Don't let a little rain dampen your vacation fun in Myrtle Beach. When spring showers prevent you from spending a sunny day at the beach or hitting the links for a round of golf, there are plenty of indoor options for enjoying your time on the Grand Strand.
Guests at Ocean Reef Resort are doubly in luck. In addition to the many on-site amenities that are covered or indoors, like the water park, lazy river and hot tubs as well as the Banana Boat Lounge, Ocean Reef is also close to several venues where you can stay high and dry while having a good time. Here is a list of our favorite rainy-day activities in the Myrtle Beach area:
- Art Galleries/Museums: Offering free admission with donations accepted, the Franklin G. Burroughs–Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum in Myrtle Beach is a nice, cheap way to spend a rainy day. Located on the south end of Ocean Drive in a renovated beach house near Springmaid Pier, the museum boasts a collection that includes touring displays by famous artists and standing exhibits by local artists that highlight the area's beauty and history. For a more contemporary art collection, make the short trip to Market Common for several local galleries, like the Seacoast Artists Gallery. Visitors with small children can take the little ones to the Children’s Museum of South Carolina for some educational and fun activities.
- Tourist Attractions: Myrtle Beach is packed with indoor attractions when it's too cloudy and rainy for the great outdoors, and nearby Broadway at the Beach is the hottest spot for indoor fun. Ripley's Aquarium features aquatic animals on full display, WonderWorks serves as a mad-science lab turned upside down, and Hollywood Wax Museum lets you get up close and personal with the biggest names in music and show business. You can easily spend a full rainy day at Broadway at the Beach without getting wet.
- Bowling: The days of smoke-filled bowling alleys that smell of cigarettes and rented shoes are over. A brand new type of bowling facility, 710 in North Myrtle Beach, takes the sport to the big time with modern decor, a full-service bar and restaurant, and a large arcade with all the latest games. New-age bowling is also available on the South Strand at Frank's Theatre and Entertainment, which offers dining-room theaters, bowling, arcade games, and an impressive food and beer lineup.
- Indoor Action: Keeping the kids cooped up on a rainy day can be challenging, but there are places you can take them to burn off some energy while having some family-friendly fun. Fun Warehouse in Surfside Beach, which features roller skating, laser tag, inflatable play areas, an arcade and a snack bar, offers an environment where the little ones — and even grown-ups who are still kids at heart — can have a big time regardless of their age.
- Movies/Theatres: Looking to catch a show? You can venture out to one of the Grand Strand’s many movie or entertainment theaters, such as the Broadway 17, the Coastal Grand 14, the Alabama Theatre or Legends in Concert. (Freebie alert: check your Sun & Fun Rewards package for a free ticket to Legends). Or, for those looking to stay closer to home, guests at Ocean Reef can also use their Sun & Fun Rewards card to check out free and unlimited DVDs from our in-lobby kiosk. Have a family movie night and spend an evening indoors with some free family time.
- Shopping: Lace up your shopping sneakers and hit some of the area malls and retail centers for some rainy-day deals. Broadway at the Beach, the Coastal Grand Mall and two Tanger Outlet Stores complexes give guests lots of shopping opportunities under one roof, and Ocean Reef guests are only blocks away from some great local mom-and-pop shops along Kings Highway.
After a rainy day out an about, come back to Ocean Reef for a dip in the indoor pool or a soak in the hot tub, a nightcap at the Banana Boat Lounge, and a relaxing rest on your private balcony overlooking the ocean. Rain or shine, make Ocean Reef Resort, Myrtle Beach your vacation home away from home.
