I got lost in the gay dolphin

The Gay Dolphin was first opened in 1946 by Justin Whitaker Plyer and Eloise Simmons Plyler.

It’s one of those homegrown successes that you can’t replicate.”

A visit to the Gay Dolphin has become a tradition during every beach trip for generations of tourists. “It’s like anything you can think of to go in any type of store. There’s also been economic recessions, other hurricanes that threatened the summer tourist seasons and, over the past year, a pandemic.

It was built back in phases, starting with the oceanfront, then the basement and stockroom, then to the Boulevard where the iconic tower was added. The couple opened up shop on the oceanfront, and Justin Plyler chose them name Gay Dolphin,” as he wanted a whimsical name that was inspired by their coastal location.

Unfortunately, Hurricane Hazel destroyed the store in 1954, but that didn’t stop the Plylers from their dream.

Buz started working at The Gay Dolphin when he was only 8 years old, learning the ins and outs of business dealings at an early age. He helped start the Sun Fun Festival in 1951 featuring quirky games such as human checkers, entertainment, beauty pageants and events—a mainstay every June to jumpstart the summer tourist season.

In 2005, the city named the park beside the Myrtle Beach SkyWheel just a couple of blocks from the Gay Dolphin after Justin Plyler.

While still eye-catching, the tower—with its winding staircase—closed to customers in the mid-2000s because of increased insurance risk.

“It is an icon in Myrtle Beach, and has gone through the test of time,” Bethune says. There are sections for Betty Boop, John Wayne and other characters and celebrities; dragons; fairies and jungle creatures. Plyler had the on-street promoters at the Gay Dolphin Amusement Park wear them, and before you knew it, the shark tooth necklace—still available at the Gay Dolphin today —became a must-have for visitors and even locals like Bethune, who used to walk to the Gay Dolphin from her family’s hotel just a few blocks away.

“It was neat because it was a place to go to get something really cool,” Bethune says.

Justin and Eloise Plyler, Buz Plyler’s parents, started the store, choosing a name that reflected its goal of being a place to make children happy in a spot just off the ocean where dolphins congregated.

The Gay Dolphin Amusement Park and Gift Cove quickly became known as the place to find unique entertainment, which some fans still remember and reminisce about today.

It brings back memories of days gone by where we can celebrate the history we have. Justin Plyler envisioned a reasonably priced destination that was so much fun people would come back every year. In 1954, Hurricane Hazel wiped out the Gay Dolphin, forcing them to rebuild the store in the current spot. Almost everybody walks into the Gay Dolphin because it is such a unique building.

He found reliable suppliers of merchandise not found anywhere else in Myrtle Beach and, as he got older, traveled to shows in cities such as Miami and Los Angeles searching for unique merchandise to wow next season’s tourists. Another hurricane, Hugo in 1989, caused extensive damage, taking the front off the store and causing roof damage that took months and creative solutions to repair.