Tennessee is a place our family loves to visit because it is so close by. Living in Western North Carolina means we are so lucky to have quick access to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. We were recently given the opportunity to visit a few attractions from Ripley’s that were a ton of fun for our family. The Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies has been a fun visit for us for a while, but it was neat to go again. The last time we went Davis was pretty young, so this was a good treat for him.
I think being able to watch all of the sea life so up close and personal was mesmerizing for him (and me). One of our favorite stops is to touch the horseshoe crabs. These fellas get big, but they are harmless. Everyone who was working at the aquarium was extremely friendly and helpful. They answered all of the questions that my very inquisitive 5 year old had to ask.
Of course, everyone’s favorite part of the trip is the penguin exhibit. There’s a tunnel for the kids (and brave parents) that you can crawl through under water and watch them swim up close and personal. Then, stand up in the middle to catch a fun glimpse of the cuties side by side. We also really enjoy the underwater portion where you can look up and see the sharks. Davis kept shouting for us to take a picture of the shark’s mouths. They were pretty creepy and cool all at the same time!
We then moved on to Ripley’s Odditorium. This was just the place for Graham! He is very much into facts and the weirder the better! There was everything from a huge transformer made out of recycled materials to pieces from the Berlin wall. Davis and I found a giant chair and there was a place where you could save your shadow in a picture… who knew? Needless to say, while there were definitely some creepy things, if you have older kids they may enjoy this trip.
The last place we visited was the Ripley’s Mirror Maze. This was a quick adventure that was fun for everyone. You wear gloves through the maze in order not to get finger prints on the mirrors. I will say, you need to go slow because you may run right into a mirror! My favorite part was the disco room that had all of the lights and mirrors. The price is good for what you get as well especially if you are looking for an attraction that is less costly.
Overall, we had a great time. We’ve decided that quick weekend trips are a great idea and we are going to pick one new attraction each time.
We were provided free tickets to these attractions. These are all attractions we will visit again.
Robin Rue (@massholemommy) says
That sounds like a blast. I love going to the Ripley’s Believe it or Not museum in NYC.
Alissa Apel says
We’ve gone there before. It was so much fun! Mica has one of their books, and loves it.
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
That looks like such a blast! We’ve taken several trips to Tennessee, but we’ve never been to Ripley’s before.
Pam says
We live near Gatlinburg so we have visited the Ripley’s exhibits several times. It is always a lot of fun.
Debra says
My family loves going to aquariums – it’s like an alien world under the water. Looks like it was a fun day and trip for the whole family!
Brandy says
Oh how much fun that looks like! I would love to visit there. The kids would totally get a kick out of it.
Liz Mays says
I’m glad you guys had such a nice time. They really do a good job of making those exhibits interesting.
Debbie Denny says
Gosh I really want to make the trip to see this. I have been to Ripleys in other locations. This one sounds awesome.
Ann Bacciaglia says
My kids would love to go to Ripleys. It would be an amazing way to spend the day. These are great photos.
Toni says
Well there is no shortage of fun is there? I love Ripleys attractions.
Rosey says
They do have creepy stuff in the books sometimes too. I think the miror haze would be fun.
Christie says
I didn’t know that Ripley’s had more than one type of attraction. I definitely want to take the kids to Tennessee now!
Amy @ Marvelous Mommy says
We’ve done a few of the Ripley’s museums, but we have never been to the Ripley’s Aquarium! We need to take the girls there soon!
Mary says
We have been to that exact place as well. LOVED it as much as the kids did. Perfect place for the family.
Tracey says
I went to Ripley’s for the first time around last year this time. I loved it! There is so much to see.