Can’t-Miss Things to Do in Pigeon Forge

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The best things to do in Pigeon Forge with kids for the ultimate family vacation. Plan a trip to Tennessee you’ll never forget!

A view of the Great Smoky Mountains surrounding Pigeon Forge from the top of the Great Smoky Mountain Ferris Wheel.

One of our favorite things about living in North Carolina is the great number of awesome family vacation destinations we can hop in the car and just drive to see.

As a family of 4 plane tickets can break our vacation budget, so I’m always on the lookout for new places to take the kids that are just a family road trip away.

The awesome folks over at MyPigeonForge.com reached out and asked if we’d be interested in visiting Pigeon Forge this spring so we could share our best vacation tips with you. We jumped at the chance.

We were vaguely familiar with Pigeon Forge after our trip to Wilderness at the Smokies and we’ve always wanted to go back and explore the area more. 

We ended up having the best time ever. At one point I looked over and saw my husband Tim simply glowing with happiness. Our girls are at such a fun age, and this trip was the perfect family getaway for us this spring.

There are so many different things for you to see, do, and eat listed in this post so to help you find exactly what you’re looking for, you can jump to what you need right here:

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Pigeon Forge Attractions Kids Love

There are way more things to do in Pigeon Forge than you and your family could ever see all in one trip.

The choices can be really overwhelming and some are more kid-friendly than others. Here are the best highlights from our visit.

Dollywood

We spent an entire day of our trip to Pigeon Forge at the Dollywood theme park. It was our very first visit ever and I was blown away by how much there was to see.

We were visiting with kids who were mostly too short for the rollercoasters but we still found more than enough to do to fill an entire day of fantastic memories:

The Island

Once you get checked into your hotel, I strongly recommend a visit to The Island on your first night in Pigeon Forge.

This FREE outdoor destination has dozens of things to do and places to eat that will keep your family busy for an entire evening of fun:

The Track

Have your kids ever ridden on go-karts? My husband has the greatest memories of the time we spent at The Track riding the only three-tier wooden go-kart track in Pigeon Forge:

Rainy Day Fun

Weather in the Smoky Mountains can be unpredictable and change at the drop of a hat. The weekend we were scheduled for our family vacation, it was supposed to serve up torrential downpour rain.

Thankfully, we pressed ahead and didn’t cancel our trip. The weather was perfect during our entire visit.

But if Mother Nature sends you the unexpected, never fear! There are so many fun things to do on a rainy day in Pigeon Forge, you’ll never run out of options.

Free Things to Do

When you’re planning out your family vacation itinerary and checking prices on all the activities, you may start to feel a bit overwhelmed by how much it is all going to cost.

It is important to remember that what matters most is the time spent with your kids. Thankfully, there are tons of FREE things to do in Pigeon Forge that will help keep your vacation budget in check:

Best Places to Eat with Kids

Busy family vacations mean you’re going to have extra-hungry kids. After a long day sightseeing, be prepared with a kid-friendly restaurant where you’re guaranteed they’ll enjoy what’s on the menu and be entertained at the table.

Check out our favorite places to eat in Pigeon Forge here:

Where to Stay

Looking for a hotel that is conveniently located near all the activities mentioned above? We loved our stay at The Inn at Christmas Place one year and our visit to Wilderness at the Smokies another time.

You can read more about these fun themed hotels here:

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