3 Great Educational Attractions in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg
- November 16, 2023
Learning has never been so fun! Some activities in the Smoky Mountain area teach visitors new things in cool ways. Read on to find out more! Here is our list of 3 great educational attractions in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg:
1. WonderWorks
If you love science, check out WonderWorks in Pigeon Forge. In a building that looks like an upside-down house, there are over 42,000 square feet of activities. Visitors learn through a unique combination of education and entertainment. For example, learn more about the weather’s effects on humans and the environment in the Extreme Weather Zone. Feel a 74 miles per hour hurricane wind whip through your hair or the force of an earthquake that has a magnitude of 5.3 on the Richter scale. Along with the Wonder Zones, the attraction also houses fun physical challenges, one of which is the world’s largest indoor ropes course. It is over 50 feet tall and contains 4 stories of ropes. See if you can conquer the various obstacles, some of which include swinging steps and a tremor bridge. The glow-in-the-dark theme adds extra fun! WonderWorks also has a Laser Tag arena as well. You can compete against your travel group and see if you can stay hidden the longest!
2. Titanic Museum
If you love history, come to the Titanic Museum to learn more about the iconic ship and its unfortunate and infamous demise! At the beginning of their visit, each guest is given a boarding pass of an actual Titanic passenger. Some of the activities teach you about their experiences on the ship. Walk up the replica of the Grand Staircase and see models of the different living quarters. On the other hand, learn more about the sinking when you attempt to maintain your balance on a ship’s stern and sit in an actual-size lifeboat. You can even send out an SOS signal. Before you leave, don’t forget to visit the Memorial room where you can discover the fate of the passenger on your boarding pass!
3. Ripley’s Believe it or Not!
If you love learning interesting facts and unique sights, check out the over 500 wonders housed in Ripley’s Believe it or Not! in Downtown Gatlinburg. They include a collection of authentic shrunken heads. This exhibit dates back to the 1920’s when Ripley acquired the first one from a trader in Panama. Since then, the collection has grown to include more than 100 authentic shrunken heads. Other unique sights to see here include a sculpture of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts made out of over 6,000 matchsticks as well as a 16-foot Megalodon sculpture made from a salvaged 1950’s jet fuel tank. You can also learn something new when you read the fun facts on the 10,518-pound granite Floating Kugel Ball! Some of them are about Tennessee’s very own Great Smoky Mountains!
We hope you go and enjoy some of these great educational attractions in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg! Curious about more things to do in the area? Check out our list of 4 fun things to do in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge!
