Boardwalk and Promenade

The heart of Myrtle Beach’s tourism scene doubles as the site where disease, disasters, and death ravished those who came before us. By day, Myrtle Beach’s Boardwalk and Promenade is host to great food and lively entertainment and sees hundreds of visitors from all over partake in all it has to offer. But as the day winds down, the dead rise up, restless from unfinished business and untimely demise and ready to reclaim their former lives.

Myrtle Beach’s Misfortune by The Ocean

Before the city blossomed into the beachside dream it is today, Myrtle Beach was an uninhabited stretch of coastline that would eventually become home to the Waccamaw Indians. The tribe would be the first group of unfortunate souls to experience the wrath of unforgiving times. European settlers would ultimately push the tribe out in an attempt to colonize the land. Their attempt was futile, however, as bad weather and disease prevented the settlers from prospering. 

Their wretched misfortune would carry on like a curse and spread to the coastline’s future inhabitants. Along with a few other families, the Withers Family settled in the area only to nearly be wiped out by a hurricane, with 18 of their family members tragically perishing and the remaining fleeing Myrtle Beach. The city would later come to fruition, but not without becoming a beacon for the supernatural. Whether it’s the location by the ocean or the trials and tribulations experienced, this one-mile stretch of coastline is notorious for unexplained activity and terrifying sightings.  

Gateway to The Mystic

The Boardwalk and Promenade in Myrtle Beach harbor a postcard-like landscape that delights vacationers year-round. Yet with all its charm, it can’t hide the horrors of its origins:

Death and Devastation

• Lives Claimed by Contagions and Catastrophes like the Hurricane of 1822
• Unfortunate Deaths from Railroad Construction

Restless Souls Left Behind

• Victims of the Hurricane Whose Bodies Were Never Recovered
• Deceased Railroad Workers Whose Spirits Were Trapped

Beyond the lives claimed by contagions and catastrophes, the coastline along the Boardwalk and Promenade has also become the scene for unearthly sightings that have been solidified as local legends. While Myrtle Beach’s tourist gem continues to grow and add to its entertainment value, it still can’t distract from the terrors lurking in the picturesque views’ dark corners.

Are the Dearly Departed Withers Still Stuck Seaside?

Following the hurricane of 1822 that consumed several members of the Withers clan, the Burroughs and Collins Company purchased what remained of the land and converted it into land for the railroad. The dangers of constructing the railroad were at their peak in those days, resulting in several unfortunate deaths. On any given night, the sounds of the ocean are mixed with the sound of a phantom train whistle and the blood-curdling wails of those that perished in unimaginable ways. 

Whether it’s the painful cries of deceased railroad workers or the agonizing screams of the Withers family being washed away is not completely known. However, sightings by tourists and locals may offer some insight as apparitions of men and women dressed in dated clothing can often be seen walking along the beach – and they’re not alone. Shocking sightings of Native Americans have also been spotted along the coastline, replaying a period of time when they were unable to die.