An amusement park is coming to Myrtle Beach’s downtown in 2021. Here’s the latest
Myrtle Beach will soon have another spot for residents and tourists to enjoy as a proposal to build an outdoor amusement park along Ocean Boulevard gets the green light.
The topical-themed attraction, called The Funplex of Myrtle Beach, will feature seven rides, including a roller coaster that will surround the perimeter of the property, and a walk-up bar and restaurant that will offer domestic and local draft beers, custom frozen drinks and traditional bar food. The park will be located at 14th Avenue North between Ocean Boulevard and Chester Street.
The building site is currently a parking lot adjacent to THEBLVD and Olympic Flame Pancake House.
Funplex CEO Brian Williams said he’s excited to expand the Funplex brand into Myrtle Beach after opening the first location in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, 23 years ago.
“This project has been a long time in the making, and I am thrilled to see it another step closer to reality,” Williams told The Sun News. “Myrtle Beach is a great fit for our family park and by this time next year, we will be operating our first branded location outside of New Jersey. We couldn’t be happier.”
There are currently two Funplex locations in New Jersey that have been in operation for over two decades.
Along with a lengthy “Fun in the Sun” roller coaster, the park will also feature interactive 360° jet simulator ride, which Williams said is the tallest ride of its kind in North America reaching heights over 50 feet and a 65-foot drop-and-twist tower ride. The remaining rides will be ground-level family and kiddie rides that will fill the remaining space in the park.
With Myrtle Beach’s Community Appearance Board approving the project on June 4, the park is expected to open next April with construction expected to begin in September, according to Williams.
The decision to approve the project came about one year after a request to rezone the property from mixed-use high density to an amusement zone was approved by both the Planning Commission and City Council.
Last July, Brian Macho, of CPC Oceanfront Delaware, LLC, which also developed the three-story entertainment complex THEBLVD on Ocean Boulevard, requested the building site be rezoned for the purpose of housing luxury single-family vacation rentals, a multi-level parking garage and an outdoor amusement area.
While the site was approved and rezoned by City Council, Macho couldn’t specify what the rides would be due to a confidentiality agreement with the operator of the amusement company. Macho had urged the attraction wouldn’t be a roller coaster or something “tremendously high.” He said it would be something that doesn’t currently exist in Myrtle Beach.
Currently, no plans have been submitted to construct the vacation rentals or parking garage, though it is unknown whether those plans will come to fruition.
“The Funplex Myrtle Beach will offer a big punch in a compact footprint,” Williams said. “Families can stay for a few hours and really keep busy.”
