horry county museum
The Horry County Museum is such an asset to our community. The amount of info housed here is more than you’ll be able to take in with small kids along but it’s worth trying! Here are the top things we loved and some good to know tidbits.
ADDRESS: 805 Main Street, Conway
HOURS: Tuesday–Saturday, 9am–5pm.
WEBSITE: More info here.
PLAN TO SPEND: We were here about an hour. The little guy was running the halls so we had to boogey. Adults, older kids, or anyone generally interested in history can spend much longer!
BEST FOR: Certainly best for adults and older kids. There are not kid-focused exhibits so don’t expect kids to stay focused or engaged too long.
PAIR IT WITH: The library shares a parking lot so it’s easy to walk to. If it’s pretty then check out one of Conway’s great parks or the farmers market April–Oct.
what to expect
The museum is pretty big! Much bigger than I was expecting. There are a few things that the kids really enjoyed so we’ll focus on those. But there is a lot more that adults will appreciate about this museum.
THE FISH TANK: This tank is pretty famous. It was featured on the Animal Planet show “Tanked”. It holds 4400 gallons of water and several freshwater species of fish often found in Horry County’s lakes and rivers.
TWO LONG HALLWAYS & TWO FLOORS OF EXHIBITS: This setup of long hallways and multiple rooms to pop into made the place very tempting for running and hiding. That isn’t ideal, of course. The museum doesn’t currently have a scavenger hunt or other kid-focused sheet/activity to help keep the kids focused. That would be a great asset to a visit here and one we suggested so we’ll see if they’re able to produce something.
UPSTAIRS IS A LITTLE MORE ENGAGING FOR KIDS: There are a few things upstairs that will keep kids more focused. There is a room of taxidermied animals and a Native American hut. There is also a display of dolls that represent famous/influential women who lived in Conway.
EXHIBITS, EXHIBITS, EXHIBITS: Gosh, there really was a ton of info here. I loved the 3D reprints of some local artifacts, the information on the Waccamaw Indian People and the info on the unincorporated towns in Horry County.
There was also rooms devoted to sewing history, the pavilion and tourism history, the areas agricultural heritage, the area’s role in wartime, household artifacts from the 1900-1950’s, posters from the Beach Music Hall of Fame, and more.
final thoughts
The museum is not catering to kids but it can be a good place to explore with kids, especially since it’s free! If you live in Horry County then it’s worth a visit.