Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge sit about 7 miles apart on the same road, so most trips end up taking in both towns. Gatlinburg is the walkable mountain town at the edge of the national park, while Pigeon Forge spreads its theme parks and dinner shows along the Parkway. These are the places we’d send a first-time visitor in each town, with links to our full lists when you want more.
Photo at top: the Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg, with the Space Needle behind the shops. Photo by Evan Nichols, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped).
Jump to: Gatlinburg · Pigeon Forge · More guides
Top Gatlinburg attractions
Most of these are on or just off the Parkway downtown, so you can park once and walk between them. The trolley covers the rest.
Anakeesta
Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies
Gatlinburg
Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies
A moving walkway carries you through the Shark Lagoon tunnel while sharks and sea turtles swim overhead, and the African penguins are a big hit with kids.
Gatlinburg SkyLift Park
Gatlinburg
Gatlinburg SkyLift Park
The yellow chairlift climbs from the Parkway to Crockett Summit, where you can walk out over the valley on the SkyBridge.
Gatlinburg Space Needle
Gatlinburg
Gatlinburg Space Needle
Glass elevators run up the 407-foot tower to a 360-degree observation deck, and there's a big arcade at the bottom.
Ober Gatlinburg
Gatlinburg
Ober Gatlinburg
Ride the tram up from downtown to Tennessee's only ski area. Indoor ice skating and the wildlife habitat keep it worth the trip when there's no snow.
Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium
Gatlinburg
Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium
Hundreds of odd artifacts fill the themed galleries at 800 Parkway, and you'll keep calling the rest of your group over to look at something.
Ole Smoky Moonshine Holler
Gatlinburg
Ole Smoky Moonshine Holler
Watch moonshine being made at Ole Smoky's working distillery on the Parkway. You have to be 21 or older to sample.
Gatlinburg Arts & Crafts Community
Gatlinburg
Gatlinburg Arts & Crafts Community
An eight-mile loop of studios and shops just east of downtown, where you can watch craftspeople at work and talk with them about what they make.
Hollywood Star Cars Museum
Gatlinburg
Hollywood Star Cars Museum
Cars from movies and TV, from the 1966 Batmobile and the General Lee to a whole room of Fast & Furious cars.
Gatlinburg Trail
Gatlinburg
Gatlinburg Trail
An easy walk along the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River, from the edge of downtown to Sugarlands Visitor Center.
Top Pigeon Forge attractions
Pigeon Forge is more spread out, so plan on driving or taking the trolley between stops.
Dollywood
Dollywood's Splash Country
Pigeon Forge
Dollywood's Splash Country
Dollywood's water park sits back in the woods, so a lot of it is shaded. It's closed for the season now and reopens in 2027.
The Island in Pigeon Forge
Pigeon Forge
The Island in Pigeon Forge
Parking and admission are free. The 200-foot Great Smoky Mountain Wheel towers over a show fountain that goes off about every 30 minutes.
Titanic Museum Attraction
Pigeon Forge
Titanic Museum Attraction
The ship-shaped museum on the Parkway hands you a boarding pass with a real passenger's name, and you learn their fate at the end of the tour.
WonderWorks
Pigeon Forge
WonderWorks
The upside-down building on Music Road holds more than 100 hands-on science exhibits, including a Hurricane Shack with 74 mph winds.
The Old Mill
Pigeon Forge
The Old Mill
The historic gristmill still grinds grain beside the Little Pigeon River, and the square around it is full of shops and places to eat.
Alcatraz East Crime Museum
Pigeon Forge
Alcatraz East Crime Museum
A crime museum in a prison-style building at the entrance to The Island. The white Bronco from the O.J. Simpson chase is on display.
Dolly Parton's Stampede
Pigeon Forge
Dolly Parton's Stampede
You eat a four-course meal while horse riders do stunts in a 35,000-square-foot arena. Come early for the live music in the Saloon.
Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Show
Pigeon Forge
Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Show
An all-you-can-eat country supper with a comedy and music show built around the old family feud, and the crowd gets to pick sides.
Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster
Pigeon Forge
Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster
More than a mile of track on Wears Valley Road, and you set your own speed with the brake on your sled.
Getting between the towns
Gatlinburg is about 7 miles south of Pigeon Forge on the Parkway (US 441), around a 15-minute drive in normal traffic, according to the Pigeon Forge tourism office. Give yourself extra time on weekends and in October, when the Parkway slows to a crawl.
More guides for planning your days
- Rainy Day Things to Do: indoor picks in both towns for when the weather turns.
- Free Things to Do: from Cades Cove to The Island’s fountain shows, all without a ticket.
- Things to Do Outdoors: hikes and overlooks in and around the national park.
- Things to Do in Gatlinburg
- Things to Do in Pigeon Forge
Prices and hours change through the year, so check each attraction’s own website before you go. Our listing pages link to the official sites.
Card photos: Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg at night. Photo by Alicia Pimental, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Gatlinburg SkyLift Park: Photo courtesy of Gatlinburg SkyPark. The Gatlinburg Space Needle. Photo by Sarah Stierch, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Ober Gatlinburg: Photo courtesy of Ober Gatlinburg. Gatlinburg Trail: Photo courtesy of National Park Service (NPS photo / 2025 Park Break Fellows). The main sign at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge. Photo by Sarah Stierch, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The Great Smoky Mountain Wheel and show fountain at The Island in Pigeon Forge. Photo by GatewayPolitics, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The Titanic Museum Attraction on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge. Photo by Artaxerxes, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped). WonderWorks: Photo courtesy of WonderWorks. The Old Mill: Photo courtesy of The Old Mill. Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge. Photo by EricaLewHouse, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.