My family and I love going to Pigeon Forge. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times we have visited this area of the Great Smoky Mountains. Of course, vacationing might work better for your family in the off season. Never fear! There is so much fun to be had in Pigeon Forge in the winter. Check out our picks for 9 family friendly things to do in Pigeon Forge and let me know what you would add in the comments.
Alcatraz East Crime Museum
I visited this museum a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. I believe they change exhibits from time to time so my experience might not be your experience if you plan to visit soon. My personal favorite parts of the Alcatraz East Crime Museum were the 9/11 exhibits and the memorials to many American mass shootings, including one of the most recent massacres that took place at a Las Vegas music festival. On display was the Eric Church hat worn by one of the victims. As a frequent music festival attendee and a huge country music fan, I found this display particularly moving.
I am also especially interested in serial killers. Ted Bundy, Aileen Wuornos and John Wayne Gacy [among other prolific murderous criminals] are featured in the museum. Also on display are Bonnie and Clyde’s bullet riddled last ride and the infamous OJ creepy slow escape Bronco. Alcatraz East Crime Museum also has a book club if you are interested in checking that out. And If Dateline is your jam, then the Alcatraz East Crime Museum [which was also featured on at least one episode of the crime series] is definitely an attraction that you need to add to your next Pigeon Forge itinerary.
Goats On The Roof
I just love goats. They are so cute! I highly recommend taking the kids to see the live goats at Goats On The Roof. You can also pick up some great mementos here if you like to take home souvenir memorabilia. The goats are at the back of the store and you can pet them. The website says that there are actually goats on the roof, too, so be sure to let me know in the comments if there actually are!
Escape Rooms
I had never tried an escape room until I did the Tomb Egyptian Adventure Escape Room in Pigeon Forge. Sadly, that attraction is closed down but there are several other escape rooms in Pigeon Forge currently in business. Search “Pigeon Forge Escape Room” in Google and you will have no problem finding a few to choose from. If you like puzzles, mysteries and history, escape rooms often encompass all of these elements. They are also great for large groups and promote team building.
The object of the Tomb Egyptian Adventure Escape Room was to get the pharoah into his tomb so that he could rest in peace. There were actually a few rooms that you needed to get through to make it to the pharoah’s tomb. You did this by successfully solving puzzles and completing tasks. There were 5 players in our group plus Cooper [a tiny 3 month old who was of no help except for looking cute]. None of us had ever participated in an escape game before and we all really enjoyed it. It’s challenging, but not so much that you get frustrated and the puzzles are family friendly. There is also a guide who will assist if needed.
Three Bears General Store
Let’s be honest, we all come to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg hoping to spot a bear, right? You can do just that at Three Bears General Store! The store has bears that were rescued from a “kill farm” over 25 years ago. They now live in a 5,000 sq ft habitat with their own living quarters, a pond and a waterfall. You can observe the bears from several levels and you can slide the food through chutes to the animals so it is safe for the kiddos. It is also really cheap to feed the bears at just a few bucks a person. Look in area coupon guides and sometimes you can find BOGO admissions.
Ripley’s Aquarium Of The Smokies
Ripley’s Aquarium is actually in Gatlinburg but some of their attractions are in Pigeon Forge, so I am including them. I have been a huge fan of Ripley’s Aquariums for year. I have visited Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies a few times and the one in Myrtle Beach I can’t tell you how many times. One thing that really got me excited was when they added the penguins, I think 3-4 years ago. Awww, they are so cute and tiny! I always imagined they would be so much bigger in real life! Many of the exhibits allow for little children to climb underneath into a tube that comes up in the middle of the tank. This makes it appear as if your child is actually in the tank with the animal. So, I was able to get a picture of my nephew “in” the penguin tank.
Ripley’s has more attractions than just the aquarium. I have also visited the Haunted House, Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum and the 5D Moving Theater [which had a snowman movie!!] These are all great places to visit when the weather outside is frightful. You can even get deals on Ripley’s attractions if you purchase tickets to multiple attractions. Sleepovers and camps are also available!
TopJump Trampoline And Extreme Arena
Got some kids that need to burn off some energy? TopJump is where you need to take them. I took my 2 nephews and they really enjoyed the time they spent there. Bradley and Preston spent an hour jumping from trampoline to trampoline, playing trampoline dodgeball and climbing a rock wall. There is also a really cool obstacle course that we just didn’t make it to as they were both pretty tired after the hour we spent at TopJump. You can buy longer packages, though, if you want, as well as packages that include other activities. Be sure to bring socks that have grips on the bottom for safety or you can buy some at the arena.
Paula Deen’s Lumberjack Feud Show And Adventure Park
If you have been to Pigeon Forge in the past few years, you might have been to Lumberjack Feud. A couple of years ago, I was able to attend The Lumberjack Feud Show. I am including this outdoor show in this list because the seating area is under shelter. It features Lumber Jacks and Jills competing in different competitions of skill and strength to see who is the best. These activities include Canoe Jousting, Log Rolling, climbing huge 40+ foot poles and more. During my visit, I especially liked that there was the potential to get rewarded with a lumberjack “cookie” for being loud . And you know I am loud, so I got one! I was able to get it autographed by my team of lumberjacks I was rooting for that night, the McGraws. 🙂
My nephews, Preston and Bradley, participated in the Lumberjack Adventure Park. They climbed a huge ropes course that tired them out [we came here right after TopJump]. The adventure park also has a zipline coaster and log rolling that look like a lot of fun. We came on a rainy day but I would like to visit again on a day with better weather so they can also also try out the coaster!
Crave Mini Golf
Crave Mini Golf is a #1 rated mini golf course in the US. There were 6 of us playing, but the most important thing, though, is that I have only tried mini golf a time or two before and I beat Gabe. He sure talked a lot of smack to come in 4th, bwahahahaha! I actually tied for 2nd. 😀
Crave Mini Golf is a candy themed mini golf club with both indoor and outdoor courses. They also have mini bowling and escape rooms. If the candy theme gets your sweet tooth excited while you play, there is a huge candy store on your way out. We all treated ourselves to soft serve ice cream.
MagiQuest
MagiQuest really is fun for all types of people. There is an interactive game that you walk through where you use a wand to complete quests. Many people come in cosplay outfits and I thought that was neat. There can be a lot of walking involved, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes. If you are looking to return often, I recommend buying your own wand as it can retain your progress.
What I love most at MagiQuest is the 18 hole black light Pirate Golf. There is just something about mini golf under the black light that appeals to me. Miniature golf is fun but the black lights just take it to a whole new level. We also really enjoyed the Odyssey Mirror Maze Adventure. It was a lot tougher to find my way out of than I thought it would be, so be prepared.
Check out our Flickr pictures of some of our visits to Pigeon Forge attractions here and here.