Quirky Parkway Attractions in Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge
Prices & schedules checked October 18, 2026
The Parkway between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg is lined with odd, loud, wonderful indoor attractions: a Titanic museum with a Grand Staircase, an upside-down building, mirror mazes, a wax museum with a giant ape 102 feet above the road. They’re the go-to plan for a rainy day or an evening after the national park. Most sell tickets only on their own websites. Where that’s the case we link the official site with a plain link that earns us nothing. Prices below are the attractions’ own adult prices, as listed Oct 2026.
At a glance
| Attraction | Town | Adult price (as listed Oct 2026) | Book via |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies | Gatlinburg | From $42.99 | Official site |
| Ripley’s Believe It or Not! | Gatlinburg | From $29.99 | Official site |
| Ripley’s Mirror Maze | Gatlinburg (623 Parkway) | From $14.99 | Official site |
| Gatlinburg SkyPark (SkyLift + SkyBridge) | Gatlinburg | $40.95 at the window; online from $35 | Official site |
| Rocky Top Mountain Coaster | Pigeon Forge | From $18.99 on Viator | Viator (affiliate) |
| Wild Stallion Mountain Coaster (SkyLand Ranch) | Sevierville | $18.99 | Official site |
| Ripley’s Mountain Coaster | Gatlinburg | From $24.99 | Official site |
| Great Smoky Mountain Wheel (The Island) | Pigeon Forge | $18.99 (ages 12+) | Official site |
| Alcatraz East Crime Museum | Pigeon Forge | $33.95 (ages 13–60) | Official site |
| Titanic Museum Attraction | Pigeon Forge | Shown in the booking flow; we couldn’t capture a price | Official site |
| WonderWorks | Pigeon Forge | Shown on its tickets page; we couldn’t capture a price | Official site |
| Hollywood Wax Museum Entertainment Center | Pigeon Forge | Not captured; see official site | Official site |
Ripley’s in Gatlinburg: aquarium, oddities and the mirror maze
Ripley’s runs a whole cluster of attractions in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, and its ticket page sells them singly or in combos. Single-attraction adult prices on the official page: Aquarium of the Smokies from $42.99, Believe It or Not! from $29.99, Mirror Maze from $14.99, Haunted Adventure from $21.99, Motion Blaster from $16.99, Illusion Lab (Pigeon Forge) from $24.99 and the Mountain Coaster from $24.99. Combos start at $59.99 for the Aquarium plus any 2 attractions, up to $114.99 for the Aquarium plus 11. A Ripley’s + Gatlinburg SkyPark partner ticket starts at $62.94.
The Mirror Maze (623 Parkway) is billed as “a reflective world of LED lights and never-ending mirrors”. Believe It or Not! is the classic Ripley’s museum of “rare and unusual artifacts”, and Ripley’s says its tickets are valid for one year.
GetYourGuide’s Ripley’s Aquarium listing redirected to a search page when opened with our partner link on October 18, 2026, so we don’t link it.
Gatlinburg SkyPark: SkyLift and SkyBridge
Gatlinburg SkyPark tickets cover the SkyLift ride up plus the SkyBridge, SkyDeck and SkyTrail at the top. Ticket-window prices on the official page: adult (12–64) $40.95, senior (65+) $33.95, junior (6–11) $26.95. The all-day, skip-the-line SkyPass is $53.95 for adults. Online single-visit tickets are listed “from $35” and the online SkyPass “from $48”. Ages 5 and under are free at the SkyPark.
Mountain coasters
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Rocky Top Mountain Coaster
- Price From $18.99 on Viator (as listed Oct 2026)
- Ride Per the listing: the longest mountain coaster in East Tennessee, four uplifts, speeds up to 30 mph; lit with thousands of lights after dark
- Rules Free parking; intoxicated guests can’t ride; not for people with heart problems
- Cancellation Free up to 24 hours ahead (Viator listing)
In Gatlinburg, Ripley’s Mountain Coaster is from $24.99 for adults on Ripley’s ticket page, and it can be added to Ripley’s combos.
SkyLand Ranch: Wild Stallion Mountain Coaster
- Ride Billed by SkyLand Ranch as the longest mountain coaster in the Southeast: 1.25 miles, 8+ minutes, at a speed you control
- Price Wild Stallion $18.99; Safari Hayride $18.99; Wild Stallion + Safari Hayride combo $35.99 (official tickets page, as listed Oct 2026)
- Park Hopper $59.99: one Wild Stallion ride, one Rocky Top Mountain Coaster ride and a 1-hour wristband at Rowdy Bear’s Smoky Mountain Funpark, plus a repeat of your favorite (official site)
- Right now On Oct 18, 2026 the official site said the coaster and Safari Hayride are open daily, coaster hours 10 a.m.–11 p.m., but the Horizon Skyride chairlift and general admission were closed pending “reopening details”. Check before you go
- Book Official site, plain link that earns us nothing. Online tickets check in at the ticket window for wristbands and age/height checks (official FAQ)
Pigeon Forge oddities
Titanic Museum Attraction
- What Walk the Grand Staircase, touch 28-degree water, see authentic artifacts and follow the story of an actual Titanic passenger (official site)
- Price Shown only once you pick guests and a date in the official booking flow. Ticket types: adult (13+), child (5–12) and toddler (4 and under)
- Book Official site. GetYourGuide’s Titanic listing redirected to a search page with our partner link, so we don’t link it
WonderWorks — the upside-down building
- What Hands-on exhibits plus an indoor ropes course four stories up, laser tag and a 4D/XD simulator ride
- Hours Open daily 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. (official Plan Your Visit page)
- Tickets Children are 4–12, adults 13+; ages 3 and under free; sales tax extra. The price table didn’t load in our check, so see the official tickets page
- Note WonderWorks warns that some exhibits use flashing lights and motion that may not suit people with heart problems, vertigo, seizures or light/motion sensitivity
Hollywood Wax Museum Entertainment Center
- What Wax figures of stars with props for photos, a 5D laser-blaster ride, a reflective maze inside the “Castle of Savannah” and a zombie walk-through; look for the Great Ape, 102 feet above the Parkway (official site)
- Price Not captured; see the official site
- Book Official site. Both GetYourGuide Hollywood Wax listings redirected with our partner link, and Viator blocked our check, so we don’t link either
Alcatraz East Crime Museum
- Price General admission: adults (13–60) $33.95, seniors (61+) $26.95, children (8–12) $16.95; children 7 and under free (official tickets page, as listed Oct 2026)
- Add-ons Audio tour narrated by Bill Kurtis, the Top Detective Challenge or The Heist laser challenge: $38.95 adult with any one
- Rules Guests under 18 must be with a parent or guardian (21+)
The Great Smoky Mountain Wheel at The Island
- What A 200-foot observation wheel with all-glass gondolas seating up to 8; first turned on June 21, 2013; wheelchair accessible
- Price Adult (12+) $18.99, child (3–11) $13.99, military/senior (60+) $15.99, Day/Night Combo $24.99 (official page, as listed Oct 2026)
- Good to know The Island has free parking and free admission; you pay per ride
Our take
- Rainy day with kids: Ripley’s Aquarium plus a Ripley’s combo, or WonderWorks.
- Cheapest quirky fun: Ripley’s Mirror Maze (from $14.99), the Rocky Top coaster (from $18.99), SkyLand Ranch’s Wild Stallion coaster ($18.99) or a turn on the Wheel ($18.99), all listed as listed Oct 2026.
- Coaster fans: SkyLand Ranch’s $59.99 Park Hopper bundles its Wild Stallion with the Rocky Top coaster and Rowdy Bear’s.
- Best views without hiking: the SkyLift and SkyBridge in Gatlinburg, or the Wheel in Pigeon Forge.
- History buffs: the Titanic Museum; true-crime fans: Alcatraz East.
Want something outdoors instead? See our attraction tickets guide (Anakeesta, ziplines) and Smokies tours.
Sources
- Ripley’s — Gatlinburg tickets (single-attraction and combo prices)
- Ripley’s — Aquarium of the Smokies (attraction list)
- Ripley’s — Mirror Maze Gatlinburg (623 Parkway, description)
- Gatlinburg SkyPark — tickets (window and online prices, ages)
- Viator — Rocky Top Mountain Coaster Admission Ticket (price, ride facts)
- Titanic Museum Attraction — Pigeon Forge (exhibits; ticket types in booking flow)
- WonderWorks Pigeon Forge — Plan Your Visit (hours, warnings)
- Hollywood Wax Museum Entertainment Center — Pigeon Forge attractions (Great Ape 102 ft)
- Alcatraz East — tickets (prices, age rules)
- SkyLand Ranch — tickets (Wild Stallion, Safari Hayride, combo prices)
- SkyLand Ranch — home page (address, open/closed notice, Park Hopper $59.99)
- SkyLand Ranch — FAQ (online-ticket check-in)
- The Island in Pigeon Forge — Great Smoky Mountain Wheel (200 ft, prices, June 21, 2013)