Known as the Gateway to the Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, offer a wide range of attractions for visitors. From theme parks and ski resorts to museums and dinner shows, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge have many options to amuse and entertain tourists during their stay.
Located in Pigeon Forge, Dollywood is an amusement park owned by country singer Dolly Parton, who was born and raised in the area. Attractions such as the Smoky Mountain River Rampage celebrate the culture of the area. Dollywood holds a yearly Christmas event called Smoky Mountain Christmas, which features live entertainment and a light show.
Dollywood also has a separate water park, Dollywood's Splash Country, with attractions such as Big Bear Plunge, a white-water rafting adventure ride, and Mountain Scream, a series of winding corkscrew water slides. Both one-day and season tickets are available for the parks.
2700 Dollywood Parks Boulevard
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
(865) 428-9488
dollywood.com
Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies is located in Gatlinburg. With 10,000 sea creatures and 25-foot shark tanks, the aquarium showcases a wide variety of fish and mammals. It has a number of different sections, such as the rainforest section, the ocean section, the coral reef section and the shark lagoon. Ripley's Aquarium is open year-round, and hours vary depending on the season.
Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies
88 River Road
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
(865) 436-0308
gatlinburg.ripleyaquariums.com
Ober Gatlinburg is a ski resort and amusement park located in the hills above the town of Gatlinburg. Along with skiing and snowboarding in the winter, the park offers an aerial tramway, scenic chairlift, alpine slides and water rides year round. Entry is free, and the attractions are priced with coupons, which can be purchased individually.
Ober Gatlinburg
1339 Ski Mountain Road
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
(865) 436-5423
obergatlinburg.com
The Guinness World Records Museum is located in Gatlinburg along the main parkway. The museum offers exhibits on world records held for human achievement, sports, eating and much more. Exhibits include the most poisonous animal, fastest land animal, largest strawberry and world's largest waist.
Guinness World Records Museum
631 Parkway
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
(865) 430-7800
guinnessattractions.com
Black Bear Jamboree is a dinner and show theater located in Pigeon Forge. The food has a country theme, and entertainment ranges from Gospel music to Broadway. Ticket prices vary depending on the show, but the theater usually has a special ticket price available if you choose to see more than one show.
Black Bear Jamboree
119 Music Road
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
(865) 908-7469
blackbearjamboree.com
Dedicated to Elvis Presley, this museum in Pigeon Forge exhibits some of the King's cars, his personal possessions and some of his clothes originally collected by a Georgia man who opened the first museum dedicated to Elvis outside of Graceland. There are now similar museums across the region, but the one in Pigeon Forge is the original. There is also a theater offering nightly live tribute shows.
Elvis Museum
2638 Parkway
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
(865) 428-2001
elvismuseums.com
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the only national park in the United States that offers free entry. The Appalachian trail, which runs from Georgia to Maine, goes through Smoky Mountains National Park.
The park has a total of 800 miles of maintained trails for all hiker skill levels. It also offers fishing, horseback riding and motor trails. The park has close to 80 log buildings that have been restored and can be toured by visitors.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
107 Park Headquarters Road
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
(865) 436-1200
nps.gov/grsm
