Myrtle Beach History Tours

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Myrtle Beach History Tours

Climb aboard a climate-controlled trolley and discover Myrtle Beach's history through four different tours held Tuesday through Thursday and on select Fridays. The tours' creator is a local who is passionate about the history of her hometown. She'll tell you of its origin story, coming of age, military history, WWII U-boat threats off the coast and the arrival of German POWs, movies made there, its impact on music history, tales of local ghosts and pirates, and stories of families who helped shape our nation's history. Stops are made at some of the most historic sites in the region. Guests can choose between: MYRTLE BEACH HISTORY, MOVIES & MUSIC; EARLY MYRTLE BEACH & THE WAR YEARS; MYRTLE BEACH AREA GHOSTS, PIRATES & HISTORIC FAMILIES; and the MYRTLE BEACH MILITARY HISTORY TROLLEY TOUR & CATERED RECEPTION. The last one is held once a month from September to March, while the other three are offered weekly, Tuesday - Thursday. The tours meet and return to The Market Common on the south end of Myrtle Beach beside the airport. There is ample free parking in the parking decks, in the parking lots and on the street. Upscale restaurants and shops await passengers upon their return. Here are descriptions of each tour: MYRTLE BEACH HISTORY, MOVIES & MUSIC Hear the story of Myrtle Beach’s coming of age in the mid-20th century to present day, the movies that were made or premiered there, the role music played in its history and that Myrtle Beach played in music history. Stops include Charlie’s Place Historic Site that was once a part of the Chitlin' Circuit and its motel was listed in The Green Book. EARLY MYRTLE BEACH & THE WAR YEARS If you are already familiar with the general history of the Myrtle Beach that we know today but want to delve deeper into the city's beginnings and specifically during the years of the second world war, this trolley tour may interest you. It shares Myrtle Beach's origin story and tells what it was like to live there during WWII with U-boat threats off the coast and the arrival of German POWs. It makes stops at Myrtle Beach's first golf course, Pine Lakes International Country Club, and the Historic Myrtle Beach Colored School Museum. MYRTLE BEACH AREA GHOSTS, PIRATES & HISTORIC FAMILIES Take a half-hour ride on a climate-controlled trolley south of Myrtle Beach to the fishing community of Murrells Inlet, SC, and beyond. Hear the quintessential ghost stories that locals have grown up with, background on the pirates who were said to have frequented the local shores 300 years ago, and historical commentary on the families who lived in the area and shaped our nation's history. In addition, meet one of the most noteworthy craftsmen of Pawleys Island who has been demonstrating the rare art of hammock-making for thirty years. There is a lot of information packed into this 2-hour narrated tour that also highlights historic sites in the region so that guests can choose where they want to visit when they return on their own. Three brief stops are made at The Gardener’s Cottage of Brookgreen Gardens, the Pawleys Island Hammock Shops Village, and at a photo-worthy overlook in Murrells Inlet. THE MYRTLE BEACH MILITARY HISTORY TROLLEY TOUR & CATERED RECEPTION The trolley tour takes guests around the Market Common District in Myrtle Beach that was once the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base and an Army Air Corp Airfield during WWII which also housed a German POW camp. It makes three stops at Warbird Park where military planes are on static display, the General Robert H. Reed Recreation Center which has a small military museum, and the Norton General Aviation Terminal that displays military memorabilia. Guests are divided into two groups with each half enjoying a catered reception and historical presentation at Tupelo Honey either before or after the trolley portion of the tour. This is the fifth season of this popular tour that was recognized by the local county's board of historic preservation. The tour's creator will also be the narrator. The talk at the reception will be given by a historic figure who played a significant role in the history of the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base.

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