Considering a trip to Pigeon Forge TN soon? We put together our TOP ATTRACTIONS to check out while you are in town…. We were there for an entire week and still couldn’t do everything … sometimes referred to as the “Vegas” for families …. it is definitely is a destination to visit again and again! Check out the latest savings offers and things to do here - http://www.smokymountainskids.com/
Outdoor Gravity Park – By far the most UNIQUE and fun attraction we have done, ever! We fell in love with this idea the moment we saw a video on you-tube. Anything “one of a kind” is worth trying once – or three times! A huge rubber-like ORB, filled with 10 gallons of fresh water – with 1-3 people inside -- then they roll you down a 1,000 foot grass hill course. The best part is for each ride, they give you a hand held GOPRO to video yourself on the ride down – making it twice the fun as you get to experience it all over again. It’s hot in Tennessee, so all you need is a bathing suit or t-shirt and shorts … bring your own go-pro or borrow theirs – watching is free – purchasing your video is extra if you want to continue to relive the fun at home. We went on a summer weekday around 11am – they open at 10 – and it’s advisable to go early or go later to avoid the lines. We didn’t have any trouble with the wait – we arrived and locked our valuables in the car, stowed our shoes in a cubby and headed out to the park. Music, benches and tables make it a comfortable spot to spend some time just watching the fun – even if you are not riding, you should go watch! Safe for kids 4+ … it’ s a great family time. The shuttle rides everyone up the hill – then you get to choose one of 3 courses to try – that’s why we did it three times – hard to choose and we wanted to experience them all! Take a minute to visit them online to view more videos to get an idea – it’s not nearly as scary as you would think – only my husband reported feeling a little “dizzy” after, but the truth is you never go upside down, and it’s safe to wear your sunglasses on the way! We are excited to offer our readers a special discount for your first ROLL – mention USFamilyGuide to pay just $15 – a savings of $10! I couldn’t pull the kids away from this one!
The Comedy Barn – good clean family fun -- which turned out to be a highlight of the trip for my 19yo, by the way! My husband couldn’t believe how FUNNY this show was, despite all the clean humor – eye opening indeed that CLEAN FUN is a great thing! This place has been entertaining families for over 23 years – and simply a must see when you are in town! They offer two shows a day, 5pm and 8:15pm - Get there early to get ice cream or popcorn before the show!
Alcatraz East Crime Museum - the newest attraction in town, took up 5 hours of our day – and left everybody wanting MORE – three were still things we wanted to read and explore! Best advice is to go on a full stomach so that you can stay and enjoy as much as you can! Second bit of advice is the upgrade to the The Heist lazer maze experience – I felt like James Bond! This is the only Crime museum in our area, this one actually was moved from Washington DC and has now been expanded to over 25,000 square feet! Located right near The Island – it’s easily accessible on foot from many attractions – and just a block down from our hotel at The Arbors. If you are going -- eat first -- you will want to spend HOURS here ... so much to take in and experience!
Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster – There are several of these in and around town – we chose this one as it seemed to be the longest – and what a thrill it was!!! The attraction is open to midnight, we were able to sqeeze this one in around 11pm one night – and the line was incredible – thankfully it moved quickly. Each of us got our own cart to buckle into and head up into to dark night …. The entire course was lit up with lighting all along the track … so you could see somewhat …. Perhaps a first time in the day would allow you to see more of what’s ahead – but the family encouraged the challenge in the dark! If you are going, you will want to leave ALL valuables, including purses, phones, wallets, hats in the car before you get in line. We found a groupon to save a few bucks, but totally found this worth event the regular price! Guest control the speed on the way down, but the staff encourages you to let loose and keep the speed up the whole ride – easier said than done on some of those turns – but such a thrill! Everyone loved it and wanted to go again!
In honor of the 20th anniversary of the film, Titanic The Movie - actual set costumes were on display this year
and photo taking was allowed for these!
Ripley’s Aquarium of The Smokies – On the other end of town, about 5 miles down the road is Gatlinburg – where you will find several Ripley’s Attractions to check out! We recommend the U Pick combo to allow
you an opportunity to visit a few of the other attractions while saving a good bit. This aquarium, by far, is the best one we have ever experienced. Hands on fun and education -- our favorite part was the shark exhibit and the long under water tunnel! We also enjoyed the new exhibit featuring Pearl Harbor - very moving, interesting and thorough! The glass bottom boat is extra but highly recommended - the kids loved it!
Smoky Mountain National Forest – The backdrop to the Pigeon Forge area is the great smoky mountains … breathtaking sight no matter the time of day. Be sure to fill the gas tank, pack some water and a lunch before you head over to the park. Stop at the visitor center to talk to the staff - they will guide you on some great places to check out. In our case, we didn't have time for the 4 hour trek we originally hoped to do - so opted for a paved path to the waterfall -- as it was muddy and rainy on the day we visited. The forest is still recovering from the massive fire at the end of 2016 -- an eerie scene but one that the kids got to see up close ... very impactful.
FlyAway Indoor Skydiving - Have to admit this one was a little more daunting than I thought it would be. All five of us intended to go in to FLY, but at the last moment my 12yo opted to watch and film from the windows surrounding the flying room. Our instructor was amazing – funny, helpful and talented – he helped to fray our nerves before hand. There is a bit of a time schedule to stick to here, so not a lot of time to mess around. We made reservations for a family session – which allowed all 5 of us to go in the room together. We arrived a little early to watch skydivers before us from the deck overlooking the fly zone. Recommend leaving all valuables out in your car – sadly my son took his wallet in, and was never seen again. If you are going – we recommend wearing tennis shoes (mandatory) and shorts and a tank top … the air from the huge fan is pulled from outside … which made this a rather sweaty experience on a 90 degree afternoon. Your suit includes goggles, helmet, one piece nylon jumpsuit and gloves – so it can get toasty! The experience itself was a little of a challenge physically – I think by nature I wanted to “fight” the wind, when in reality you want to RELAX and allow the wind to lift your body. The instructor is with you the entire time and was helpful in getting you to LIFT up and also allowing you to not lift up too high! Very unique and fun time for all – left us wanting to go back to try again, now that we understand it more. You can purchase your "flight" and take it home on a USB for $20. Great place to have a birthday! Check out their latest savings offer herehttp://www.smokymountainskids.com/coupon.php?bid=13151&dealid=3078
9. Hollywood Wax Museum Bring your camera for some of the best photo opps you will ever see! This place was more fun than anybody had expected - so many scenes and actors - all so realistic!! The set props are what made this even more fun -- we all had a great time posing! If you go, we recommend you upgrade to go up on the open air deck near King King - wonderful views of the Smoky Mountains and the whole town of Pigeon Forge. Check out their latest savings offer here -http://www.smokymountainskids.com/coupon.php?bid=11227&dealid=1362
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Go Karts – I don’t know which course we tried as there are numerous companies to choose from … the best part about the Go Carts in Pigeon Forge is the multi-level tracks which we found intriguing and unique. We squeezed this one in close to midnight on a drizzling night and still had a blast! Highly recommend a go!
Tube Float with River Romp – Sadly the weather didn’t cooperate on our day planned to try this activity – however we still added it to the list as a SUPER way to experience the Smoky Mountains from a unique and cool vantage point – located about 20 minutes outside of town. At just $12 for a day of fun …. this one will be on the TOP of the list for our next summer time visit.
Dollywood’s Splash Country – We have had the opportunity to visit many wonderful water parks around our great country – we all definitely had a great family time at this water park – albeit a little on the smaller scale for waterpark favorites. The whole family particularly loved our time in the wave pool – even though we found the wave schedule to be sadly unpredictable and far apart – we still had fun on a hot summer day. Dollywood has an amusement park as well that we wish to try on our next visit – but with the temps over 90 on this day, the unanimous vote was to CHILL here. The lazy river was relaxing, though we found the slide choices a little limited. Of particular note was that many family slides were intended for THREE or FOUR … which had us breaking up the family to ride with strangers on more than one occasion since we are a family of five. This was probably the most disappointing point as compared to other parks. On a good note, we found the option for FREE water a great thing …. As other parks have typically forced you to purchase water. It was an overall hit with the kids, and that is what mattered!
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I"m sure it seems like a ton of stuff to do - but can you believe there is still MORE? Pigeon Forge is clearly a destination that we will return to again and again. Maybe next time we will try a few days in a cabin in the forest and take a try at the Zip Line courses -- and definitely do more hiking. Enjoy your trip!!
