6 Best Sights in Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand, South Carolina

One of the Grand Strand's most magnificent hidden treasures, the 9,100-acre Brookgreen Gardens is the oldest and largest sculpture garden in the United States, with more than 550 examples of figurative American sculpture by such artists as Frederic Remington and Daniel Chester French. Each sculpture is carefully set within garden rooms and outdoor galleries graced by sprawling live oak trees, colorful flowers, and peaceful ponds. The gardens are lush and full in spring and summer, and in winter splashes of color from winter-blooming shrubs are set off against the stark surroundings.

The property was purchased as a winter home for industrialist Archer Huntington and his wife, Anna Hyatt Huntington, in 1929, but they quickly decided to open it to the public as a sculpture garden and wildlife sanctuary. You'll find a Lowcountry zoo (including native red wolves, introduced in 2021), an aviary, a cypress swamp, nature trails, an education center, and a butterfly house. Summer concerts under the stars and the garden's breathtaking Night of a Thousand Candles during the Christmas season are Brookgreen traditions. The gardens are just beyond The Fighting Stallions, the Anna Hyatt Huntington sculpture alongside U.S. Route 17.

You're greeted by a giant octopus constructed of recovered plastic trash at this hidden gem in a 1920s beach cottage on the southern cusp of Ocean Boulevard. The museum has a permanent collection of surf-, coastal-, and wildlife-themed works, plus an ever-changing eclectic array of sculptures and paintings that will open your eyes to the art community that thrives on the Grand Strand.

The true star of Archibald Rutledge's home (he was the poet laureate of South Carolina for 39 years until his death in 1973) may not be his 18th-century plantation house but the centuries-old Washington Oak in the yard, a now-massive tree saved by the first president. The mansion's exterior has been restored; cutaway sections in the finely crafted interior show the changes made through the centuries. There are walking trails and picnic areas on the grounds. You can also learn more about the slaves that toiled on the plantation, as well as freed people who made their homes in the area after empancipation.

This 2,500-acre former estate of Archer and Anna Huntington lies east of U.S. Route 17, across from Brookgreen Gardens. The park's focal point is Atalaya (circa 1933), their Moorish-style 30-room home. New in 2021 is a $1.2 million nature center, with live native animals, including an aquarium with rays and horseshoe crabs. There are nature trails, ample areas for biking (including a bicycle path from Huntington Beach to Litchfield Beach), fishing, picnic areas, bird-watching expeditions, a playground, concessions, and a campground.

Take a short hike through a forest canopy of pine, magnolia, and live oak, and escape the traffic of Highway 17 while discovering what Myrtle Beach looked like before all the neon. This state-protected parcel of land has a mile-long beach, 350 campsites, picnic pavilions, hiking trails, a fishing pier, an ice cream shop, and playgrounds. There are year-round family or children's activities offered through the park, like crabbing and nature programs, and lifeguards at the north section of the beach. Best for: sunrise; swimming; walking. Amenities: food and drink; parking (free with $8 admission to park); showers; toilets.

Over 3 miles of tranquil and natural beach run along the shoreline of Pawleys Island. The surrounding architecture consists only of beach cottages and low-lying resorts, so it's a peaceful retreat. Lack of crowds allows for bicycling on packed sand, shelling, or napping on a hammock. Note that there aren't any lifeguards. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking. Amenities: parking (limited; on side streets).