The Gay Dolphin Goes Hollywood

Seeking Myrtle Beach's Grand Strange is a ten-part series by author Jim MacKenzie where he visits and writes about strange attractions in the Myrtle Beach area. In this installment, MacKenzie checks out the The Gay Dolphin.

The Gay Dolphin is where every happy mammal goes to find thousands of square feet of gifts and souvenirs to make everyone back home jealous of your visit to Myrtle Beach.

The giant gift shop has been around since the 1940s. And it made an appearance in the 1988 film Shag, which was shot in and around Myrtle Beach.

The film stars Phoebe Cates and Bridget Fonda. The year is 1963. Four lifelong female friends are about to graduate from high school in Spartanburg, SC. They take one last epic road trip to Myrtle Beach for some wild times, sun, boys, and of course shag dancing.



Shagging was a popular type of swing dance that integrated well with beach music. It became popular around the Myrtle Beach area, especially during the 1960s.

Shots of The Gay Dolphin are used in a scene where the girls are cruising the strip. There are many other locations around Myrtle Beach used in the film, and they are easy to find with a little research, but The Gay Dolphin remains the most prominent and easiest to locate. It’s a block from the ocean and only a few blocks from the giant Ferris Wheel.

What To Know Before You Go

GPS Coordinates: (33.69309129313994, -78.87843227412219)
Location: 916 N Ocean Blvd, Myrtle Beach, SC

JIM MACKENZIE
Jim MacKenzie lives in Asheville, comfortably hidden away in the mountains of Western North Carolina. He's appeared in Bride of the Monster Serial, a horror compilation book about forgotten monster movies. Jim enjoys writing about authors, especially regional, and researching literary history. He enjoys the strange and the uncanny, but never both together. That's just overwhelming. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, playing music, and travel.