Dollywood and the Titanic Attraction: A Pigeon Forge Guide

The last leg of our Texas-to-the-Smokies road trip belonged to the mountains, and Pigeon Forge packs more into its one strip than most cities manage. Dolly Parton's theme park, the best Titanic exhibition I've ever visited, and the gloriously touristy gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains all within a few kilometres. Dollywood alone is worth the trip - and I say that as someone who's been to most of the big US parks.

Dollywood

Dolly Parton's theme park in the foothills of the Smokies announces itself before you're through the gate - the giant eagle spreading its wings over the entrance sign:

The park splits the difference between a proper thrill park and a celebration of Appalachian culture, and somehow both halves work:

• The coasters. Wild Eagle was my favourite - a wing coaster that loops you over the treetops with nothing above your head but sky. Lightning Rod, Thunderhead and Tennessee Tornado round out a lineup that thrill-seekers rate nationally
• Smoky Mountain Christmas. We visited during the festive season, and the park transforms completely - a Christmas tree you can see from across the park, millions of lights, and shows in every theatre
• The food. The cinnamon bread at the Grist Mill is famous for a reason. Order it warm
• Crafts and shows. Between rides there are working craft shops - blacksmithing, glassblowing, candy making - which sounds like filler until you watch them do it

When the lights come on at Christmas, the park is a different place:

One day covers the coasters and the highlights comfortably; ride people will want two. The park is hilly, so comfortable shoes matter more here than at most theme parks.

The Titanic Museum Attraction

Halfway down the Pigeon Forge strip, a half-scale replica of the Titanic rises out of the car park, bow first. It sounds kitsch. It isn't - it's the best Titanic exhibition I've ever visited, and it's better than anything I saw in Belfast or Liverpool:

You're given a boarding pass for a real passenger at the door, and the whole visit is built around finding out their fate at the memorial wall at the end - which lands harder than it sounds. Inside:

• The grand staircase under the glass dome, a full-scale recreation you can walk up, dressed for Christmas when we visited
• First-class corridors decked out as they were on the night of the sinking
• The $4 million iceberg you can actually touch, at 28 degrees - the temperature of the water that night
• Real artefacts from the wreck's era, 400 in total, each with its own story

The grand staircase sits under the glass dome, dressed for Christmas when we visited:

Book ahead - entry is timed and capacity is limited, and it's genuinely moving in a way the strip's other attractions aren't.

Gatlinburg and the Smokies

Just up the road, Gatlinburg is the gateway town to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and it's wonderfully touristy in the best way - all attractions, fudge shops and mountain views. The national park itself is free and stunning: drive the loop road, work up to an overlook, and take in the haze that gives the mountains their name.

Plan Your Visit

• Official sites: dollywood.com for the park, thetitanic.com for the museum, gatlinburg.com for the town
• Where: Pigeon Forge sits about an hour east of Knoxville, Tennessee, at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains
• Dollywood entry: one-day tickets start around $95 for adults, with date-based pricing - booking online ahead is cheaper than the gate
• Titanic entry: about $40 for adults, with timed entry - reserve ahead because capacity is limited
• Getting around: the Parkway strip is one long line, easy to drive or ride the trolley between Dollywood, the Titanic and Gatlinburg

Final Thoughts

Pigeon Forge surprised me. I expected one theme park and a strip of gift shops; I got one of America's best-loved parks, the most affecting Titanic exhibition I've visited, and a mountain town that's genuinely fun. As the finale to a Texas-to-the-Smokies road trip, it couldn't have been better.

Planning the same drive? Start with the United States Travel Guide: Tips From an Expat, and keep going with Nashville or the Ark Encounter in Kentucky.

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