Discover Gatlinburg's quirkiest attractions, from a museum dedicated to 40,000 salt and pepper shakers to a mountaintop mini-golf course and a hilariously chaotic earthquake ride.
Quirkiest Attractions in Gatlinburg
Gatlinburg has never been a town that takes itself too seriously.
The gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has scenic views, hiking trails, and plenty of outdoor adventures, but there's also another side of town: one filled with giant granite balls, animatronic gorillas, hillbilly-themed mini golf, and enough salt and pepper shakers to season every meal in Tennessee for the next century.
Part of the charm is that many of these attractions have been around for decades. They're the places locals point to when reminiscing about old Gatlinburg, long before every corner seemed destined to host another chain store.
The difficult part isn't finding a quirky attraction in Gatlinburg. It's deciding which one deserves the crown.
The difficult part isn't finding a quirky attraction in Gatlinburg. It's deciding which one deserves the crown.
At Smoky Mountain Holiday, we offer a variety of cabins in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville.
We like to think of ourselves as your go-to mountain experts. Our destination blog is packed with local insights, from the best rainy-day activities to the top eats in every town.
In today's blog post, we're bringing you something very weird. Here's our ranking of six of the town's most delightfully unusual attractions, starting with the undisputed champion of eccentricity.
The weirdness, at a glance:
- Marvel at 40,000 salt and pepper shakers at the Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum
- Ride a mountainside railway and putt through the woods at Hillbilly Golf
- Survive animatronic gorillas and subway disasters on Earthquake The Ride
- Pose with Hollywood's most iconic vehicles at the Star Cars Museum
- Operate your own elevator and soar above Gatlinburg at the Space Needle
- Explore strange artifacts and unbelievable oddities at Ripley's Believe It or Not!
1. The Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum
The quirkiest attraction in Gatlinburg, bar none.
At first glance, the Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum looks modest, but when you walk inside, you find it's far larger than anyone expects. Hallways stretch out into rooms lined with floor-to-ceiling shelves, each packed with salt and pepper shakers from around the world.
More than 20,000 pairs live here. And if you do the maths, there are over 40,000 individual shakers.
The collection started with the owner's mother and eventually grew into the only museum of its kind anywhere in the world.
Part of the fun comes from the sheer unpredictability. You never know what you'll find around the next corner: there are Beatles shakers, a Mount Saint Helens set showing the mountain before and after its eruption, and even a butterfly shaker signed by Dolly Parton.
There's even a vault inside, home to some of the museum's rarest pieces, including collectibles from Occupied Japan and sets crafted from gold and copper.
There's even a vault inside, home to some of the museum's rarest pieces, including collectibles from Occupied Japan and sets crafted from gold and copper.
You can wander at your own pace for an hour or an entire afternoon. Everything is meticulously organized, and this somehow makes the experience even more surreal.
There's more. At just $3 admission — which can be applied toward a purchase in the gift shop — it may be one of the best bargains in town.
2. Hillbilly Golf
Only in Gatlinburg could a mini-golf course require a mountainside railway ride before you even reach the first hole.
Hillbilly Golf has been entertaining visitors for more than 50 years, and its premise remains simple: take mini golf, add a mountain, and decorate everything with Appalachian-themed obstacles.
The adventure begins with a 300-foot incline railway that carries players up the mountainside. Once at the top, you'll choose between two 18-hole courses and gradually play your way back down through a wooded landscape filled with wagons, tractors, moonshine stills, and other rustic obstacles.
The setting is a big part of the appeal. Because the course sits on a mountain, wildlife sightings are common enough that signs throughout the property explain what to do if you spot one. Few mini-golf courses can claim that distinction.
The attraction even incorporated elements of the 2016 wildfire into parts of the course design, weaving sections of the altered landscape into the experience.
It's mini golf, certainly. But it's mini golf in a way that could only exist in Gatlinburg.
3. Earthquake The Ride
Some attractions are famous because they're so wonderfully ridiculous that people can't stop talking about them.
Located directly on the Parkway, Earthquake The Ride is a four-minute attraction that simulates a subway disaster complete with earthquakes, collapsing ceilings, fire effects, flashing lights, and enough noise to convince you that subtlety was never part of the design brief.
You board a mock subway train, buckle your seatbelts, and listen as a conductor announces that the throttles are jammed. What follows is a sequence of increasingly chaotic special effects as the floor tilts, shakes, and moves beneath the train.
The queue is populated by mismatched mannequins that are more unsettling than the earthquake itself. There's even an animatronic gorilla that appears during the ride, for reasons that remain wonderfully unclear.
Oh, alligators show up too. So do rats.
Earthquake The Ride is a classic case of "so bad it's good," and that reputation has helped transform it into a beloved piece of old-school Parkway entertainment.
Pro Tip: Go in expecting a laugh — not cutting-edge tech — and you'll have a fantastic time.
4. Hollywood Star Cars Museum
This is a quirky attraction, but not necessarily a weird one. Though you will find a Flintstones car, a Batmobile, and Elvis Presley's Lincoln, all under the same roof.
You guessed it. The Hollywood Star Cars Museum celebrates famous vehicles from movies, television, and celebrity collections, creating a journey through pop-culture history.
Spread across two floors, there's enough variety that visitors rarely know what they'll encounter next: from General Lee from The Dukes of Hazzard to cars from the Fast and Furious franchise, and, of course, Dolly Parton's Cadillac.
Unlike many museums, photography is encouraged. Better yet, visitors can pay for the chance to sit inside selected vehicles for photos.
Where else can you climb into the Flintstones car one minute and pose inside a Lamborghini previously owned by Mike Tyson the next?
The museum is also known for its friendly staff, particularly a team member named Donnie who regularly receives praise for helping guests create memorable photo opportunities.
This one doesn't top our list, but for film fans, car enthusiasts, and anyone who enjoys a healthy dose of nostalgia, it's one of the most enjoyable stops in town.
5. The Gatlinburg Space Needle
Here's a classic Gatlinburg landmark, but with a quirky twist.
Rising 407 feet above the Parkway, the Gatlinburg Space Needle offers sweeping 360-degree views of downtown Gatlinburg and the surrounding Smoky Mountains. It's one of the town's most recognizable sights, towering above the attractions, shops, and mountain scenery below.
The experience starts in an unexpected place: an arcade. Before heading skyward, you'll pass through Arcadia to purchase your ticket and access the elevator.
One of the Needle's most unusual features is that, unlike most observation towers, there isn't a ride operator waiting to send you to the top. You operate the elevator yourself, pressing the "O" button for the ascent and a red button for the trip back down.
The elevator is famously small and slow, but, hey, that's part of the charm.
Once at the top, you can stroll around the observation deck and take in views stretching across the Smokies. On clear days, you'll spot landmarks such as Anakeesta, the Gatlinburg SkyPark, the aquarium, and several mountain coasters scattered throughout town.
There's more. Back at ground level, Arcadia offers another quirky bonus. The arcade is known for its duck bowling, a smaller and more unusual take on the classic game that fits perfectly with the slightly offbeat personality of everything else.
6. Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Ripley's comes last on our list, but it's, nevertheless, Gatlinburg's official headquarters for oddities.
The attraction combines unusual artifacts, educational exhibits, science, history, and the occasional creepy curiosity into one self-guided experience.
Visitors begin on the upper floor and work their way down through displays designed to surprise, amuse, and occasionally make them question what they're looking at.
Part of the appeal comes from the variety and the way exhibits are interactive, and, more often than not, bizarre, like the gorilla constructed entirely from tire strips, decidedly a highlight.
Outside, you are greeted by one of the attraction's most popular features: a revolving five-ton granite Kugel Ball that somehow manages to entertain people of all ages.
Outside, you are greeted by one of the attraction's most popular features: a revolving five-ton granite Kugel Ball that somehow manages to entertain people of all ages.
Make the Most of Your Smoky Mountains Adventure
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Smoky Mountain Holiday premium cabin rentals offer the perfect blend of rustic charm and modern comfort. From cozy couple's retreats to spacious family lodges, our hand-picked properties provide breathtaking mountain views, top-notch amenities, and easy access to local attractions.