Your Family-Friendly Guide to Pigeon Forge

Featured in this Article:

Family Resorts in Pigeon Forge
Pigeon Forge Attractions for Kids
Kid-Friendly Places to Eat in Pigeon Forge
 

A true family resort in Pigeon Forge, Dollywood's HeartSong Lodge & Resort is designed with your family in mind. From a number of gathering places like the unique Cove Event Lawn and stunning four-story stone fireplace in the lobby to special themed family suites with balconies that display the magnificent Great Smoky Mountains, Camp DW for kids of all ages and even an acoustics music room inspired by Dolly Parton, you can be sure your memory bank will be full to capacity when it's time to head home.

Dollywood's DreamMore Resort & Spa

Another family resort in Pigeon Forge is Dollywood's DreamMore Resort & Spa, built around the rich Great Smoky Mountain traditions of family, storytelling and togetherness. Camp DW children's activities, six dining locations, indoor and outdoor pools and a full-service spa are just some of the resort amenities you can enjoy. When the day is done, slip into dreamland in a kid-friendly room featuring a king-sized bed and twin bunk beds.

Great Smoky Mountain Cabins

One of the classic places to stay while in Pigeon Forge is in a Great Smoky Mountain cabin. There are many cabins and chalets that can accommodate a wide range of travel party sizes. Features include hot tubs, balconies, full kitchens, arcade rooms and pool tables, queen and king-sized beds and, of course mountain views. Renting a woodland cabin is the perfect way to get in touch with nature and spend quality family time in your own living space.

The Lodge at Camp Margaritaville

If your family loves the outdoors, but wants to come back to a chic place to stay at the end of the day, The Lodge at Camp Margaritaville is for you and your kids. A fun hotel for families, The Lodge has king, double queen and deluxe rooms that sleep up to six people wit ha separate tented room kids will love. All rooms come with their own coffee maker, refrigerator, microwave and 50" flat-screen TV making them the perfect mountain escape. Additional hotel features include a lazy river, pickleball courts, kid's playground, hot tub and fire pit, pool with a double loop water slide and kid's zone, a full arcade in the Fin City Entertainment Center, duckpin bowling, billiards, outdoor games and live entertainment. 

The Inn at Christmas Place

Dollywood is Tennessee's No. 1 attraction and is chock full of kid-friendly activities from riding thrilling coasters like the new Big Bear Mountain Coaster (the longest coaster at Dollywood) and marveling at award-winning shows to incredible craftspeople sharing their talents of blacksmithing and wood carving and delicious snacks and meals at award-winning restaurants. New for 2024 is The Dolly Parton Experience featuring a number of interactive elements that make you feel as if you're by Dolly's side as you journey through her life and career. Housed in multiple buildings, the Experience includes exhibits that cover her storytelling, music her signature style through the years, the importance of her family and faith and where she drew inspiration for some of her biggest dreams.

Titanic Museum Attraction Pigeon Forge

The Titanic Museum will amaze you and your family as soon as you board. This immersive experience begins when you receive the name and story of a person who actually sailed on the Titanic in 1912. Throughout the powerful and moving exhibits, which range from approx. 400 Titanic-era artifacts to a pool of 28-degree water where you can feel for yourself how cold the ocean was when the Titanic sank, you will learn what life was like for the ship’s passengers, about their hopes and dreams, and, in the end, whether or not the name you received at the beginning lived or died when the ship sank. 

The Island in Pigeon Forge

Another mainstay attraction is The Island at Pigeon Forge. This massive open-air entertainment venue became an instant classic since it opened, and the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel has become an iconic landmark along the parkway. See incredible views of the mountains by day and the stunning city lights by night. The whole family will enjoy museums and attractions like Gatlin's Mirror Maze, The Flying Horse Carousel, Tree Fall Drop Tower and SkyFly: Soar America, a flying theater where you experience the feeling of flight as you soar over some of the most iconic locations in the U.S.

WonderWorks

You'll love the mind-bending attraction WonderWorks full of family things to do like the kid-friendly Imagination Lab, Wonder Art Gallery full of optical illusions and Light & Sound Zone that multiplies your shadow into different colors and patterns. The Space Discovery Zone is where you can take the astronaut training challenge - a two-person gyroscope that spins and rotates in multiple directions. The Extreme Weather Zone features the Earthquake Cafe, Tesla Coils and the Hurricane Shack. Finally, the Physical Challenge Zone where you can lie on a bed of nails, create massive bubbles and so much more.

Pigeon Forge Snow

No matter the weather outside, Pigeon Forge Snow is a great indoor attraction for kids. America's first indoor snow park includes fast slopes and a snow play area where you can build snow forts and snowmen. Tickets are for one hour of snow tubing or 30 minutes of snow play. Buy the combo ticket for both experiences for under $40. Pigeon Forge Snow is a great place to visit rain, shine or snow.

Beyond the Lens! Family Fun

Craving Southern classics like fried chicken and biscuits made with flour that has been stone ground with water power since 1830? Then, you and your family should visit The Old Mill Restaurant, The Old Mill Pottery House Cafe & Grille or The Old Mill Creamery. At The Old Mill Restaurant, you'll find family-friendly food favorites for breakfast, lunch and dinner like buttermilk pancakes, vegetable quiche, chicken and dumplings, country fried steak, Deep South chicken pot pie, homemade meatloaf and more. Kids' menus include pancakes and biscuits and sausage gravy for breakfast, and grilled cheese, burgers and fried chicken tenders for lunch and dinner. The Old Mill Pottery House Cafe serves a hearty brunch, sandwiches and salads with a kid's menu that includes the Old Mill corn dog, macaroni and cheese and hamburgers. Get a sweet treat at The Old Mill Creamery which serves hand-scooped ice cream in bowls, sugar cones, whirled in thick shakes and huge sundaes. 

Azul Cantina

Featuring the first rooftop bar in Pigeon Forge, Azul Cantina is a fun and delicious restaurant serving Tex-Mex entrees in a fun and inviting atmosphere. Start your meal off with fresh made-to-order guacamole and the Esquites beef eggroll. Choose entrees like street tacos (the Al Pastor featuring roasted pork shoulder marinated in a pineapple and chili sauce are stand outs), sizzling fajitas and specialty tacos like Nashville hot tacos along with house specials like the tomahawk pork chop and Mexican diablo shrimp and grits - grilled wild caught shrimp served on queso grits and topped with chorizo, enchilada sauce and cilantro oil. Save room for dessert because Tres Leches, churros dusted in cinnamon and sugar and served with chocolate, caramel and strawberry sauces and cheesecake chimichanga (deep fried, dusted in cinnamon sugar and drizzled with chocolate sauce and caramel sauce) are on the menu. Your kids will be happy, too, with the kid's menu that includes a quesadilla, beef and chicken tacos.

Guy Fieri's Downtown Flavortown

Chef, restaurateur and Emmy Award-winning TV host, Guy Fieri has brought his culinary talents and taste for great-tasting food to Pigeon Forge with Guy Fieri's Downtown Flavortown, a family-friendly restaurant featuring award-winning food, arcade and duckpin bowling. The laidback menu includes cheeseburger nachos, wood stone pizza, half and full racks of ribs, Cajun chicken pasta and giant sandwiches like the crispy chicken bacon ranch and pulled pork sandwich. The kid-friendly menu includes Mac Daddy Mac-N-Cheese topped with Goldfish, chicken tenders, the kid-sized burger and super melty grilled cheese on Texas toast plus fun games on the menu to pass the wait time like the burger maze, tic-tac-toe and a fun word search.

Dolly Parton's Stampede

The world's most visited dinner show attraction is Dolly Parton's Stampede. If you're searching for a family fun adventure with dinner included, you'll love the high-energy show that includes horse riding stunts, friendly competition, music productions, a four-course feast with dessert and a moving aerial performance featuring an original song written and recorded by Dolly Parton. Before the show, take a stroll down the Horse Walk to meet the stars of the show - the 32 amazing horses. While you watch all the action, enjoy creamy vegetable soup, biscuits, whole rotisserie chicken, pulled pork, corn on the cob, herb-roasted potatoes and the signature dessert plus unlimited Coca-Cola, iced tea or coffee.

These are just some of the many family activities in Pigeon Forge that await you. The mountain town is full of family things to do from incredible museums to fun attractions. Start planning your Pigeon Forge adventure to make endless family memories.