Attractions – Page 2 – Inside Sevierville

Deer Farm

For all you nature lovers out, there’s nothing like getting up close and personal with some of nature’s furry inhabitants. With that, any trip to the Smoky Mountains isn’t complete without a quick jaunt over to Deer Farm Exotic Petting Zoo & Riding Stables in Sevierville.

This great stop just outside the Great Smoky Mountains is 143 acres worth of fun. Pony rides are a favorite as their fenced off trail affords kids a gentle ride with a one of Deer Farm’s sweet, caring ponies. You’ll never forget those photos as a child riding around on ponies and having the time of your life. Deer Park also offers horse rides for our bigger kids and adults. Trot along on Deer Park’s well-maintained trails with the help of an experienced trail guide. Pony rides run $6.99 and carry a 100 pound weight limit. Reservations are required for horse rides. It’s $17.95 for 30 minutes, $20.95 for a 45 minute horse ride, and $23.95 for a 60 minute ride.

After taking a horse ride, or a pony ride, or if you don’t want to take a ride at all and just visit Deer Park’s petting zoo, be our guest. Deer Park’s petting zoo features a range of animals from reindeer – perfect this time of year, deer, goats, camels, zebra, exotic cows, sheep, and much much more. The petting zoo is open year round from 10 am to 5:30 pm. Admission price for adults is $10.99, children ages 3-12 $6.99, children 1-2 $0.99, and infants $0.09.

Deer Farm Exotic Petting Zoo & Riding Stables is a barnyard experience like no other in the Smokies. It’s great fun for both kids and adults of all ages and makes for a great trip for large groups, church and business retreats, or just a quick getaway.

Deer Farm Exotic Petting Zoo & Riding Stables
478 Happy Hollow Lane
Sevierville, TN 37876
865-428-DEER

Harrisburg Covered Bridge

The Harrisburg Covered Bridge in Sevier County, located just off Old State Highway 35, spans the East Fork of the Little Pigeon River.

The Harrisburg community has maintained a bridge at this locale since the mid-1800s. Once known as the McNutts Bridge before washing away in 1875, and committee was formed by the county and local citizens contributed to its replacement. The Harrisburg community provided the wood and labor for the replacement structure. The county donated $25 and $50 was raised privately.

Elbert Stephenson Early was hired by the county to build a covered bridge as several members of his family moved to the Harrisburg area of Sevier County in the 1870s. Many of them were skilled carpenters, millwrights, and engineers. They built Murphy Chapel and several residences in the area. In 1877, Elbert Early purchased half interest in the Newport Mill, adjacent to the Harrisburg Covered Bridge.

In the late 1800s, the Harrisburg community grew, and with its several mills, blacksmith shops, a school, a doctor, and a post office, prospered. However, in 1915 the county built a new road that bypassed Harrisburg and the community disappeared.

Over the years, Sevier County has actively maintained the bridge, keeping it open for traffic as many other covered bridges were replaced. In 1952, Bill Baker and a county road crew stabilized the bridge which included the placement of a concrete pier at the center of the truss. As a result, this span functioned as two timber stringers. By the 1970s, the bridge was deteriorated and facing possible demolition when the Great Smokies Chapter and the Spencer Clack Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) raised funds to repair and maintain the bridge as well as seeking listing for it on the National Register of Historic Places. The Harrisburg Covered Bridge was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 for its significance as a rare surviving example of a covered timber truss bridge.

In 1983, the bridge had deteriorated and faced closure, but the county renovated the bridge with new flooring and replaced some of the timber beams, allowing the bridge to remain open but posted it with a 3-ton weight limit.

Through a grant from the National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program, Sevier County rehabilitated the Harrisburg Covered Bridge, extensively repairing the bridge in 2004. It was reopened for traffic, with a 15-ton weight limit later that same year.

Cirque de Chine

The Smoky Mountains area is home to some of the best attractions you’ll find in the Southeast. From the Titanic museum attraction to Dollywood to Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies and dinner shows like the Dixie Stampede, there’s no lack in entertainment opportunities in the Smokies. One of the more unique venues is Cirque de Chine in Sevierville.

Ever since they came to town in 2007, Cirque de Chine has been electrifying audiences of all ages at Sevierville’s own Smoky Mountain Palace. It’s an incredible show full of skill, grace, romance and illusion, and featuring some of China’s best acrobatic troupes.

Cirque de Chine is 2 full hours of non stop fun and excitement that anyone would enjoy, no matter your age or disposition.

You’ll want to make sure you pay attention when the graceful “Butterfly Lovers” fly through the air. Be amazed with the incredible “Hoop Divers” who take diving to extreme through hoops up to 10-feet high. The “Five Flying Motorcyclsts” race inside a 26-foot steel globe that will leave you breathless watching them race around the cylinder. At Cirque de Chine, it’s almost like the impossible is second nature.

Cirque de Chine’s 6th season – 2012, hasn’t ceased to amaze even the staunchest of critics. This year it’s even more exciting and entertaining than in years past. As far as a theatrical production west of New York and east of Las Vegas, Smoky Mountain Palace’s Cirque de Chine stands out on its own. If you’re in Sevierville and the Smoky Mountains, it’s a must see show and one you’ll be telling your friend about for years to come.

Cirque de Chine
179 Collier Drive
Sevierville, TN 37862
(865) 429-1601

Rose Glen Historic Site

Rose Glen is on the Register of Historic Places in Sevier County. Located just outside of Sevierville, this home has been called the most significant antebellum structure in Sevier County. A former plantation this once working farm now gives you an idea of the living and working conditions in Sevier County before the 1860s. This house was once part of the Bush Farm and after many years it became one of the most valued farms and plantations in Sevier County.

Rose Glen was the home of Robert Hodsden and his second wife, Mary Brabson-Shields. At this point, Mary’s father built the home – which became known as Rose Glenn – and the couple started to expand the land around Rose Glen and turn it into a profitable farm. In 1860, it is known that Rose Glen – the plantation – was made up of 2,377 acres. They were a farm and ranch. They had hundreds of animals living on the farm and they produced tons of hay, butter, wool and many more crops each year. These crops were sold to people in Knoxville and the surrounding communities.

Rose Glen is known not only for the fact that it was a huge plantation and a huge piece of the East Tennessee economy during the mid-19^th century but it also is known for the architecture and design of the home itself. This Greek Revival structure has a two story central block with one story wings. The opulence of the house is a testament to the wealth that the people that ran the home brought to the area. The two-story central block has a porch at the front and the back. The house was large for the area but not as sprawling as plantation homes in the deep south. Still, this home boasted three cellars and outbuildings, including a loom house and an office for former doctor and now owner Robert Hodsden.

Though Rose Glen is not open to the public, it is easy to find. In Sevierville, get on Dolly Parton Parkway and head toward Newport. About 4 miles outside of town you will come to Pittman Center Road. Take a right on Pittman Center and find the campus of Walter State Community College. Right across from the campus you will see a fence enclosed property. The home is in a slight state of disrepair but you can still see what it once looked like. Take some pictures and get an idea of the past in Sevier County. Look at the countryside as it looks now and see what it might have looked like in days past.

The Sevierville Golf Club

The Sevierville Golf Club is one of the newest in the area. Featuring two 18-hole championship links courses set against the backdrop of the Smokies.

Looking for a good tee time in the Smoky Mountains? Forget about Knoxville and all its congested courses. Travel on down to Sevierville and play at one of the newest courses in East Tennessee. Set right up against the backdrop of the majestic Great Smoky Mountains, The Sevierville Golf Club is a 5-star course complete with the services, amenities, and presentation of a high-quality private club on a daily fee basis.

Did we course? Make that two courses. The Sevierville Golf Club is two 18-hole championship courses: The Highlands – a par 70 that winds around lush rolling hills and fresh water mountain ponds, and The River – a par 72 that plays to the twists and turns of the Little Pigeon River.

You’ll also find a state-of-the-art pro shop at the Sevierville Golf Club, an expansive driving range with grass tees, perfectly manicured putting green, as well as a chipping green to help even further fine tune your game.

Following a day on links, whether you decide to play both courses or just one, sit back and relax in the new clubhouse with your beverage of choice or enjoy a delicious meal prepared by our talented Chef Aaron Ward. We can also customize food and beverage presentations for your group, regardless of the size. At the Sevierville Golf Club, they really are there to serve you and make sure your day is a memorable one, no matter what you shoot.

You won’t find amenities like these at any other gold club in the area. The Sevierville Golf Club believes that its their people that make them the “Best In The Smokies!”. General Manager and Head PGA Professional Mark Wallace heads up a people-first staff, and are there to make sure your round goes as smoothly as the greens.

Below are links to Course Maps and the Club Score Card:

The Highlands Course Map
The River Course Map
The Sevierville Golf Club Score Card

Rates

18 Hole Rates: $59 (50% off juniors ages 15 yrs and under.)
Twilight After 4 pm Rates: $29 (50% off juniors ages 15 yrs and under.)
Senior Rates: $49 (Seniors 60 yrs and over)

Afternoon promotions:
After 12 pm $49 (50% off juniors of 15 yrs and under
After 12 pm $44 (Seniors 60 yrs and over)

Note: Rates include cart fee.

The Sevierville Golf Club

1444 Old Knoxville Highway
Sevierville, TN 37876
Local: (865) 429-4223 or Toll Free: (888) 710-1388

Sevierville Convention Center

Tradeshows, Expositions, Competitive Arts Events and Much More!

When the city of Sevierville decided to build a convention center, they picked the perfect location and they are bringing thousands of visitors to the area each and every year. This state of the art facility is being used by groups to have tradeshows, conventions, sporting events and much more each year. Located right off Winfield Dunn Parkway, the Convention Center is easy to get to and keeps you from having to get into the really bad traffic of Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg

As you travel into town, the easiest way to spot the Sevierville Convention Center is to look for the Wilderness in the Smokies on your right, as you head toward Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg. The Wilderness is easy to spot, their indoor water park lights up Hwy 66 in the evening as the sun goes down and even during the day it has become a landmark. Take a right and head across the bridge over the Little Pigeon River. You will come to a second stoplight, go through this light and start up the hill, you will see the Convention Center on the right at the top of the hill.

The Convention Center is a full service convention center. They bring in everything from sporting events and championships to religious conferences to collector events. Below is a selection of just some of the events that might happen at the Sevierville Convention Center:

Anime Southeast Convention
Bible Bee Conference
Celebrator’s Conference
Christian Camp Leaders
Fall Corvette Expo
Freedom Fest Gymnastics Competition
GROSouth Fall Dealer Trade Show
House-Hasson Hardware Company
International Gift Show in the Smokies
Parker’s Knife Collections
Smoky Mountain Bible Conference
Smoky Mountain Gymnastic Vacation Classic
Southern Select Alpaca Show
Student Celebration
Tennessee Association for Administrators in Special Education
TuTu Glitz’s on Tour
UCA Smoky Mountain Christmas Championship
Wilderness at the Smokies / K2 Volleyball
Women of Joy Conference

This is only a small selection of what is going on everyday at the Sevierville Convention Center. Check out their website to see exactly what they have to offer when you are in town.

If you are looking at bringing an event to the Smokies, let the convention enter help you plan that event. If you are going to have hundreds of people in town or if you are planning a tradeshow in the Smokies you are going to need the help of a professional. You are going to need someone to help you get all of your ‘T’s crossed and your ‘I’s dotted. Rely on the professional staff at the Severiville Convention Center to help you plan your event and make it a huge success.

Sevierville Convention Center
202 Gists Creek Road
Sevierville, TN
865-453-0001
Web

Top 10 Sevierville, TN Attractions

Preview of the top 10 attractions in Sevierville as well as Kodak, TN.

What is there to do in Sevierville? What isn’t there to do in Sevierville? Indoor water parks, helicopter rides, minor league baseball – those are just a few of the many things that bring people to Sevierville during the year. Stop and take a look for yourself next time before speeding off to Dollywood, Gatlinburg, or the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You’d be surprised at the things you’ve missed.

Maybe it’s that you don’t quite know what to look for. Well, how about a Top 10 list? They’re always popular, so how about that? A Top 10 list of things to do/see in Sevierville, TN – Sevierville attractions.

A lot of people think Sevierville begins when you get off Interstate 40, that’s actually Kodak, TN. Kodak does tend to merge into Sevierville so we’ll include places listed in Kodak as well. So, lets get started.

Top 10 Sevierville, TN attractions:

Wilderness at the Smokies – The Wilderness property not only features an indoor water park, it also contains the Sevierville Events Center and two 18-hole golf courses, all on 700 pristine acres.
Five Oaks Tanger Outlet Mall – At Tanger Five Oaks, you can shop it you drop. The Sevierville outlet mall features stores from such national name brands as Nike, Nautica, Under Armour, Coach, Gap, J. Crew, Polo Ralph Lauren, Banana Republic, Oakley, Starbucks, and much more. Chop House restaurant and Joe’s Crab Shack are also located on the Tanger property.
Bass Pro Shop – Located just off Interstate 40 in Kodak, Bass Pro Shop has been equipping outdoorsmen and women for years. Find all your hunting, fishing, boating, and outdoor needs in one place at Bass Pro Shop in Kodak.
Smoky Mountain Knife Works – With over 80,000 square feet in retail space, just think of the number of pocket knives you could fit in a building that large. If you can’t find a good knife here, you might be out of luck. Knife Works is also home to numerous celebrity and knife events throughout the year.
Dolly Parton statue – A true attraction in all sense of the word, Sevierville’s Courthouse Square is home to a larger-than-life Dolly Parton statue. Parton, who was born in Sevier County, still participates in the yearly Dolly Parade and has been involved in numerous philanthropic initiatives in the area during her lifetime. Continue reading “Top 10 Sevierville, TN Attractions”

Scenic Helicopter Tours

Come Fly the Scenic Skies

What is the best way to see the Smokies? Well, if you talk to the great people at Scenic Helicopter Tours, the best way to experience the Smokies is in one of their helicopters. Let one of their professional pilots take you above the crowds, the traffic and the bustle of the Smoky Mountains and see the sights from an entirely different point of view.

Scenic Helicopter has been around, flying over the Great Smoky Mountains National Park since 1972. They are one of the oldest and most respected helicopter tours in the area and they fly more flights over the National Park then anyone else. To fly over a national park, your flights have to be approved by both the FAA and the National Park Service. Scenic Helicopter Tours has more approved flights and they fly over more of the GSMNP then anyone else. They will fit their flight times and their flight patterns to fit your needs, to the point of working with you and your group to produce a customized tour that lets you see the sights you want to see and in the time frame that fits your vacation.

Tours:

Lake View Flight – 1,500 feet above the ground you get to take in views of beautiful Douglas Lake with Mt LeConte in the distance. You will also get to see the French Broad River and Douglas Dam.
Bluff Mountain Flight – This tour takes you above historic downtown Sevierville as you wind your way toward Bluff Mountain. This is the best way to see the lowland Sevier County area.
Mountain Valley Flight – This tour takes you away from civilization. You get to explore the undeveloped and the underdeveloped parts of the Tennessee side of the Smokies.
National Park Flight – On your way to the GSMNP you get to pass over Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. This adventure gets you into & above the Smokies.
The Scenic Special Tour – This tour focuses on the Great Smoky Mountains. You will see: Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Dollywood, Mount LeConte, Blanket Mountains, Goshen Ridge and Cove Mountain. You will not believe how miraculous the scenery is until you are soaring over it.
The Grand Tour – This the grand tour of the National Park. You start through the three main cities on the Tennessee side of the mountains: Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. From Gatlinburg you will head toward Cades Cove. On the way, you will pass over the Sugarlands area, Elkmont, Blanket Mountain and Tremont. And if you like the 11 mile loop road around Cades Cove imagine the view from the air.
Smoky Mountain Spectacular Tour – This is the end-all-be-all for all of you that love the Great Smoky Mountains. You will take in parts of the National Park that no one ever gets to see. The flight path for this tour takes you over Greenbrier to North Carolina. You will fly along the Appalachian Trail and over Clingman’s Dome. You also get to view picturesque Fontana Lake and then back to Cades Cove. A Once in a lifetime trip!

Remember, with all the tours above, that you are getting a professional pilot that will also act as a tour guide, telling you the story of the people and the history of the area. Experience the Smokies from an entirely different point of view – from the aerial view – from a helicopter! Fly with Scenic Helicopter Tours.

Scenic Helicopter Tours
Book Online!
1949 Winfield Dunn Parkway
Sevierville, TN
865-453-6342
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Tennessee Museum of Aviation

Warbird Collection

The Tennessee Museum of Aviation strives to give an overall view of the people and places in aviation history that occured in and around Tennessee. This includes not only the Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame but also exhibits of physical artifacts from the various time periods in aviation history. Included with the price of admission is the hangar that is full of planes, located right past the exhibit hall. And these planes are not just models or pieces of planes, these are fully functional planes that are even flown on occasion, to the delight of visitors and locals alike.

The exhibit hall is the first thing that you get to explore at the Tennessee Museum of Aviation. The quality of the exhibits is second to none. The pieces they have collected and that have been donated over the years, show an amazing attention to detail and a love for the science of aviation. One of the features, of course, is the Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame. The inductees are pictured as well as an explanation of the reasoning behind their induction. Included in the ranks of the inducted are such aviation legends as aeronautics pioneer Edward Chalmers Huffaker and Evelyn “Mama Bird” Bryan Johnson – a flight instructor with over 57,000 hours of flight time.

The other pieces of the exhibit include both military and civilian items that are tied to the aviation history of Tennessee. Again, the exhibits are of the top most quality. They have double and triple checked their facts and the displays are given plenty of attention so that the public can learn more about the diverse history of flight and flying from a state perspective.

The planes in the hangar do change occasionally but here is a partial list of some that you might get to see:

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt
Douglas A-1H Skyraider
North American T-38 Trojan
MiG 21
MiG 17
North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco
Beechcraft SNB
T-33
1902 Wright Glider (full scale replica)
Bell 222 Airwolf (full scale replica)

The aviation buff in your family is going to want to spend all day at the Tennessee Museum of Aviation. Grownups and kids alike will find the facts and exhibits interesting and thought provoking. You will learn facts that make you say: “I didn’t know that happened in Tennessee.” This is a well maintained and curated museum, that you will want to come back to year after year. Make sure that the Tennessee Museum of Aviation is on your ‘to do‘ list for your next trip to the Smokies. And if you look up and see a WWII fighter flying over the city, don’t think you are seeing things, just follow it to the museum.

Tennessee Museum of Aviation
135 Air Museum Way
Sevierville, TN

865-908-0171

Web

Sevierville’s Dolly Parton Statue

A statue of country music legend Dolly Parton sits in front of the Sevier County Courthouse in downtown Sevierville, TN – Dolly’s hometown.

Hometown girl turned pop-icon, Dolly Parton, is the most celebrated person from Sevier County, Tennessee. On May 2, 1987, the town of Sevierville and Sevier County paid tribute to her by way of a statue on the front lawn of the courthouse in downtown Sevierville. The statue was designed by local artist Jim Gray and has become a stop for many people visiting the area. Thousands of Dolly Fans have stopped by over the years to be photographed with the statue and carry home that memory of their trip to the mountains.

Dolly Parton grew up in Sevier County. Upon graduating from Sevier County High School, she moved to Nashville to become a star. Over the years as Dolly became more and more famous, she never forgot the people of her Tennessee mountain home. In 1986, Dolly threw her lot in with the Herschend family to open Dollywood which has become an award winning theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Two years later, she opened Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede in Pigeon Forge which has since become the longest running dinner show in town. Along with helping to bolster the tourist industry, Parton has also helped increase the graduation rate and the literacy rate in Sevier County with other projects including the Books From Birth Imagination Library program which provides free books to young children throughout the state.

Sevier County wanted to show their gratitude to Dolly by commissioning a statue made in her honor. To that end they contacted local artist Jim Gray to make the statue that now resides in front of the courthouse. Jim Gray is a part of the cultural landscape of the Smokies. He moved his entire family here in the 1960s to begin capturing the area that he loved and that he grew to call home. Gray is most well known as a painter and his galleries are located all over the area, but he is also a talented sculptor. He turned these talents into creating a statue of Dolly that would capture the wonder of this young woman before her move to Nashville when she was still a member of this small Smoky Mountain community.

The statue is located in front of the courthouse in downtown Sevierville, which is the county seat of Sevier County. The statue depicts Dolly seated on a rock playing the guitar. You can see in the statue, the face that America and the world would grow to love but you can also see the young girl that had big dreams of stardom and entertaining people as her chosen vocation.

The next time you know that you are coming to the Smokies, make sure to drop by and check out the statue of Dolly Parton. Pay your respects to the queen of country music and the lady that has made this side of the Smokies what it is today. Snap a picture, strike your best Dolly pose and remember that if you spend a little time walking around downtown Sevierville that you are, potentially, walking in the footsteps of Dolly Parton.