Pigeon Forge attractions are legendary and fun for all ages, from dinner shows to magic shows, excellent restaurants and bars, educational museums, and much more. Whether traveling with children or without, you will find lots to do and see in this beautiful, mountain town. If you’re wondering what to do in Pigeon Forge, you’ve come to the right place!
For more information on all the fun Pigeon Forge attractions, visit MyPigeonForge.com.
Places to Stay in Pigeon Forge
Willow Brook Lodge
Before you head off to enjoy all the fun Pigeon Forge attractions, you need to get settled in so you have a base camp for resting from all the adventures you’re about to have! And if you want a beautiful, family-friendly hotel with all the amenities of a chain but a lot more character, with friendly and attentive staff, and with good food and a great location, the Willow Brook Lodge Pigeon Forge is the place for you.
If it’s just for two, opt for the Sweetheart Suite, where you’ll find lots of romantic touches to make your stay special.
If you’re bringing the kids, then go for one of the generous-sized family suites. You can sleep up to six and have plenty of room to lounge and relax.
The Willow Brook Lodge offers a complimentary breakfast each morning, with eggs, sausage, oatmeal, cereal, pastries, and lots of other selections.
And coffee. We all need our coffee, right?
Pigeon Forge Attractions
Pigeon Forge attractions are renowned for their quality and variety. We had no children with us but we had a blast and found plenty of great adult entertainment. And of course, Pigeon Forge is a family-friendly city so children are welcome everywhere.
Old Mill Pigeon Forge
Step back in time with a tour of The Old Mill Pigeon Forge, a water-powered grist mill on the banks of the Little Pigeon River that is still in operation today. Don’t miss this opportunity for a little history mixed in with all your shows and fun Pigeon Forge attractions!
The Old Mill Pigeon Forge remains a working mill with many original aspects from the 1800s.
One of The Old Mill’s features is the giant water wheel that utilizes the flow of the Little Pigeon River. It’s still working! With a rather antiquated system of shafts, belts, and pulleys, that wheel is proof that sometimes the old ways can outlast the new, as it’s still turning the 4600-pound stones and grain elevators to produce flour and meal.
Be sure you check out the original door to the mill. Back in the 1800s, this door served as a sort of town bulletin board, and you can still see the nail-holes where the notices of various things were nailed to the door.
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The Old Mill also served as the area’s first post office and you can see the window through which the mail was passed.
Products ground at The Old Mill are used in many of the dishes at The Old Mill Restaurant including biscuits, corn bread, pancakes, hush puppies, muffins, and grits. The grains are also used for the homemade artisan style breads that are prepared each day at The Old Mill Pottery House Cafe & Grille.
7 D Dark Ride Adventure
When you’re checking off which Pigeon Forge attractions to try, this one should be at the top of your list! It’s not hyperbole to claim that the 7D Dark Ride Adventure may just be one of the funnest things you can do in Pigeon Forge.
It’s exhilarating, hilarious, competitive, and just FUN. We laughed so hard. You have different choices of adventures, but whichever one you choose, you’ll experience seven dimensions, including wind, sound, and movement.
The 7D Dark Ride Adventure might be a tad scary for little ones, so use your judgement with your own children, but I would probably feel comfortable taking ages 5 and up. But I had rough and tumble boys so yours might be different.
Wonderworks Pigeon Forge
Wow! As soon as you walk in the door of this upside down house, they grab you right away with the Inversion Tunnel, which is freaky fun. You walk through a dark tunnel while the world spins around you—so it feels as if you are spinning but really, you’re just walking straight down the path. You’re in the Upside Down.
If you don’t know what that means, go watch Stranger Things on Netflix and catch up quickly!
Wonderworks Pigeon Forge is a fascinating amusement center with educational activities. It’s a great place to learn in a super fun way. You’ll experience natural disasters, physical challenges, space discovery, an imagination lab, and much, much more. Plan on a few hours at this popular destination, one of our Pigeon Forge attractions.
Alcatraz East Crime Museum
Not just about Alcatraz, the Alcatraz East Crime Museum is a fascinating, in-depth look at American crime history. The Alcatraz East Museum takes a look at crimes ranging from white-collar crimes to Old West gunslingers, to pirates and serial killers—the museum’s original artifacts tell the stories of Jesse James, the FBI, the Kennedy Assassination, Al Capone, the Unabomber and more!
And Alcatraz East is also home to the famous O.J. Simpson chase Bronco and Ted Bundy’s VW Beetle, both featured in the Getaway Car exhibit.
Where were you when that Bronco was driving down the highway? Everyone—well, everyone of a certain age—remembers that moment and you can relive it at the Alcatraz East Crime Museum!
The Escape Game Pigeon Forge
If you have not participated in an escape game then get ready to become addicted to this activity! The Escape Game Pigeon Forge is a blast! It’s challenging—and to be honest, I’m pretty sure David and I would still be trapped if not for the smart family whose team we joined.
I recommend that for your first time you join up with someone who has gone through an escape game previously. After the first time, you’ll have a better idea of how to search for clues and you’ll be a little more confident in your ability to actually escape.
We enjoyed this Pigeon Forge attraction so much that we’re trying to line up an escape adventure with our friends in Atlanta.
Pigeon Forge Shows
You could stay in Pigeon Forge for two weeks and still not experience all the shows! You can choose from a wide variety of shows, including comedy acts, skits, themed competitions, magic shows, and live music. And if you’re visiting Pigeon Forge during the holidays, the shows have a special holiday theme to them as well.
Smoky Mountain Opry
A favorite of young and old is the Smoky Mountain Opry. And lest you think it’s all about country music, this renowned show takes you on a musical journey that includes country music, rock n’ roll, big band, gospel, and movie greats. It’s high-energy, family-friendly, and a dazzling display of technology, costumes, and amazing talent.
The Wonders of Magic
You’ll think you’re in Vegas, watching one of the greatest magic shows you’ve ever seen, and you will be watching one of the greatest magic shows you’ve ever seen, but without all the Vegasness of Vegas. You know what I mean? If you’ve ever been to Vegas, you do!
Darren Romeo is a larger-than-life entertainer with a warm, friendly personality that makes you feel like you’re just sitting in his living room, watching him do incredible things that literally take your breath away. And he sings! Beautifully! So with Magic Beyond Belief you get a magic show and a music show all-in-one!
Dolly Parton’s Stampede
Let’s get real for a minute…in 1999, David and I got married in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, at the Turn-Left-at-Red-Light-Number-Three-No-Reservations-Required-Walk-Ins-Welcome-Bands-of-Gold-Wedding-Chapel. And this is relevant because that evening we went to this particular Pigeon Forge attraction, which back then was called the Dixie Stampede.
And that’s a story for another day—that for our wedding night entertainment, my husband took me to a rodeo stampede. There aren’t enough eye-rolling emojis for that statement, are there? But it was somewhat indicative of the years to come when we later had three teenagers at the same time.
If it’s NOT your wedding night, then this is definitely a must-see, must-do event in Pigeon Forge. You get a mouth-watering dinner: rotisserie chicken, pork loin, vegetable soup, biscuit, corn-on-the-cob, potato, and a scrumptious dessert. Side note: when we were there in 1999, the chicken was fried chicken. I guess everybody had to get a little healthier!
Along with the food, you’ll be entertained by horse-riding stunts, comedy, music, and lots of special effects. It really is a lot of fun!
Comedy Barn Pigeon Forge
For some down-home, rib-splitting laughter, y’all head over to the Comedy Barn Pigeon Forge. A man walking on stilts, a ventriloquist, comedians, jugglers, and live music—all this and more can be found at the Comedy Barn Pigeon Forge.
This is one of those entertaining family-friendly shows that your whole family will enjoy, from your grandma all the way down to your small children. It’s clean comedy and there’s no alcohol sold in the venue if that’s a concern for you.
You’ll see some fun tricks with animals (no animals are harmed!) and a good bit of audience participation, which is the most hilarious part.
Free Things to do in Pigeon Forge
There are a ton of free things to do in Pigeon Forge, as well as some inexpensive activities. Check out these Pigeon Forge attractions on your next visit:
Walk around the Old Mill Square – there are some gift shops as well as the trolley station, the Old Mill Distillery, and ice cream and candy stores.
Hike through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park – this park averages 10 million visitors annually for a reason: the gorgeous mountain vistas!
Drive through Cades Cove – an eleven-mile loop where you’ll find a working grist mill, three churches, barns, log houses and other resorted structures dating back to the eighteenth and nineteen centuries.
Visit Old Forge Distillery -The Old Forge Tasting Bar is open daily. The Gift Store offers hand forged knives made by the resident blacksmith and one-of-a-kind moonshine jugs handcrafted by Pigeon River Pottery.
Meet the horses from Dolly Parton’s Stampede – right out in front of the theater, you can stop by each day and say hello to the horses that participate in the show!
Special thanks to the Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism who sponsored this post so I could experience these fun Pigeon Forge attractions. All opinions are my own.
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