The Smoky Mountains are not only home to beautiful scenery, tempting restaurants and a spectacular national park, but also to some of the most unique museums in the world! These are not your average museums with ho-hum exhibits that are sure to bore the kids, but exciting destinations that might just be the highlight of your vacation to the Smokies! Here are the top 4 museum attractions in the Smoky Mountains that you need to experience:
1. Alcatraz East Crime Museum
The Alcatraz East Crime Museum is a 25,000 square foot museum that offers 2 levels of fascinating crime exhibits, including more than 100 interactive exhibits! There are 5 distinct galleries to explore, including the Notorious History of American Crime, Punishment: The Consequence of Crime, Crime Scene Investigation, Crime Fighting, and Counterfeit Crimes & Pop Culture. You will also find a variety of temporary exhibits related to crime and law enforcement topics. Don’t miss the chance to see some famous artifacts including Ted Bundy’s VW Bug and the white Ford Bronco that carried a frantic O.J. Simpson during the televised car chase!
2. Christ in the Smokies Museum & Gardens
Another one of the museum attractions in the Smoky Mountains that you need to experience is the Christ in the Smokies Museum & Gardens! This attraction is located in the center of Gatlinburg and provides the remarkable opportunity to walk through a Biblical world of 2000 years ago! The museum features incredibly lifelike scenes that tell the Story of Christ with life size figures, 3D dioramas, dramatic lighting, music and special effects. The tours begin every 15 minutes and the average tour takes about an hour. While visiting the Christ in the Smokies Museum & Gardens, be sure to check out the gift shop for some one-of-a-kind keepsakes!
3. Hollywood Wax Museum
Walk the red carpet and mingle with the hottest celebrities in entertainment at the Hollywood Wax Museum in Pigeon Forge! This museum features realistic wax figures of all your favorite Hollywood stars, ranging from the classic stars of the golden age of television to the blockbuster stars of today! The best part of all is that you are free to take as many pictures as you want, and the Hollywood Wax Museum has even added lots of cool props to add to all the fun! Just wait until you show all your celebrity photos to your friends and family back home!
4. Tennessee Museum of Aviation
The Tennessee Museum of Aviation is located at the Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge Airport in Sevierville and offers a fascinating glimpse into the realm of flight! The unique location helps to bring aviation history to life with a collection of warbirds, military vehicles, aviation exhibits, trainers, fighters, helicopters, jets and amphibious aircraft! If you are lucky, you might even have the chance to see some vintage aircraft perform some unscheduled flight demonstrations! The exhibit gallery is air-conditioned, and the 35,000 square foot aircraft hangar is heated during the winter months.
We hope you enjoyed our top 4 museum attractions in the Smoky Mountains that you need to experience! Check out our coupons to these attractions in the Smoky Mountains today to enjoy the most fascinating museums in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville! Also, be sure to browse our other amazing coupons to save BIG throughout the Smokies!