Shops, restaurants, live music and amusement-park thrills keep families busy all day long at The Island, which sprawls beneath the graceful grandeur of the 200ft-high Great Smoky Mountain Wheel. Surrounded by the Little Pigeon River, the complex is also home to several hotels, an arcade, a distillery and a lively show fountain.
The Island
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
14.07 MILES
The story of the Smoky Mountains began in primordial times when clashing supersized continents created a chain of mountains that are today among the…
17.68 MILES
In Appalachian parlance, a cove means a valley, but Cades Cove is far more than that. One of the most popular destinations in the Tennessee section of…
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1.17 MILES
On April 15, 1912, the steamship Titanic sank on her maiden voyage after colliding with an iceberg. The ship's history and the stories of many of her…
12.9 MILES
Mt LeConte (6593ft) is the park’s third-highest peak and one of its most familiar sights, visible from practically every viewpoint. The only way to get to…
26.39 MILES
This remarkable modern museum traces Cherokee history from their Paleo-Indian roots onwards. Its villain is the perfidious Andrew Jackson, who made his…
21.41 MILES
To get bread on the table, early residents of Cades Cove first had to mill their grains and corn. Above all other staples, corn was the most important…
17.18 MILES
‘On top of Old Smoky’ is Clingmans Dome (elevation 6643ft), the park’s highest peak. At the summit, a steep, half-mile paved trail leads to an observation…
24.59 MILES
One of the park's most picturesque 19th-century buildings, the Mingus Mill is a turbine-powered mill that still grinds wheat and corn much as it has since…
Nearby attractions
0.04 MILES
Warning: the exhibits here can leave you feeling off-kilter, even queasy. Galleries spotlight different aspects of criminology, beginning with medieval…
0.05 MILES
One ticket gets you three spins inside an all-glass gondola on this 200ft-tall Ferris wheel, which anchors The Island. Views of the Great Smokies are…
1.17 MILES
On April 15, 1912, the steamship Titanic sank on her maiden voyage after colliding with an iceberg. The ship's history and the stories of many of her…
4.4 MILES
On the grounds of the Sevier County Courthouse you'll likely see folks snapping photos of this statue of a young Dolly Parton, who calls Sevierville her…
5.39 MILES
This small-batch distillery sources all its ingredients locally. Sample its moonshine, its tequila spin-off and the intriguing Yenoh, an all-honey mead…
6.85 MILES
If you don't have time to take a chairlift from downtown Gatlinburg to a scenic lookout, you can enjoy a lofty view of downtown and the surrounding…
7. Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies
7.09 MILES
One of eight Ripley's attractions in Gatlinburg, the aquarium is a convenient rainy-day destination – just be aware that everyone else downtown will have…
7.1 MILES
This ski-resort chairlift swoops you high into the Smokies, providing stellar views. The lofty SkyDeck and the 680ft-long SkyBridge, the longest…