MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Jack Lazarus, a trailblazer of family entertainment that helped transformed Myrtle Beach's economy, died on Saturday at the age of 87.
A Chesterfield native who grew up in Charlotte, Lazarus sold kitchenware and shoes door-to-door before opening a Volkswagen dealership in 1966.
He relocated to Myrtle Beach a decade later and opened Myrtle Beach Grand Prix — launching a 40-year career in the amusement industry.
"He really was a pioneer on what has been copied throughout the United States of America," his son Robbie said in 2015 Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce video. "When you go to family entertainment centers, that all really came from my father. The go-karts, the bumper boats, the arcades and so forth."
Today, Lazarus Entertainment Group manages the Broadway Grand Prix and Myrtle Waves Water Park. For decades, it also ran Wild Water and Wheels in Surfside Beach and Funsville in Augusta, Ga., which closed in 2016.
Lazarus' concepts became an industry standard, and he was also known for designing attractions suitable for guests of all ages, so nobody would feel excluded at his parks, his son Mark said in 2015.
"He came to Myrtle Beach with virtually nothing, and built something. And he really did it the right way," he said.
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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.
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