The Carolina Opry Theatre is located at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The first Carolina Opry Theatre was situated at Surfside Beach. The theatre bore a 1000-seat capacity. It first opened its doors with a presentation of the Carolina Opry show in May 2, 1986. Night after night, the theatre boasted of sold-out shows. That's why it was named as the Most Outstanding Attraction of South Carolina in 1987. In 1990, the Carolina Opry Theatre was constructed by Myrtle Beach. The theatre's seating capacity was 2,200 in order to meet the demands of many tourists. It was in June 1992 when the Carolina Opry show debuted in the new theatre. In November the same year, the show cast landed a spot on the acclaimed newspaper USA Today. The tourists that the show attracted resulted in the Governor's cup award, which is the highest tourism award in the state of South Carolina. In 1993, The Family Channel Television Network bought the Carolina Opry Theatre. The following year, the network started to televise the show 'Country Music Spotlight,' which was taped at the said theatre. Another show which used the Carolina Opry Theatre as its background was 'Great American Music: A Salute to Fast Cars,' which was attended by topnotch race drivers Rusty Wallace, Richard Petty, and Ted Musgrave.