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up without charge. The tower once housed The Wonder Falls--oil-rain structures that created waterfall illusions and ran through barrels on the ceiling to the wishing well below. The pump broke in the early 2000s, forcing the store to get rid of the Wonder Falls since they had no way to replace the parts. The store added lights to the tower in 2019. Liability and insurance claim concerns put an end to the practice of climbing the tower in 2006.
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For many years, people could climb the circular steel steps to the top of the glass tower, at one time the city's tallest building, and see the view of Myrtle Beach from the roof. The cost was $ 1 as of 2000. However, persons unable to find their name on the wall of bicycle license plates could climb
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in 1954 destroyed the original store, which was rebuilt on the same site, starting near the beach. Eventually, the store completed a six-story glass tower next to Ocean
Boulevard. Buz Plyler, born in 1949, started working for his parents at age 8, doing the jobs his father disliked and eventually
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At the end of Mr. Joe White Avenue, where
Castaways Motel, Myrtle Beach National Wax Museum and two beachwear stores were located, a park was planned next to the ocean. In 2000, Myrtle Beach City Council had approved the purchase of 0.85 acres for the park, in exchange for several alleys near
112:, which evolved from attractions first set up in 1939. The Plylers lived in an apartment at the top of the current building for 45 years. Justin Plyler Sr. "wanted a whimsical nautical name for his store", according to his son Buz, born three years after the store opened.
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existing motels that planned expansions, plus cash. The buildings on the site had leases until 2002, after which they could be torn down. The park was dedicated to the elder Justin Plyler at the Sun Fun
Festival on June 3, 2005.
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The store is four stories tall with ten levels because Justin Plyler, according to his son, could not afford to remove the hill between the street and the beach. The store has 50 sections called "coves", including an
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51:, and calls itself "the nation's largest gift shop". As of 2011, the Gay Dolphin had 26,000 square feet (2,400 m) and store owner Justin "Buz" Plyler said the store averaged 70,000 items.
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Haunted
Adventure. A sign with wooden dolphins remains there, despite the city's efforts to have it removed. It went up in the 1970s but had to come down for
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Justin Plyler Sr. died in March 2002. Earlier that year, a $ 1.5 million upgrade to 11th Avenue North was nearly complete, and the street was renamed
84:. Co-owner Michelle Plyler said the top selling item was name tags, of which a wall had 3000 names, updated every year and ordered based on the
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Laura Lewis, "Think You've Seen and Done
Everything at Myrtle? The legend Justin Lewis visits Myrtle beach once a summer. We Beg to Differ,"
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buying all of the store's merchandise. As of 2011, he had dealt with some sellers for fifty years. Plyler also purchases merchandise from
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Will
Moredock, "In Search of Old Myrtle Beach: From an Antique Carousel to a 1960s Eatery, You Can Still Find a Few Gems of the Past,"
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151:. Although a 1979 zoning law said such a sign could not be replaced even if taken down for repairs, it went back up in 1994.
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With the opening of the
Boardwalk in 2010, Plyler Park became the location of a concert series called "Hot Summer Nights".
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were another popular item. Buz Plyler said in 2023 about 50 people worked in the store and that it had "more items than
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80:'s Tooth Cove rents space in the building. People can bring in their own shark teeth and have them made into
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The concrete walkway that was called the
Boardwalk, which was later extended and upgraded, ran from the
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suppliers at a discount. The Gay
Dolphin was the first tourist-oriented store to stay open year-round.
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68:, brushes for bald men and noisy seat cushions." Larger items have included a fountain with three
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326:"Baby alligators. An amusement park. 5 things you didn't know about Myrtle Beach's Gay Dolphin"
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in the eastern United States at the time of its construction, opened next to the park in 2011.
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Justin
Whitaker Plyler and Eloise Plyler opened the Gay Dolphin in 1946 next to the Kiddieland
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300:"Looking to take home a spring break souvenir? Here are top sellers at Myrtle Beach stores"
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371:"8 popular spots to go shopping in the Myrtle Beach area, from outlets to a flea market"
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Cove where a person can take a photo with a life-size Elvis Presley. Items include "
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An annex used to be located across Ocean Boulevard, but it has been replaced by
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in 2010, the Gay Dolphin made improvements to its entrance from the boardwalk.
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Paul Brownfield and Christina Lee Knauss, "Dead - and Wacky - on the Strand,"
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Josh Dawsey, "Gay Dolphin founder dies - Plyler always gave to help others,"
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Lauren Leach, "Gay Pride Event Free of Trouble, but Merchants Disappointed,"
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past the Gay Dolphin to Plyler Park (see below). With the completion of the
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Dawn Bryant, "SkyWheel, LandShark eatery debuted today in Myrtle Beach,"
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Lorena Anderson, "Myrtle Beach makes boardwalk success a priority,"
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265:"A knickknack empire; Gay Dolphin owner rides tides of decades"
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Eloise Plyler worked for the store until she died in 2009.
546:"Find fun treasures inside legendary Gay Dolphin Gift Cove"
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Lorena Anderson, "Ferris wheel may roll to Myrtle Beach,"
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468:"Shop for souvenirs down by the seashore in Myrtle Beach"
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had in its heyday" and "more items than you’ll find in a
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Buildings and structures in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
677:"National Geographic honors MB Boardwalk on Top 10 list"
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Stan Choe, "MB Secures Property for Park by the Ocean,"
532:"Myrtle Beach Remembered - (Almost) Forgotten History"
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Jay C. Grelen, "Shoppers Shell Out for Beach Deals,"
136:. The amusement park, which included the Wild Mouse
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Tourist attractions in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
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One of the signs outside the Gay Dolphin Gift Cove.
662:David Klepper, "Street Revamp Nearly Finished,"
636:David Klepper, "Street Revamp Nearly Finished,"
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597:Dawn Bryant, "Celebrities Brighten Strand,"
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439:"History of Justin Plyler Boardwalk Park"
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342:"'Only in Myrtle Beach' things to do."
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571:"Gay Dolphin Closes Rooftop Lookout,"
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804:1946 establishments in South Carolina
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369:Palmisano, Kae Lani (2023-05-11).
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441:. plylerpark.com. Archived from
298:Richardson, Terri (2023-03-29).
124:At one time the store sold baby
88:list of top names. Myrtle Beach
72:costing $ 7,000 and a life-size
173:Honoring the store's co-founder
16:Gift shop in South Carolina, US
466:Barcelona, Leah (2013-07-26).
346:, July 9, 2010, Kicks section.
86:Social Security Administration
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76:. Tom Pierce's Trader Bill's
747:Photo of sign at Plyler Park
685:. 2010-07-14. Archived from
614:, April 15, 2010, Section A.
324:Nash, Eleanor (2023-11-18).
45:Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
710:, June 15, 2010, Section A.
263:Spring, Jake (2011-02-20).
235:"The Gay Dolphin Gift Shop"
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723:, May 20, 2011, Section C.
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492:"Myrtle Beach Remembered"
666:, March 29, 2002, p. C1.
653:, April 27, 2000, p. C2.
640:, March 29, 2002, p. C1.
39:is located at 916 North
601:, June 3, 2007, p. C1.
560:The Charlotte Observer
512:"South Carolina Signs"
423:The Charlotte Observer
357:The Charlotte Observer
167:Myrtle Beach Boardwalk
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770:33.69278°N 78.87833°W
623:"Myrtle Beach Icon,"
588:, May 2, 2009, p. C3.
575:, May 7, 2006, p. D1.
409:, May 5, 1998, p. 1C.
190:Myrtle Beach SkyWheel
163:Myrtle Beach Pavilion
37:Gay Dolphin Gift Cove
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396:, November 24, 2001.
179:Mr. Joe White Avenue
775:33.69278; -78.87833
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74:cigar store Indian
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279:. Retrieved
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194:Ferris wheel
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134:hermit crabs
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55:Description
788:Categories
761:78°52′42″W
758:33°41′34″N
693:2010-07-29
517:2011-10-12
497:2011-09-15
477:2013-08-01
449:2011-09-15
281:2011-09-15
244:2011-09-15
220:2011-09-15
214:"About Us"
200:References
126:alligators
66:sea shells
239:Facebook
145:Ripley's
119:bankrupt
90:T-shirts
70:dolphins
130:turtles
104:History
98:Walmart
82:jewelry
742:Photos
78:Shark
62:Elvis
682:WMBF
132:and
35:The
43:in
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