We've come for Thomas the Tank Engine Day for past 3 years. Always so much fun! They love getting…read moretheir picture taken with Sir Topham Hat and playing the activities under the Thomas Day tent. The kids love riding the big train, although the loud whistle scared the little one this year. But we had noise-canceling headphones, as a just-in-case, so all was well. The kids are still little and really enjoy the activities up at the top. We had a stroller, so took the free shuttle to the top, rather than the skylift. The mine train, gem mining, and the little-kid rides were a big hit. Feeding the animals (goats, llamas, deer, emus) is always super fun, too. Before you enter the animal area, you can buy ice cream cones filled with animal feed ($1 a cone). Once you've handed out all the feed, then you break the cone apart and feed it. We bought 3 cones; could probably have used a 4th. The animals were all very friendly and gentle. Even one of the llamas came over for some feed; they are usually a bit aloof. Look forward to coming back!

We visited Tweetsie Railroad over Christmas break. The Christmas lights were really pretty and the…read moreholiday décor was fun and festive. There were several rides and activities geared toward kids, which made it a nice family outing. The train itself is very loud for little ones, so that's something to keep in mind, but overall the kids loved it and had a good time. For a family of 5, tickets for the train (which includes admission and all the rides) is pretty costly.

This has been on our bucket list since we moved to Nc 2 years ago! I wasn't sure what to expect but…read moreit was AMAZING. I definitely feel it's a must see at least once in your life. No detail was missed! We took the chairlift up to Oz and obviously back down. There was amazing views and scenery. Once we got to Oz there was plenty of spots for us to take pictures at and meet the characters. All characters did such a great job in their role! There is some hills and walking that you may need to wear good shoes or take a rest. I saw older people resting quite a bit as some parts can be difficult, I mean you are on a mountain! I'm very overweight and I did fine with resting 2 times after a killer hill. We also did the scenic view trail (extra fee) beautiful! Such a neat place and glad we finally made it out!

Honestly, I went in with fairly low expectations, and I left surprised at how much fun we had! We…read morearrived at the Beech Mountain Resort parking lot at 9:15am for our 10am time slot. There was plenty to do at the resort, including buying snack foods and shopping at Oz-themed booths. Around 9:30am we boarded the shuttle and then shortly after we left for the Land of Oz; we got there right at 10am. Without giving anything away, I was surprised at how coordinated the event was, and how we followed a pre-planned path, but we never felt like we were being hurried to the next event. I was concerned our tween boys would think the whole thing was hokey, but they had a blast too. All of the actors gave it their all, and I never saw anyone break character, which was impressive considering the amount of improv and crowd work they did. We zoomed through most everything, and we were done by a little after noon. If we had taken our time and gotten food at the Emerald City, we easily could have spent 1-2 more hours. It was an exciting event, and I'm so glad we went. There were lots of people in our time slot (1 shuttle and two school buses full), but everything was so well paced that it didn't feel overcrowded. Bit of advice: bring water and snacks in a backpack unless you are ready to pay a premium to buy them at the Land of Oz.

We had a blast riding the coaster! I'm glad I found this for the whole family to do while we were…read moreon vacation. It fills up quickly, so make sure to check in for an appointment before you go. They are dog friendly, but you will need someone to wait with your dog before you go on the coaster. They have seating by the coaster, as well as covered seating beneath by the coffee shop. Our three year old son was able to ride twice with his dad and his grandmother. There was a long wait to get on the coaster, and he definitely was fussy during the wait. But once he got on the coaster, he didn't want to get off! It was around $70 for myself, my husband, my mom, and my son to ride, with my son riding twice. They have a gift shop and ticket register, coffee shop, obstacle course, and are next door to the Pie Company, where they serve New Zealand style pies; make sure to order the apple pies. They have parking in front and beside the coaster. It was busy on a Friday mid afternoon in the summer. But if you are looking for something to do with the family while on vacation I highly recommend this.

This place was simple, classic, and a great break to the monotony of a cold winter day. Yes, our 3…read more20 somethings wanted to go ride the coaster! Some things never change. It was fun for them and very nostalgic however, it was slightly lackluster being from Orlando the home of roller coasters. But they all said they would do it again! You are given a choice between one and three rides. Hint make a reservation so you are sure to be able to ride!

We had such a great time and ended up picking up the base ticket that includes: Gravitational…read moreAnomaly, Hall of Mystery, Bubblerama, Native American Artifacts, 2903 Dougherty House & Farmyard, Rodeo Rampage Bull Ride Challenge. It is a really cool place to visit, walking in that gravitational anomaly room is the weirdest sensation I've ever felt, but it is something cool to experience. In the hall of mystery, we literally let our inner child just wander around. And sadly we weren't able to do the bull ride, because of timing. For sure it is a place where you can spend your day in there. They're very hospitable and our tour guide was very funny.

A pretty fun straightforward diversion good for rounding out an afternoon in Blowing Rock. I ended…read moreup coming here on a day trip weekend getaway. I'm originally from Michigan and grew up pretty close to the Mystery Spot in the Upper Peninsula, so I was somewhat familiar with this sort of place. I ended up checking out the "gravitational anomaly" room along with the "Hall of Mysteries" but none of the other stuff. There was also Axe Throwing and some sort of Native American History Museum but didn't see those as I was somewhat pressed for time. There was also somewhat randomly a huge obscure soda collection which was kind of cool. And they also had Vernors which as a former Michigander I appreciated. The "gravitational anomaly " room was pretty cool and is obviously the main focus of this place. There were a few demonstrative tools like a water flow demonstration, a rubber ball on a track that apparently defies gravity and a swingset. The room itself isn't too large and those three things were the only "tools" in there but goofing around in the room on your own is plenty entertaining as you can see from the attached pictures. Beyond that the "Hall of Mysteries" was basically a small section of optical illusions and science demonstrations which was interesting enough but something probably more interesting to and suited to kids. Overall the place is cool but kind of feels like it doesn't know what it's trying to be beyond the "gravity room" and feels like it could use a little update and some more focused development/presentation. If you haven't been before it's probably worth experiencing at least once if you're going to be in the area and have time for it. They also have a Zoltar machine, which is always a plus in my book.

If you like dinosaurs, you are seriously going to love this place! It's an awesome non-profit…read moredinosaur park that is totally worth checking out. Get your walking shoes on and bring the kids! There is a lot to see, so make sure you set aside at least a good hour to walk around and look at all of the dinosaurs. -Bring the Family: Along with the amazing dinosaur displays, they have a fun playground for the kids and a nice sitting area to relax. -Plan an Event: They actually allow events there too! Just make sure to contact them ahead of time to double-check that no one else has reserved the seating area. -Quick Tip: There is a porta-pottie available on-site. It's such a cool spot to support a local non-profit and have a great time outdoors. Come check it out!

This is a great little stop. Fun for all ages. You walk through what seems like a mile of trails…read morewith a different dinosaur every few steps. There is information on each species and hands-on activities like dusting for dinosaur prints. Everything is on the honor system so your donation goes in at the beginning but they also have a gift shop which is really great considering that no one is there watching. It restores my faith and humanity to know that people are so honest. It does say this is a dog friendly activity, but a tied up barking dog on the other side of the fence made part of the journey a little bit difficult for my small dog. She was almost as frightened by the neighbor's dog as I was of some of the exhibits I went through that had sound and scared the heck out of me. They don't call it backyard terriers for nothing :) but it's all in fun. Don't be afraid of the parking even though it can get a little tight. We had fun and this is definitely an affordable way to kill some time and keep the kids busy while they learn.

Great location great staff great service my son Daughter and her friend here to have a little…read morebirthday get together and they had a blast. We booked a two hour, but they got worn out within an hour we do again.

Pros: - Very kind and professional workers on the tubing…read moreslopes at every turn. Kept us safe, even distance apart, lines organized, and kind and positive through it all. - felt very safe getting on and off conveyor belt, great for families - 5 lanes, all were open and functioning - all tubes were singles (no double tubes) but they would let you hold onto each other's tubes and make your own group train (we made a family of four mega tube!) - bathrooms were clean and warm - the indoor ski-house area had a fireplace and picnic tables "Opportunities for improvement": - food options were limited to chips / candy. You could purchase fresh hot coffee / hot chocolate. It would be nice if they sold a couple of warm food options like chili or hotdogs. Not a huge issue, but just be aware to plan accordingly. - there were some lines, it was the busy peak holiday season, but honestly we had plenty of time to enjoy tubing, and the lines were organized, and run by kind professionals A wonderful day with family !

Great fun place to go for everyone, having fun in Gatlinburg tired of writing so go have funread more

A diamond in the rough. We we're looking to kill some time with our daughters and came across this…read moregem. In business for 42 years. It's no commercial, no extra stuff for your kids to beg for. Just good old fashion go karts. 5 bucks for 15 laps or 20..lol. It's off the beaten track but we'll worth your time if your looking for an hour or two to kill. The karts are fast and 2 seaters are available for the little ones to ride with you. We were there an hour and a half and were the only ones there. A great way to spend time with your family or race your friends. It's Americana at it's finest.

Outstanding experience ! Worth every penny . The staff was so helpful and kind . After my…read moregrandchildren completed finding their gems . They then took us to a display room where they took their stones and separated them into types. And then gave them an overview of the type of gem as displayed by a finished, cut and polished stone. It was a fun and truly educational experience for all!!!

Amazing customer service ! Great spot to come when it's too cold outside or you want a change of…read morescenery, or your kid loves Dino's or rocks or exploring new activities! It's hands on, the people working are exceptional! Highly recommend!