Wes T. Gator.

Gator Under Glass (Gone)

"Wes T. Gator" was 14 feet long and weighed 725 pounds when he was killed in Florida's Lake Hatchineha. His body was shellacked and stuffed, and became the mascot of a barbecue restaurant run by a resort chain in Orlando, where a machine would squish his cartoon likeness onto pennies for a dollar.

The gator eventually fell from favor and was sent out-of-state to the resort's Myrtle Beach property in South Carolina. Apparently Wes was not welcome there, either, and he sits several miles inland, at one of Myrtle Beach's many access road Visitor Centers.

Although shunned by his corporate masters, Wes still has top-of-the-food-chain tourist appeal; in 2010 we hit the brakes and pulled into the Center parking lot when we saw the neon-lettered, "See 14 Foot Alligator," sign.

Gator Under Glass

Myrtle Beach Visitors Center

Directions:: Myrtle Beach Visitors Center. On the west side of US Hwy 501, 3.5 miles south of downtown Marion.
Hours:: August 2018: Reported gone "for years."
Status:: Gone

More Quirky Attractions in South Carolina

Stories, reports and tips on tourist attractions and odd sights in South Carolina.

Explore Thousands of Unique Roadside Landmarks!

Strange and amusing destinations in the US and Canada are our specialty. Start here.
Use RoadsideAmerica.com's Attraction Maps to plan your next road trip.