Myrtle Beach Convention Center is an 8,000-seat multi-purpose

arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous stretch of beach known as "The Grand Strand" in the northeastern part of the state. Its y ...

. It hosts various local concerts, conventions, and sporting events for the Myrtle Beach area.

History

The original facility opened in October 1967 and was built at a cost of $1.12 million. Riddle and Wilkes were the architects of record. The facility opened with a 2,500 seat auditorium. The South Carolina Hall of Fame has been located on the convention center grounds since 1973. The center was expanded in 1993-94. The convention center was the site of the January 10, 2008 presidential primary debate. Six Republican presidential hopefuls attended the debate, which was broadcast by Fox News. Four years later, the convention hosted five candidates in a January 16, 2012 Republican presidential primary debate, also broadcast by Fox News. On March 9, 2021, it was announced that the Myrtle Beach Convention Center would be renamed to the John T. Rhodes Myrtle Beach Sports Center in honor of the visionary of the Beach Ball Classic and former Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes. Rhodes served as mayor of Myrtle Beach from 2005 to 2017 and died January 2021 due to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. Rhodes away also played a crucial role in the creation of the Beach Ball

Classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class. The word can be an adjective (a ''c ...

and was even it's executive director. Myrtle Beach officials said that the hope to do a formal reveal of the new name sometime in early April. In early 2021, a new logo was revealed to honor the former mayor.

Sports

The convention center was the home arena for the

Myrtle Beach Stingrays Myrtle may refer to: Plants * Myrtaceae, the myrtle family **'' Myrtus'', the myrtle genus * List of plants known as myrtle, including a list of trees and plants known as myrtle In geography Canada * Myrtle, Ontario, a community United States ...

of the

National Indoor Football League The National Indoor Football League (NIFL) was a professional indoor football league in the United States. For their first six years, the league had teams in markets not covered by either the Arena Football League or its developmental league, A ...

in 2003 and one game in 2004. Another indoor football team, the

Myrtle Beach Freedom The Myrtle Beach Freedom were a professional indoor football team based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and played their home games at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. They were a member of American Indoor Football for one season until the lea ...

, played at the convention center for one season in 2016. The convention center has also hosted college basketball tournaments.

References

{{AIF Arenas Indoor arenas in South Carolina Sports venues in South Carolina Buildings and structures in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Sports venues in Horry County, South Carolina Buildings and structures completed in 1967