Top 10 Kid-Friendly Things To Do in the Smokies Beyond Dollywood
When families plan a Smoky Mountain getaway, Dollywood often takes the spotlight. But beyond the rides and shows, the Smokies are filled with kid-friendly attractions outside the theme park and the national park.
This guide highlights the Top 10 things to do with kids in the Smokies beyond Dollywood.
👉 All attractions listed here are open daily year-round unless otherwise noted. Hours may vary by season and weather, so always double-check before your visit.
1. Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies (Gatlinburg)
Why kids love it: Walk-through shark tunnel, penguin playhouse, and stingray bay.
Fun Fact: Consistently ranked one of the Top 10 Aquariums in the U.S., it houses over 10,000 sea creatures — more fish than people living in Gatlinburg.
Hours: ~9:00 AM – 9:00 PM daily.
Tickets: Adults ~$40, Kids (6–11) ~$25, under 5 free.
Reservations: Not required, but buying online lets you skip lines (especially rainy days).
Tip: Go early in the morning before the tour buses arrive.
2. Anakeesta Adventure Park (Gatlinburg)
Why kids love it: Ride the chondola or chairlift up the mountain, explore treetop bridges, play zones, and zip lines.
Fun Fact: Anakeesta’s Treetop Skywalk is the longest tree-based skywalk in North America, with over 880 feet of hanging bridges weaving through the forest canopy.
Hours: 9:00 AM – dusk (9–10 PM in summer).
Tickets: Adults ~$35, Kids (4–11) ~$23, under 4 free.
Reservations: Advance tickets recommended during summer, fall foliage, and holidays.
Tip: Stay for sunset — Gatlinburg sparkles below.
3. The Island in Pigeon Forge
Why kids love it: Ferris wheel, arcade games, rope course, and dancing fountain shows.
Fun Fact: The Island’s Great Smoky Mountain Wheel rises 200 feet, making it one of the tallest attractions in the Southeast.
Hours: Shops/attractions generally 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM.
Tickets: Free entry; rides like the Wheel ~$15 per person.
Reservations: Not needed.
Tip: Fountains are best at night with lights and music.
4. WonderWorks (Pigeon Forge)
Why kids love it: An upside-down building filled with hands-on science experiments, ropes course, laser tag, and bubble lab.
Fun Fact: WonderWorks has over 100 interactive exhibits, including one where you can lie on a real bed of 3,500 nails without getting hurt — kids find it both scary and hilarious.
Hours: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM (till 10 PM summer).
Tickets: Adults ~$33, Kids (4–12) ~$25.
Reservations: Walk-ins available, but advance purchase saves time.
Tip: Plan 3–4 hours — it’s a full afternoon.
5. Parrot Mountain & Gardens (Pigeon Forge)
Why kids love it: Hand-feed parrots, meet toucans and cockatoos, stroll through gardens.
Fun Fact: Dolly Parton herself once said she wished she had built her home here because the gardens felt so magical.
Hours: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (⏰ Seasonal: March–November).
Tickets: Adults ~$25, Kids (2–11) ~$10, under 2 free.
Reservations: Not required.
Tip: Bring a camera — kids love parrots perched on their arms.
6. Ober Mountain (Gatlinburg)
Why kids love it: Ride the aerial tram, alpine slide, ice skate, or try snow tubing in winter.
Fun Fact: Opened in 1962, Ober is Gatlinburg’s oldest continuously operating attraction — even older than Dollywood.
Hours: Tram ~9:40 AM – evening (varies by season).
Tickets: Tram ~$30 adults / $20 kids; activity bundles available.
Reservations: Required for snow tubing and summer tubing (sells out).
Tip: Wildlife habitat is a hit with younger kids.
7. Mini Golf & Go-Karts (Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg)
Why kids love it: Pirate ships, candy kingdoms, volcanoes — plus neon-lit go-karts.
Fun Fact: Pigeon Forge once billed itself as the “Mini Golf Capital of the World” with more than 15 themed courses packed into a few miles of Parkway.
Hours: Most open 10:00 AM – late night (midnight summer).
Tickets: ~$10–15 pp.
Reservations: Not needed.
Tip: Best at night when neon lights glow.
8. MagiQuest (Pigeon Forge)
Why kids love it: Interactive game with wands, quests, and hidden treasures.
Fun Fact: The “magic wands” use real infrared tech — kids aren’t just pretending, they’re triggering hidden sensors throughout the building.
Hours: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM.
Tickets: ~$20 for basic game + wand.
Reservations: Walk-ins fine; online bundles with mirror maze/mini golf save money.
Tip: Keep your wand — you can continue quests next visit.
9. Titanic Museum Attraction (Pigeon Forge)
Why kids love it: Touch a real iceberg, walk a grand staircase, explore sloping decks.
Fun Fact: With over 400 real artifacts, this is the largest permanent Titanic museum in the world.
Hours: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM (till 10 PM summer).
Tickets: Adults ~$35, Kids (5–12) ~$15, under 5 free.
Reservations: Strongly recommended — timed entry slots sell out on weekends/holidays.
Tip: Each visitor gets a passenger boarding pass — kids love discovering “their” story.
10. Pancake Houses & Apple Barn (Sevierville)
Why kids love it: Pancakes bigger than your head, hot apple fritters, cider slushies.
Fun Fact: The Apple Barn cider mill presses over 30,000 gallons of cider annually from locally grown apples.
Hours: Typically 7:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Cost: ~$10–15 per plate.
Reservations: Not available — expect lines, especially weekends.
Tip: Pancake Pantry in Gatlinburg = legendary; Apple Barn = cider + bakery heaven.
🏡 Where to Stay: Bearfoot Bliss
Every adventure needs a home base. For families, that’s Bearfoot Bliss — a spacious cabin in Pigeon Forge with room for 14, a private indoor pool, theater, hot tub, and panoramic mountain views. Parents can relax while kids swim, watch movies, or hang out in the neon lounge. Coming back here isn’t the end of the day — it’s part of the vacation fun.
From penguins to parrots, pancake stacks to magical treetop sunsets, the Smokies are a playground for kids beyond Dollywood and hiking trails. Pair these adventures with evenings at Bearfoot Bliss — your pool, theater, hot tub, and mountain views — and your family vacation will be as unforgettable as the Smokies themselves.
