This month’s Back in My Day is about the Myrtle Beach Pavilion, an institution in South Carolina until 2007. The Pavilion was located on Ocean Boulevard and 9th Avenue and included one of three amusement parks in the Myrtle Beach Area. The three parks were Magic Harbor in Surfside Beach, Family Kingdom located on 3rd Avenue and Ocean Drive, just a few blocks from the pavilion site, and the Pavilion Amusement Park located across the street from the pavilion itself, which was built in 1948.
Back in my day, a trip to Myrtle Beach was a real vacation, not a trip to Edisto but a multi-hour trip up the South Carolina Coast. Hotels were mostly family-owned; the beach had numerous attractions, including Mini Golf Courses, entertainment venues, and restaurants.
Over the years, the pavilion had a number of variations. The first building was built in 1902 and was part of the Seaside Inn; that building was destroyed by fire, and the pavilion was rebuilt in 1923 and operated until it burned in 1944. In 1949, the pavilion was rebuilt into its final configuration, with the second floor operating as a dance club with a large wooden dance floor, a seating area with tiered seating, and a band stage. The second floor was known as “The Magic Attic”; this was known as the place to go for Beach Music. Bands such as the Embers, The Coaster, The Catalinas, and The Chairman of the Board all performed at the pavilion. The state dance of South Carolina, the Shag, was the dance of the night.
Later, the club was renamed “The Attic” when the disco era entered the picture with DJ’s playing upbeat dance music, accompanied by intricate timed light shows. As time moved on, Clubs such as “Studebakers” added to the beach music vibe. With the Bowery located just next door, the pavilion provided a place to enjoy country music. The Bowery was where the country music supergroup “Alabama” started their career. Their song “Dancin’ Shagging on the Boulevard" is a tribute to their time in Myrtle Beach. Alabama later opened a theatre in North Myrtle Beach that still operates today.
The lower floor of the pavilion included a bath house, huge game room, quick-serve restaurants, and entertainment areas. At one time, a high-dive show, dance competitions, ice skating acts, a bear act, and talent shows all were draws to bring tourists to the pavilion area.
In 1948, the amusement park was added to the pavilion just across Ocean Drive. Assembled from rides bought from a travelling carnival, the park added to the draw of the pavilion. The park continued to expand with 14 rides added in 1950; the additions included a 1912 Herschell-Simms Carousel. This historic ride used frogs, lions, ostriches, zebras, giraffes, and dragons instead of the classic carousel horses. Fun fact: the only horse on the carousel is the "lead horse," which was always the coveted spot to ride. This is the equivalent of the front seat on a roller coaster. After the closing of the pavilion, the carousel was moved to Broadway at the Beach and can still be ridden today. This historic ride is a survivor and a nod to a bygone era, and has been maintained well over the years. It still continues to operate to this day at Pavilion Nostalgia at Broadway at the Beach. The carousel is one of only 15 working Herschell-Spillman carousels in the country.
Another feature of the Pavilion Amusement Park was the Baden Band Organ. The organ was originally hand-built, decorated, and crafted by A. Ruth & Sohn in Waldkirch, Baden, Germany, for display at the 1900 World Exposition in Paris. The two-ton organ was purchased for the pavilion. It included "twirling figures and cherubs that played cymbals, bells and drums". The organ used cardboard music, had over 400 pipes, 98 keys, and was 20 feet wide, 11 feet high, and 7 feet deep. After the Pavilion closed, it moved to Pavilion Nostalgia Park at Broadway at the Beach. In June 2014, the owners placed the organ into storage for preservation. At this time, no timeline has been put in place for the organ to return to service.
The first coaster was added to the Pavilion in 1978, with the steel looping Corkscrew Coaster being placed at the park after its closing at Magic Harbor. The Corkscrew was replaced by the “Hurricane Coaster,” which opened in 2000.
The Myrtle Beach Pavilion closed on September 26th, 2006, with an invitation-only “Last Ride” event being held on September 30th. The slogan for the farewell season was "One More Ride, One More Thrill, One More Memory, One Last Time." I had the honor of attending the “Last Ride.” The rides closed in a predefined order, with the lights being turned off after each last ride. For people who grew up or worked at the pavilion over the years, it was a very moving event. There is an ETV Documentary, “Last Ride, Memories of the Myrtle Beach Pavilion” that documents the last day and personal memories of the pavilion; it is a great step back in time.
The demolition of the site literally started the next day after the closing. Twenty years later, the site still sits, for the most part, unused except for some ziplines, volleyball courts, and grass field events. “The Bowery” is still there; “Studebakers” is gone; Family Kingdom has expanded, and a large Ferris wheel sits a block from the Pavilion site. Ocean Boulevard now limits cruising, and the family-run hotels are mostly now closed. But the memories of growing up with the Myrtle Beach and The Pavilion will live on in my memory.
