Unless noted otherwise, most theme parks are open from March until early December.

Family Kingdom Amusement Park
Myrtle Beach's only oceanfront Water Park features three wet and wild water flumes, one with a 185-foot drop, plus two heart-pounding speed slides, two intermediate speed slides, and a Lazy River with waterfalls; 300 South Ocean Blvd between 3rd & 4TH Avenues;
 843-916-0400

NASCAR Speedpark
With 7 Exciting tracks, 2 NASCAR miniature golf courses, Kiddie Rides, rock climbing wall, bumper boats and a SpeedDome Arcade there’s plenty for thrill seeking wanna-be race car drivers; there’s also a well stocked NASCAR merchandise gift shop; 1820 21st Ave North; 843-918-8725; http://www.nascarspeedpark.com

Wild Water Waterpark & Family Fun Center
This 16-acre facility features a tremendous variety of water rides and slides; Wipeout Wave Pool, a technologically advanced wave pool produces eight different kinds of waves that are sure to please teens and adults; Dark Hole is one scary good tube ride filled with dramatic dips and twists; a 16-foot wide Lazy River with a tropical rainforest meanders throughout the park; other water rides will have you twisting and turning down body flumes at breathtaking thrilling speeds; Free Fall Cliff Dive and Triple Dip Speed Slide are not for the timid; Wally's Wee-Kids World is just right for the little ones; feeling a sedate -- enjoy the Lounge Pool, which is as relaxing as its sounds; age-scaled race tracks, an arcade, bumper boats, and an 18-hole miniature golf course round out the amenities; 910 US Highway 17 South

Myrtlewaves Water Park
Want safe water action and thrills -- this park has it droves; the highlight rides are LayZee River takes all ages on a 3-mph inner tubes trip around the park; the Wave Pool features 20,000 square foot of ocean simulated, crystal clear waves up to six feet; Bubble Bay is a 7,000 foot leisure pool with three cascading water umbrellas and bubble jets around the edges; Saturation Station is an island of splashes, squirts, slides and waterfalls, and a 700-gallon volcano that soaks you every 6-8 minutes; Turbo Twisters/Riptide Rockets takes you 10 stories high for one of the world's tallest tubular slides, Super Chute is a 20-foot long tube with four-foot vertical drop into eight feet of water; admission fee; hours vary by season; US 17 Bypass at 10th Ave North;
843-913-9260; http://www.myrtlewaves.com

Ripley's Aquarium
One of the best aquariums in the South, an interesting Titanic exhibit and is reasonably priced at $12 adults, $8 for ages 6-12, seniors $9; parents should note that Ripley's Aquarium provide students with an interactive educational experience designed to meet curriculum standards set forth by state educators; Sun-Thu 9a-11p, Fri-Sat 9a-11p; 1110 Celebrity Circle; 843-916-0888 or 800-734-8888; http://www.ripleysaquarium.com

Ripley's Believe It or Not
Features all the artifacts and oddities we’ve come to expect from this American Institution;  $12 per adult, $8 for ages 6-12, seniors $9; open daily 11a-6p; 901 North Ocean Blvd; 843-448-2331; http://www.ripleys.com

Fun Spot Action Park
A “Maximum Action” theme park that put you in the driver's seat of a custom-designed go-cart on a number of exciting tracks: Super Eight Track, a multilevel, nine-turn course with hairpin curves features Myrtle Beach's only nine-horsepower carts; Family Track provides two-seater carts for a parent and child to share; Sprint Track has some of the fastest no license required race carts on the beach; this action park also features Bumper Cars, Bumper Boats, a Space Walk, Ferris wheel, carousel, Kiddie Cars and several other attractions for the little ones; open daily from March until December, hours vary by season; 500 South Ocean Blvd; 843-448-5716

Family Kingdom
Home to South Carolina's largest roller coaster or largest Ferris wheel; Swamp Fox Roller Coaster is a wooden classic with sharp 62-foot drop. As you might expect from atop the 100-foot Ferris wheel, you get fantastic views of the coast; small kids love the miniature locomotive, and antique carousel built in Germantown, Pennsylvania; other attractions include Kiddie Land for toddlers, go-carts, bumper cars, arcade games, video games and a Grand Slam Batting Cage; King Arthur costumes and castle adornments compliment the animated medieval theme; Third Ave South and Ocean Blvd

Waccatee Zoological Farm
Began as a private collection of exotic and domestic animals, it has evolved to a 500-acre farm in the Socastee community west of Surfside Beach; contains more than 100 species of animals, including miniature horses and deer, black leopard, lions, cougars, tigers and ostriches and exotic birds; has a petting area for small children to meet animals; also a natural wildlife sanctuary and breeding ground for several species of migratory birds, as well as alligators; 8500 Enterprise Road