originally the Seaside Cafeteria many years ago .

This long-time nightclub was open from 1977-2004. This location was their 2nd- for many years they were located at 406 8th Ave. North by the highway, in the old "Sunshine Express" building, which was a Bump-Em Cars ride before that. When the Pavilion Amusement Park took over the entire block for the last big expansion, Mother Fletcher's moved to this new location right on the boulevard. For many years, they were famous for their wet t-shirt contests and over-the-top commercials on WKZQ.

Their $2 off coupons can still be found in brochure racks in hotels up and down the strip, even though they have been closed nearly 3 years!

 
The ocean side of these buildings has always been a mess.

They were evicted on October 19, 2004, and the building sat empty for 2 straight seasons, in what should be a prime boulevard location. The eviction notice hung in the side window until the building was torn down.

I've heard conflicting information about this-- some people say that the "City shut them down". The newspapers claim that they were having financial trouble and were unable to pay their rent. In either case, it looks unlikely that they will be re-opening. Their website at www.motherfletchers.com, online since 2002, is also gone.

According to the Sun News, former landlord Burroughs & Chapin has turned down several offers from other nightclubs to use this building, claiming that they want a more "family friendly atmosphere" in the downtown area. Despite such plans, a new nightclub will be opening for the 2007 season directly across the street in the old Wet-N-Wild building, named "Club Exception".

During the demolition of the Pavilion in early 2007, the old Seaside Cafeteria/ Mother Fletcher's building was also torn down. These pictures were taken on April 1, 2007:

FREAKY TIKI CLUB 708A N. Ocean Blvd. Myrtle Beach, SC (843) 445-2582

Freaky Tiki was a large club occuping the building a couple of doors south of Mother Fletcher's - it was closed before the 2006 season by legal order, because of drunk and disorderly kids leaving the bar, and wet t-shirt contests and nudity. This bar was open for at least 3 summers, during which it drew the ire of local motels.

In the fall of 2005, Judge Stanton Cross issued a temporary injuction, forcing them to close for one year or until Sept. 6th, 2006. Then, their application to renew their alcohol license for the next season was denied, which was probably the reason they gave up and closed. The bar has now been split up into several t-shirt/tattoo shops, just like all the others on the boulevard.

• WPDE 15 article on closing, 2006

DUFFY'S TAVERN

Both of these old bars are still here, and are essentially the same.

THE BOWERY

Open since 1944, The Bowery is one of the oldest bars in the area. They once had the country band Alabama as the house band, before they became famous.

******** IN MEMORY ******** Mike Spillane, long-time Bowery employee and beach resident, and one of the sons of Mickey Spillane, has died. He was living in a boardwalk-side apartment over the Fun Plaza, and when he didn't open up the Bowery on time on Friday, October 26th 2006, he was found by friends who went to investigate. Apparently it happened very quickly. A memorial/remembrance was held for him on Wednesday night, November 1st at The Bowery, at 7pm.

THE BOULEVARD

 
Other miscellaneous places on or near Ocean Boulevard in the downtown area.

THE BOARDWALK

Many of the same old places are still in operation, but there's lots of apparently unused and seedy places here now. I've also heard that this is a very risky place to be at night, that its now a high-crime area.

 
Looking into the Pavilion arcade from the start of the boardwalk

 
Looking down the boardwalk from the Pavilion, November, 1983.
Thanks to Bob Russell for use of his pictures at webshots.com

 
May 12, 2007: The boardwalk is shorter now that the Pavilion has been completely demolished.

Ocean Front Grill - This was originally the Ocean Front Tavern, which had a beer garden built over the beach in 1935, removed in 1940 to make room for the new concrete walkway. It was bought by Johnny Burroughs in 1948, who renamed it to the Ocean Front Grill. This restaurant and Peaches Corner have been run by the same family since, and is currently managed by Russ Stalvey.

 
Many years ago, "The Keg" bar was over the restaurant- entrance was that gray door in the alleyway.

 
Looking into the Fun Plaza from the boardwalk.

MARVIN'S FOOD & GAMES
918-D N. Ocean Blvd. Myrtle Beach, SC
(843) 448-4926

Website: Marvin's Food and Games

Located at the end of the Boardwalk, beside Plyler Park. Often called "Starvin' Marvin's" by the locals, this place looks unchanged, and is still a great place to eat. There are also several pool tables and other games, and a jukebox. This restaurant originally started as a taco stand on the boulevard in 1975 by Marvin McHone; it moved to the old Seaside Cafeteria building in April 1979, then moved to the current location in 1983.

HARD ROCK PARK
211 George Bishop Parkway
Myrtle Beach, SC 29579

This new Rock & Roll-themed amusement park, located at Fantasy Harbour along US 501, is scheduled to open in the Spring of 2008. A free "Backstage Tour" preview center is open, with information and a small sampling of the park's attractions. Click here or on the Hard Rock sign for a special page of pictures.

K'S OF MYRTLE BEACH
1108 3rd Ave. South Ext.
(803) 448-3110

Another great local bar on 3rd Ave. South, close to Hwy 501. The manager, Bruce, was also part of the party crew. This has now been turned into Warren's; I have no idea what its like.

KING'S ROAD TAVERN
100 North King's Highway
(803) 448-4937

A popular former restaurant/bar on Highway 17. This bar, on the south corner beside several other businesses, has all been torn down and replaced. I'm not positive, but I think that this bar burned down many years ago.

The owner/manager, Bettie Jean Barnes "Ma" Gilbert, died on Wednesday, January 13, 2007 at Waccamaw Community Hospital, at age 76. She was born Jan. 15, 1931 in Parkersburg, WV, and had been living in Murrells Inlet. The funeral service was on Friday, Feb. 9, 2007 at Goldfinch Funeral Home in Murrells Inlet, and she was buried in Oceanwoods Cemetary. (Sun News, 2/02/2007)

She ran this popular bar with her late husband William Gilbert, who preceded her by many years. She also ran the Gaslight Tavern at 407 Yaupon Circle, and "Some Place Else". She was well known and respected for her support of many local musicians and rock bands.

FORT CAROLINE
US 501 near Waccamaw

This was a frontier-land style park featuring a large wooden fortress, which was "attacked" several times a day. The exact location of this park is not yet known, but it was in operation through the 1950s and 1960s. References to a "wild west" theme park in Myrtle Beach are confusing this park, and many anachronistic elements of the old PirateLand park in Surfside Beach.

UNKNOWN MINIATURE GOLF
3rd Avenue South

Directly across 3rd Avenue South from the parking lot of the then-Grand Strand Amusement Park, was a miniature golf course which is long gone, nothing remains of it. The name of this course is not known, although it could have been the old "Dinosaur Minigolf" course. It was directly behind a 24-hour breakfast restaurant on the north corner of Hwy 17, which itself is now a gas station. Most overhead pictures of the park at the time show little of this course because of the trees. In a direct ripoff of the older Goofy Golf course, this one had a big Tyrannosaurus Rex that moved its arm, raising and lowering a spider hazard on a chain.

FAMILY KINGDOM AMUSEMENT PARK
300 North Ocean Blvd
Myrtle Beach, SC
(843) 626-3447

Website: Family Kingdom

It now bills itself as "Myrtle Beach's Only Seaside Amusement Park", which is true- out of the several that once lined the coast, this is the only such park in the entire Grand Strand region. If it wasn't for the 40-year old Swamp Fox rollercoaster, that has been kept in great shape, none of this would probably be here.

This park was originally the "Grand Strand Amusement Park"; it was closed after extensive damage by Hurricane Hugo and sat for two years. It was purchased in 1991 by the Ammons family, owners of the Sea Mist resort and they renovated and reopened the park, changing its name to "Family Kingdom Amusement Park".

Discover Myrtle Beach article

 
Park Map

Grand Strand Amusement Park, in the early 70s; this postcard is postmarked Sept. 1978. Note that the first water slide is not yet constructed on the ocean side.

The centerpiece of the park is the Swamp Fox roller coaster, still in excellent condition. This is one of the last few such wooden roller coasters that once lined beaches up and down the east coast. It was built by prolific coaster designer John Allen of the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, and originally opened on Friday, June 17th, 1966.

The coaster was damaged by Hurricane Hugo in 1989, and sat unused during the 1990 and 1991 seasons. The park was purchased in 1991, and the Swamp Fox underwent a complete refurbishing according to the original design specifications. The wooden roller coaster boasts 1/2 mile of running track in a figure-8 configuration, and a 62 foot free fall drop reaching 50mph.

• RollerCoaster Database entry
• UltimateCoaster info - Lots of pictures
• Sixties Wooden Coasters

Great Pistolero Roundup, fairly new interactive shooting dark ride. Built by Sally Corp, this is one of the first shooting rides ever. I think that the building was actually a Mexican restaurant long ago.

Family Kingdom has added a historic carousel to a post-1989 section of the park, located the old southwestern parking lot and visible from the highway. This carousel, #87 made by Philadelphia Toboggan Company (the same company that built the Swamp Fox coaster), was originally located in the Casino Pier in Asbury Park, NJ. Family Kingdom has built a protective building for this casino similar to the one the Pavilion did for their Herschell-Spillman carousel, although its not nearly as ornate as the original carousel building in Asbury Park.

During the decline and demise of the Asbury Park boardwalk and entertainment district in the 1980s, the original wooden horses were sold, and have been replaced with fiberglass replicas. This carousel operated at the Casino from 1932 to 1990, when it was purchased for the new Family Kingdom park.

Family Kingdom Carousel - Information webpage on this ride

Directly across Ocean Blvd, and along the mouth of Wither's Swash, is Family Kingdom Water Park, which was once named "Wild Rapids". This was the very first of the concrete water slides built in the mid 1970s. It is still here, although the concrete slides have been replaced with a variety of fiberglass slides. and pools. The original mountain is mostly still there. (These pictures were taken on Sept. 29, 2006)

A Toboggan by Chance Rides was once set up behind the southernmost buildings, now derelict nightclubs. In the late 70s, this ride was visible from the highway, packed up where it sat for quite some time. Does anyone know what happened to it?

OLD PRO GOLF
Corner of Ocean Blvd & 6th Ave. S
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
(803) 448-7641

What is now the southern parking lot of Family Kingdom Amusement Park was once home to Old Pro Golf, one of the best and most challenging miniature golf courses I've ever seen. It had two complete 18-hole courses, one with a wild-western theme and the other with a polynesian theme. This course was open in 1979, but was gone by 1982.

This was once part of a chain of courses along the coast, built by Herb Schoellkopf from Ocean City, MD. Today, the only remaining courses are all in Ocean City, where they operate seven different themed courses, one of them indoor. (Here's an amateur movie with one of their courses.)

Nothing remains of the courses in Myrtle Beach. The parking lot in front of these dilapidated buildings was once a big go-kart track, and the miniature golf course was directly east of that, along 6th Avenue.
 
The miniature golf course, today.

Miniature Golf in Myrtle Beach

HO WAH
409 S Kings Hwy
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
(843) 448-3321

A great Chinese buffet restaurant on Highway 17, just south of Family Kingdom. This is a really good place to get lunch, I ate here a lot when I lived in the area. There was another great chinese restaurant- Golden Gate, at 2701 North King's Highway beside the old Myrtle Square mall, but its gone now.

MYRTLE CINEMA 10
1804 S. King's Highway

This was once a great multi-screen movie house, open all year round. Located on Highway 17 almost near the airport, it was my first choice of places to see the latest movie. They were one of the last theatres with a decent late show, like the time in 1993 when I saw "The Faces of Death Part 4" at this theatre (as recounted in HToMC Issue #18).

Now, its just another large abandoned building in what should be a busy vacation spot. In fact, hardly any of the old theatres are in operation anymore.

SPRINGMAID BEACH

Located at the very end of the string of beachfront motels, nearly at the end of Ocean Blvd, this is a little-known beach where a lot of the locals go to get away from the crowds. There is a fair amount of new development near the Springmaid pier, but this beach itself is still very much the same as its always been- empty. Even the long-abandoned parking lot that you have to walk through to get to it, is the same. This area was once the site of Pebble Beach Campground.

This last, empty bit of beach may be soon developed as part of a nearby condo resort.

WATER BOGGAN
3207 Highway 73 (Ocean Blvd)
(803) 238-2808

Built in 1976, this was among the first Waterslides in Myrtle Beach, touching off a craze that would be copied up and down the coast. This has not only gone out of business-- they've completely levelled it! It was fun to go on this slide on hot days, watching A-10s taking off directly overhead from the Air Force Base across the highway (its closed too, transformed into the airport). This is almost at the very end of Ocean Blvd where it stops at Highway 17.

This early water-slide was made of concrete instead of fiberglass like all the later ones-- you really needed those blue mats to slide on. Some discussion of MB waterslides is online here.

These 1977 pictures are from the first waterslide, built on the beachfront across from Grand Strand Amusement Park. The hill and slides are very similar to the Water Boggan and other slides of that era.

Thanks to Don Chesnut for these pictures, from his family's vacation picture archive.

 
The Water Boggan today-- an empty lot. Nearly all waterslides in the region have met the same fate.

MYRTLE BEACH GRAND PRIX

The original Myrtle Beach Grand Prix, across the street, is also gone, replaced by a miniature golf course and a Par 3 course, with only remnants of the race tracks left. This racing park was owned by the Lazarus family, who also owned the Myrtle Beach Grand Prix in Windy Hill, which closed in 2006. They also own the Wild Water Park in Surfside Beach.

PIRATELAND / MAGIC HARBOR 4901 S. King's Highway Myrtle Beach, SC (803) 238-0717

This was a small amusement park approximately 4 miles south of Myrtle Beach, located on Highway 17 south of MB Air Force Base (now Airport). Originally opened as PirateLand in 1964, it has changed hands several times, changing to Magic Harbor, and later a British-themed park. For several years, there was also an adjacent water slide on the north side, Magic Mountain.

PirateLand contained one of the first four Log Flume rides in the country, a 1200' Chair Lift ride, a Paddle Wheel boat ride around Forbidden Island, a mile and a half ride on a real steam train, and self-powered "Skeeter Boats" which were added in 1968. The old village was built along the original King's Highway, where George Washington travelled through in 1791.

After PirateLand closed, it was renovated and expanded with new rides, opening in the mid 1970s as Magic Harbor. They had a large, distinctive lighthouse at the entrance on Highway 17.

A history of Magic Harbor is on the Defunct Parks site.

Roller Coaster Database entry for Magic Harbor.
This park was the original home of the Corkscrew roller coaster, made by Arrow. It was later sold to the Pavilion Amusement Park where it operated from 1978 until 9/06/1999, when it was taken apart and sold to a park in Colombia to make room for the Hurricane Category 5 coaster. The log flume and antique car rides were also sold to the Pavilion, and operated there until the park's closing on Sept. 30, 2006.

The final incarnation of this amusement park closed in the mid 1990s. Nowadays, absolutely nothing remains of this park-- it has been completely absorbed by PirateLand Campground at 5401 South Highway 17 and is used to store campers. This campground opened in 1966 as a companion to the original park, but was always independent, and thus was unaffected by the park closings. They have recently celebrated their 40th anniversary-- a very long time, in Myrtle Beach time.

SANDY MONKEY
3034 Hwy 17 S.
Garden City
(843) 357-0208

A friend turned me on to this neat bar way down south in Garden City, and we frequented it during numerous weekend excursions to the beach in the mid 1990s. Look for the big ape on the roof.

CAMELOT THEATRE
1901 North King's Highway
(803) 448-3322

Like most old theatres in Myrtle Beach, this one is long gone, but the building remains. This was a 3-screen theatre in the Plitt Theatre chain, which closed in the early 1990s, after opening in 1968 with the film "Oliver". This theatre was where I first saw "Alien" in the summer of 1979. After it closed, it was used as country music clubs, and has re-opened as another one.

In 2007 it was Red Rooster Ultra Saloon, a college rock-country/western bar, which opened on June 13, 2006. It didn't last long, and the building is being renovated at the beginning of June, 2008.

CHAIRMAN'S CORNER
2002 North King's Highway

This was once a great bar and restaurant, in the corner of a strip mall beside Studebaker's nightclub, which is still there (at least in name). It was THE place to unwind after a hard day's work, and I got plastered there more than once. When I visited in 1993, it was still Chairman's, but under new management; they had taken out half the tables and replaced them with pool tables, and it was a country bar. I heard from the bartender at Tha' Bar, that it was briefly "Captain's Corner" before it became Madison's Bar and Grill.

MYRTLE SQUARE MALL
2501 North King's Highway

 
Opened in 1975, this was the first mall in the region, along Highway 17 near the Convention Center. At that time, it was fairly large, with 450,000 square feet of shopping space on 57 acres. Memorable parts of this mall were: the central food court with the huge clock made out of lights; the "Magic Cavern" arcade, the hobby shop across from the arcade and the Record Bar a couple of doors down; the Radio Shack for electronic parts, and the fantasic lemonade from Chik-Fil-A. I haven't actually liked many malls; this is one of the very few that I enjoyed going to.

 1992 Pictures

Demolition started in December 2005, finished in June 2006. Its just a big empty lot now- nothing is left but the out-building in the corner of the lot. The former mall's owner, Burroughs & Chapin, has no current plans for this property, and it it sitting mostly empty.

Links:

• Wikipedia: Myrtle Square Mall
• Myrtle Square Mall Tribute Page

This building in the back left corner of the mall lot once contained a great local bar called Eby's. There were some wild after-hours parties there.

GREENS BEVERAGES
2850 N. King's Hwy
Myrtle Beach, SC
(843) 448-1623

Its nice to see that some things never change. This is the ultimate party supply store.
Website here

VILLAGE SQUARE/
SOUNDS FAMILIAR
38th - 43rd Ave. North & Highway 17
Myrtle Beach, SC

Once a bustling shopping center, one of the first and largest "strip malls" in the area, it now appears largely deserted.

Long-time beach-goers would recognize this as the site of the former Hawaiian Village restaurant and motel. The restaurant actually had a small river running through it, with little bridges to get across. This picture is from a 1965 postcard, taken by Jack Thompson.
Hardly anyone here now, most of the businesses look closed. Even long-time places like Mr. Gatti's Pizza are gone.

One of the last of the older businesses in this strip mall has also closed. These Nov. 1, 2006 pictures show the front of Chung Wah restaurant, closed after 25 years.

Sounds Familiar was the best music/record store on the whole beach, even better than The Record Bar in the mall-- I bought a ton of albums from them over the years. In 2006 it is sitting empty and apparently neglected from the looks of the vegetation outside.

...but the store lives on...

SOUNDS BETTER
9904 N Kings Hwy
Myrtle Beach, SC 29572
843-497-3643

The store has re-opened in the Restaurant Row section between Myrtle and North Myrtle Beach along highway 17. This new location is behind Margaritas in the "Hidden Village Shopping Center". The best way to find it is to look for Cagney's Restaurant along the highway; this village of stores is directly on the other side of the highway.

According to owner/manager Jeff Roberts, the old Sounds Familiar was opened in 1979 and closed in 2003 due to a number of problems; rising rents, predatory competition from "Big Box" stores, and a business partner who went bankrupt and abruptly bailed out. The out-of-state management of that entire shopping center sounds like a continuous comedy of errors.

The new store is used/special music only, and he can order anything special that you need. He is also very active at promoting local music, with a series of special shows at the old MB Train Station.

• Sounds Better - webpage
• South By Southeast - MB Music Fest/dining events to benefit music eduation

DUNES CINEMA
4501 N Kings Hwy
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577

 
Another nice movie theatre on Highway 17, closed. This was the first theatre where I saw the Rocky Horror Picture Show in 1979. Some websites indicate that this closed in 2004.

AUNT MAUDE'S COUNTRY KITCHEN
6901 N. Kings Hwy
Myrtle Beach, SC 29572
(803) 449-3835

This was once a busy country-cooking style and seafood buffet restaurant, located at 70th Ave. North on Highway 17, beside a swash. It opened sometime in the early-mid 1970s. It was open for dinner, and was often packed with people patiently waiting on the porch to get in. The sign actually says "Vittles n Things". Between 1979 and 1982, the restaurant beside it became Aunt Maude's Low Country Seafood, and it later became Crabman's Seafood, owned by MB Mayor Mark McBride.

 
Now, its just an empty lot like so many others in Myrtle Beach, demolished along with the seafood restaurant beside it in May, 2004. Since then, it has been awaiting development by Burroughs and Chapin. This is planned on becoming part of a large restaurant/shopping area called The Palisades, but nothing has been done as of 2008.

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH

 
Lots of changes in North Myrtle Beach as well. More strip malls. More high-rise hotels and condos. Less amusements and places to hang out.

Miniature Golf in the Grand Strand

Myrtle Beach Hotels and Motels

Other Myrtle Beach Landmarks

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