Dollywood If your family loves rides, great food and live entertainment, then a trip to Dollywood is a must. Take a ride on the Dollywood Express, a 1938 steam locomotive that is the oldest attraction in the park. Visit the Country Fair section of the park, where you will find old-school rides and games. For those kids seeking a little more thrill, check out 1 of the 5 roller coasters in the park. The Tennessee Tornado, a looping coaster, and the Wild Eagle, a steel, winged coaster that is 210 feet high and goes up to 61 mph, are the 2 most heart-pounding options. When you are ready to grab some lunch, if you have a hot dog lover in your family, be sure to stop at Dogs n’ Taters. It serves foot-long corn dogs and yummy, hand-cut tater twirls. The menu also includes a delicious, piled-high, 1/3-pound, all-beef chili cheese dog.
WonderWorks 100 Music Road Pigeon Forge, TN 37863 (865) 868-1800
Your family’s adventure begins the moment you pull in to the parking lot. Standing before you is an enormous upside-down building! As you enter through the front door, you feel as though the whole building is going to collapse around you. WonderWorks has more than 100 hands-on exhibits that will test your imagination, skill and intelligence. There is something for all ages, including mom and dad. Learn how natural disasters occur, take a ride in a space shuttle, lie on a bed of nails, play in the Bubble Lab, or compare your soccer, baseball and football skills with the pros’ in the virtual sports exhibit. Climb high on the largest indoor ropes course, which even glows in the dark! For thrill-seekers, try out the Xtreme 360 bikes and the Wonder Coaster.
When you and your family are looking for some quiet time away from the hustle and bustle of Pigeon Forge, spend an afternoon at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Smokies cover more than 500,000 acres and are filled with wildlife, beauty and rich history. Take a hike, rent bikes or pack a picnic and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Ten miles from Pigeon Forge is the Sugarlands Visitor Center, where you can begin a hike with your family on the Gatlinburg Trail. This flat trail winds 1.9 miles one-way toward the outskirts of Gatlinburg, following along Little Pigeon River. You will be sure to see lots of joggers, walkers and bicyclists.
Dixie Stampede - What a fabulous night of family fun! Great entertainment with horse stunts, magic tricks, musical productions and a friendly North vs South competition that engages and energizes all of the nightly guests. This is also a dinner theatre, so while enjoying this wonderful entertainment, you will be a served a four-course southern style meal that will set your taste buds on fire! Be prepared to eat the entire meal with your hands because no silverware is provided. The evening closes out with a video of Dolly Parton singing “Color Me America” and you can’t help but feel proud to be an American. This is a great night of family entertainment and something to definitely put on your list of to-do’s.