Family Attractions To Visit in Gatlinburg

We received complimentary and/or discounted tickets to facilitate this post. All opinions expressed are our own.

It’s no secret that Gatlinburg is a HOT tourist attraction. Many people flock to the area throughout the year to visit this mountainous town. The views are beautiful, the food is good and the town is full of fun events and attractions. If you are looking for a place to bring your family (or friends) for your next vacation, we highly recommend Gatlinburg, TN.

Some of our favorite stops in Gatlinburg were:

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies:

We enjoy our visit to Ripley’s Aquarium every time we visit Gatinburg! It just never gets old! Once in the aquarium you will enjoy a variety of sights and adventures. On the upper level of the aquarium you can enjoy the following areas: Ocean Realm, Shark Lagoon, Touch a Ray Bay and the Tropical Rain Forest. On the lower level are the: Coral Reef, Discovery Center, Gallery of the Seas, Sting Ray Bay and the fun Penguin Playhouse (which we all love!)

Ripley’s Believe It or Not

(Photo is of the building before renovations. This was taken on a previous trip to Gatlinburg).

The Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditorium was actually closed for renovations during our visit this year, however we feel it is worth mentioning with the other Ripley’s attractions because it has always been a fun attraction for us when we have visited in the past. This attraction has over 500 Exhibits! There are all new interactives that are fun for the whole family! This would make a great field trip!

Ripley’s Mirror Maze

We are quickly becoming pros at the Ripley’s Mirror Maze! I believe we definitely beat all of our previous times through the maze this year! We always have a good time when venturing through the mirror maze while trying to find the exit at the end. I love listening to my boys laugh and work together. It was a great way to get out of the heat for a bit as well. Don’t forget to check out all of the delicious candy in the entrance of the mirror maze!

Ripley’s Guinness World Records

One attraction I have always really enjoyed, but enjoy even more since they have added fun interactive games that allow you to test out your strength and abilities throughout the building is the Ripley’s Guinness World Records. My boys were hoola hooping, playing basketball, breaking blocks with their hands, watching a robot do a rubix cube and more! We spend quite a bit of time in this building every time we visit!

Ripley’s Davy Crockett Mini Golf

We didn’t realize how much our family enjoyed mini-golf until our visit to Gatlinburg a couple of years ago. I think the first year we visited the Ripley’s Davy Crockett Mini Golf we ended up at several other mini golf courses as well, however Davy Crockett’s is/was still one of our favorites! We love the scenery while playing golf and the course is a lot of fun! If you are looking for some great family time, definitely check out Ripley’s Davy Crockett Mini Golf!

Ripley’s Old MacDonald Mini-Golf

The Ripley’s Old MacDonald Mini-Golf is another great mini-golf that our whole family enjoyed! This one isn’t in Gatlinburg, but it is super close to the outlet mall! We always schedule a day where we can play mini golf and visit the outlet mall all in one stop. It’s great fun for the whole family and is so relaxing! The memories we make on the mini-golf courses will last a lifetime.

Ripley’s 5D Moving Theater

It was super hot the day we visited Ripley’s 5D Moving Theater, and this was the perfect way for us to get out of the heat and spend a little time indoors where it was much cooler. The shows we viewed were great for the kids, but we all really enjoyed ourselves. Even my teenage boys said that they had fun and would go back! Again, this is another great way to make memories and have fun! We just love all of the memories that we are making on each trip to Gatlinburg!

Ripley’s Haunted Adventure

If you enjoy a good scare and a thrill then you will want to visit Ripley’s Haunted Adventure! We haven’t visited this attraction for years though because our younger boys were a little scared. Our older boys are excited to check it out the next time we visit! There are live actors lurking the halls ready to frighten the next person that walks by. This is definitely an attraction you are sure to remember!