Viewing Wildlife in the Great Smoky Mountains

If you are interested in viewing wildlife in their natural habitat, why not visit the Great Smoky Mountains? It is home to many species such as white-tailed deer, black bears, racoons, turkeys, woodchucks, coyotes, groundhogs, and skunks. Places like Cades Cove offer a safe environment for both...
Read full blog by Thomas Greene here at Viewing Wildlife in the Great Smoky Mountains

WonderWorks

Welcome to WonderWorks! The Smokies only upside down attraction. An amusement park for the mind, featuring over 100 interactive exhibits for the entire family to experience.

In the late 1950s, the classic TV show “The Twilight Zone” kicked off each episode with a spellbinding introduction: “You’re traveling through another dimension-a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination.” Some 50 years later, it turns out that host Rod Serling could just as easily have been describing a day at WonderWorks, Pigeon Forge’s newest and most anticipated attraction.
Part interactive science museum, part entertainment venue and 100 percent family fun, WonderWorks is located on the Parkway, in the former Music Mansion Theater. But what visitors discover when they pull into the parking lot bears little resemblance to the attractions that Pigeon Forge guests are accustomed to seeing. The building’s 82-foot-tall facade makes it appear as if an entirely different building has crash-landed upside down on top of the one-time theater. Hissing steam emanating from a crack at the museum’s entrance only, enhances the illusion that a disaster of staggering proportions has just taken place.

“Understanding the folklore behind the apparent catastrophe is all part of the fun,” says Sande Weiss, WonderWorks’ vice president of operations. “WonderWorks began on a remote, uncharted island off the Atlantic coast, in the middle of the mysterious Bermuda Triangle,” she says. “As the story goes, governments from around the globe collaborated to create the world’s most technically advanced research facility for scientists to study unexplained, unpredictable and uncontrollable phenomena.”

Legend has it that one experiment went awry, and in an attempt to harness the power of a man-made tornado, a giant swirling vortex formed, spun out of control and took on a life of its own, unleashing its power throughout the laboratories. The energy vortex was so powerful that it sent the entire structure of the laboratory skyward, hundreds of miles away, where it landed upside down in the heart of Pigeon Forge’s Music Row.

As you step inside the 45,000-square-foot WonderWorks, however, legend blends seamlessly into reality as you take in the lobby, where the topsy-turvy interior of a stately scientific institute looms overhead, fresh from its sky-high plummet.

“When you enter the building, everything will be upside down, so in order to participate in the fun, you must be inverted,” explains Weiss. Guests pass through an inversion tunnel, which uses special lighting effects to create the sensation of being flipped upside down. Once you’ve passed through the tunnel, you’re greeted with proof positive that you’ve gone end up; as you gaze through the windows looking out on to the parkway, you’ll see that everything outside-cars, pedestrians and all-now appear upside down.

And that’s just the beginning. Once you’re properly aligned for your adventure, more than 100 interactive, hands-on exhibits await your exploration as you move from room to room, each of which is based on a different theme.

In the Disaster Zone, for example, simulators help you experience a 5.3-magnitude earthquake, or you can go head to head with hurricane-force winds. In the Space Zone, you can try your hand at landing a space shuttle orbiter, and in the Lights and Sound room, you can be amazed by a variety of nifty optical effects or do some fancy legwork as you play a giant keyboard with your feet.

According to Weiss, the Control Center houses one of the most amazing exhibits inside WonderWorks. “You get to design your own roller coaster and then get inside a simulator that takes you on a ride, based on what you just created,” she says. “It’s so realistic. The vehicle is controlled by a mechanical arm that makes it feel just like you’re riding a roller coaster.”

Other areas of WonderWorks include, a small theater venue that shows a video about the wonders of the world and the Illusion Gallery, where nothing is really what it appears to be. On the upper level of the attraction, guests will find a laser tag area and a large video arcade.

Web: WonderWorks
Address: 100 Music Road, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
Phone: (865) 868-1800

Originally posted by Thomas Greene on Bear Camp Cabins Local Area Information

Exciting Adventures On Zip Lines In The Smokies

Zip Lines in the Smokies One of the most thrilling ways to experience the views of the Smoky Mountains is exciting adventures on zip lines in the Smokies. Soaring along the tree tops, your adventure will offer you the best possible views of the area. There are several outdoor adventure parks to...

Read full blog post at: Exciting Adventures On Zip Lines In The Smokies

Mysterious Mansion

Experience the terror and horror of a classic, turn of the century, truly haunted house at mysterious Mansion. Walk into a chilling haunted house with secret passageways, a damp, dark dungeon, spooks, creaks, creeps and plenty of things that go bump in the night. There’s an army of ghosts, and grisly creatures awaiting your arrival, all designed with fright in mind. Ghastly. Grisly. Grim. They can not describe the horror that awaits you at the ultimate scare in town, Mysterious Mansion. Don’t dare miss it! And, what ever you do, don’t go there alone!

Web: Mysterious Mansion
Address: 424 River Road
Phone: (865) 436-7007

Originally posted by Thomas Greene on Bear Camp Cabins Local Area Information

WonderWorks Pigeon Forge TN Amazing Guest Of All Ages

WonderWorks in Pigeon Forge is a fun entertainment center for the whole family featuring more than 100 interactive exhibits on science themes such as physics, space and math. For example, guests to WonderWorks can feel hurricane force winds, experience a simulated earthquake and discover space...

Read full blog post at: WonderWorks Pigeon Forge TN Amazing Guest Of All Ages

UltraZone (CLOSED)

Totally renovated in 1997. Laser adventure awaits your entire family. Three teams battle it out in our indoor arena as you attempt to score points and destroy enemy base stations. It’s fierce family fun with awesome special effects.

A spectacular laser adventure awaits your entire family. The Ultra Zone is open year-round. It is conveniently located in the middle of downtown Pigeon Forge TN. It was completely renovated in 1997. Each person gets a vest and there own laser gun. Each spot on the vest is worth a different amount of points. Points can range anywhere from 20 – 100 points. Each team’s main obligation is to try and score as many points as possible. You score points by hitting the different spots on the vest with the laser from your laser gun. Three different teams battle against one another in a huge indoor arena. Once you enter the arena, you enter complete darkness. Each team attempts to conquer their opponents base stations. Base stations are located all throughout the arena. Each base stations has its own glow in the dark markers. There are also markers throughout the arena marking hiding spots. The hiding spots give you the element of surprise. The more discrete you are, the better chance you have of scoring more points. The team that has the most points wins the tournament.

This attractions is very family friendly like most of the Pigeon Forge TN attractions. Please don’t hesitate to travel to Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg TN for a vacation. With many Pigeon Forge cabins and attractions to choose from, you are sure to have a great family vacation.

ATTRACTION IS CLOSED

Originally posted by Thomas Greene on Bear Camp Cabins Local Area Information

Shopping at Tanger Five Oaks Outlet in Sevierville TN

If your trip to the Smokey Mountains is going to include some shopping time and you are into the top brand names available but like to find a bargain you will want to plan on shopping at Tanger Five Oaks Outlet in Severville TN. You will find top brands for fashion for the whole family, shoes,...
Shopping at Tanger Five Oaks Outlet in Sevierville TN