Blog for Zipline Attraction in the Smoky Mountains
Located in Pigeon Forge, TN and near Gatlinburg and Sevierville.
Turning Vacation Into Child's Play
By Ross Bodhi Ogle
Posted on August 31, 2021
Remember that feeling you got when you were a kid in a toy store? Chances are that even as an adult, being surrounded by shelves full of toys and games at least stirs a few memories of those golden days of childhood. Truth is, a lot of us never outgrew toys at all, whether it's collecting action figures and trading cards, playing video games or even sitting down to a good old-fashioned board game.
Next time you're hanging out in Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge on your Smoky Mountain vacation, you might want to devote some of your shopping time to exploring some of the local stores that help their customers tap into their inner (or current) child. You might be able to pick up a Christmas gift for the special kid (or adult) in your life, or if nothing else, you might find a great game or puzzle for the family to enjoy while staying in a Smoky Mountain rental cabin.
Read on for our suggestions for some of the shops to try when you're in town.
You'll find several retailers worth looking into at The Island attraction in Pigeon Forge. At Build-A-Bear Workshop, kids (and parents) can make their own stuffed animals, choosing from more than 30 bears, bunnies, dogs and more. Give each creation its own personality with outfits, accessories and even sounds. At the Kryptonite Character Store, they cover multiple aspects of pop culture, from TV shows, anime and movies to cartoons games and comic characters. Look for pop figures, high-end collectible figures and other merch from the DC and Marvel universes and beyond. At Puzzled, one of the South's largest puzzle stores, they have jigsaw puzzles, 3D and 4D puzzles, Scramble Squares, Rubik's cubes and brainteasers, to mention a few. Choose from 10,000 items in all. They have an additional location in Pigeon Forge as well as one in Gatlinburg. Finally, at The Toychest Company, they have toys both classic and new, from companies like TY, Calico Critters, Play Mobil, and Melissa & Doug. They also carry items you won't find in most traditional retailers.
The Tower Shops at the Mountain Mile in Pigeon Forge has toys too. Toy Town has a little something for all ages, for both boys and girls. From dolls to dinosaurs, play sets to plushies, you'll find it on the shelves of Toy Town.
Gatlinburg has its share of toy destinations too. Cartoons & Toys, located at The Village shops downtown, has a large selection of Hello Kitty, John Deere, Groovy Girls, Care Bears, and Thomas the Train items as well as classic pedal cars, wooden puzzles, Beanie Babies, charm bracelets and more. Also in Gatlinburg is Gamer's Link, located in the Carousel Gardens shops downtown. They have a large and diverse selection of card and board games for sales, including Dungeons & Dragons, Magic The Gathering and more. Finally, grown ups who are still kids at heart may want to check out Big Boy Toys, also found in downtown Gatlinburg. They specialize in radio-controlled cars, helicopters, drones, planes and all the gear that hobbyists need to get up and running.
Toys are a great way to find diversion, but don't forget about outside play. And as luck would have it, we at Smoky Mountain Ziplines are set up to provide you with hours of fun on a late-summer morning or afternoon. Our Pigeon Forge zip line tours are geared toward all ages (within weight and age limits), and no dice are required to have the time of your life. Call us or book your next tour online today.
