Broadway at the Beach
A large shopping, dining, and entertainment complex centered around Lake Broadway in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Broadway at the Beach is a shopping and entertainment complex in the center of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Developed and operated by Burroughs & Chapin, it combines specialty retail, restaurants, attractions, nightlife, hotels, and public spaces in a destination designed for both local use and tourism. The property occupies approximately 350 acres and is organized around Lake Broadway, a roughly 23-acre artificial lake that forms the visual and recreational center of the complex. Burroughs & Chapin announced the project in 1993, and the development held its grand opening on July 4, 1995. The opening was attended by South Carolina senator Strom Thurmond and Governor David Beasley. Early tenants and attractions included Hard Rock Cafe and the Palace Theatre, helping establish Broadway at the Beach as an entertainment-led alternative to a conventional enclosed shopping mall. Over time, the property expanded its mix of restaurants, stores, theaters, clubs, hotels, and attractions, while nearby road improvements and development along the U.S. 17 Bypass strengthened its position within the Myrtle Beach tourism corridor. The complex is divided into themed districts, including New England Fishing Village, Caribbean Village, Charleston Boardwalk, Heroes Harbor, and The Avenue. The Avenue, formerly known as Celebrity Square, is a warehouse-district-inspired nightlife and restaurant area that generally operates later than other parts of the property. Heroes Harbor includes a replica of the Morris Island Light positioned above a bar. The site also incorporates or has hosted major tourist attractions such as Ripley's Aquarium, Legends in Concert, WonderWorks, Hollywood Wax Museum, Pavilion Nostalgia Park, and seasonal rides and events. Broadway at the Beach has repeatedly refreshed its tenant and attraction mix in response to changes in Myrtle Beach tourism and consumer preferences. Several prominent venues have closed or been replaced, including Planet Hollywood, MagiQuest, the Palace Theatre, and the AMC Classic Broadway 16 cinema. Other changes brought Dave & Buster's, American Tap House, OZ nightclub, a larger replacement Hard Rock Cafe, Wahlburgers, Paula Deen's Family Kitchen, the Charles Bach Wonders Theatre, and newer specialty retailers. The former Celebrity Square district was renovated and formally renamed The Avenue in 2017. The complex has also been shaped by severe weather and the redevelopment cycle. Hurricane Bonnie damaged the Palace Theatre in 1998, and Hurricane Matthew caused extensive additional damage in 2016. The Palace Theatre was subsequently declared unfit for occupancy and demolished in 2017. Newer attractions included the 360 Observation Wheel, which opened in 2018, and a Simpsons-themed 4D attraction housed in an Aztec Theatre-inspired building. Broadway at the Beach also resumed weekly summer fireworks in 2021 and continued adding food, candy, entertainment, and specialty retail tenants. The property is positioned as a full-day or evening visitor destination rather than simply a place to shop. It offers more than 100 specialty stores, more than 20 restaurants, multiple theaters and attractions, nightlife venues, and hotels connected to or adjacent to the complex. The development has been reported as receiving more than 14 million visitors annually and as being South Carolina's most visited shopping center according to Placer.ai. Its current identity rests on combining shopping with dining, attractions, themed architecture, events, and family-oriented tourism.
History
Broadway at the Beach was conceived as a large-scale tourism and entertainment development in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Burroughs & Chapin announced the project in 1993, at a time when Myrtle Beach was expanding beyond its traditional beachfront attractions and developing more concentrated shopping, dining, and family-entertainment destinations. The project was built on approximately 350 acres in the heart of the city and was organized around a large artificial lake that became known as Lake Broadway. The complex opened on July 4, 1995, with a public ceremony attended by South Carolina senator Strom Thurmond and Governor David Beasley. Its initial offering combined specialty stores, restaurants, live entertainment, and major destination venues. Hard Rock Cafe and the Palace Theatre were among the early attractions, while the original layout included a horseshoe-shaped area extending from Celebrity Square to the Generations at Play fountain. The development's scale and open-air format differentiated it from a conventional enclosed mall and made it suitable for evening entertainment as well as daytime shopping. Expansion continued during the late 1990s. Additional stores were added, Grissom Parkway improved access, and development along the nearby U.S. 17 Bypass increased the area's commercial importance. In November 1996, Planet Hollywood and All Star Cafe opened in the Lakeshore at Broadway area. A later high-profile opening event in 1997 drew entertainment celebrities, reinforcing the property's strategy of using branded restaurants and attractions to create a tourism destination. The complex developed into several themed areas: New England Fishing Village, Caribbean Village, Charleston Boardwalk, Heroes Harbor, and the nightlife-oriented district first called Celebrity Square. Hotels were added within or near the development, including a Hampton Inn inside the complex and Fairfield Inn and Holiday Inn Express properties across 29th Avenue North in Lakeshore at Broadway. Attractions over the years included Ripley's Aquarium, Legends in Concert, WonderWorks, Hollywood Wax Museum, and Pavilion Nostalgia Park, which preserves rides associated with the former Myrtle Beach Pavilion. The tenant mix changed substantially in the 2010s. Legends in Concert moved to the property in 2011 after leaving its previous venue in Surfside Beach. WonderWorks opened on April 4, 2011, followed by Backstage Mirror Maze and the Vault Laser Maze in 2012. After Labor Day in 2015, Planet Hollywood and MagiQuest closed, and the Planet Hollywood globe building was demolished. Several clubs in the former Celebrity Square area also announced closures. These changes prompted public discussion about whether the property was moving away from adult nightlife and toward a more family-oriented model. A redevelopment program announced in 2015 brought new tenants and physical changes. Dave & Buster's, American Tap House, and OZ nightclub were among the planned additions. A new, larger Hard Rock Cafe opened in 2016, while the earlier Hard Rock pyramid was removed to make room for Dave & Buster's. Wahlburgers opened in the former Club Rodeo space, and the former Carlos'n Charlie's location later became Paula Deen's Family Kitchen. The district's older French Quarter-style façade was replaced with a more contemporary warehouse-inspired design, and Celebrity Square was officially renamed The Avenue in 2017. Weather events also influenced the site's history. Hurricane Bonnie damaged the Palace Theatre in 1998, although repairs were then feasible. Hurricane Matthew caused major additional damage in October 2016, including water damage. The city later declared the building unfit for human occupancy unless repairs were completed. Chapin Company announced in April 2017 that the structure would be removed, and demolition began later that month. Broadway at the Beach continued to add attractions after the redevelopment period. The 360 Observation Wheel opened in 2018 with 36 gondolas, a height of approximately 156 feet, and lighting designed to synchronize with music. A Simpsons-themed 4D attraction opened the same year in a building modeled after the fictional Aztec Theatre, accompanied by a merchandise shop based on the Kwik-E-Mart. Broadway Louie's announced its closure after two decades in 2018, and the AMC Classic Broadway 16 cinema closed in 2019 after operating under several cinema brands. In 2021, the property announced the Charles Bach Wonders Theatre for the former OZ space and promoted the return of weekly summer fireworks. New food, candy, theater, and specialty retail tenants were also announced. These developments illustrate the property's continuing strategy of replacing older venues with attractions and merchants intended to support repeat visits, family tourism, and longer stays. Broadway at the Beach remains an active, lake-centered retail and entertainment complex operated by Burroughs & Chapin.
- 2021
Fireworks and new tenants return
[1]Weekly summer fireworks resumed, accompanied by several new retail and entertainment tenants.
- 2019
AMC Classic Broadway 16 closes
[1]The property's cinema ended operations and was subsequently demolished.
- 2018
360 Observation Wheel and Simpsons attraction open
[1]Two major attractions expanded the complex's family-entertainment offering.
- 2017
The Avenue name introduced
[1]The former Celebrity Square district was renovated and renamed The Avenue.
- 2017
Palace Theatre demolished
[1]The hurricane-damaged Palace Theatre was removed after being declared unfit for occupancy.
- 2015
Major redevelopment announced
[1]New restaurants, nightlife venues, and family-oriented attractions were announced as older tenants departed.
- 2011
WonderWorks and Legends in Concert join the complex
[1]WonderWorks opened and Legends in Concert relocated to a venue at Broadway at the Beach.
- 1996
Planet Hollywood and All Star Cafe open
[1]Two prominent branded restaurants opened in the Lakeshore at Broadway area.
- 1995
Grand opening
[1]Broadway at the Beach opened on July 4 with retail, dining, and entertainment venues.
- 1993
Project announced
[1]Burroughs & Chapin announced plans for the Myrtle Beach shopping and entertainment complex.
Products and positioning
A tourism-oriented shopping, dining, and entertainment destination that combines specialty retail, attractions, nightlife, hotels, and events around a lake-centered outdoor complex.
Retail · 1995
Specialty retail shops
Broadway at the Beach contains more than 100 specialty shops serving Myrtle Beach visitors and residents. The assortment has included apparel, souvenirs, gifts, toys, candy, entertainment merchandise, and other leisure-oriented products. Retailers are distributed across themed outdoor districts rather than concentrated in a single enclosed mall building.
Food and beverage · 1995
Restaurants and bars
The complex offers more than 20 restaurants and food-service venues, ranging from national branded restaurants to destination dining, bars, and casual eateries. Notable tenants over time have included Hard Rock Cafe, Wahlburgers, Paula Deen's Family Kitchen, American Tap House, and other venues serving tourists seeking meals and evening entertainment.
Entertainment · 1995
Family attractions
Broadway at the Beach's attraction portfolio has included Ripley's Aquarium, WonderWorks, Hollywood Wax Museum, Pavilion Nostalgia Park, Backstage Mirror Maze, the Vault Laser Maze, and the 360 Observation Wheel. These attractions extend the property beyond shopping and encourage visitors to spend several hours or an entire day on site.
Entertainment · 1995
Live entertainment and nightlife
The property has hosted theaters, concert venues, comedy, karaoke, clubs, and other evening entertainment. Legends in Concert and the later Charles Bach Wonders Theatre represent the live-performance component, while The Avenue functions as the principal nightlife and late-operating district.
Hospitality
Hotels
Broadway at the Beach is supported by hotels located within or adjacent to the complex. The property includes a Hampton Inn, while Fairfield Inn and Holiday Inn Express locations are associated with the Lakeshore at Broadway section across 29th Avenue North.
Marketing campaigns
- 2021Weekly summer fireworks
Myrtle Beach · United States
Broadway at the Beach promoted the return of weekly fireworks as a seasonal visitor draw, alongside new merchants and entertainment offerings.
Outcome. The fireworks program restored a recurring summer-event component to the complex's tourism and family-entertainment proposition.
Brand decisions
2017
Demolition of the Palace TheatreOtherBackground
The Palace Theatre suffered major damage during Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and was later declared unfit for human occupancy unless repaired.
Action taken
Chapin Company announced that the theater would be torn down, and demolition began in April 2017.
Aftermath
The complex lost its large theater venue and continued redeveloping its attraction and entertainment offering through smaller or replacement venues.
2017
Celebrity Square renamed The AvenueStrategyBackground
The former nightlife district had aging French Quarter-style façades and was undergoing tenant and physical redevelopment.
Action taken
The district received a contemporary warehouse-inspired facelift and was formally renamed The Avenue.
Aftermath
The rebranding clarified the district's updated identity and removed signage associated with the former Celebrity Square name.
2015
Shift toward a refreshed and more family-oriented tenant mixStrategyBackground
Several long-running restaurants, clubs, and attractions closed or faced replacement, prompting discussion about the future balance between nightlife and family entertainment.
Action taken
The operator announced new tenants and attractions, including Dave & Buster's, American Tap House, OZ nightclub, a replacement Hard Rock Cafe, and later family-oriented venues and retailers.
Aftermath
The former Celebrity Square area was redesigned and renamed The Avenue, while older venues were replaced by a changing mix of dining, attractions, and entertainment.
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