Ripley’s Attractions in Gatlinburg, Tennessee

We take vacation to Gatlinburg, Tennessee usually once a year.  With extended family located in Knoxville it gives us a chance to visit them while squeezing in some fun time.  The road-trip is not too bad and we are always finding new things to do while in the Smokey Mountains.  Last summer we went around visiting each of the Ripley’s attractions in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  There are eight total!

Ripley’s Attractions in Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Each trip we go to the Ripley’s aquarium up in the mountains.  The large aquarium is so neat to explore.  However, this last trip we wanted to do something different.  Our first stop was playing mini-golf on the side of the mountain.

This Ripley’s Davy Crockett Mini-Golf was challenging.  There were two different course paths you could select from.  Thankfully there was a lot of shady areas to stand in while waiting our turn, because the summer heat was hot.

The course was filled with obstacles that reflected the Davy Crockett theme.  A couple of times our golf balls would go down little water runs and around waterfalls which was pretty cool.

The kids enjoyed playing this unique version of mini-golf since it was not like anything we see here in Texas.

Our next stop was the Ripley’s Haunted Adventure.  We had one child sit out while two of them walked through the attraction with their eyes closed.  You start by riding an old open-sided elevator up to the second story.  We shared many laughs along the way and it truly wasn’t scary.  My 9-year-old son handled it well and he is a big chicken.

Of course we couldn’t miss our chance to pose for a haunted photo!

The Ripley’s Moving Theater 5D ride was so much more than your standard 3D film.  We watched two short films that were pretty funny while we were twisted, turned and bumped along in our chair.  We felt mist from water and air blowing to make it feel like we were a part of the film.  The show was kid-friendly and I can’t imagine there being an age limit for this attraction.  I think several of us enjoyed it the most of all.

Although we have a Ripley’s Believe it or Not here in Texas, this one was much different.  I love how each location has their own memorabilia to showcase and odd facts to learn.

There was one part of this attraction where you walk into a separate room.  As you walk through the doorway there are mannequins dressed like tourists with a fake camera.  Your motion sets off the flash and makes you believe you stepped in front of someone’s picture.  My husband jumped back and apologized.  The kids and I laughed so hard that we had tears in our eyes.

You can easily spend days exploring all the attractions on your upcoming vacation.  Which of the eight Ripley’s attractions in Gatlinburg, Tennessee do you want to visit?

Full Disclosure: Our family received complementary tickets to facilitate our review. All opinions and photos are 100% my own.

Have you ever visited a Ripley’s attraction?  Which one and what was your favorite part?