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3.0
125 votes

South of the Border

3346 Highway 301 N, Hamer, South Carolina 29547-7400 USA

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Thu 12a-11:59p
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“The epitome of kitsch”

South Of The Border is one of those tourist traps that's so delightfully kitschy and campy (and dare I say, tacky?) that it's actually iconic. What started out in 1949 as a beer stand opened by Alan Schafer, conveniently located south of the border between North Carolina's Robeson County, a dry county at the time, and South Carolina, a veritable Promised Land of booze, where the liquor flowed like rivers. Anyways, it proved to be so popular that he was able to open a small motel and start selling cheesy little trinkets-- all Mexican-themed, going along with the "South of the Border" theme. From there, Schafer was able to expand his little beer stand and shop to include restaurants, gas stations, a motel, bars, a small amusement park, an adult entertainment establishment, and more. At its peak, the tourist attraction took up over more than a full square mile and had its own own infrastructure, and had its own fire department and police force. The centerpiece of the town is, of course, the 165 ft. tall Sombrero Tower. South of the Border was fortunate in that it's on the main routes to Myrtle Beach and parts of Florida-- the money earned from tourists on their way to a fun beach vacation allowed them to grow into the massive tourist trap it became at the height of its popularity. -Roadtrippers South of the Border is a rest stop and roadside attraction on Interstate 95 and US Highway 301/501 between Dillon, South Carolina, and Rowland, North Carolina. It is so named because it is just south of the border between North Carolina and South Carolina. The rest area contains restaurants, gas stations, and a motel, as well as a small amusement park, shopping and fireworks. Its mascot is Pedro, an arguably racist caricature of a Mexican bandido. South of the Border has long served as a rest stop for vacationers and tourists traveling from the Northeast United States to Florida.Historic backgroundSouth of the Border was developed by Alan Schafer in 1950. He had founded a beer stand at the location in 1949 and had chosen because of its location adjacent to Robeson County which was at one time, one of many dry North Carolina counties. Business was steadily expanded with Mexican trinkets and numerous kitsch items imported from Mexico. He had a great deal of success turning South of the Border into a tourist mecca. South of the Border grew to over a square mile, required its own infrastructure, and had its own fire and police departments. Assisting in this growth was the fact that the new Interstate 95 and the existing US 301 intersect at the site of the South of the Border complex.

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Reviews of South of the Border

45 people have reviewed this location

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Reviewed by
Cathriin Tarr

  • 1 Review
  • 7 Helpful
September 28, 2015
Rated 1.0

Speechless... Don't understand why we even stopped! Not worth going at all, waste of time!

7 people found this review helpful
  • 1 Review
  • 6 Helpful
March 06, 2016
Rated 5.0

Awesome. Such a great one of a kind experience that has no parallel, and the billboards are laugh-out-loud hysterical - they start 180 miles south, and are placed every few miles on 95 till u get there - after I saw one I literally couldn't wait to see the next one.

6 people found this review helpful

Reviewed by
hogfanmimi

  • 7 Reviews
  • 10 Helpful
August 10, 2014
Rated 4.0

If you need to get out to stretch & stay entertained w/ plenty of things to see this is the place. Lots of great photo ops

5 people found this review helpful

Reviewed by
joje5653

  • 5 Reviews
  • 6 Helpful
July 09, 2017
Rated 3.0

I was surprised to actually like this stop. Very kitschy and tacky but entertaining. A nice little break from a long drive but not worth going out of the way for.

4 people found this review helpful

Reviewed by
Tatiana Danger

  • Road Warrior
  • 1,169 Reviews
  • 910 Helpful
April 09, 2016
Rated 3.0

If you're on I-95, you're going to start seeing some peculiar and kitschy billboards advertising a place called "South Of The Border" in South Carolina. This place is every bit as quirky and cheesy as the billboards suggest. But, kids seem to enjoy it, and it's right off the highway so it's pretty easy to hop off and check it out.

4 people found this review helpful

Reviewed by
amyinsc

  • 2 Reviews
  • 3 Helpful
February 27, 2017
Rated 5.0

So kitchy that it's wonderful! I love these kind of places.... tacky tourist traps. I remember when South of the Border was only a gas station, a hotel, a restaurant and a little souvenir shop. Now, it's several of each of those, with mini golf added. This place is the Wall Drug of I-95. If you love tacky souvenirs, stop and get yourself a $3 mug!

3 people found this review helpful

Reviewed by
amhroserda

  • 2 Reviews
  • 9 Helpful
June 20, 2014
Rated

Great time. Stopped here in the early evening and booked a campsite for $31. Walked down the road to get food and margaritas. It was a simple and nice stop.

4 people found this review helpful

Reviewed by
shannareyes

  • 1 Review
  • 2 Helpful
June 05, 2017
Rated 1.0

It's ok for a quick stop but nothing to write home about. It's a one of a kind experience but very overrated. The amusement park is closed due to lack of maintenance so this place is ok for shopping and dining.

2 people found this review helpful

Reviewed by
dpowell402

  • 2 Reviews
  • 3 Helpful
July 23, 2014
Rated 4.0

Super kitschy and tacky but a great break for the kids!

2 people found this review helpful

Reviewed by
coopers

  • 32 Reviews
  • 4 Helpful
October 06, 2023
Rated

The place is tacky and a tourist trap, but worth a stop and a wander around. Did a huge detour to visit, glad we did, but would not do it again. Another one off the list of roadside attractions.

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South of the Border

3346 Highway 301 N
Hamer, South Carolina
29547-7400 USA
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Open 24 hours today
  • Sun - Sat: 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

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Campground, Amenities, Parking, Dining

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Nearby Hotels

Dillon, South Carolina
Bennettsville, South Carolina
Lumberton, North Carolina
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