Halloween used to be all about kids, costumes and candy, but the spookiest holiday on the calendar has increasingly become an all-ages affair in recent years. Grown-ups who used to be content passing out candy to trick-or-treaters are now getting much more actively into the act by dressing up and going all out to celebrate. That trend is especially true in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where families and groups come to turn Halloween into a mini-vacation and a relaxing beach getaway.
There's no better place to spend Halloween than Myrtle Beach, and there's no better place in town to do so than at The Breakers Resort on the downtown oceanfront. Close and convenient to all the Halloween attractions and festivities, The Breakers provides the perfect place to enjoy a fall beach retreat while taking part in some exciting holiday events. Here's a list of some of the most popular Halloween activities on the Grand Strand, so our guests can have a screaming good time:
* Ghost Tours: Myrtle Beach's seaside location made it a hideout haven for pirates, thieves and other scary characters back in the Colonial era, and only the lore and legends remain today. Visitors can check out some of their old haunts by taking a ghost tour of the Grand Strand's most spirited attractions, like the Conway Ghost Walk, Barefoot Landing's Ghosts & Legends Theatre, and the Murrells Inlet Ghost Tours. Check out some of the Lowcountry's most popular ghosts like Alice Flagg, who is rumored to remove wedding rings from the fingers of female tourists, and the Grey Man, who reportedly warns Pawleys Island residents of approaching storms.
* Halloween Parties: The Grand Strand throws Halloween shindigs for all ages, from hay rides and trick-or-treating events for the little ones to costume contests and dance parties for adults only. The biggest event for grown-ups is held Saturday, Oct. 28, at Broadway at the Beach's Celebrity Square, where patrons dress up, dance to live music and compete for prizes in a costume contest that brings out a bizarre cast of characters. The more family-friendly celebrations include the Oct. 28 Howl-O-Scream festival at the North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex and the Oct. 27 Spooktacular Halloween Bash at Thompson Farm, which features a corn maze, inflatables and other fall festivities.
* Haunted Houses: Only the brave at heart dare enter these Halloween haunts, but there are plenty to choose from for those who are unafraid. Dr. Screams offers three themes under one roof (make that two roofs, as a second location has been added at The House of Blues). But the Broadway at the Beach venue is only a mile away for guests at The Breakers, and the the Outbreak zombie-themed show at the Hollywood Wax Museum isn’t much farther. Located less than a mile from The Breakers are the downtown haunted houses like Ripley's Haunted Adventure, which offers a new “Laser Strike” theme that allows patrons to zap zombies, and the Nightmare Haunted House's new “Zombie Zone: Undead Adventure.” Many guests make the 5-mile trek to visit the Terror Under the Bridge attraction just off Highway 501.
* Trick-or-Treating: This is the Halloween activity kids tend to care most about, and there are lots of places to snag some candy handouts on the Grand Strand. Select stores at Broadway at the Beach, Barefoot Landing and The Market Common hold special trick-or-treating hours on Halloween night, but some families prefer the more traditional approach of knocking on doors. There are several nice and safe neighborhoods close to The Breakers where families can go trick-or-treating, such as Plantation Point neighborhood near Broadway at the Beach and the Pine Lake Estates community a couple of miles north of the resort.
No matter how you and your crew decide to celebrate Halloween, The Breakers Resort is the best place to stay and play. With lots of pools and water amenities, on-site dining and comfortable oceanfront accommodations, there’s nothing scary about a fall vacation at the oceanfront Breakers Myrtle Beach resort.
