29 Best & Fun Things To Do In Gatlinburg (Tennessee)

With a mix of sweeping landscapes and quirky attractions, Gatlinburg is one of the major tourist towns of Tennessee.

Visitors come from all around the world to visit its malls, museums and mountains.

Here are just a few cool things to do in Gatlinburg to maximize your vacation experience.

You’ll find both popular and obscure attractions on the list, so there’s a little something for everyone.

1. Gatlinburg Trolley

If you’re not sure where to get started with your sightseeing, hop aboard the Gatlinburg trolley.

It’s a charming, old-fashioned transit bus that can take you on multiple color-coded routes throughout the city.

2. Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park sees more visitors than any other national park in the country, and it’s an absolute must-do when you’re in Gatlinburg.

From every angle, you’ll enjoy breathtaking views of mountains rising in the distance and animals peeking their heads through the brush.

Whether you’re camping for the entire weekend or just climbing a summit for the sunrise, you won’t want to miss the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Its beauty, majesty and tranquility make it one of the biggest points of interest in all of Gatlinburg.

Check out these awesome tours & activities around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Address: Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

3. Sweet Fanny Adams Theatre

Sweet Fanny Adams Theatre is the only live comedy theater in Gatlinburg, and it’ll offer all of the songs, dances, jokes and poofy skirts that you’d expect from a vaudeville-style performance.

This isn’t the kind of theater where you sit in a respectful silence at the tearjerker tale being depicted in front of you.

Instead, you’ll be dragged right into the fun with audience participation segments in various skits and musical numbers.

Address: 461 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

4. Ghost Walk of Gatlinburg

The Ghost Walk will take you on a tour of the most dreaded locations in the city, including a 19th-century cemetery that’s famous for its eerie nighttime noises.

You’ll be able to watch, listen and observe as the tour guide fills you in on local folklore.

EMF readers are handed out at the beginning of every tour so that you can monitor the energy readings of everything around you.

Check details, prices and reviews here.

Address: 520 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

5. Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen

Satisfy your sweet tooth with a trip to the Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen.

It’s one of the best places in Gatlinburg to enjoy mouthwatering chocolates and freshly-spun sugar treats, and it might even turn into an educational experience to boot!

You see, one of the unique things about the Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen is that you can watch the candies as they’re being made.

While you’re munching on saltwater taffy, you can watch the newest batch of taffy being pulled by the old-fashioned machine.

Address: 744 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

6. Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster

You’ve been on regular roller coasters, but have you ever experienced an alpine coaster?

It’s a thrill ride down the side of a mountain where you strap into an individual caboose and control your own speed with hand-held brakes.

It’s just as exciting as it sounds, especially if you’re looking for far-out things to do on vacation!

The Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster isn’t the only alpine coaster in the city, but it’s one of the best.

Address: 306 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

7. Mountain Mall

With its wooden architecture and kitschy, country-style shops, the Mountain Mall isn’t your average shopping mall.

From the homemade goods in its specialty stores to the Appalachian folk music that will play as you shop, it will give you a genuine “mountain” feeling that lives up to its name.

Address: 611 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

8. Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditorium

Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditorium lives up to its name by being a truly odd place.

If you’re looking for fun things to do in Gatlinburg, however, it’s hard to beat an attraction that’s all about the unique and the bizarre.

If you have this weekend free, buy a ticket for Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditorium.

You could spend days lost in its labyrinthine halls without actually seeing everything, so it’s a great way to fill an empty schedule.

Address: 800 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

9. Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort and Spa

Choosing good accommodation is one of the most important parts of planning a Gatlinburg vacation.

Fortunately, the Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort and Spa makes it an easy choice.

When you stay at Westgate, you’ll enjoy luxury lodgings that include everything from a concierge service to on-site amenities like a spa and mini-golf course.

Heated pools will keep you warm in the winter; a nearby zipline attraction will get you out of your room in the summer.

Another amazing thing about Westgate is that it boasts its own indoor water park.

Covering 60,000 square feet, it offers slides, pools and waterfall features to keep the whole family splashing.

It’s one of the best resorts near the Gatlinburg area, and it’ll keep you refreshed, recharged and ready for the next adventure.

Address: 915 Westgate Resorts Rd, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

10. Wild Plum Tea Room

With small round tables cozily arranged in a wooden log cabin, the Wild Plum Tea Room is the very picture of an old-world teahouse.

It will take you back to the days when teas were steeped with whatever ingredients were on hand and customers chatted with each other without their smartphones to distract them.

From chicken salad to hot turkey pie, it’s the kind of finger-licking fare that you’d expect from a southern U.S. restaurant, but it’s accompanied by tea that spans the reaches of Asia, Africa and Europe.

Order a cup of chai at the Wild Plum Tea Room and start making vacation memories that will last a lifetime!

Address: 555 Buckhorn Rd, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

11. Ober Gatlinburg

Visitors to Ober Gatlinburg can enjoy everything from scenic chairlifts to bumper cars on ice.

You don’t have to wait for cold weather, either; they offer entertainment for every season.

You can play in the arcade, splash on water slides, climb the rock wall, take a wildlife tour or let the wind flow through your hair on an alpine roller coaster ride.

Address: 1310 Ski Mountain Rd, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

12. Hillbilly Golf

Hillbilly Golf offers a fun, one-of-a-kind experience for people who enjoy swinging a club.

You’ll take a tram up the local mountain before being presented with 18 holes that are deliberately designed to be exciting, challenging or just plain mind-boggling.

Don’t worry if your putting skills could use some work.

The delightful thing about these “redneck” courses is that they even the playing field for people of all skill levels, so the whole family can get in on the action.

Address: 340 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

13. Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail

The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a scenic drive that will take you through some of the most stunning natural wonders of Tennessee.

Not only does it offer beautiful views along the main road, but it can also be used as an access point for hidden gems that are only accessible if you park and hike.

The biggest attraction is Rainbow Falls.

It’s a gorgeous vertical waterfall that you can only reach after pushing your way through an hour’s worth of leaves and ferns in the surrounding woodlands.

Another popular destination is the Place of a Thousand Drips.

It’s a horizontal, low-flow waterfall that slinks over an incredible rock formation, and depending on the weather when you go, it might be tinkling quietly or roaring in an overflow.

Address: Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

14. Gatlinburg SkyLift Park

There are three ways to enjoy Gatlinburg SkyLift Park, and all of them will provide gorgeous views and photo ops:

SkyLift

The SkyLift will take you on a gentle ride to the top of Crockett Mountain. At its peak, your legs will be dangling at 1,800 feet!

SkyBridge

The SkyBridge will let you literally walk across air. It’s a suspension bridge that stretches across the entire valley, making it the longest and most dizzying walkway in Tennessee.

SkyDeck

The SkyDeck will let you take a break from all of the death-defying heights. Grab a snack, shop for souvenirs or just enjoy the view from the safety of flat ground.

Address: 765 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

15. Gatlinburg Pinball Museum

Not only does the Gatlinburg Pinball Museum take you on a nostalgic journey through the retro arcade and pinball games of yesteryear, but it also lets you play them.

You can race cars, shoot baskets and kill aliens on genuine vintage machines that have been buffed and restored to their former glory.

You don’t have to mess with coins or tokens, either.

For a single all-day admission fee, you can play as many games as you want.

Address: 205 Historic Nature Trail, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

16. Sugarlands Riding Stables

Sugarlands Riding Stables offers a sweet experience for riders of all ages and skill levels.

You don’t have to be experienced with horses; in fact, you can saddle up even if you’ve only ever seen horses on TV.

The guides at Sugarlands are top-notch, and they can take you on a gentle, rambling journey through the idyllic countryside without any horseback riding knowledge whatsoever.

Nothing will make you feel like a real Tennessee cowboy more than a horseback ride through Appalachia.

Address: 1409 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

17. Gatlinburg Farmers Market

Held every weekend from May to October, Gatlinburg Farmers Market is the place to find organic, locally-grown foodstuffs when you’re in the city.

Are you looking for fresh fruits and veggies to cook your own meals while on vacation?

Do you like to snack on fruits, nuts, cheeses, jams and pickled desserts while shopping for homemade soaps and pillows?

There are also fun events held at the farmers market.

Everyone wins when you support local farmers and vendors!

Address: 1222 East Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

18. Historic Ogle Log Cabin

The Historic Ogle Log Cabin was built in the early 1800s by a woman named Martha Jane Huskey Ogle.

Her husband was a traveler from South Carolina who found the eastern Tennessee landscape to be so beautiful that he called it a “paradise,” and he cut and notched a collection of logs in preparation for building a cabin there.

Unfortunately, he died of malaria before he could move his family from South Carolina to Tennessee.

But his wife took the lumber and finished the cabin, and it became the very first settlement in what is now Gatlinburg.

Visitors today can explore the carefully preserved log cabin and the grounds surrounding it.

Address: Cherokee Orchard Rd, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

19. Gatlinburg Space Needle

Gatlinburg Space Needle rises more than 400 feet in the air and provides 360° aerial views of both the city skyline and the mountains looming beyond it.

You’ll start by entering the Gatlinburg Space Needle through the downstairs lobby.

From there, you can hit up arcades, pizza joints, souvenir shops and many other tourist attractions.

When you’re ready to ascend, take the glass elevator to the very top of the observation deck and enjoy the landscapes stretching before you.

You’ll be able to see for miles on a clear day!

Address: 115 Historic Nature Trail, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

20. Anakeesta

Anakeesta is a family-friendly theme park located near the Smoky Mountains.

It’s one of our top Gatlinburg attractions because of its convenient location, affordable prices and wide range of events and activities.

For example, if you’re planning a peaceful retreat into the mountains, Anakeesta offers botanical gardens and treetop observation decks.

If you’re a thrillseeker, there are ziplines and a single-rail roller coaster.

If you’re hungry, a smokehouse barbecue joint is right on-site to deliver rib platters and craft beer.

It offers a little something for everyone, so kids, teens and adults can all have fun.

Address: 576 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

21. Gatlinburg Trail

Escape the hustle and bustle of downtown Gatlinburg when you visit the Gatlinburg Trail.

It’s close enough to the action that you won’t have to drive for hours to reach it, but it’s far enough that you can breathe fresh air, enjoy scenic views and admire a wealth of stars on a clear night.

Another nice thing about the Gatlinburg Trail is that it allows both dogs and bicycles, so if you want to bring Fido along on a family bike ride, you won’t be breaking any rules.

It’ll take you past fields, forests and waterfalls, so there will always be something to admire, and it isn’t that far from downtown Gatlinburg if you don’t have a lot of time to go sightseeing.

22. Hollywood Star Cars Museum

Get fast and furious with a trip to the Hollywood Star Cars Museum.

Prized vehicles include the Batmobile from Batman Returns, the DeLorean from Back to the Future and the Ecto-1 van from Ghostbusters.

The museum is also home to several vintage cars owned by celebrities like Paul McCartney and the Beach Boys.

There’s a guided tour if you don’t want to miss anything, or you can explore on your own and pose for commemorative photos behind the wheel of your favorite Hollywood vehicle.

Address: 914 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

23. Ole Smoky Moonshine

You can’t visit Tennessee without trying some authentic Tennessee moonshine!

Offering tours and tastings, Ole Smoky Moonshine will let you sip on the good stuff as you observe the stills and see how moonshine is actually made.

There’s also an on-site bar where you can eat, drink, listen to live music and buy some bottles to take back home with you.

Check details, prices and reviews here.

Address: 903 Parkway #128, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

24. Nantahala Outdoor Center

Places like Chattanooga are famous for their proximity to the Tennessee River, but what if you want to go kayaking or canoeing without traveling hundreds of miles to another part of the state?

Though it offers other activities like camping and ziplining, the Nantahala Outdoor Center is most famous for its whitewater rafting adventures near the outskirts of Gatlinburg.

Trained tour guides will be with you every step of the way.

You haven’t truly lived until you’ve gone bouncing down the currents with the wind in your hair and the spray on your face!

Address: 1138 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

25. Gatlinburg Scenic Overlook

Located between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, the Gatlinburg Scenic Overlook is one of the most beautiful observation points in Tennessee.

You can see for miles when you gaze over the cliffs and treetops, and you won’t be able to resist taking deep breaths of crisp, country air.

Getting to the Gatlinburg Scenic Overlook is just as enjoyable as being there.

You’ll drive through all kinds of natural scenery to reach the observation point at the top, and the mountains will slowly come into view as you rise higher and higher.

A mist often hangs over the mountains to give them a picturesque look.

Address: Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

26. Parrot Mountain and Gardens

Rather than being a typical zoo filled with bird cages, Parrot Mountain and Gardens is a free-flying sanctuary where hundreds of parrots are allowed to soar, socialize and chat with both visitors and each other.

Take a walk through the picturesque gardens as you observe the birds in their natural habitat.

Learn how to crook your arm so that the parrots will land on you like butterflies.

Stop by the baby bird nursery to pet and feed the tiny hatchlings.

Located a little north of the city limits, you’ll need to take a drive to get there, but it’s worth the extra gas.

Address: 1471 McCarter Hollow Rd, Pigeon Forge, TN 37862, USA

27. Cataract Falls

Cataract Falls is one of the best-kept secrets of Gatlinburg.

Nature is everywhere when you visit this beautiful, tranquil landscape.

The streams will cascade over the rocks; the leaves will crunch underfoot.

Another nice thing about Cataract Falls is that its trail is less than a mile long.

With Cataract Falls, you can cross “visit a waterfall” off your vacation itinerary in no time at all, so it’s worth a trip for that reason alone.

Address: Cove Mountain Trail, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

28. Mysterious Mansion

If you’re looking for thrills and chills in Gatlinburg, you won’t want to miss the Mysterious Mansion.

The tour takes place in a real-life Victorian mansion with multiple stories to explore.

Zombies and monsters are around every corner to frighten you; cobwebs are just waiting to get tangled in your hair.

Eerie music will follow you down the haunted corridors as you test your bravery against the night.

You don’t have to wait until Halloween to have spooky fun in Gatlinburg.

Address: 424 River Rd, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

29. CLIMB Works Smoky Mountains

It can be hard to say goodbye to Gatlinburg, but if you’re looking for a world-class sendoff, CLIMB Works Smoky Mountains is the way to do it.

You’ll start with an ATV trip to the top of the local mountain.

Once you’re nestled among the ferns and forests of the clifftops, you’ll have your choice of exciting outdoor activities like ziplining or walking across a genuine rope bridge.

No matter what you decide on, you’ll enjoy breathtaking views from hundreds of feet high.

If you want to say goodbye to the city in an unforgettable way, make a visit to CLIMB Works Smoky Mountains!

Address: 155 Branam Hollow Rd, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA

Start Planning Your Trip To Gatlinburg

There’s a lot more to Gatlinburg than the stuff that you see in brochures.

If you want to have a fun, authentic vacation experience at both major attractions and little-known locales, use this list to start your planning.

The mountains are waiting for you!