You have so many options for activities when you vacation in Gatlinburg. While visitors love being outdoors and exploring the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains, there are also plenty of indoor attractions in the city. They offer fun ways to stay out of the heat, cold, or rain. Read on to learn more. Here is a list of 3 fantastic indoor things to do in Gatlinburg:

1. Explore Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies

While Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is a popular attraction in Gatlinburg, readers of USA Today have also put it high on their list of “Best Aquariums in North America.” Some of the highlights include the Penguin Playhouse. It has tunnels with glass tubes which visitors can stand in to watch the penguins play and wander about. Get even closer to them when you participate in special events. For example, watch penguins create colorful works of art with their feet during the Penguin Painting Experience. Touch a Ray Bay is one of the other interactive exhibits. Dip your fingers in the water and feel the smooth back of a stingray as it swims by. There is so much to choose from! Together, all the activities expose visitors to over 350 individual marine species. Whatever you do, prepare for a “fin-tastic” time.

2. Tour the Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum

Another one of the great indoor things to do in Gatlinburg is tour the Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum. It contains a collection of over 20,000 sets of salt and pepper shakers, all accumulated by one woman. She opened the museum as a way to share her passion with others. Look closely at the intricate designs. There are depictions of plants, animals, and even some of your favorite cartoon characters. There are many other interesting sights to see here, one of which is a giant salt deposit from the Great Lakes that is over 600 million years old. If you get inspired, you can stop by the gift shop to get your very own unique salt and pepper shaker set. It will be a great addition to your dinner table back home. Your admissions fee will go towards your purchase! Another thing to love about this museum? It’s pet friendly!

3. Seeing Unique Exhibits at Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

There are a lot of interesting things to see at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum. The exhibits include a lot of beloved pop culture elements with fun twists. For example, there is a model of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts made entirely of matchsticks. You should also check out the collection of shrunken heads. It was started in the 1920s by Ripley himself and has grown to include more than 100 authentic shrunken heads. Other exhibits teach visitors about the Smoky Mountain area. There is a Floating Kugel Ball Fountain that displays various facts about it as well as a Hike the Smokies exhibit. Make sure to bring a camera so that you can take pictures of everything you see to show loved ones back home.

We hope you check out these fantastic indoor things to do in Gatlinburg and everything else that the city has to offer. When you do so, take advantage of our coupons to save money.