8 ways to make the most of Myrtle Beach in the middle of a SC heat wave
As a heat wave slams Myrtle Beach, it’s a good time to enjoy the great indoors. This week highs are expected in the upper 80s and low 70s Fahrenheit, with humidity to keep the nights warm as well.
“Stay inside as much as you can, and keep that outdoor activity pretty limited,” National Weather Service meteorologist Ian Boatman told The Sun News last week.
Although the Grand Strand is known for its beaches, there are plenty of indoor attractions to stay cool out of the heat and humidity this summer.
Learn about the Grand Strand
Even if you live in the Grand Strand or have visited regularly for years, you might be surprised at what you’ll learn at the Horry County Museum in downtown Conway. The free museum welcomes visitors to learn about the area’s wildlife, indigenous people, military past, history as a beach destination and much more.
Get your game on
If you’ve been down by the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade, it’s impossible to miss the arcades lining the beachfront. In the age of mobile games and home consoles, the arcades offer vintage fun, plus a reprieve from the beach heat.
The Myrtle Beach Pinball Museum offers more old-school fun with more than 25 pinball machines dating back to the 1970s. Admission to the museum is $12 for an hour of unlimited playtime.
Visitors can reserve a spot ahead of time online and check the website for the latest days and hours, which change weekly. This week the museum will be open from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, as well as 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday.
The Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum
Myrtle Beach is also home to the Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum, a free museum showcasing regional, national and international art in a historic beach house on the south end of Myrtle Beach.
The museum features 11 galleries and with frequently changing collections, so even if you’ve visited before, you might find new art to appreciate.
Make an escape
For those who enjoy flexing their puzzle-solving skills, escape rooms offer a thrilling escape from the heat. Players work together in immersive games to collect clues, crack codes and solve mysteries to break out before time runs out, typically an hour.
The Grand Strand has plenty of escape rooms to offer. In Myrtle Beach, players can check out Backstage Escape Room Games, Captive Escape Rooms, The Escape Game, Escape Goats, Escape Vault, Escapology, Myrtle Beach Room Escape Games and Riddles Escape Room. Surfside Beach is home to Coastal Escape Rooms and North Myrtle Beach features Break Out Myrtle Beach.
See the aquarium
At Ripley’s Aquarium, you can watch wildlife without braving the heat. The aquarium features penguins, jellyfish, axalotl, sharks and even sloths, all at Broadway at the Beach minutes from downtown.
Visit an indoor mall
Whether you’re after a real shopping spree or just window shopping, there are two indoor malls where you can stretch your legs in air conditioning.
Located at the north end of Myrtle Beach next to the Intracoastal Waterway, the Myrtle Beach Mall offers outdoor gear, books, restaurants and more. The Coastal Grand Mall near the Myrtle Beach International airport also offers eateries, as well as jewelry, shoes, appliances and more.
Both malls also offer movie theaters.
Catch a movie
If you want to catch a movie on the big screen, the Grand Strand has four movie theaters where you can enjoy air conditioning this week. There are three Myrtle Beach theaters, the Stone Theatres Grand 14 at The Market Common, Cinemark Myrtle Beach and AMC Classic Myrtle Beach 12. Inland you’ll find the B&B Theatres Conway 12.
Go Bowling
Bowling alleys are a great way to escape the heat for competitive players and relaxed bowlers alike. In the Grand Strand, there are 810 Entertainment locations in Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach and Conway. Myrtle Beach also features Fun Warehouse and Myrtle Beach Bowl, there’s Little River Lanes near the North Carolina State line and Surfside Bowling Entertainment Center in the south strand.