Rides and Attractions in Gatlinburg

Gatlinburg's attraction landscape runs from a 680-foot suspension bridge and a mountaintop adventure park to a world-class aquarium and an alpine coaster. Here are seven rides and attractions worth putting on the itinerary.

Gatlinburg SkyLift Park

Gatlinburg SkyLift Park centers on two iconic experiences: the SkyLift and the SkyBridge. The SkyLift is the same yellow open-air chairlift that has carried visitors up Crockett Mountain since 1954 — a 500-vertical-foot climb from the base station on the Parkway to the summit. At the top, the SkyBridge stretches 680 feet across a deep valley, the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America, with 30 feet of glass-floor panels at the midpoint where you can see 140 feet straight down to the forest floor. The summit has expanded significantly in recent years — Clayton's Landing (opened 2025) adds fire pits, rocking chairs, and the Smoky Mountain Smash restaurant, and the SkyTrail provides a 1.5-mile summit trail system. Book tickets at gatlinburgskypark.com.

Anakeesta

Anakeesta is a mountaintop outdoor theme park accessible from the downtown Parkway via the Crystal Express — the world's only all-glass gondola system — or the Ridge Rambler guided vehicle tour. At the summit, the Treetop Skywalk is an elevated walkway through the forest canopy; the AnaVista Tower provides a 360-degree overlook; two mountain coasters deliver the thrill element; and Black Bear Village at the center of the park houses shops, fire pits, and live entertainment. Cliff Top Restaurant and Vista Gardens Café handle dining with mountain views. The Astra Lumina after-dark experience is available as an add-on, extending the visit into evening. Anakeesta runs year-round with hours varying by season; check anakeesta.com for current schedules.

Ober Gatlinburg

Ober Gatlinburg is Tennessee's only ski resort — a year-round mountaintop attraction at 3,300 feet elevation accessible via the aerial tram from the downtown Parkway (a 2.1-mile, 10-minute ride) or by driving up Ski Mountain Road. The full facility includes ski slopes and snow tubing in winter (when snow conditions allow), an indoor ice skating rink year-round, the alpine coaster, an alpine slide, the Wildlife Habitat with 44 animals across 26-plus native species, and an amusement area with family rides. The ski and snowboard season runs when natural and manufactured snow conditions allow — typically late November through mid-March. The Wildlife Habitat and all other year-round attractions operate regardless of snow. Check obergatlinburg.com for current hours and conditions.

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies is the most substantive aquarium within a wide radius of Gatlinburg — 340,000 gallons of water housing thousands of aquatic animals across multiple ecosystems. The centerpiece is the Shark Lagoon, an underwater tunnel where you stand on a moving walkway surrounded by sharks, sawfish, sea turtles, and rays. The Penguin Playhouse, jellyfish gallery, stingray touchpool, and coral reef displays round out the major exhibits. Daily dive shows, narrated feedings, and touch-tank sessions layer educational programming into what children experience as entertainment. Plan two to three hours for a full visit. The aquarium is open daily year-round.

Moonshine Mountain Coaster

The Moonshine Mountain Coaster at 306 Parkway is an alpine-style gravity coaster where riders control their own speed via a hand brake on a single-rail track down the mountainside. The track runs approximately 3,000 feet through banked turns and elevation changes in the surrounding forest. Solo riders and pairs can ride simultaneously on adjacent tracks. The rider controls the speed — a feature that makes it accessible for those who want a controlled ride as well as satisfying for those who want to go fast. The coaster operates year-round, weather permitting. Single and multi-ride tickets are available on-site.

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium is a collection of genuinely strange artifacts, optical illusions, and interactive exhibits spread across multiple floors — shrunken heads, a portrait made of lint, a replica of the Mona Lisa assembled from toast, a human hair ball, a scale model of the Eiffel Tower constructed from matchsticks. The format is more museum-of-the-weird than thrill ride, which makes it well-suited for families with children who enjoy the unusual and for rainy-day visits when outdoor options are unavailable. The building itself, which appears to be sinking into a crack in the earth from the outside, is one of the more distinctive structures on the Parkway.

Hollywood Star Cars Museum

Hollywood Star Cars Museum at 914 Parkway houses more than 40 authentic vehicles from movies and television — the DeLorean from Back to the Future, the Batmobile from the 1960s TV series, the General Lee from The Dukes of Hazzard, the Ghostbusters Ecto-1, the Mystery Machine from Scooby-Doo, and dozens of others. The vehicles are original props or production-accurate replicas, and the collection spans decades of film and television history. For anyone with affection for the source material, the experience of standing next to vehicles that appeared on screen is more affecting than the concept suggests. Plan about 60 to 90 minutes. Tickets are available on-site.

Frequently asked questions

Which Gatlinburg attraction is best for young children?

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies is the most reliably engaging for young children — the moving walkway through the shark tank and the touch tanks work across ages. Anakeesta's Firefly Village playground and the Treetop Skywalk are also strong options for young children who don't need high-thrill activities. The Hollywood Star Cars Museum works for children old enough to recognize the source material (typically age 8 and up).

Which Gatlinburg attractions have the best views?

Anakeesta from the mountaintop gives the broadest panorama — you can see the full Gatlinburg valley with the national park ridgelines behind. The Gatlinburg SkyLift Park's SkyDeck provides a more concentrated overlook of the Parkway corridor and surrounding mountains. Ober Gatlinburg's summit at 3,300 feet has the highest vantage point of the three. Each provides a distinct perspective; on a multi-day Gatlinburg stay, visiting all three gives a comprehensive overhead picture of the area.

Do I need to book Gatlinburg attraction tickets in advance?

For peak summer and fall foliage weekends, advance tickets for SkyLift Park and Anakeesta are strongly advisable — both can reach capacity on busy days. Ripley's Aquarium tickets can be purchased on arrival but lines move faster with advance online booking. The Moonshine Mountain Coaster and Hollywood Star Cars Museum are generally walkable without advance booking. Ober Gatlinburg rarely sells out but ski season weekends during good snow conditions are exceptions.