Smoky Mountains Attractions

- Bryson City -

Fontana Dam
Standing at 480 feet high, Fontana Dam is the tallest in the Eastern United States. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) constructed the dam in the 1940s. The dam supplied electricity to the area during World War II.

Ghost Town in the Sky
Take a journey back to frontier life atop the Great Smoky Mountains. Ghost Town has rides, shops, gunfights, as well as restaurants. The attraction is located an hour's drive away in Maggie Valley, North Carolina.

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
Your excursion will take you on a train ride around the Nantahala Gorge. You will see Horseshoe Curve, Fontana Lake Trestle, the Tennessee River and the Nantahala River. You can ride in refurbished coaches, club cars, dining cars and cabooses. There are even open cars so you can take pictures. This attraction is located in Dillsboro, North Carolina.

Whitewater Rafting
The Bryson City area is known for its whitewater rafting. Even children can take on the Nantahala, Oconaluftee, and the Little Tennessee Rivers. Of the three, the Nantahala is the most challenging because it's dam-controlled, and it has Class III rapids.

Whittier Historical Center
Nearly an hour outside of Bryson City, Whittier also provides a glimpse into the past. The Historical Center is located in the original Old Whittier Grocery Store. The exhibit includes a recreation of the first town of Whittier from the 1890s through 1910. Visitors can also get a look at the town through old photos.

- Cherokee -

Cherokee Fun Park
Open April through October, Cherokee Fun Park offers miniature golf, go-cart racing, bumper cars, and kids rides all in one place. There are limited hours during the off-season.

Cherokee Heritage Museum and Gallery
Learn more about Cherokee history and culture at the Museum and Gallery via taped tours, books, and crafts. You can also buy authentic Cherokee masks and crystals. The Museum and Gallery is open year-round.

Harrah's Cherokee Casino
Harrah's isn't just a casino. Those 18 and older can also go to the site for live entertainment. During the peak season, there are shows every night at eight. There are even some matinee shows in the afternoon. The casino also has three restaurants. Adults can enjoy more than 2,000 video gaming machines in 60,000 square feet of floor space. Kids are not left out. Harrah's has an area especially for children called, "Planet 4 Kidz." "Planet 4 Kidz" has an arcade and a snack bar.

Oconaluftee River Trail
This attraction is for the true nature lover. The Oconaluftee River Trail is a flat one-mile trek through the woods. Horseback ride, bike, fish or raft along the trail while you listen to the peaceful babble of the Oconaluftee River.

Quall Arts and Crafts Mutual
Choose from Native American arts from all over the country at the Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual. Artists from all over the nation come display their works. There are an estimated 350 Cherokee craftspeople alone showing their art at the cooperative. There is no admission charge and the store is open year-round.

Santa's Land Family Fun Park and Zoo
Kids and parents alike will have much do to at the park. You can ride the Rudi-Coaster or visit Santa and the elves. The zoo includes many domestic and exotic animals that you can pet and feed. The park also has live entertainment, restaurants, and shops. It is open from late May to the end of fall.

Tribal Bingo
This facility can hold up to 1,200 players who have the opportunity to win $1,500 as well as larger progressive jackpots. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians operates the building.


- Gatlinburg -

Gatlinburg Space Needle
The Space Needle gives tourists a panoramic view of the Smokies. An elevator will take you up to a 65-foot deck that is more than 340 feet in the air. People flock to the needle on New Year's Eve where Gatlinburg drops its own ball to ring in the New Year.

The Guinness World Records Museum
Want to know the best or worst in sports, music, and television? Stop at the Guinness World Records Museum for the answers. A whale's mouth and belly form the entrance of the two-story museum.

The Historic Ogle Cabin
The Ogle Cabin is the oldest building in Gatlinburg. The Ogle family, one of the oldest in Sevier County, built the cabin in 1807. Different family members continued to live in the cabin until 1910. Make sure to call ahead before attempting to visit the cabin because it is open on an irregular schedule.

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies
Barely two years old, the attraction has become a major destination in the Southeast. More than 115,000 square feet, the aquarium has more than 1.3 million gallons of man-made seawater and thousands of fish from around the world. The focal point of the aquarium is an underwater tunnel that will bring sharks and tropical fish within inches of you. As you move along the 340-foot moving path, you will also see poisonous predators and the largest crustacean in the world - the Japanese spider crab.

Ripley's Moving Theater
This theater gives new meaning to virtual reality. Prepare for an assault on your senses. As you view scenes on a 70mm screen, your chair move in harmony with the action on the screen. Pulsating sounds from a digital system will also invade your body with the scenes from the first feature, a meteor shower.


- Knoxville -

Alex Haley Statue - Haley Heritage Square
His novel "Roots" became a successful mini-series. Author Alex Haley called Knoxville home. Now vacationers are able visit a square that honors him. Haley Heritage Square features a playground next to a statue of Haley. A beautiful city park surrounds the playground.

American Museum of Science & Energy
amse.org
Tour guides at the American Museum of Science & Energy will show visitors how there are peaceful uses for atomic energy with live demonstrations and videos. The museum opened in 1949 as a wartime cafeteria. It was originally named the American Museum of Atomic Energy. However, its name was changed to the American Museum of Science and Energy in 1978.

Confederate Memorial Hall - Bleak House
www.korrnet.org/cmh
The namesake of a Charles Dickens novel, "Bleak House" is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The mansion has 15 rooms and is housed on grounds located off Fort Loudon Lake. Major L.D. Franklin built the house for his daughter, Louisa, and her husband, Robert Houston Armstrong. Armstrong's father, Drury Armstrong, donated the property.

Cradle of Country Music Walking Tour
The state of Tennessee is known for its historic country music attractions. Knoxville keeps this tradition alive. Stroll downtown while learning about the beginning of country music. The tour includes information about stars like Hank Williams, Dolly Parton, and Roy Acuff.

Douglas Lake
With 30,400 acres of water surface and more than 550 miles of shoreline, you can camp, swim, and fish at the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. Douglas Headwater Campground has 53 sites at Douglas Dam. Douglas Lake can accommodate nearly any size boat. The grounds are open April through October.

East Tennessee Historical Center: Custom House
Among one of the first buildings named to the National Register of Historic Places in Knoxville, the East Tennessee Historical Center served as the first United States Custom House and Post Office. Built in 1874, Custom House was Knoxville's first federal building until 1933. Three years later, it became the main Knoxville offices of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). In 1977, Custom House became a ward of the public library to be used as a center for historical research.

Knoxville Museum of Art
knoxart
With its beginning at the Dulin Gallery of Art in 1961, the Knoxville Museum of Art is a 53,000-square-foot concrete and Tennessee marble building. The museum has five galleries. The American Association of Museums awarded the Knoxville Museum of Art its accreditation in 1996.

Tennessee Riverboat Company
tnriverboat
Enjoy a breathtaking view of the Tennessee River while experiencing a view from the past. An authentic stern wheel riverboat will be your guide as you ride down the river. Cruises are available for either lunch or dinner, but it is suggested that you make reservations. The cruise also features live entertainment and different themes each night.

Three Rivers Rambler
Threeriversrambler
This tour offers an alternative to Knoxville's city life. See the countryside of some of Knoxville's most historic landscapes on a vintage steam engine train. The 90-minute tour will take you from Volunteer Landing to the Forks of the River.


- Pigeon Forge -

Bluff Mountain Adventure
Year round, you can hike or ride across 7,000 acres of mountain trails. Visitors can also cross streams and ride to the top of the bluff.

Dollywood Entertainment Park/Dolly's Splash World
Dolly Parton created Dollywood to show off the Great Smoky Mountains. Visitors can enjoy music shows, rides, as well as arts and crafts. During the summer, Dollywood's Showcase of Stars has concerts headlined by some of country music's greatest celebrities. A new water park, Dolly's Splash World, just opened up down the road from Dollywood. The water park features a 25,000-square-foot wave pool. It also has single and double tube slides and a family raft ride.

Elvis Museum
Some think Memphis is the only place to check out some of the King of Rock-n-Roll's belongings. In Pigeon Forge, tourists can see the world' largest private collection of Elvis memorabilia outside of Graceland. On a self-guided tour, visitors can see Elvis' cars, his jewelry, and his costumes.

The Mine
You can't pack up the Great Smoky Mountains and take them home with you, but you could take a piece of Pigeon Forge back home. As a prospector, you can buy dirt at The Mine that comes from the gem-rich soil of Franklin, North Carolina. Try sifting the dirt for precious stones. Rubies and sapphires are just some of the gems you could take home with you. You can also watch workers make jewelry and cut stones.

Race World
This is a NASCAR-themed amusement center where visitors can enjoy a multi-curve track, miniature stock cars, and an 18-hole miniature golf course. The center also has the VR 2000, a roller coaster simulation ride. With 2,550 feet of track, the Thunder Eagle is the area's only wooden roller coaster. The roller coaster dives from a 67-feet climb. Race World also has a 4,000-square-foot NASCAR gift shop with NASCAR clothing and other souvenirs.

Scenic Helicopter Tours
You and your family have the opportunity to see the natural beauty of Pigeon Forge from the air. Flights begin as low as $10 per person. Scenic Helicopter Tours operate two helicopters that each seat up to four people.

Smoky Mountain Car Museum
Tourist can take a self-guided tour to learn about the car's development. The museum has a collection of more than 30 cars, including one used by James Bond in the movies, Goldfinger and Thunderball. There is also a 1915 Ford Model T on display. Cars aren't the only items on exhibition. There are newspaper clippings, photographs, and antique gas pumps.

U.S.A. Raft
Children as young as 5 can take a river ride along the waterways near Pigeon Forge. U.S.A Raft tour guides are available to take your entire family between March and October. No previous rafting experience is necessary.


- Sevierville -

Floyd Garrett's Muscle Car Museum
Car Collector magazine says it's, "One of the finest collections of American Muscle and Stock car-based race machines." Floyd Garret started collecting vintage cars in 1975 with a 1970 Chevelle. That collection has grown to more than 90 cars in the 35,000 square-foot facility. Included at Floyd Garret's Muscle Car Museum is Elvis Presley's first limo.

Forbidden Caverns
While most tours will take you the sites above ground, Forbidden Caverns will take you on a journey under Sevierville. Experience the stalactites and grottoes during a 55-minute tour. As you walk through into the heart of English Mountain, you will see rock structures and a stream many believe flows from a lake within the mountain. Special lights and stereophonic sound enhance the tour. Tour guides will also teach you about the various people who used the caves.

NASCAR SpeedPark
This NASCAR licensed theme park has eight go-cart racing tracks on more than 25 acres. In fact, NASCAR SpeedPark is the third largest attraction in Sevier County. There's the Baby Bristol track for speedsters who are at least three feet, four inches tall. For teenagers and adults, there's the Smoky Mountain Speedway Track that has 5/8 scale cars that are faster than your average go-cart. Driver must be at least five feet, four inches tall to drive on that track. There are also other features like the 28,000 square-foot Speed Dome arcade, the Pit Stop Grill and souvenir shops.

Rainforest Adventures
Explore the rainforests of South America in East Tennessee. Rainforest Adventures transport you along the Amazon River by creating habitats for reptiles and amphibians that are on display. In the 15,000-square-foot exhibit are pythons, boa constrictors, and other reptiles; for example, lizards, tarantulas, and scorpions. Guests can even pose for pictures with some of the animals.

Sevier County Courthouse
The Sevier County Courthouse became the first Tennessee Courthouse placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. It is usually the second thing a visitor sees when making their way into Sevierville. It is also one of the most photographed courthouses in the state. The clock at the courthouse is the same one installed 100 years ago. The clock chimes every half hour and an hour. Decorating the east lawn of the courthouse is a life-sized cast bronze statue of country singer, Dolly Parton.

Tennessee Museum of Aviation/Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame
Opening in 2001, the Tennessee Museum of Aviation has 47,000 square feet of space to display collections of military planes from World War II through the Vietnam War era. There are also aviation artifacts and memorabilia. When you enter the museum, you can also tour the Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame, which recognizes men and women who contributed to flying in the state.

Tennessee Smokies Baseball
Although college football is one of the biggest draws in Tennessee, baseball fans shouldn't feel left out. The Toronto Blue Jays AA minor league affiliate, the Smokies, brought the great American pastime to the foothills of the Smoky Mountains with a brand-new stadium. The Southern League season begins in April and usually ends in early September. The Smokies play more than half of their 140 games at home.

Wilson's North American Wildlife Museum
Take a self-guided tour through the forests of years gone by. From April to December, the museum offers discounts on reservations for groups of 12 or more. From April to August, family groups of six or more receive a discount. The museum also features a gift shop.