Disclosure: We received complimentary tickets to the 8 Must-See attractions in Gatlinburg for review purposes. All opinions expressed are our own.
If you have never been to Gatlinburg, Tennessee…you are really missing out! This mountainous town is full of fun and is simply beautiful! The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is just minutes from Gatlinburg. Our family really enjoys visiting the area. It’s our home away from home—-our relaxing place.
Today I wanted to talk to you about a few of our favorite attractions in Gatlinburg.
8 Must See Attractions in Gatlinburg
1.) Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies
Ranked Top 5 aquariums in the USA & World on TripAdvisor, and it’s no wonder! Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is fun for the whole family! Enjoy Stingrays and the Touch a Ray Bay, Live Dive shows, live Mermaid shows (in June and July), Live sharks swimming above and around you in the Shark Lagoon, Awesome Underwater tunnel (this is our favorite part of the whole aquarium!)
One of our other favorite parts of the aquarium is the Penguin Playhouse. It is such a unique experience where you can get close to penguins (they are so neat to watch!)
There is also a new Pearl Harbor exhibit that you don’t want to miss!
2.) Ripley’s Marvelous Mirror Maze
The Ripley’s Mirror Maze is so much fun! I highly recommend you hold hands with the younger children if you don’t want to be separated through the maze. The mirrors can play tricks with your mind and make you think you are standing right next to one another when you are really a distance apart! Our family has so much fun walking through the mirror maze every time we visit Gatlinburg! This is especially fun on a rainy day!
When you are finished going through the Mirror Maze you can stop by Ripley’s Candy Factory and choose from the 144 varieties of candy available!
3.) Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditorium
The Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditorium has been recently renovated and it now has over 500 Exhibits! There are all new interactives that are fun for the whole family! I feel like this would have made a great field trip for my boys! They learned so many interesting facts and were able to see some pretty unique stuff with their own eyes. We definitely had a lot of questions to answer from our younger boys as we were walking through this attraction.
4.) Ripley’s Guinness World Records
We had so much fun at the Guinness World Records attraction! This is the largest Guinness World Record Gallery and they have even added 20 interactive games, making it super fun for the whole family to compete and try to break world records (or just the record of other family members!) We spent quite a bit of time trying to break each other’s records.
We are looking forward to going back in the future to compete against one another again! There are always new records and my boys are looking forward to seeing them!
5.) Ripley’s 5D Moving Theater
We have never been to a 3D theater, let alone 5D! This was a new experience for us and we are so glad we had the chance to check out the Ripley’s 5D Moving Theater! You get to ride the movie and experience every bump, dip and turn! The cutting edge technology and state-of-the-art motion simulator make this the #1 ride in Gatlinburg! The theater has an incredible six channel digital surround sound. The seats move in 8 directions so that you can truly feel like you are a part of the movie! This was a lot of fun for our whole family!
6.) Ripley’s Davy Crockett Mini-Golf
We didn’t realize how much we all enjoyed mini-golf until our trip to Gatlinburg! We had so much fun playing mini-golf at the Ripley’s Davy Crockett Mini-Golf, that we actually tried to go back a second time (however, the pouring rain kept us from doing so).
My boys are still talking about how much fun they had playing golf on this fun filled golf course!
7.) Ripley’s Old MacDonald’s Farm Mini-Golf
It’s not in Gatlinburg, but we must include the Ripley’s Old MacDonald’s Farm Mini-Golf in Sevierville! This is another super fun Ripley’s attraction that was enjoyed by our whole family!
The characters are animated and they talk to you while you are putting off! There is even a super fun zone arcade inside the building! With 3 unique courses to choose from, you will have loads of fun at this mini-golf course in Sevierville, TN.
8.) Ripley’s Haunted Adventure
And last, but not least is the Ripley’s Haunted Adventure.
We didn’t visit the Haunted Adventure this year because our younger children were a little scared, however I’m sure we will be back to visiting the Haunted Adventure again for some more scary fun on our future visits to the area! The Ripley’s Haunted Adventure is for ages 6 and up. It is the only Haunted House in Tennessee that is open 365 days a year. There are state-of-the-art animatronics and special effects to make it a super frightening experience. The pitch black corridors that you must feel you way through will have you wondering what you got yourself into. The neatest part is that you start your tour with the world famous incline and there are live actors! (Remember kids, these are simply actors and for good fun).
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
Gatlinburg is the BEST! We go there every year, and it NEVER gets old. So much fun!
Mandee says
I agree! We were married there almost 18 years ago and it was hubby’s first time there. Now he can’t wait to go back every year and our boys love it as well!
Tessa Smith says
We are always on the go and love checking out aquariums and museums from around the world! These will definitely be on our list if we ever make it there!
Mandee says
Yes, you definitely need to check these out! We have such a great time every trip we take to Gatlinburg!
Terri Beavers says
Goodness, I can’t believe I’ve only been to a couple of these. I’m going to print your post out before our next trip there so I can add to my list.
Mandee says
What a great idea! These are all worth checking out! Our family visits them every trip we make! Have fun! 🙂
Sarah Bailey says
Thank h wow what an amazing sounding place to get to visit, it looks like they have so much going on and I would love to one day get to visit a Ridleys!
Mandee says
Yes, if you ever get the chance to stop into any of the Ripley’s attractions, you definitely should! We love all of the above mentioned attractions!
Joely Smith says
This looks like such a fun place to visit! I would love to check out all of them and especially the haunted adventures!
Mandee says
I’m sad that our children we frightened and we didn’t get to visit the Haunted Adventures on this trip, but it was still worth mentioning in the post because it really is an awesome attraction. We can’t wait to pop in sometime in the future with our older boys!
Claudia Krusch says
I would love to go to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I am hoping to be in Tennessee this summer. I will have to see if we can go check it out.
Mandee says
How exciting! Definitely check out the Ripley’s attractions while you are in the area!
Rebecca Swenor says
It would be so much fun to visit Gatlinburg in Tennessee. I didn’t know there was so many Ripley’s attractions to visit.
I would love to see the Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies and the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditorium. The Ripley’s Haunted Adventure would be interesting also. Thanks for sharing all of these amazing attractions to see in Gatlinburg.
Mandee says
You are very welcome! Definitely check them out if you are ever in the area! They are all worth the visit!
ricci says
I have been to Tennessee many times but I don’t believe I have ever been to Gatlinburg. Your photos are gorgeous and I want to go now!!
Mandee says
Thanks! You should definitely make a stop in Gatlinburg! It’s such a fun place to visit and there is so much to do!
Melissa Dixon says
There are so many places there that I want to see. I love the idea of seeing the Ripley’s place.
Kathy says
These are some great places. I have never been to Tennessee before. One of the many places I’d love to go!
natalie z says
I have never heard of Gatlinburg TN. However it looks like a fun place to take my kids!
Michelle Waller says
We have been to a few of these and they are all amazing, especially for kids. The aquarium has to be my most favorite.
Mandee says
I can totally see why! The aquarium is so much fun for the whole family!
Tami says
We’ve talked about going back to Tennesee. I think I’d like to visit the Ripley’s Haunted Adventure this go around.
Mandee says
You should, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed! 🙂
Kelly Hutchinson says
We have not been to Gatlinburg in a few years, and it is time to go back. Since we had the fires earlier this year, I feel we need to support the businesses there.
Victoria Heckstall says
I’ve never been there! This is such a perfect spot for me and my friends, I would love to visit soon.
Claire says
With all these activities this looks like a great place for a family trip
Mandee says
It definitely is!
Kiwi says
Wow didnt know Gatlinburg,TN was so fun. Ok adding this to my travel list!
HilLesha O'Nan says
Gatlinburg has so many attractions, but it has been years and years since I’ve last visited. I’d love to visit again, especially with my family!
Mandee says
You should! So much has changed over the years, but for the good! 🙂
DAWN Gibson-Thigpen says
wow these photos are great. looks like you guys had so much fun
Mandee says
We did! We always have a great time when we visit Gatlinburg! 🙂
Chrishelle Ebner says
My son and daughter in law got to visit the Ripley’s attractions last year. They still talk about the aquarium and how much they loved it. I would like to visit Gatlinburg this year.
Tracy @ Ascending Butterfly says
I have done more international travel than local for some reason. I haven’t visited Gatlinburg yet but we do have a 5D ride inside the Empire State Building here in New York City that I got to experience as I was a reporter then for a newspaper and it was fun!
Mandee says
Oh, how fun that you get to travel internationally! Gatlinburg is definitely a great place to visit for sure! I highly recommend it if you are ever in the position to visit the area. The 5D ride inside the Empire State Building sounds fun!
Gabriel says
We spent a week there last summer and it’s beautiful, we’ll be back for sure.
Eloise says
my kids would love that place, I’ll be sure to take them there as soon as I can afford a vacation like that : ) Looks super entertaining and fun!
Mandee says
It’s definitely a great time! We highly recommend Gatlinburg!
Calvin says
Lots to see in Tennessee… haven’t been here