Family Kingdom Wheel

The Family Kingdom Wheel is a large ferris wheel with open round gondolas at Family Kingdom Amusement Park that lifts visitors about 100 feet into the air. From the top, you get a broad view of the beach, the surrounding town, and the Atlantic Ocean stretching to the horizon.

The wheel is part of Family Kingdom Amusement Park, which opened in 1966 as Grand Strand Amusement Park on land that was once an indigo plantation in the early 1700s. The Ammons family purchased the park in 1992 and renamed it Family Kingdom, with the giant wheel becoming a central feature of the growing attraction.

The wheel is part of a park where families gather to share moments of fun and relaxation together. You can observe people taking photos, enjoying snacks, and creating memories as part of a tradition that stretches across generations.

Entry to the park itself is free, though tickets or wristbands are needed for rides, and the park operates from April through October. The wheel has height requirements for safety, but adults and children can enjoy the view together from the gondolas, and its location near the beach and shops makes it convenient to spend a full day there.

The wheel was once the tallest ferris wheel in South Carolina until another surpassed it in 2011, marking its place in local history. Its slow, gentle motion makes it especially popular at sunset when couples and families watch the changing light paint the sky and ocean.