Packed with fascinating historical buildings and sitting in the foothills of the magnificent Great Smoky Mountains, finding cheap things to do in Pigeon Forge doesn’t mean missing out on the best this Tennessee city has to offer.
Nature lovers don’t have to travel far outside the city to hike among brightly coloured wildflowers and alongside rushing mountain rivers, and camping is an affordable way to see the flora and fauna up close. City centre, the retro-style trams that rattle through the handsome city streets are free and fun to ride, zipping between the many budget-friendly attractions that Pigeon Forge has to offer.
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The Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Wild and beautiful park filled with beautiful flora and fauna
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The most visited National Park in the USA, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an inspiring place to channel your inner explorer. Camping, horseback riding, cycling, and hiking are popular purse-friendly pursuits within the vast park, and wildlife lovers can keep an eye out for elk, black bears, raccoons, and white-tailed deer.
More easily visible but no less eye-catching are the park’s colourful wildflowers. There are more than 1,500 species of flowering plants here – more than any other National Park in North America. The park is around an hour’s drive from Pigeon Forge, with its main entrances along US Highway 441.
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Old Mill
Visit a unique and photo-worthy historic mill
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Built in 1830, Old Mill is one of the oldest continually operating grist mills in the USA and ranks high among the many cheap things to do in Pigeon Forge. The city centre attraction is a major draw for photographers, with the enormous wheel making a dramatic sight by the crashing dam waters.
Today’s visitors will find a host of affordable places to eat and drink, serving hearty Appalachian food like sweet potato casserole and chicken with dumplings as well as traditional hand-made ice cream and fudge. If a meal out isn’t on the agenda, a stroll around Old Mill Square makes for an interesting peek into Pigeon Forge history, as well as excellent photo opportunities.
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The Island (water fountain shows)
Dramatic water, lights, and music show in a lively entertainment complex
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Families looking for cheap things to do in Pigeon Forge should be sure to visit The Island in Pigeon Forge. Free to enter, the vast entertainment complex in the touristic heart of the city is famous not only for the 200 ft high Great Smoky Mountain observation wheel but also for an astonishing multi-million dollar show fountain.
The multi-tiered water feature lights up the skies with choreographed bursts of ‘dancing’ water, music, and lights, all of which can be enjoyed from the comfort of strategically placed rocking chairs. The show is free to attend and makes an entertaining alternative to the many popular paid attractions like games arcades, and adrenaline-pumping rides.
Locatie: 186 Old Mill Ave, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863, USA
Openingstijden: Daily from 10 am to 11 pm
Telefoonnummer: +1 865-286-0119
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Patriot Park
Family-friendly park dedicated to war veterans
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A pleasant spot for a picnic or leisurely stroll, Patriot Park should be high on the agenda for budget-conscious visitors to Pigeon Forge. The town’s popular (and free to ride) trolleys make a stop right by the entrance, and dog-friendly walking paths make for pleasant strolls along Little Pigeon River.
The park is dedicated to local war veterans, and a patriot missile here is a thought-provoking centrepiece. Grassy areas and strategically placed picnic tables make this a good place to enjoy an inexpensive bite to eat before exploring nearby Old Mill Square. It’s also the setting for regular festivals and family-friendly annual events like Easter egg hunts and craft workshops.
Locatie: 88 River Rd #101, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA
Openingstijden: Hours vary by season
Telefoonnummer: +1 865-429-7373
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Gatlinburg Trolleys
Enjoy a fun, free ride around town on colourful trams
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Cheap things to do in Pigeon Forge don’t get much more fun or convenient than the famous Gatlinburg Trolleys. Part tourist attraction and part public transport, the famous (and free) trams rattle along the main tourist routes in city centre, allowing visitors and locals to save energy as well as cutting out the hassle and cost of finding parking spaces.
The trolleys run on 3 routes – all of which call at a central hub in front of Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokie – and allow riders to hop on and off at key points of interest around the city. Friendly drivers go out of their way to make the ride entertaining and interesting, and the colourful vehicles make riding the trams feel more like a fun fair ride than a transport system.
Locatie: 668 Glades Rd, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA
Openingstijden: Hours vary by season
Telefoonnummer: +1 865-436-3897
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Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community
Visit the largest independent artisan organisation in the USA
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Whether you’re buying or browsing, the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community is a top pick among the many cheap things to do in Pigeon Forge. The 8-mile strip of arts and crafts shops brings together talented artisans from across Pigeon Forge, who will happily elaborate on the process of making traditional items like dulcimer string instruments.
Located a short drive from the town centre and with plenty of parking available, this is a great place to take a stroll, stopping to admire the wares as you go. And if there’s room in the budget for a few keepsakes, there are plenty of opportunities to pick up fairly priced items and directly reward local artists for their talents at the same time.
Openingstijden: Hours vary by season
Telefoonnummer: +1 865-436-6921
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Cades Cove
Explore a valley filled with waterfalls and historic buildings
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An exhilarating place to visit without blowing the travel budget, Cades Cove is the most visited spot in the Smoky Mountains and proves that cheap things to do in Pigeon Forge are anything but dull. Around 30 miles from city centre Pigeon Forge, the rugged valley spans 6,800 acres and packs in more historic buildings than anywhere else in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
European settlers established communities here in the early 1800s, leaving a legacy of mills, cabins, and churches. It’s also famous for hikes out to the crashing Abrams Falls, which falls 20ft to a natural pool, and eagle-eyed visitors might spot animal inhabitants like raccoons, white-tailed deer, or even black bears.
Locatie: 1420 Fighting Creek Gap Rd, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA
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Sugarlands Visitor Centre
Friendly introduction to the Great Smokies National Park
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Whether you want to plan hiking routes, learn about the history of the Great Smokies, or even learn what to do if you come face to face with a bear, Sugarlands Visitor Centre is an essential introduction to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Rangers can answer questions about the park and its flora and fauna, and a bookshop provides background reading on the area.
Located at the entrance to the park’s north district, it’s a good pit stop for using the public bathrooms and picking up a drink. The scale of the National Park can be intimidating, but the staff at Sugarlands Visitor Centre will make sure you’re well-prepared for your adventures in the great outdoors.
Locatie: 461 Brookside Village Way, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA
Openingstijden: Daily from 9 am to 4.30 pm
Telefoonnummer: +1 865-436-1200
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Salt & Pepper Shaker Museum
Discover a curious museum celebrating all things salt and pepper
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A tight travel budget shouldn’t mean missing out on a city’s unique attractions, and the carefully curated Salt & Pepper Shaker Museum is an appealingly offbeat spot that costs very little to visit. The unusual family-run museum opened in 2002 after Belgian archaeologist Andrea Ludden and her family realised her much-loved personal collection of shakers from around the world was large enough to merit its own exhibition space.
It now counts more than 20,000 pairs of shakers from around the world, the collection takes in everything from weird and wonderful shapes to retro classics and encourages visitors to recall their own memories of family shakers.
Locatie: 461 Brookside Village Way, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA
Openingstijden: Monday–Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm, Sunday from 10 am to 2 pm
Telefoonnummer: +1 865-430-5515
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Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
Admire rushing rivers on a drive through wild nature
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One of the most visually dramatic of the cheap things to do in Pigeon Forge, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is also one of the most intriguingly named. The unusual moniker comes from a ‘roaring’ mountain stream, which winds its way alongside this dramatic driving route in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
If time is short or hiking isn’t on the agenda, driving slowly along this 5.5-mile looping road is an appealing way to see the forest and its blooming wildflowers, as well as well-preserved log cabins and grist mills from centuries past. If energy levels allow, nearby walking trails include a short loop out and back to the park’s famous Rainbow Falls waterfalls.