This year it is time to get away and spend your fall season right here in Gatlinburg. The fall season has finally started and with it comes Halloween that is just around the corner. Gatlinburg features a variety of unique events and activities that will make celebrating this spooky holiday even more fun. Many of these events and activities are for all ages so everyone in the family can join in on the fun. Take a look at some fun ways to spend Halloween in Gatlinburg:
Ripley’s Fright Nights
One of the top attractions found in Gatlinburg year-round is the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum. This exciting attraction features all kind of unique and education attractions for a fun experience. For the Halloween holiday Ripley’s transforms into the Ripley’s Haunted Adventure, a thrilling haunted house experience complete with live actors. It has been voted as the #1 haunted house in all of Gatlinburg and is over 10,000 square feet in size. Additional attractions found at Ripley’s include the 5D Moving Theatre and Mirror Maze. Don’t forget to stop by the Aquarium of the Smokies to see some incredible aquatic animals up close including jellyfish and plenty of colorful fish. Ripley’s Haunted Adventure and Fright Nights will take place Monday, Wednesday, and Friday through Sunday each week of October!
Pigeon Forge Spooktacular
Visitors may be unfamiliar on where to take their kids trick or treating, especially if it’s their first time in Gatlinburg. Neighboring town Pigeon Forge will be hosting their annual Spooktacular Halloween Event on Thursday October 28th. This all-ages event takes place at the Pigeon Forge Community Center where you and your children can enjoy a safe and indoor trick or treating experience. Local businesses and vendors will be on hand handing out candy to all those dressed up for the event. You can also enjoy additional activities such as live entertainment and a haunted house. The Spooktacular Halloween Event is completely free to attend and has been a staple for the Pigeon Forge community each year around Halloween. The event will run from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM on October 28th. And while you’re at Pigeon Forge celebrating Halloween, don’t forget to ride the haunted roller coaster. Kids of all ages will enjoy the special Halloween lighting effects and live actor ghosts and goblins, as the Rocky Top Mountain Coaster turns spooktacular.
The Mysterious Mansion
Providing year-round spooky fun, the Mysterious Mansion in downtown Gatlinburg goes all out on their favorite holiday. They add more creepy live actors and even creepier, extra spooky special effects. This three-story Victorian-style mansion has been scaring guests for over forty years and they just get better every year. Their special Halloween showings on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through October are recommended for teens and adults only due to the fright factor, but their normal, “slightly less scary” showings take place on weekdays.
Gatlinburg SkyLift Park’s Spooktacular Smokies
Halloween at SkyLift Park is quickly becoming a tradition for area families. On Halloween weekend, SkyLift Park hosts the annual Spooktacular Smokies event with plenty of activities for the whole family with Halloween-themed activities for the kids, spooky music and scary stories told by creepy storytellers from the Smoky Mountain Storytellers Association out on the SkyDeck. Come early so everyone can enjoy the walk across The SkyBridge, the longest pedestrian cable bridge in the country. The bridge is over 680 feet long with over 30 feet of glass panels in the middle of the bridge offering an amazing and scary view of the rocky ground below. Enjoy the beautiful, panoramic views from the SkyLift chairs as they take you up the 1,800 feet to the top of Crockett Mountain or hike the SkyTrail. Tulip tower and its four elevated platforms offer even more gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains.
Anakeesta Amusement Park
Another annual event is The Legend of Hallow Mountain at Anakeesta Amusement Park, with family-friendly crafts and games, fall-inspired treats, and more. Explore the Firefly Forest as you walk along lighted, elevated bridges hung between the trees, go Ziplining with Zombies, or take your chances on the Haunted Rail Runner Coaster. There are several “scare” zones too, like the Hallow Mountain Graveyard full of spooky props, scary noises, chainsaws, coffins (of course), zombies, spooky fog and more. Plan to spend the entire day at the park and start things off with an exciting Ridge Rambler shuttle ride (think large ATVs) scrambling up the mountain or a gentle gondola ride to the top. The observation tower at the summit is surrounded by gorgeous botanical gardens and offers gorgeous panoramic views of the surrounding Smokies. Enjoy live music concerts, gem and fossil mining, and more fun throughout the year.
More Halloween Fun in Gatlinburg
Halloween is all about family fun right here in Gatlinburg. Get ready for your own fall getaway by reserving one of our vacation cabins here in the area. Experience Gatlinburg the way it was meant to be experienced!
