What-To-Do Issue 1 2024-2025 - Magazine - Page 68

Making Memories
Entertainment for the Whole Family
Captivating shows, cool exhibits and entertaining attractions make the Smoky Mountains a great
place for families to explore and play. The best part
is the great memories you’ll take home with you.
Animal Adventures
Get a little wild and interact with animals! The
nearly 600 animals, reptiles and birds that reside at
the Rainforest Adventures Discovery Zoo are a sight to
behold at both indoor and outdoor exhibits. Watch as
monkeys and lemurs frolic before visitors and see the
rarely glimpsed golden-headed lion tamarin and the
South American kinkajou. And at the Smoky Mountain
Deer Farm Exotic Petting Zoo, watch the kids’ eyes
light up as they feel the velvet antlers of a real-live
reindeer. This one-of-a-kind zoo also lets its visitors
feed a few of the more docile animals, play among the
baby deer and even pet exotic zebras and llamas.
For aquatic species, take another exploration of
the wild in Gatlinburg at Ripley’s Aquarium. Learn
about fish, amphibians and creatures of the sea as
you walk past the many tanks in which they reside.
You’ll even have the opportunity to interact with
some of the sea creatures such as starfish and horseshoe crabs.
Bird enthusiasts should definitely plan to visit
Parrot Mountain and Garden of Eden. This sanctuary
for our feathered friends offers visitors the chance
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to wander landscaped gardens while meeting and feeding the resident birds. True to its name, parrots, toucans,
and other tropical birds fly overhead and climb on your
arms. Visit the hatchery where there may be a chance
to see a baby emerging from its shell.
Museums
History, Hollywood and science museums can
be really fun experiences for visiting families. Pop
culture awaits those who visit the Hollywood Wax
Museum in Pigeon Forge. Feel free to stand beside
one of the many celebrities you’ll “encounter” such as
Taylor Swift, Dale Earnhardt Jr., or even John Wayne.
At WonderWorks, an interactive experience awaits
families in an educational and playful setting. You
can be a human lightning rod in one “experiment”
or feel yourself flying in the 4D XD Simulator Ride
Motion Theater. Meanwhile, discover crime-solving
techniques and learn about sordid tales from the past
at the Alcatraz East Crime Museum. Young and old
detectives in the making may want to snoop around
the exhibits that delve into notorious crimes that took
place in America. Nearby at the Titanic Museum, you
can see the Titantic as it was in its former splendor—
from the grand staircase to the intricate clothing that
would have been worn by the ship’s elite passengers.
Artifacts and personal items that have emerged from
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