The warming weather brings with it the familiar urge to prepare for beach season—stocking up on essentials like a new bathing suit, a boogie board, and loads of sunscreen. Even now, I hear the traffic is already getting crazy on Folly Road when the sun is shining, a testament to the enduring appeal of this beloved spot.

There was so much to love about a day at Folly Beach: the scenic drive out, passing countless tiny islands and creeks; the thrilling first glimpse of the ocean from Center Street (accompanied by the traditional "I saw it first!" squabbles with cousins); and the lively atmosphere of the souvenir shops and beer halls.

This love for Folly isn't new; as a little girl, it was always our beach of choice. That was likely because my Aunt Mae and her best friend, Sarah, were dedicated to spending countless hours playing Bingo, often juggling multiple cards at once. Their passion for the game, happily occupying them, left me with blissful hours to spend on the beach, exploring the boardwalk, and trying my luck at skeeball in the arcade.

In the Beginning...

Folly's Pier—built primarily with palmetto logs, 120 feet wide and 97 feet long, and painted bright green and white—opened in June 1931 and was initially known as the Atlantic Boardwalk. An estimated 800 people turned out for the opening ceremonies, where Charleston Mayor Thomas P. Stoney was the guest speaker, and the Marshall Van Poole Orchestra played that night.

The Pavilion was built out over the beach to the right at the end of Center Street. It was a large open-air building with grills, a soda shop, various other concessions, a large seating area, and game arcades. It also provided bathhouses where people could shower and change after leaving the beach.

The boardwalk was made of wide wooden planks, and there were wooden ramps next to the Pavilion that cars used to cross the soft sand of the dunes to reach the beach and park.

Across Center Street from the Pavilion was the seasonal carnival, set up each spring and dismantled every fall, with a sign that read: "Welcome to Folly's Playground." It covered about a block and included swings, merry-go-rounds, a Ferris wheel, and a Whip. The arcade featured a bowling alley and a skating rink, along with bars and restaurants—a summer vacation paradise for thousands of visitors!

A wooden boardwalk carried people from the amusement park onto the famous Folly Pier. There were juke joints clustered along Center Street and the oceanfront, but none of them rivaled the Pier when it came to dancing. And the music! Well before Myrtle Beach had established itself, Folly Beach was where all the big names came.

Big Bands to Boogie Woogie

Big band orchestras like Glenn Miller's and Maurice Williams's bands played while well-dressed dancers twirled beneath a revolving crystal ball. It was all very civilized, and a dance committee made sure unaccompanied females had someone to dance with. On July 4th, 1937, over 15,000 people were at the pier, and it's a wonder it didn't topple into the ocean! The Ink Spots sang, and Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians played “the sweetest music this side of heaven” right here on Folly’s Pier.

Swing music, jazz, crooners—they were all here: Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Jimmy Vale. On a single night, Fats Domino brought in more than 4,000 fans. By the 1950s and 1960s, R&B, soul, rock and roll, and of course, beach music were the rage at the pier. Popular bands like The Tams, The Drifters, The Temptations, Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts played to fans doing the twist, the jitterbug, the monster mash, and shagging.

For my mom and her sisters, nothing rivaled the performance of Jerry Lee Lewis. How exciting it must have been for them to see “The Killer” at the Folly Pier!

The End of an Era

In January 1977, the pier caught fire and was almost totally destroyed. There were rumors of arson—that the fire had been purposely set—but no one was ever prosecuted. By some accounts, vagrants lit fires on the pier that night to try to stay warm; others say a man set it ablaze for his lady friend, who happened to like watching things burn. Thankfully, no one was hurt. But it was the end of an era for Folly Beach.

In 1985, the nine-story Holiday Inn was built on the beachfront, on the site of the old pavilion. In 1995, almost 20 years after the original pier burned, the Edwin S. Taylor Pier was built—much higher and much longer than the original. In 2020, construction began on the pier we now enjoy.

And for those of you who don't have decades of history with Folly—the Tides Hotel, built in 1985, completely blocks the view of the ocean from Center Street. No more "I saw it first" squabbles between cousins.

New Beginnings

We just closed on a beautiful beach house on Folly for our buyers—and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have represented them. With a growing family, we have a feeling their little one is going to love growing up surrounded by sand and waves. Honestly, we can’t think of anything better than being a kid on Folly Beach.