After years of focusing on accessibility for travelers with physical and mental disabilities, Myrtle Beach’s commitment shows from the minute visitors touch down at the airport. Staff who receive special training welcome disabled visitors and help with anything they and their families might need. There’s also a Quiet Room for travelers with special needs to rest, de-stress, and grab a bite to eat. Plus, therapy dogs are on hand for stress relief via the P.E.T.S. (Pups Easing Travel Stress) program.
Around town, accessible hotels and restaurants welcome travelers with disabilities. There are even complimentary beach-going wheelchairs and accessible beach access points for those who need them. And when it comes time to draft a detailed trip itinerary, the abundance of inclusive attractions and activities makes it easy. From the thrilling heights and stunning views of the SkyWheel observation wheel to immersing yourself in nature in gardens and state parks, Myrtle Beach and the neighboring resort towns along the Grand Strand’s beaches are filled with new and improved amenities for the disabled.
Accessible beaches and hotels in Myrtle Beach
Broadway at the beach
Courtesy of Visit Myrtle Beach
The resort towns along the stunning Grand Strand beach corridor want their stretches of sand to be accessible to all travelers, including those with disabilities. If a beach-going wheelchair is what you need, consider a stay in North Myrtle Beach—which also offers adaptive surfing—or Surfside Beach. Both locations are quieter than Myrtle Beach’s main drag and offer the wheelchairs free of charge. (To reserve a wheelchair, contact Beach Services Warehouse in North Myrtle Beach or Surfside Beach Police Services in Surfside Beach.)
Accessible beach access points dot all the beaches along the 60-mile Grand Strand. Arrive early or choose the early-evening golden hour to avoid the largest crowds. To take in the majestic Atlantic Ocean without getting sandy, head straight to Myrtle Beach State Park for incredible ocean views and a wheelchair-accessible pier.
In Myrtle Beach, finding the best views of the Atlantic is an inclusive activity—many beachfront hotels are accessible or certified autism-friendly resorts. To spread out in a rental home, Dunes Realty Vacation Rentals can help you find your dream vacation home with all of the accessibility amenities you need.
North Beach Resort & Villas is one of many places in Myrtle Beach to stay with services for disabled travelers.
Courtesy of Visit Myrtle Beach
The Grande Cayman Resort boasts wheelchair-accessible beach access right in front of the property, plus a portable pool lift and visual emergency alarms for the hearing impaired. North Beach Resort & Villas—where accommodations range from high-rise rooms with a view to luxury villas with kitchens—also has visual emergency alarms and a portable pool lift.
Inclusive attractions in Myrtle Beach
Sloth Valley at Ripley’s Aquarium
Courtesy of Visit Myrtle Beach
Wheelchair-accessible and sensory-friendly attractions abound in the resort town of Myrtle Beach, an inclusivity pioneer. If your trip is a relaxing getaway, put Brookgreen Gardens, the nation’s first public sculpture gardens, on your agenda. Wheelchair- and sensory-friendly, the gardens offer art and gorgeous landscapes, plus onsite dining and picnic areas. There are also wheelchair-accessible fishing piers.
For more intense thrills, take a ride on the SkyWheel observation wheel. The 187-foot-high wheel has wheelchair accessibility and sensory-friendly accommodations. Or check out the shark tunnel and penguins at Ripley’s Aquarium, which is also wheelchair- and sensory-inclusive.
Captain Hook’s Adventure Golf and the Hollywood Wax Museum Entertainment Center also welcome disabled guests. Stellar options for live entertainment include a show at The Carolina Opry Theater or the Alabama Theatre and booking a ticket to the Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament or Legends in Concert—all of which are wheelchair accessible. There’s even a sensory-friendly show, Original Motown Tribute Show, as well as a movie theater, Grand 14 at Market Common, with the same designation.
Myrtle Beach’s family-friendly, inclusive restaurants
Dining out in Myrtle Beach is for everyone, thanks to an ever-expanding, autism-friendly initiative. (Pro tip: get the Autism Travel Club’s app to help with planning and join the club for discounts.) Many restaurants have wheelchair-accessible entrances, spacious dining rooms, and specially trained staff. All-ages hotspots such as LuLu’s, Johnny D’s Waffles and Benedicts, Hamburger Joe’s, and Carolina Seafood & Steak are sensory-friendly and wheelchair-accessible.
