Myrtle Beach is built for summer, which is exactly why the off-season can be such a pleasant surprise. From November through March the crowds thin out, hotel rates drop, beaches empty and the whole coast slows down. Not everything runs, though, and a winter trip rewards a little planning. Here is what to expect.
What is better in the off-season
Space, above all. You can walk miles of sand at Huntington Beach State Park without seeing more than a handful of people, find a waterside table on the Murrells Inlet MarshWalk without a wait, and park easily almost everywhere. Hotel and condo rates fall sharply, and many resorts promote monthly winter rentals for snowbirds; the indoor pools and lazy rivers at places like Dunes Village, Captain's Quarters and North Beach Resort & Villas keep the water fun going. Dogs are welcome on the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk at any hour on a short leash from the day after Labor Day through April, and the county's summer daytime ban on pets and bikes on public beaches ends after Labor Day. Birding is at its best, with wintering ducks and shorebirds at Huntington Beach State Park, one of the top birding sites on the East Coast.
The holiday show season
November and December bring Myrtle Beach's second high season, built around Christmas productions. The Carolina Opry's Christmas Show of the South runs from November 2 to December 31, 2026, in its 40th season. Pirates Voyage stages its Christmas dinner show on select dates from November 4, 2026, to January 2, 2027. The Alabama Theatre at Barefoot Landing presents The South's Grandest Christmas Show from November 2, 2026, to January 2, 2027, six nights a week. At Broadway at the Beach, Legends in Concert, the Broadway Theater and the Charles Bach Wonders Theatre run their own holiday programs. Book early; these shows draw tour groups and returning families, and the best seats go months in advance.
Brookgreen's Nights of a Thousand Candles
The single most magical event on the Strand: Brookgreen Gardens lit by thousands of hand-lit candles and lights, on 21 evenings in 2026 (November 27 to 29, select December dates, and January 1 to 3, 2027), from 4 to 9 p.m. Tickets for non-members are $40 for adults and $20 for children 4 to 12, sold only through Brookgreen and its official ticketing partner. Combine it with a daytime visit to the gardens using a regular seven-day ticket, and stay on the South Strand to avoid a long night drive.
What stays open
The big year-round attractions keep regular schedules: Ripley's Aquarium opens daily, the SkyWheel runs all winter (11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday), Brookgreen Gardens opens daily, and both state parks remain open with shorter standard-time hours. Broadway at the Beach's indoor attractions, shops and restaurants stay open, and most mini golf courses keep playing, some with shorter winter hours.
What closes or scales back
Outdoor seasonal attractions are the main casualties. The Soar + Explore zipline at Broadway at the Beach does not run normally in colder months, some outdoor rides scale back, and summer events such as the boardwalk's Hot Summer Nights fireworks and Barefoot Landing's Monday fireworks are finished until June. Myrtle Beach State Park closes all its trails from November through January for maintenance and construction, though the beach and pier stay open. Ripley's separate Haunted Adventure is closed from November 2026 to March 2027. Pirates Voyage takes a break in January after the holiday run, returning on select days from February. Restaurants and shops often shorten hours or close on some weekdays, so call ahead.
Golf, walks and the outdoors
Winter is prime time for some of the Grand Strand's outdoor pleasures. The area promotes itself as the Golf Capital of the World, and cooler months bring golf groups for stay-and-play packages at resorts such as North Beach Resort & Villas and Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort. Long beach walks, cycling on the 26-mile Waccamaw Neck Bikeway near Litchfield, and pier fishing at Myrtle Beach State Park are all pleasant on sunny winter days. Brookgreen's gardens are calm and uncrowded, and Huntington Beach State Park's birding peaks.
Month by month
November mixes mild autumn days with the start of the holiday show season and Brookgreen's candles from Thanksgiving weekend. December is the peak of the holiday programming and a lively time on weekends. January is the quietest month of all, when Pirates Voyage pauses after its holiday run and some businesses take a break, but rates are at their lowest. February and March bring the first spring events and returning shows, with Pirates Voyage back on select days from February and longer daylight hours from March.
The weather, honestly
The off-season is mild by northern standards, with plenty of sunny days that are perfect for beach walks, golf and gardens, but it is not swimming weather for most people, and wind on the beach can feel cool. Pack layers. Hurricane season officially runs into November, so keep an eye on forecasts for early-November trips.
How to plan a winter weekend
Choose a resort with an indoor pool, book a holiday show for one night and Nights of a Thousand Candles for another if your dates fit, spend a day on the South Strand at Brookgreen, Huntington Beach and the MarshWalk, and keep a flexible day for the aquarium, the SkyWheel at dusk and a round of mini golf. You will see a side of Myrtle Beach that summer visitors never do.
