Just imagine it for yourselves – you trek the long distance from your house to Gatlinburg and come to get your luxurious family room with us at Gatlinburg Inn. Then, when everything unpacked, everything has settled and the adventure is ready to begin, you throw open the door, have your chest and scout out, in a full circle, all the many attractions and opportunities that are within just a few minutes walk, and more for just a few minutes more.
Where to start, where to start, where to start…
Well, we couldn’t provide a better starting direction than this article where we list some of our favorite Gatlinburg attractions that you can get to very easily – without even needing to start the car again! We recommend these to all our guests and they all offer something unique to enjoy while being general enough for ALL to enjoy!
Let’s take a look:
Christ in the Smokies
A most unique and most iconic attraction here in the Smokies. We have many churches hidden up and down streets within just a few feet of where you’re staying, but Christ in the Smokies is definitely the religious crown of the Smoky Mountain jewel here. As their website states: “Christ in the Smokies Museum and Gardens is one of the nation’s foremost inspirational attractions. We feature incredibly lifelike scenes telling the Story of Christ, utilizing life size figures, dramatic lighting, music and special effects. Everyone from Children to Seniors will enjoy seeing their favorite Bible stories come alive in the 3D Dioramas. […] You will have the remarkable experience of walking through a Biblical world of 2000 years ago, seeing life-size, life-like representations of important scenes from the life of Jesus Christ.”
See more on this attraction CLICK HERE.
Gatlinburg Skylift
Our neighbor and fire survivor, Gatlinburg Skylift has been rebuilt and functions better than ever! And it awaits now is you to visit it, climb with the aerial chair up the mountain and gaze at the best of God’s wonder that he gave to the land that would become East Tennessee.
From their website: “Installation of an entirely new chairlift has just been completed and we are thrilled to again be welcoming riders at the Sky Lift and visitors to the great town of Gatlinburg! Hop on and enjoy a smooth glide to the top of Crockett Mountain. While construction of the new Sky Deck is underway, it is unsafe to unload from the chairlift at the top. Instead, relax as the chair makes a slow turn around the wheel and be ready for the incredible view and exhilarating ride back down.
Spectacular views of the lush forests and majestic mountains are enjoyed on the downhill ride since the area is surrounded on three sides by the natural beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Lighting is soon to be completed and the Sky Lift will then offer another and very different scenic experience. Downtown Gatlinburg’s dazzling lights illuminate the nestled community and seeing them from high up on the mountainside puts a peaceful and perfect wrap on a fun-filled day in the Smokies.”
See more on this attraction CLICK HERE.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum
Across the street from us is the palatial estate of the WEIRD all over the world. This is more than just a museum, it’s a journey through a history of the impossible, where you can interact with things you forget are real and get an eyeful of things you’ll never forget.
So, what’s inside, the website asks? Here’s what it says: “The only place in Gatlinburg where you’ll find shrunken heads, a 12ft tall scrap car parts robot sculpture, an authentic vampire killing kit, one-of-a-kind artwork, tons of hands-on interactives, and a wicked spinning vortex tunnel! 12,500 square feet, 16 themed galleries, 500 exhibits, and artifacts on 3 floors.”
Words don’t truly capture the Museum, you simply have to see it for yourself. Get tickets CLICK HERE
Mysterious Mansion
On the other side of that (literally, as Mysterious is directly behind us where as the previous was in front) is another famous “weird” building that doesn’t so much act as a museum for exhibits… but a prison for experiments. And they do a pretty poor job of keeping the infernal prisoners away from those experiments or whatever they are away from visitors.
From their website: “We are a family owned and operated, three story, year-round haunted attraction still owned by a descendant of one of the original owners. We support small businesses as we are one ourselves. We opened our doors in 1980 and have been scaring Smoky Mountain visitors and daring locals for over 35 years!
The house is designed and decorated in an early 1900’s style old Victorian persona with ever growing attention to detail. In the beginning we were a “spooky fun house” type attraction but have evolved over the years becoming Gatlinburg’s Oldest and Scariest Haunted House!”
See more on this attraction CLICK HERE
Sugarlands Distilling Company
Your very own neighborhood distillery and fun place right within walking distance of the hotel and no need to get behind the wheel to get back! Sugarland Distilling Company is definitely a fun place for adults to visit, as they serve a wide variety of moonshines and whiskey. They also have featured musical performances at many times throughout the year.
From the website itself: “Sugarlands Distilling Company produces award-winning spirits in East Tennessee. The downtown Gatlinburg distillery is a popular attraction where guests are invited to sample award-winning spirits and enjoy behind the-scenes tours.
The distillery offers live music, private tours and tastings, and distilling workshops. It is nestled in the Smoky Mountains, near the Sugarlands, an area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park historically known as “moonshiners’ paradise.” The distillery opened in March 2014 to perform the age-old craft of distilling fine spirits. Sugarlands Distilling Co. is a locally owned, community–minded, “give-back” brand.”
See more on Sugarlands Distilling Company CLICK HERE
Space Needle
And definitely if there’s one attraction within a short walk from us you should not miss, it’s the big thing in the sky that you literally can’t miss! The Space Needle in the center of Gatlinburg is more than 400ft. high. and features unparalleled views of the city and Smoky Mountains. You get to climb all the way up and look around while at the bottom is a large complex of arcades, pizza, magic shows and more.
From their website: “The view from the Gatlinburg Space Needle is an unequaled panorama of beauty year round which is only enriched with our free view finders. But, it’s more than a view; it’s also an information-packed experience thanks to our Higher Learning exhibits, an educational feature rich in facts and history about Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains.
Also onsite at the Needle is Arcadia, a 25,000 square-foot, two-story playground with the latest video and redemption games including the area’s largest redemption center. No other Gatlinburg arcade can boast the quality and quantity of games and prizes offered at Arcadia. We also offer a theater with some of the most entertaining shows in Gatlinburg – the Iris Theater features some of the most refreshingly-unique acts in the Smokies.”
See more on the Space Needle Click Here