Author: 
Chances are you’ve likely heard of Dollywood at this point in your life. Dolly Parton’s Appalachia-themed theme park in Tennessee has dazzled tourists since it first opened in 1961. More on Dollywood in just a bit, but what people may not realize is the town where Dollywood is located, Pigeon Forge, has become a loved tourist destination for much more than just due to Dolly Parton.
There are so many more things to do on your vacation in Pigeon Forge, from tourist attractions to natural escapes. Not only is there a wide range of attractions and fun activities to keep you and your family entertained, there’s a wide variety of hotels and cabin rentals for you to prop your feet at night.
Consider this travel guide your opportunity to plan a vacation to this quaint Appalachian mountain town, and to really get you ready to go, go ahead and set Jolene to repeat.
Let’s head out to Pigeon Forge!
Have Some Fun at Dollywood
Oh, Dolly, Dolly, Dolly. What superlatives haven’t been bestowed upon you by the Internet in the past several years? From her Imagination Library to her philanthropic efforts with recent COVID-19 vaccine research, Dolly Parton has become a folk hero to many and an icon to others.
Nevertheless, we’d be remiss if we didn’t take a few moments to talk about Pigeon Forge’s ultimate tourist destination: Dollywood. Once you see how much there’s to do at Dollywood, you’ll completely understand why it’s the Pigeon Forge attraction everyone raves about.
Opening in 1961 as “Rebel Railroad”, the theme park was just a scant few attractions such as a steam train, a blacksmith shop, and a saloon before it was bought up and rebranded to Goldrush Junction and Silver Dollar City in the 1970s.
It wasn’t until 1986 when Dolly bought up interest in the park since she grew up in the area that it became the world-famous Dollywood. Since then, the park has expanded multiple times, adding a water park called Splash Country, the DreamMore Resort, and a cozy getaway featuring log cabins.
Speaking of Dollywood’s Splash Country, you get 35 acres of water fun, with waterslides, play stations, and plenty of family fun all centered around Dolly’s love of swimming when she was growing up in the area. You can’t go wrong with it, either, as USA Today readers continue to vote for the park as one of the best water parks in the country every year.
These days, Dollywood boasts of over 50 rides stretched across 11 different sections. Those sections include a country fair, a village, a farm, and several other Southern-inspired areas.
The kids and the teenagers might enjoy Dollywood for the thrill rides, but the Pigeon Forge theme also plays host to some of the biggest festivals in the South, including the new Flower and Food Festival that started last year.
But it’s Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas that continues to draw rave reviews from not only tourists, but leading hospitality publications. The Christmas festival alone has won Golden Ticket’s Best Christmas Event for the past 13 years!
Expansion for the park is expected to continue through 2023 when a new section is set to open with a new roller coaster.
Tickets for one day at Dollywood range from $74 for children aged 4-9 and $84 for ages 10 and up. Multi-day and season passes are also available if you’re looking to make a weekend (or multiple weekends and weekdays) out of your trip.
Relive The Past at the Titanic Museum Attraction
You’ve heard all about the unsinkable ship. You’ve seen the movie. But what if you could experience it first-hand? Pigeon Forge is also home to the Titanic Museum Attraction, a 30,000-square-foot replica of the world-famous doomed ocean liner.
The two-story living history museum comes complete with over 400 artifacts that tell the story of the ship’s one and only voyage that ended in tragedy in the Atlantic Ocean in 1912.
Your breath will be taken away the minute you park your car in front of the museum. You’ll get the experience of seeing what the ship would have looked like the moment it left the Liverpool harbor. Once you enter the vessel, you’ll be given the ticket of an actual passenger or crew member and given the opportunity to experience what the ship’s maiden voyage would have been like for them.
Walking the halls of the ship, you’ll be surrounded by the many artifacts – some saved from the shipwreck itself – and given the chance to see the Grand Staircase in all its mahogany splendor.
The self-guided tour ends with the Titanic Memorial Wall that honors the 2,208 souls who lost their lives when the ship sank in the frigid waters of the Atlantic.
Adults can visit the museum for a $35 ticket price. Children aged 5-12 can get in for $15. You can also purchase a family of four pass for $115. Whatever you choose, the Titanic Museum Attraction is sure to enlighten and entertain any who enter!
A few other notable attractions in Pigeon Forge if you’re looking for more options are the Hollywood Wax Museum, Alcatraz East Crime Museum, and Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in nearby Gatlinburg.
Get Some Fresh Air at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
If what you’re seeking from a Pigeon Forge vacation is less commercial and more natural, then you’re in luck. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to 522,419 acres of protected national forest, waterways, and mountains.
Chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1934 and given protected national status by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1940, the park has become the most visited national park in the United States. In 2021 alone, the park had 14.1 million visitors.
Of the amenities at the park, you can enjoy a walk or a bike ride on the 11-mile loop of the Cades Cove. Or maybe hiking is a bit more your speed? The park boasts several scenic views for anyone to take in from caves to hilltops and even several waterfalls. There are plenty of outdoor activities you can enjoy in this national park. There’s even some options to enjoy whitewater rafting for the extra adventurous traveler.
The joy of the outdoors even extends to those who enjoy pitching a tent at the Smokies. Tourists can choose from four different types of campsites depending on your skill level. Enjoy hiking deep into the woods and falling asleep among the trees? They have you covered. Or perhaps you want to camp with a few of the marvels of the modern world (read: bathrooms and running water)?
To get your adrenaline really going on your mountain getaway, try out horseback riding, ziplining, go-karts, the Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster, and the Outdoor Gravity Park.
The Great Smoky Mountains has it all for the outdoor tourist looking to make memories.
Put on Your Lab Coat at WonderWorks
Sometimes, all the kids want to do is a science experiment. Remember, you were a kid at one point, too. That’s why Pigeon Forge is home to one of the Southeast’s most fun and interactive “edu-tainment” facilities, WonderWorks.
You can’t miss the facility, either! Engineered to look like an upside-down laboratory, the 35,000-square foot amusement park can be fun for the whole family. Over 100 hands-on experiments and exhibits litter the park, too, featuring everything from space to extreme weather and so much more.
The fun doesn’t stop with science, though, as WonderWorks includes an indoor rope course, a motion theater, and laser tag.
Tickets for WonderWorks begin at $24.99 for children ages 4-12 and $32.99 for adults ages 13-59.
Get Some Fresh Air at The Great Smoky Mountain Wheel
Think of the biggest Ferris Wheel you can imagine. Okay, now double it. That may not even be close to the actual size of the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel on The Island in Pigeon Forge.
Extending 200 feet into the air, you’ll get the best view in the city in one of the VIP air-conditioned gondolas. As one of the tallest structures in the Southeast, you’re sure to have your breath taken away by the view. This is by far one of the top attractions for sightseeing in the area, since you can see so far from a unique viewpoint.
Ticket prices vary based on the time of day and your age but are more than affordable for anyone looking to take a ride on the classic Ferris Wheel.
Go Shopping in Pigeon Forge
You didn’t think you were going to come to east Tennessee without picking up a few items to bring home as souvenirs, did you? Well, we’re glad to note here that Pigeon Forge has plenty of places for you to open your wallet.
Pigeon Forge Factory Outlet Stores
Nothing says vacation like a visit to an outlet mall. Luckily, Pigeon Forge has one of the many outlet malls in the Southeast. Featuring 21 name-brand stores with closeout prices, such as Levi’s and Wrangler you’re sure to leave with several filled bags in hand.
The Shops at Lumberjack Square
Your eyes are not deceiving you. You’ve located a shopping center with a lumberjack theme (all thanks to Paula Deen’s nearby Lumberjack Feud dinner show).
But don’t be fooled! This shopping center comes complete with all the open-air shopping mall standards such as clothing stores, locally-owned businesses, restaurants, and a movie theater.
Just watch out for any sawdust.
Old Mill Square
There’s something about a shopping experience that can go back almost 200 years ago that will bring in just about anyone. Old Mill Square gives tourists restaurants and specialty shops all themed around the concept of an old mill town.
Take a step inside the General Store for some candy. Head on over to the Old Mill Creamery for a scoop of ice cream. Don’t forget to visit Pigeon River Pottery, too, for 70 years worth of experience in making pottery.
Mountain Mile
Something tells us not everyone might like an old-timey market or an outlet mall. For those who need the fun of a traditional shopping mall infused with the thrill of a theme park, Mountain Mile is sure to draw your attention.
Featuring several high-end shops and even one of Guy Fieri’s Downtown Flavortown restaurants, Mountain Mile feels like any new shopping center you may have visited. But what makes this mall different from any other is the inclusion of a thrill ride known as the Mountain Monster.
Come for the shopping, stay for the thrills!
Dinner Shows in Pigeon Forge
Like any other tourist town, Pigeon Forge comes complete with enough dinner shows to get anyone’s attention. You can get a full course dinner and one heck of a show for under $200 for your average family of four.
Let’s take a look at a few.
Dolly Parton’s Stampede
Tell us if you’ve had enough Dolly yet. Still, the queen of country music has more than just Dollywood to offer Pigeon Forge visitors. That’s why there’s also Dolly Parton’s Stampede, a dinner and show spectacular sure to delight anyone who visits the area.
Originally billed as a Southern spectacle, the Stampede show offers a 32-horse event with trick riding set to the sounds of Dolly’s seemingly endless discography.
On top of the thrilling show, Stampede gives guests many choices as part of their four-course Southern meal featuring all the staples, including a homemade biscuit, a whole rotisserie chicken, classic corn on the cob, and mreuch more.
Ticket prices vary depending on what type of seating you’re looking to get and what time of year you’re visiting.
Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud
The American-famous wild west feud between two mountain families has turned into a dinner show that will have anyone hooting and hollering.
Set during the infamous feud that spanned almost 30 years on the West Virginia-Kentucky border in the late 1800s, the Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud brings the historical spat to life with comedy and action.
With the theater split in half, you’ll be tasked with choosing which family you’ll support during the show as you feast on an all-you-can-eat buffet of Southern staples that will have your mouth watering.
Just like Dolly Parton’s Stampede, ticket prices vary depending on the time of year and type of seating you’re requesting.
Pirates Voyage Dinner and Show
We might be hundreds of miles away from the Atlantic Ocean, but that won’t stop you from enjoying a pirates-themed dinner and show at Pirates Voyage Dinner and Show.
Join Blackbeard, the world’s most famous pirate next to Captain Jack Sparrow, as he battles to find buried treasure and glory on the high seas in an indoor lagoon.
The show comes with a traditional four-course meal that covers all the basics from meat and potatoes and even a few vegetarian options.
Like the other dinner show options in the area, ticket prices depend largely on seat availability and the time of year.
Conclusion
Whatever time of year you choose to visit Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, you’ll be certain to find an attraction that suits your interests. From enjoying the snow in the winter to the sun in the summer, each season brings different fun things to the area. From thrill rides to shopping to nature to history and anything in between, Pigeon Forge truly has fun for anyone.
So be sure to book your stay now and get ready for some of these wonderful activities.
