sunrise over Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Top 4 Family Friendly Things to Do in Gatlinburg

Fannie Farkle's Arcade
February 22, 2021

The awesome thing about a Gatlinburg vacation is that there is something for everyone to do, from the youngest children in your family to grandparents! With everything from action packed arcades to interactive play areas, you will never have to worry about your kids getting bored. In fact, don’t be surprised if they ask you to come back to our hotel every year for another adventure! Here are the top family friendly things to do in Gatlinburg:

1. Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies

The very popular Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies in downtown Gatlinburg TN.

If your family is fascinated by sea creatures, just wait until you walk into Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies ! This incredible aquarium features a variety of fun exhibits, including the Touch a Ray Bay where you can actually reach out and touch Ripley’s rays as they glide past you. One of the most popular areas of the aquarium for kids is the Penguin Playhouse, an indoor and outdoor habitat filled with beautiful penguins. Your children will love crawling through the tunnels and popping up into a special bubble to view the penguins up close!

2. Fannie Farkle’s Arcade

Another one of the top family friendly things to do in Gatlinburg is the arcade at Fannie Farkle’s. This exciting arcade will keep your family entertained for hours with all of the latest video games, as well as classics such as PacMan and Skee Ball! Fannie Farkle’s also features a huge selection of redemption games, where you can win points to redeem prizes for stuffed animals, bicycles, and other cool stuff! The convenient Game Card system eliminates the headache of fumbling around for quarters, so just purchase a card when you arrive and get to playing!

3. Treetop SkyWalk

anakeesta in gatlinburg

The Treetop SkyWalk at Anakeesta is a section of the popular mountaintop theme park that is a blast for family members of all ages! As the longest tree-based skywalk in North America, this attraction features 880 feet of hanging bridges that are suspended anywhere from 50 to 60 feet in the air! This is a unique opportunity to immerse yourself into the beauty of the Smokies and see what it feels like to be a bird in the treetops! Keep a sharp lookout at all times as you never know when you might spot a bear on the forest floor, beautiful birds, and other critters!

4. Gatlin’s Rugged Ropes Adventure Course

If you are looking for an exciting physical activity, your family will have a blast tackling Gatlin’s Rugged Ropes Adventure Course! After being safely harnessed into an overhead track, you will be able to climb three stories into the air to face 38 challenges ranging from rickety bridges to suspended ropes! This multi-level aerial obstacle course is the first of its kind in Gatlinburg and is fun for family members of all ages, ranging from kids to grown-ups! Gatlin’s is also home to several other family friendly attractions too, such as mini golf, laser tag, bumper cars, and a laser maze!

Check out all of the rooms at our hotel in Gatlinburg TN today to stay just minutes away from these family friendly things to do in Gatlinburg! We look forward to welcoming your family to the Smoky Mountains!