Myrtle Beach Pavilion
Myrtle Beach Pavilion was a historic oceanfront amusement park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, known for its collection of rides, roller coasters, musical attractions, and long association with the city's tourism industry.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Myrtle Beach Pavilion was a historic pay-per-ride amusement park located on approximately 11 acres at the intersection of 9th Avenue North and Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It operated in the central tourist district, a short distance from Family Kingdom Amusement Park, and became one of the most recognizable recreational institutions on the Grand Strand. Unlike a gated theme park, the Pavilion charged visitors for individual rides and did not charge a separate parking fee. The park grew out of a succession of seaside gathering places developed by Burroughs & Chapin and related Myrtle Beach interests. Earlier Pavilion buildings served as social and entertainment venues, including dance floors, stages, and spaces for community gatherings. The amusement park began taking shape in 1948 when a traveling carnival established a more permanent base across from the Pavilion. Burroughs & Chapin acquired the operating company in 1950 and progressively expanded the attraction with rides, concessions, shows, and family entertainment. During its nearly six-decade history, the park offered more than 40 attractions. Its inventory changed repeatedly as older carnival rides were replaced by newer equipment. Attractions included children’s rides, flat rides, a log flume, the HydroSURGE river ride, the Haunted Hotel dark ride, and six roller coasters at different points in the park’s history. The wooden Hurricane: Category 5, introduced in 2000, became its signature thrill ride. Earlier landmarks included the 1912 Herschell-Spillman carousel and the Baden Band Organ, a large German-built mechanical organ acquired by Myrtle Beach Farms in 1954. The park’s final season was announced before the 2006 operating year. Burroughs & Chapin cited financial instability as the reason for ending operations, despite petitions and local efforts seeking to preserve the Pavilion. The final regular public operating day was September 24, 2006, followed by a special Last Ride event on September 30. The farewell season generated unusually strong attendance and profits, but did not reverse the closure decision. The site was subsequently cleared, with demolition taking place between late 2006 and 2007. Several historic attractions survived. The carousel, band organ, and selected smaller rides were moved to Pavilion Nostalgia Park at Broadway at the Beach, a related Burroughs & Chapin development that opened on July 4, 2007. The Hurricane and Haunted Hotel were demolished, while the Hurricane’s trains were later sold to Kings Island for use on the modified Son of Beast coaster. The former oceanfront site remained largely vacant for years, although a historical marker was installed and temporary or replacement attractions were proposed. A later event and concert venue, Burroughs and Chapin Pavilion Place, occupied an area between 8th and 9th Avenues North. The Pavilion therefore survives primarily as a preserved local memory, a collection of relocated artifacts, and a name associated with Myrtle Beach’s entertainment history.
History
The Myrtle Beach Pavilion belongs to a longer tradition of public entertainment venues developed along Myrtle Beach’s oceanfront. The earliest Pavilion was constructed in 1902 as part of the Seaside Inn and expanded in 1908. A fire destroyed it, and its bricks were later reused in Conway. A replacement opened in 1923 as a two-story structure and was expanded in 1938, but another fire destroyed it in 1944. A third building, constructed from poured concrete, opened in 1949. It included a large second-floor dance hall, stage, and grandstands. The venue became associated with beach music and was known as the Magic Attic, later shortened to The Attic. Development of the amusement park began in 1948 on the west side of Ocean Boulevard, opposite the newer Pavilion building. A traveling carnival that had appeared at Conway’s Tobacco Festival established a permanent presence after reaching an agreement with Myrtle Beach Farms. The resulting amusement park supplemented rides with performances and attractions such as ice skating, animal acts, and talent shows. In 1950, Burroughs & Chapin acquired Central Amusement Company, the park’s operator at the time, and expanded the property with 14 rides and additional concessions. The Pavilion continuously refreshed its attraction mix over subsequent decades. It operated through the challenges of a coastal climate and hurricanes while adding and removing a succession of flat rides, family attractions, and roller coasters. Comet Jr., a small wooden coaster, arrived in 1951 and remained into the late 1960s. Other notable coasters included the Galaxi, Little Eagle, Mad Mouse, Corkscrew, and Hurricane: Category 5. The carousel and Baden Band Organ gave the park a strong historical identity alongside its modern thrill rides. Corkscrew arrived in 1978 after being relocated from Magic Harbor. Built by Arrow Development, it featured a 70-foot drop, a 1,250-foot course, and two corkscrew inversions. It operated for 31 years before being relocated to Salitre Magico in Colombia. Little Eagle, a Mack family coaster with a train theme, opened in 1986. The Galaxi was removed in 1997, and Arrow Dynamics’ Mad Mouse opened in 1998 as its replacement. After the Pavilion closed, both Little Eagle and Mad Mouse were moved to NASCAR SpeedPark in Myrtle Beach. The park’s most ambitious ride was Hurricane: Category 5, a hybrid wooden-and-steel roller coaster built by Custom Coasters International. It opened in 2000 with a 3,800-foot out-and-back layout, a 100-foot drop, a reported top speed of 55 miles per hour, and multiple turns and helices. The ride was demolished after the park shut down, although its Gerstlauer trains were purchased for use on Kings Island’s modified Son of Beast. Before the 2006 season began, Burroughs & Chapin announced that the year would be the park’s last. The company attributed the decision to financial instability. Community members circulated petitions and sought ways to preserve the attraction, but the owner proceeded with closure. The public season ended on September 24, 2006, and a special Last Ride event took place six days later. The farewell season produced record attendance and profits, reflecting the Pavilion’s emotional importance to visitors, but the success was not enough to keep the park open. Demolition began in late 2006 and continued into 2007. The Hurricane and Haunted Hotel were lost, while the historic carousel, Baden Band Organ, and several smaller attractions were preserved and transferred to Pavilion Nostalgia Park at Broadway at the Beach. That mini-park opened on July 4, 2007. The Baden Band Organ was later moved indoors or otherwise placed out of public view in June 2014, prompting complaints and plans to identify a more suitable location. The former oceanfront parcel remained mostly vacant for years, although a historical marker was installed at the site. Various replacement uses were considered. Adrenaline Adventures proposed a zip-line project in 2012, and a temporary carnival was proposed in 2013 but abandoned after municipal resistance. Additional zip lines and a ropes course were announced in 2017. The zip-line attraction ultimately closed in January 2024. The broader area continues to host tourism-related activity, including concerts and the annual Carolina Country Music Fest at Burroughs and Chapin Pavilion Place. The Pavilion’s physical park is defunct, but its name, surviving artifacts, and relocated attractions remain part of Myrtle Beach’s cultural and tourism history.
- 2007
Pavilion Nostalgia Park opens
[1]Selected rides and artifacts moved to Broadway at the Beach, where a smaller nostalgia attraction opened on July 4.
- 2006
Final operating season
[1]The park ended regular public operations on September 24 and held a special Last Ride event on September 30.
- 2000
Hurricane: Category 5 opens
[1]The park introduced its signature hybrid roller coaster, built by Custom Coasters International.
- 1998
Mad Mouse opens
[1]An Arrow Dynamics wild mouse coaster replaced the earlier Galaxi attraction.
- 1986
Little Eagle opens
[1]The Mack family coaster with a train theme joined the park’s ride collection.
- 1978
Corkscrew opens
[1]The Arrow Development steel looping coaster was relocated to the Pavilion from Magic Harbor.
- 1954
Baden Band Organ is acquired
[1]Myrtle Beach Farms purchased the large German mechanical band organ for the Pavilion.
- 1951
Comet Jr. arrives
[1]The park received its first documented roller coaster, the small wooden Comet Jr.
- 1950
Burroughs & Chapin acquires the park operator
[1]Burroughs & Chapin bought Central Amusement Company and expanded the park with new rides and concessions.
- 1948
Amusement park development begins
[1]A traveling carnival established a more permanent operation across from the Pavilion.
Products and positioning
A nostalgic, family-oriented seaside amusement park combining traditional carnival rides, historic mechanical attractions, live entertainment, and increasingly ambitious roller coasters for Myrtle Beach vacationers.
Roller coaster · 2000
Hurricane: Category 5
The Pavilion’s signature hybrid roller coaster opened in 2000. Built by Custom Coasters International, it used an out-and-back layout approximately 3,800 feet long, with a 100-foot drop, numerous turns, double helices, and a reported top speed of 55 miles per hour. It was demolished after the park closed, while its Gerstlauer trains were transferred for use on Kings Island’s modified Son of Beast.
Historic carousel · 1912
Herschell-Spillman Carousel
Dating from 1912, the carousel was one of the Pavilion’s most important heritage attractions. Its carved figures included animals such as frogs, lions, ostriches, zebras, giraffes, and dragons, with a detailed lead horse on the outside row. It was preserved after the park closed and relocated to Pavilion Nostalgia Park at Broadway at the Beach.
Mechanical musical attraction · 1900
Baden Band Organ
Built by A. Ruth & Sohn in Waldkirch, Germany, the organ was originally associated with the 1900 Paris Exposition and was acquired for the Pavilion in 1954. Its large cabinet, animated figures, cardboard music system, and extensive pipework made it a distinctive visual and musical landmark. It was moved to Pavilion Nostalgia Park after closure and later relocated out of public view in 2014.
Steel roller coaster · 1978
Corkscrew
Corkscrew was an Arrow Development looping coaster relocated from Magic Harbor in 1978. It featured a 70-foot drop, a 1,250-foot course, and two corkscrew inversions. After more than three decades at the Pavilion, it was removed and relocated to Salitre Magico in Colombia.
Dark ride
Haunted Hotel
The Haunted Hotel was one of the Pavilion’s signature non-coaster attractions, providing an indoor themed dark-ride experience. It was not preserved when the amusement park closed and was demolished during the site’s clearance.
Water ride
HydroSURGE
HydroSURGE was a river-rafting-style water attraction that formed part of the Pavilion’s broader mix of family and thrill rides.
Marketing campaigns
- 2006Farewell Season
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
The final operating season was promoted around the message “One More Ride, One More Thrill, One More Memory, One Last Time,” framing the closure as a final opportunity for visitors to experience the park.
Outcome. The farewell season achieved record attendance and profits, but the park closed as planned after the public season.
Brand decisions
2013
Consider a temporary carnival on the former siteStrategyBackground
With the former Pavilion parcel still largely unused, Strates Shows proposed a temporary carnival on approximately four acres near a proposed zip-line attraction.
Action taken
The proposal was not pursued after resistance from the city.
Aftermath
The former site did not return to operation as a permanent amusement park.
2007
Preserve selected attractions through Pavilion Nostalgia ParkStrategyBackground
The closure threatened the loss of the Pavilion’s historic rides and mechanical attractions.
Action taken
Burroughs & Chapin relocated the carousel, Baden Band Organ, and several smaller attractions to a mini-park at Broadway at the Beach.
Aftermath
Pavilion Nostalgia Park opened on July 4, 2007, preserving part of the park’s identity in a smaller setting.
2006
Close the amusement park after the 2006 seasonStrategyBackground
Burroughs & Chapin determined that financial instability made continued operation impractical, despite public efforts and petitions seeking to preserve the Pavilion.
Action taken
The owner ended regular operations after September 24, 2006, with a special Last Ride event held on September 30.
Aftermath
The site was demolished and later used for proposed or temporary replacement activities. Several historic attractions were transferred to Pavilion Nostalgia Park.
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