10 Things to Do with Kids in Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge

10 Things to Do with Kids in Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge

Gatlinburg for Families

Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee are real finds for families seeking an action-packed getaway. Families spend their days skiing and snowboarding in the winter, then in warmer weather go hiking, horseback riding, fishing or splashing around at a water park.

Kids are sure to enjoy imagination-sparking attractions like Ripley’s Aquarium and Gatlin’s Fun Center, while Dollywood is a must for its colourful kiddie rides and heart-racing roller coasters alike. And there’s no shortage of quirky little spots to see, such as Goats on the Roof – an elaborately themed mini-golf courses and eccentric museums. Here are some ideas for family activities in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

Explore the fun-filled world of Dollywood

The cheerful creation of country superstar Dolly Parton

• Gia đình

There’s something to amuse and excite families of all ages at Dollywood. Let the wee ones take a whirl on such rides as the Busy Bees merry-go-round or scramble over fire engines in the FireHouse play yard. For older kids there’s the Mystery Mine roller coaster that races through an abandoned mine and many other thrill-inducing rides like the free-falling Drop Line and Dizzy Disk.

Families could also explore the area’s history and landscape by hopping aboard the Dolly Express for a scenic train trip or stopping at the 1890s Calico Falls schoolhouse. If visiting from the second week of November through December, you’ll be treated to nightly holiday parades and the festive Santa Land exhibit.

Địa điểm: 2700 Dollywood Parks Blvd, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, USA

Điện thoại: +1 800 365 5996

Ảnh của Jeremy Thompson (CC BY 2.0) đã điều chỉnh

Hit the slopes and fun park at Ober Gatlinburg

The little ones will love the Kiddie Land train

• Gia đình

Gatlinburg’s ski resort offers 10 trails for skiers and snowboarders to explore, with equipment rentals and lessons available. Beyond its winter activities, Ober is a fun place for families year-round with amusement park rides, a huge indoor ice-skating rink, mini-golf, water raft rides and the chance to see bears and bobcats in the Wildlife Encounter zoo.

The easiest way to get here is by catching the aerial tram ride from downtown, which costs about $13 for adults and $10.50 for kids aged 5-11. There’s an admission fee for each attraction, so you’ll save money by buying a wristband that allows entry into several places. Prices and opening hours vary with the season.

Địa điểm: 1310 Ski Mountain Road, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, USA

Điện thoại: +1 865 436 5423

Ảnh của Patrick Chan (CC BY-SA 2.0) đã điều chỉnh

Fuel up with a cookout style feast at Crockett’s 1875 Breakfast Camp

Crazy big breakfasts in an old-time country setting

• Gia đình
• Ẩm thực

Known for its hearty breakfasts, Crockett’s serves up inches-thick pancakes, the grandly-named “Waffle of Insane Greatness”, and skillets spilling over with sugar cured ham and pecan smoked bacon. And so much more. If you’re counting calories, you’ll probably get your week’s worth with the biscuits and grits alone (tip: don’t count them here).

Aside from the food, Crockett’s earns its family-friendly credentials with its frontier-style cabin setting complete with a roaring fireplace, hay bales and rustic wood from old barns – it feels more like the first stop of a mountain adventure journey than a restaurant. There’s no children’s menu but one order of a scrambler or skillet could easily be shared by 2 or 3 kids.

Địa điểm: 1103 Parkway, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, USA

Giờ mở cửa: Monday–Thursday from 8 am to 1 pm, Friday–Sunday 7 am to 1 pm

Điện thoại: +1 865 325 1403

Visit Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies

Pay extra for a splash with the stingrays

• Gia đình
• Ảnh

Ripley’s brings the marine world to the mountains with this elaborate aquarium full of colourful ocean life and interactive exhibits. Discover weird and wonderful sea creatures like the octopus, scorpion fish, pufferfish, corals and horseshoe crab. Families flock to the penguin exhibit where they can go through the underwater tunnel for an amazing close-up look. Another tunnel brings you face-to-face with giant stingrays, green sea turtles and sharks.

Save money by buying combo tickets for entry to the aquarium plus 2 or more Ripley’s sights in Gatlinburg including Ripley’s Believe it or Not, Haunted Adventure and the Guinness World Records attraction.

Địa điểm: 88 River Road, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, USA

Giờ mở cửa: Daily from 9 am (closing times range from 8 pm to 11 pm depending on the season and day)

Điện thoại: +1 865 430 8808

Hike, fish and play at Herbert Holt Park

Book a pavilion for your family picnic

• Gia đình
• Mạo hiểm
• Giá rẻ

Ideal for a budget-minded family to enjoy the great outdoors, you’ll find walking trails, a playground and plenty of leafy green space to run around in the park. Kids can try their luck casting a line from the children’s fishing pier along the creek, which is stocked weekly with rainbow trout from the park’s fish farm.

There’s no fee or fishing permit required but you’ll need to bring your own gear and check the signs for rules and regulations. Entry to the park is free but non-residents are charged a fee to use the pavilions, which must be reserved in advance.

Địa điểm: 811 E Parkway, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, USA

Điện thoại: +1 865 436 7080

Ride the alpine coaster at Goats on the Roof

Goats on the roof? You herd it here first…

• Gia đình
• Độc đáo

It’s got a peculiar name but has exactly what it says it has: yes, there are goats here and they do little but live their best goat lives up on the roof. Kids can enjoy feeding the goats or trying their hand at old-style prospecting at the gem mining exhibit.

There’s a big gift shop to browse and an inviting front porch for families to savour some fudge or ice-cream while relaxing on the Amish rocking chairs. And the must-do activity here (for people, not the goats) is to take the alpine coaster for an exhilarating twisty-turny ride down the mountain. The ride costs about $15 with discounts for kids.

Địa điểm: 1341 Wears Valley Road, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, USA

Giờ mở cửa: Daily from 10 am to 9 pm (open till 10 pm Friday and Saturday)

Điện thoại: +1 865 366 7139

Go for a go-kart spin at The Track

Two locations for double the fun

• Gia đình

Go-kart riding isn’t just for big kids at The Track, which lets little racers have a go on the Kiddie Karts. Older family members looking for an action-packed drive could try Wild Woody, where you’ll zoom up a wooden track three and a half storeys before circling back down and navigating a steep heart-racing drop near the finish.

Beyond the go-karts, families will find tons to do here including amusement park rides, kiddie rides, mini-golf and more than 60 games in the arcades. Opening hours vary by season.

Địa điểm: 2575 Parkway (Traffic Light #3) and 4061 Parkway (Traffic Light #10), Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, USA

Điện thoại: +1 865 453 4777 and +1 865 409 1077

Ảnh của Joel Kramer (CC BY 2.0) đã điều chỉnh

Take a canopy tree walk at Anakeesta

Treetop adventures with spectacular views

• Gia đình
• Mạo hiểm

This mountaintop theme park offers families a good mix of excitement and relaxing down-time with a view. Its Duelling Zipline gives a pair of thrill seekers the chance to fly alongside one another through the air some 40 metres above ground. Take the canopy walk for a sky-high view over the forest across 16 connected bridges in the treetops.

Families could spend hours exploring the park’s Firefly Village and its restaurants and shops, strolling the botanical gardens or running around the Treehouse Village playground. Admission is about $25 including the gondola ride, with discounts available for kids. Extra charges apply for the zipline and mountain coaster rides.

Địa điểm: 576 Parkway, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, USA

Giờ mở cửa: Daily at 10 am (closing hours vary by season and weather conditions)

Điện thoại: +1 865 325 2400

Play a round of mini-golf at Gatlin’s Lazerport Fun Center

Pay more to try the rugged ropes climbing adventure

• Gia đình

Play out your family battles for mini-golf glory with 2 outdoor 18-hole courses to conquer. The Old Mountain Trail course leads through a scenic hillside landscape, while the Old Town Square course lets you try some trick shot action in a setting of restored historical cabins.

There’s no need to worry about bad weather wrecking your game with a 9-hole “blacklight” indoor course to try. If the kids tire of playing golf, they could check out the escape room, laser tag, the frenzied Atomic Rush game and more. Get the best value out of your visit with a fun pass for around $20, which lets you try 6 activities.

Địa điểm: 716 Parkway, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, USA

Giờ mở cửa: Daily from 10 am (closing times vary)

Điện thoại: +1 865 219 2211

Stroll around the downtown Gatlinburg strip

The town hub for good eats and good fun

• Gia đình
• Giá rẻ

There’s no need for families to spend a lot in Gatlinburg when its lively downtown strip is an enjoyable place to wander around for no cost at all. Colourful shop window displays may tempt you to buy gifts and snacks, but you might be able to score tasty free samples from places like Smoky Mountain Nut House and Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen.

At Ole Smoky, you’ll certainly salivate while watching its candy makers busily churning taffy like a Willy Wonka fantasy scene. Many of the town’s best attractions are found along the strip, including Ripley’s Believe it or Not, which has a dazzling curio-filled entrance area that’s free to explore.

Bắt đầu lên kế hoạch cho chuyến đi

Tiếp tục khám phá

Tennessee

United States of America

• Albuquerque
• Amelia Island
• Anaheim
• Anna Maria Island
• Arlington
• Asheville
• Atlanta
• Atlantic City
• Austin
• Baltimore
• Bar Harbor
• Bend
• Big Bear Lake
• Biloxi
• Boston
• Branson
• Broken Bow
• Buffalo
• Cannon Beach
• Cape Canaveral
• Cape Cod
• Cape May
• Carlsbad
• Catalina Island
• Charleston
• Charlotte
• Chattanooga
• Chicago
• Cincinnati
• Clearwater
• Cleveland
• Colorado Springs
• Columbus
• Corpus Christi
• Dallas
• Daytona Beach
• Denver
• Destin
• Detroit
• Door County
• Estes Park
• Flagstaff
• Florida Keys
• Fort Lauderdale
• Fort Walton Beach
• Fort Worth
• Galveston
• Gatlinburg
• Gulf Shores
• Hamptons
• Hawaii Island
• Helen
• Hilton Head Island
• Honolulu
• Houston
• Indianapolis
• Islamorada
• Jacksonville
• Jekyll Island
• Jersey Shore
• Kansas City
• Kauai
• Key West
• Kissimmee
• Laguna Beach
• Lake Charles
• Lake Geneva
• Lake George
• Lake Placid
• Lake Tahoe
• Las Vegas
• Laughlin
• Lincoln City
• Long Beach
• Long Beach Island
• Los Angeles
• Louisville
• Mackinac Island
• Mackinaw City
• Malibu
• Mammoth Lakes
• Martha’s Vineyard
• Maui
• Memphis
• Miami
• Milwaukee
• Minneapolis
• Montauk
• Monterey
• Montville
• Myrtle Beach
• Napa
• Naples
• Nashville
• New Orleans
• New Shoreham
• New York
• Oahu
• Ocean City
• Oklahoma City
• Orange County
• Orlando
• Outer Banks
• Palm Springs
• Panama City
• Panama City Beach
• Pensacola
• Philadelphia
• Phoenix
• Pigeon Forge
• Pismo Beach
• Pittsburgh
• Pocono Mountains
• Port Aransas
• Portland
• Rehoboth Beach
• Reno
• Ruidoso
• Sacramento
• Salt Lake City
• San Antonio
• San Diego
• San Francisco
• San Jose
• San Luis Obispo
• Sandusky
• Sanibel
• Sanibel Captiva Island
• Santa Barbara
• Santa Cruz
• Santa Fe
• Santa Monica
• Sarasota
• Savannah
• Scottsdale
• Seaside
• Seattle
• Sedona
• South Lake Tahoe
• South Padre Island
• St. Augustine
• St. Louis
• St. Petersburg
• St. Petersburg – Clearwater (and vicinity)
• Tampa
• Traverse City
• Tybee Island
• Virginia Beach
• Washington
• Wildwood
• Williamsburg
• Wisconsin Dells
• Wyoming
• Yellowstone National Park
• Yosemite National Park
• Zion National Park

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin