• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Everyday Shortcuts
  • Recipes
  • DIY Projects
  • Travel
  • Shop
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • DIY Projects
  • Travel
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • DIY Projects
    • Travel
    • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • Ă—
    Home » Travel » U.S. Destinations

    Ripley's Attractions in Gatlinburg, Tennessee

    Published: May 5, 2014 · Modified: Sep 7, 2015 by Alison · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    ripley's attractions review

    We made a family vacation to Gatlinburg, TN. While we were there we visited several attractions. We received tickets to 8 Ripley’s Attractions but only got to visit 7 out of the 8. If you have never been to Tennessee, you must visit sometime in your lifetime. It is amazing! The mountains, scenery, and people make it so much better. I loved every minute we were in Tennessee and can’t wait to return for another vacation.

    There is a total of 8 Ripley’s Attractions located in and near Gatlinburg, TN. They are Ripley’s Believe it or Not!, Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, Haunted Adventure, Ripley’s Marvelous Mirror Maze and Candy Factory, Ripley’s 3D Moving Theatre, Ripley’s Guinness World Records Museum, Ripley’s Old MacDonald’s Farm Mini-Golf , and Davy Crockett Mini-Golf.

    Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies

    aquarium of the smokies

    The Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is 115,000 square feet of space with 1.4 million gallons of water. When you first walk in you go through a maze of different exhibits. At first you can see the giant Aquarium above the underwater tunnel and see the sharks swimming around.

    When you make it to the underwater tunnel it is a moving sidewalk unless you get nauseous like me on those things you can walk on flat ground through the tunnel. You will see different species of sharks and other fish inside the Aquarium tunnel. They will swim above and all around you.

    We also got to see the staff feed the penguins one by one. At the end we go to see a Stingray feeding. There was a diver in the tank that did a show and feed the Stingrays and they surrounded him. When the show was over we were able to go up to the top of the Aquarium where the diver came up too and let us touch the Stingrays. It was neat to feel them up close. One even splashed us while we were touching it.

     

    Ripley’s Believe it or Not!

    Ripley's Believe it or Not

    This is a fun attraction to go and see some freaky things. You can see shrunken heads, a rug made out of gum wrappers, a 2 headed goat, and much more. This is a must see to experience new and unusual things. It has 4 floors and is a place for the whole family to enjoy even young kids.

    Warning: There is one exhibit called the torture room that may be a bit scary for the young ones.

     

    Ripley’s Guinness World Records Museum

    Ripley's guinness

    Have you ever read the book “Guinness Book of World Records”? If you have you will enjoy the Ripley’s Guinness Book of World Records Museum. You can most things up close that have been in the books. You can see things from largest skateboard to the heaviest man. These exhibits are grouped into Sports, Space, Animals, Food, Human Achievement and many more!

     

     Other Ripley’s Attractions

    ripley's attractions tennessee

    The last 4 attractions we did were the Ripley’s  Moving Theater, Haunted Adventure, Mirror Maze, and Davey Crocket Mini-Golf. These attractions are smaller and don’t take up much of your day.

    In the Ripley’s Moving Theater  is a Real 5D virtual reality simulator where you actually ride with the movie and experience every bump, dip and turn! State-of-the-Art Motion Simulator in right in the seat. You can experience 2 shows: the chill of Winter Wipeout and the thrill of Rats Race Xtreme!

    The Ripley’s Haunted Adventure was not one we all did, only my husband. The employee said that if it looks scary from the outside then it will be even scarier on the inside. If you have young children that get scared easily I would recommend skipping this attraction. You go through very dark rooms where each person is holding onto you and you encounter some scary zombies, chain saws, and more.

    Ripley’s Marvelous Mirror Maze is a fun attraction for the whole family to enjoy. You walk through this mirror maze where you see your reflection in each direction. This confuses you making it seem like you are seeing someone else and you may run into a mirror or too. There is even what we called a party room that was full of mirrors, disco lights, and music.

    Lastly, we visited Davy Crockett Mini-Golf that was located a little past Gatlinburg. You can choose between 2 courses that are filled with fun ways to play mini golf including going through a waterfall, rocks, bears, and more.

    We did not get a chance to visit the Ripley’s Old MacDonald’s Farm Mini-Golf as we ran out of time.

    If you have plenty of time to visit other Ripley’s attractions while you are in Tennessee, I suggest getting the 8 pack combo tickets. This way you can do all the attractions for one great price. You can purchase tickets here where most attractions are open 365 days a year.

    Disclosure: I was given 8 tickets featured in this post to facilitate my review. All opinions are 100% mine and not influenced in any way.

    More Travel

    • The Mohicans Treehouses: Your Weekend Getaway Guide
    • What to Pack for a Cruise
    • Top 15 Things to Do in a Day On Kelleys Island
    • Top 10 Things to Do in a Day at Zoombezi Bay
    FacebookTweetPin

    Alison is a wife and mother of three who embraces the simple life, finding joy in easy recipes, DIY projects, life hacks, and her passion for travel. Learn more about me!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Erren

      May 05, 2014 at 11:17 am

      Great Post thank you!

      Reply
    2. Rena McDaniel-The Diary of an Alzheimer's Caregiver

      May 05, 2014 at 11:37 am

      We love going to Gatlinburg, TN. We usually go 4 to 5 times a year. It’s a great place to meet up with our friends being that it is halfway for all of us. Haven’t tried all of these but have been to a few. Thanks for the review!

      Reply
    3. kungphoo

      May 05, 2014 at 11:57 am

      We like that place.. there is so much that can be seen there and it ultimately is a learning experience..

      Reply
    4. Paula Parker

      May 05, 2014 at 1:00 pm

      I have always heard great things about Gatlinburg. One day, I wish to make it up there. Don’t travel very much anymore. Thank you for sharing your amazing photos!

      Reply
    5. Dawn @ Pin-n-Tell

      May 05, 2014 at 1:19 pm

      Love, love, love Gatlinburg! I haven’t been there in over 10 years… looks like I need to go again 🙂

      Reply
    6. Julie Tucker

      May 05, 2014 at 3:33 pm

      We love Gatlinburg and have vacationed there many times. Ripley’s is so fun. We took our son there several years ago and we laughed the entire time we were in the museum. Love the the surrounding mountains and scenery too. Glad you had such a great time!!

      Reply
    7. Jen

      May 06, 2014 at 12:11 pm

      I had no idea there was so much to do in TN, let alone 8 Ripleys attractions so close! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    Alison McFadden

    Welcome to Everyday Shortcuts, where I share delicious and simple recipes that anyone can cook, practical household tips and clever shortcuts to help simplify your everyday life. 

    More about me →

    Popular

    • 8 Easy Chicken Freezer Meals in One Hour

    • Crock Pot Coca-Cola Baby Back Ribs

    • My 3 Day Egg Fast Experience and Weight Loss

    • Copycat White Castle Sliders

    Holiday Recipes

    • 4th of July Cheesecake

    • Bomb Pop Cookies

    • Snowman Cheese Ball

    • Jingle Juice Recipe

    Footer

    Everyday shortcuts as seen on logos

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy
    • About Me

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Press & Media
    • PR Friendly

    Alison McFadden is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

    Copyright © 2025 Everyday Shortcuts. All Rights Reserved

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT