Ober Gatlinburg has been sold to a group of East Tennessee residents and is being rebranded as Ober Mountain. What is this going to mean for the popular Gatlinburg attraction? We’re going to break down the changes that will be coming and what you can expect when you visit the ski resort in the future.
Attraction Changing Hands
The Sevier County natives that have purchased Ober Gatlinburg are the families of Joe Baker, Cory Cottongim, and Chuck Edwards. Baker, along with his wife, Jessi, are founders of Ole Smoky Distillery in 2010 and Yew-Haw Brewing in 2016. So they know the area well and what visitors want.
Kent Anders, the former President of Ober Gatlinburg, has described selling the attraction as bittersweet. He is glad that another family has taken over so Ober continues to be a family destination.
The Future of Ober Gatlinburg
A little over a week after the press release that Ober Gatlinburg had been sold, another release told the public that the ski resort was going through a rebranding process. The name is being changed to Ober Mountain, and the website logo has already been updated. We’ve also seen new billboards along Highway 441 displaying the rebrand.
The goal with the rebrand is to make sure tourists know that Ober is a year-round destination. There are plans in the works to expand the park to include mountain biking, ziplining, and ATV riding.
In addition to bringing new attractions that aren’t in the Gatlinburg area, the Aerial Tramway Mall will also receive a facelift. As of now, this mall includes restaurants, shops, and other fun things to do. The mall will be referred to as “base camp,” and more things will be added as renovations start. Plans for the mall and additional attractions are still in the early planning stages, so stayed tuned for more information.
About Ober Mountain
In 1962, the ski resort was built in Gatlinburg and operated as a private club. In 1972 and 1973, the lower terminal of the Aerial Tramway was built. At this time, the ski resort and the tram were two separate attractions. But in 1975, Claude Anders purchased both to combine them into a singular sensation, and donning his legacy Ober Gatlinburg two years later.
Over the years, Ober grew with the addition of several attractions that you can still enjoy today. They include:
- Ice skating
- Ice bumper cars
- An arcade
- the Wildlife Encounter
- Water slides in the summer
- Snow tubing in winter and hill tubing in summer
- Ski mountain coaster
- Scenic chairlift
- Alpine slide
- Mini golf course
- Rock climbing wall
- Kiddie rides
- The Trails at Ober
- and much more!
Ober Mountain will continue to grow and evolve as the new owners take over. We look forward to seeing how the adventure park changes with every new addition!
Ober Gatlinburg may be under new ownership, but you can still enjoy the same skiing, snowboarding, tubing, and other activities you know and love. Stay tuned as we keep you updated with information as it becomes available. But for now, learn about even more fun things to do in Gatlinburg!
