8 ideas for visiting pigeon forge w/younger KIDDOS

Someone recently posted in a Facebook forum I'm part of about traveling to Pigeon Forge with her husband and their 3 year old.  Although the family-friendly options in the area really are seemingly endless, I put together a list of things we have enjoyed doing with our daughter when she was in the 3-5 age range and I thought I would share it with our guests & friends as well.  I know there are many other amazing options not included on this list, but here are a few to get you started.  ***Post Updated 3/16/24

​1) Dollywood is bar none the cleanest theme park I’ve ever been to and while it has big roller coasters and thrill rides, it also has excellent options for tiny ones. There are two different kids areas (one in Wildwood Grove & one in Peppermint Valley) and rides are color coded by thrill level so you can see at a glance what your family or might not enjoy. There are also lots of shows and places to sit when you need a break.

2) Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is really fun if you want to venture over to Gatlinburg (about 15 minutes away IF the traffic isn’t bad - I’d recommend checking the Waze traffic app before you go). Be sure to check out the penguin walk - they literally walk the penguins around the aquarium like a parade and my daughter thinks it’s absolutely the best thing ever. 
 
3) An affordable thing we enjoy is mini golf - there are TONS of courses to choose from. Our favorites are Lost Mine in Pigeon Forge, Hillbilly Golf in Gatlinburg, and Ripley’s Old Mc Donald’s in Sevierville (three farm-themed courses to choose from). Crave mini golf and Sky Pirates of Mermaid Bay are also great as they have indoor and outdoor courses (the indoor options has saved us on many rainy days!) 

4) The “Pirates Voyage” dinner theater is absolutely incredible.  It's highly entertaining for people of all ages but little ones will no doubt be wide-eyed by the pirate costumes, acrobatics, Salty the Sea Lion and fancy trick diving and the like.  We also found the souvenirs to be really reasonably priced (we got a cheering flag, light up flower crown and a lightup seashell wand for a total of $25 - the light up wand alone would have been $25 or more at any other attraction) and the meal was shockingly delicious.  The theater is also on the smaller side - in a good way - so even the value seating would have a great view of all the action.

5) If you need some free options, there are some animal-themed gift shops/tourist stores (The "Jaws" s​hark store, 3 Bears General Store, Gatorland Alligator Store and “Goats on the Roof”) that have animals you can go see for free. The exhibits are a little underwhelming for adults as these are primarily t-shirt shops like you'd find at the beach, but my daughter loves them all and it’s a great free option you can do on the way to or from something else - it just takes 5 or 10 minutes to pop in the store and enjoy the wildlife! (*the bear viewing does have a nominal admission fee.). You can also go to the Pirates dinner show parking lot and often catch a glimpse of Salty the Sea Lion in his outdoor enclosure (he won't always be there due to showtimes and weather, etc.)

6) Great Smoky Mountain National Park is also absolutely gorgeous and free although they just instituted a minimal parking fee ($5 for a day, $15 for the week) if you choose to park and hike. Parking at the visitors centers is still free. Wear’s Valley and Townsend areas are also really beautiful to drive out to and enjoy a more scenic version of the area. 

7) Food wise, heads up that portions are MASSIVE everywhere you go so you might want to consider sharing or you can often get lunch and have enough to take back for dinner! Frizzle Chicken Farmhouse Cafe is a MUST with little kids. We also love Big Daddy’s Pizza which has an arcade in the back, perfect for killing time while you wait for your meal to come (or a seat on crowded days.)

8. Mountain coasters are a big attraction too and really fun and unique. We strongly recommend the one at Lost Mine!  The coaster was built with a brand new technology that has lots of added safety features, a "point of view" camera and really cute scenes to pass as you whiz by.  And since you can bundle with mini golf, its really the best place to spend the day.  The coaster is also lit up at night and has amazing views of the lights of the city, so that's a great option as well if you have a tiny night owl.  **Note that kids must be 38 inches tall to ride.