Tag: Myrtle Beach SC

While you’re visiting Myrtle Beach, SC, your itinerary must include Brookgreen Gardens! Myrtle Beach, being a busy coastal area, has a lot of natural places to explore, with Brookgreen Gardens being one of the area’s most beautiful places to visit. The 9 thousand acres of paradise tucked away in Murrells Inlet (about 45 minutes from Myrtle Beach) is a short drive from Myrtle Beach and is only a couple minutes from Huntington Beach State Park. Learn about some of our favorite things to do at this lovely garden, and why you should consider it during your next trip to the coast.

Thank you to the Visit Myrtle Beach and Brookgreen Gardens for inviting us to experience Brookgreen Gardens during our week stay at Myrtle Beach.

What’s there to do at Brookgreen Gardens: Myrtle Beach?

First, don’t allow the name to trick you into thinking that you will only experience a garden (though you will certainly stroll through plenty of beautiful gardens), this award-winning destination includes also a low country zoo, several children’s areas, a large sculpture collection, and more. Put on your walking shoes and sunscreen because you could easily spend the entire day exploring.

The Creek Excursion

We started our visit by heading to the Wall Lowcountry Center to purchase tickets for the Creek Excursion. This pontoon boat tour down the creek is not included in general admission but it’s priced very fairly. I’m so glad that we choose to go on the boat excursion because the tour guide shared a lot of interesting historical information about the rice plantations that were originally in the area and the various owners of the property.

We also saw several alligators and native birds. The pontoon boat is shaded too giving you a little break from the sun. Be sure you have your kids use the restroom before the boat ride as it is 45 minutes. Children old enough to enjoy the presentation or that don’t mind sitting quietly for longer periods of time will enjoy the ride best.

The Creek Excursions run from March through November each year.

Children’s Discovery Center

After we finished the boat ride, we headed back to the Wall Lowcountry Center where we discovered that the Children’s Discovery Center had opened for the day. This small room was stocked with fun activities for the kids including a dinosaur dig, a clay sculpture area, and an art station. It was also air-conditioned and had two rocking chairs. I imagine that in July, this is the most popular spot in the gardens for kids needing to cool off for a couple minutes.

Walk to the Lowcountry Zoo

You can either ride the trolley up to the Lowcountry Zoo or walk, but if it’s spring you should definitely choose to walk because you won’t want to miss the path framed by Azalea bushes and the many look out stations and trees that you will pass on the pathways.

There are complimentary strollers parked at the Wall Lowcountry Center if you have a little kid that tires quickly from walking. The strollers are quite large and our seven year old managed to cram herself in one.

Storybook Forest

Right before you reach the zoo, you will find the Storybook Forest which is a collection of play houses and structures painted and themed around fairy tale characters. There isn’t a lot of shade (despite it being a “forest”) but the kids didn’t seem to mind at all.

Lowcountry Zoo

The Lowcountry Zoo is not large but it’s perhaps one of the most relaxing zoos I’ve ever been in. The pathways were shaded and beautifully landscaped with plenty of shade and the animal exhibits mostly blended in very well with the native surroundings.

Inside the zoo, we walked close to herons, watched otters play, and saw an alligator. All of the animals in the zoo are native to the area and the raptor area is all rehabilitated birds that can not live in the wild. The zoo does offer free tours and activities depending on what time and day you visit. We also saw a butterfly house but it was not open during our visit.

Gardens

Of course, you cannot visit Brookgreen Gardens without seeing the famous gardens. They are quite large and varied. The azaleas were in bloom when we visited in early April and were absolutely beautiful. In the gardens, you will find not just flowers and fountains but also a large collection of around 2,000 pieces of art, mostly sculptures.

Tips for Visiting Brookgreen Gardens

If you have ever wanted a chance to let your kids be a medieval lord or lady for a night, you should consider reserving tickets for the dinner/show Medieval Times. Myrtle Beach is full of unique places to visit, and Medieval Times is one of the most creative and interesting experiences you’ll find. Here’s what to expect and also some key tips from our visit to help you have a fantastic experience.

Plan out your next epic vacation with our Guide to Myrtle Beach, SC, loaded with things to do, places to stay, places to eat, and more!

Thank you to Visit Myrtle Beach and Medieval Times for making it possible to write this review.

The Preshow and Souvenirs at Medieval Times Myrtle Beach

The doors open 75 minutes before the show and seating is first come, first serve. We arrived about an hour before the show started and while it did result in some of the best seats in the house, our children had trouble waiting until the show began. If you are craving those front-row seats, early arrival is key, but we recommend waiting if you have younger kids.

Upon arriving you will be given your seat ticket, officially crowned with a paper crown, and posed for a photo. My kids were especially impressed when they saw that we were entering a castle, complete with a drawbridge.

Be sure to have your children use the restroom right before the show as you won’t want to have to take them in and out during the action.

The Preshow

Before the show begins you can watch a pre-show where you can pay to be “knighted”, several gift shops, a bar, and a torture museum (additional fee). The show is around two hours, so if your kids are younger you may want to arrive closer to 20-30 minutes early if you don’t care about your seats.

Gift Shop

The gift shop has a number of interesting souvenirs such as light-up swords, costumes, and rather real looking weapons.  You may want to consider budgeting for flags as your children can wave them during the show. The gift shop sells some really nice flags but we were also offered $3-5 pennants and flags once we were seated in the arena.

The Food at Medieval Times Myrtle Beach

Remember that the show is a big part of the evening, but my family did really enjoy the meal too. You will be served a four-course meal, which ours included tomato bisque soup, roasted chicken, garlic bread, corn on the cob, herb basted potatoes, a dessert (it was pound cake our night), and Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, or water. Coffee is also on the menu, but it wasn’t offered to us the night we attended. You can substitute a vegetarian meal that includes items such as warm pita bread and humus, carrots and celery, three bean soup, and fruit which is a nice option.

The meal is served to you throughout the show so there is no customization available (other than the option to choose vegetarian), you will have no silverware (since you are in the Dark Ages), and there is just two rounds of drinks served. You can order additional drinks including non-alcoholic and kid-friendly drinks from the bartender who will visit your table before the show. They also have a full-service bar for adults who want a drink or two.

What Is The Show Like at Medieval Times?

The show is approximately 2 hours and includes horses, a falcon demonstration, a knight tournament, and then a battle between the knights to determine the victor. The different parts of the story are tied together through dialogue of the king, his daughter, and the herald who frequently address the audience. Our family had trouble understanding what was being said but we were still able to follow the general flow of the story.

Each family is seated in the arena and assigned a knight and team to cheer for. The show is very personable with the knights making eye contact directly to the people in their sections (or even sneering at the opposing sections). The knights are also awarded flowers from the princess throughout the night which they throw out to the children in their section.

My children seemed particularly captivated by the closeness and realism of the arena. In fact, my daughter kept blowing kisses to our knight after receiving a flower. All the seats are really quite good in the arena. But, you are a little closer to the knights and action if you have a front or second-row seat.

My kids favorite part was definitely the sword fighting at the end of the show. It was full of big clangs, sparks, and all sorts of weapons. There is no blood, but be prepared for your knight to die as only one will survive.  I did read reviews online where some families felt like the fighting was inappropriate for small children, but I personally did not think that it was scary or particularly violent beyond being a sword fight.

Tips for Medieval Times

Gratuity is not included in your ticket price. Be sure to bring cash so that you can tip your server rather than tipping with your credit card. Even though the meal seems simpler than what you would experience at a regular restaurant, your server is having to carry massive trays (possibly a long distance) and be in character and costume during the entire evening. After some online research, we settled on $5/person which seems to be a common tip amount for the show.

Medieval Times is a show with horses and animals. So, don’t be surprised if you occasionally smell horses or see things that you would rather not during dinner. At least though your average kid thinks that horse poop during dinner is pretty funny. The arena is continually cleaned throughout the show.

If your kid needs to use the restroom at the end of the show (and it’s an “emergency”, of course), you might want to duck out right before the show officially ends. Lines for the restrooms can get quite long after the show.

You may be able to find deals on the Medieval Times website depending on when you are attending.

General Information

We attended the Medieval Times show in Myrtle Beach and had a great time. You can also find a show close to the Upstate in Atlanta, Georgia.

Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament
2904 Fantasy Way, Myrtle Beach, SC
843.236.4635

Have you ever been to Medieval Times in Myrtle Beach? What did you think?

---

---

A Travel Guide To Myrtle Beach, SC: Things to Do, Where to Stay, and Places to Eat