Does your family share a love for history? Gatlinburg, Tennessee is filled with opportunities to experience Smoky Mountain culture and travel back to a simpler time. Visit an old time sweet shop Founded in 1952, Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen is the oldest candy factory in Gatlinburg and continues to create delicious sweets in front of guests every day. Stepping into the candy shop's old fashioned atmosphere, some of the popular treats you will find include fudge that's still made in copper kettles, caramel apples, gummy bears, and taffy pulled on an old fashioned machine in the storefront window. Call: 865-436-4886. Tip: Try their moonshine taffy to get a unique taste of Tennessee. See more: Exploria Eats: Sweets of Gatlinburg, Tennessee Pose for commemorative photos in famous cars from Hollywood classics The Hollywood Star Cars Museum houses forty cars from Hollywood movies and TV shows, including the 1966 Batmobile. Other classics include the Ghostbusters Ecto-1 van, the DeLorean made famous in Back to the Future, and the General Lee from The Dukes of Hazzard. Tip: Pose for commemorative photos in cars from the museum's collection. Stargaze into the Smoky Mountain Sky On a good night, you can see stars from 19 quadrillion miles, easily. That's 19,000,000,000,000,000 miles! Gatlinburg is a prime location to experience the world's magnificent nature and wonder about the history of Earth. Have fun stargazing at the Tennessee skies at the Sugarlands Visitor Center. Tip: Google some popular constellations to gather an idea of what you would like to see. Discover things you wouldn't think to look for If you want to return home from your vacation with interesting stories and unique memories to share, Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium is a must-see. It's a true playground for the open minded. Within the walls of Gatlinburg's oddest place, you will find 500 incredible and bizarre artifacts on display. The Odditorium features three floors of strange sights, like a two-headed calf and an eight-legged buffalo. Ripley's Believe It or Not! also has genuine shrunken human heads in its museums. Yes, you read that right. The Jivaro tribes of South America would take the heads of fallen enemies, remove the skin whole, and shrink it to the size of a fist. Explore the historic Cades Cove Cades Cove is the most frequented section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with over 2 million visitors each year. This breathtaking valley takes its name from Chief Kade, a Cherokee leader who used to hunt in the area. The cove's first Euro-American settlers, John and Lurena Oliver, arrived around 1818. By 1850, Cades Cove was home to a farming community consisting of 685 people. Cades Cove's 11-mile, one-way loop road offers easy access to John Oliver's cabin and other homesteads. Visitors to the cove will also find three beautiful churches, a working grist mill, and a cantilever barn. Tip: Experience the Smokies in an entirely different way with guided night hikes. Lead by a member of the National Park Service, visitors have the opportunity to explore Cades Cove after the sun sets and the forest becomes alive with nocturnal activity. See more: Dazzling Hikes in Gatlinburg, Tennessee Learn about craftsman art and culture With over 100 artists and craftsmen, Gatlinburg's Arts & Crafts Community is a living, breathing tribute to the history of Tennessee Carvers, weavers, watercolor artists, casters, soap makers, potters, silversmiths and dozens of other artisans skillfully demonstrate their abilities before thousands of visitors and discuss the history of their craft. The community is located on an 8-mile loop along the Tennessee Heritage Arts & Crafts Trail. The Gatlinburg Arts & Crafts Community can be reached using the Yellow Trolley from downtown Gatlinburg. Each shop offers plenty of free parking. Come explore Gatlinburg! Book your visit to Gatlinburg Town Square by Exploria Resorts, a beautiful resort nestled in the midst of the Great Smoky Mountains and conveniently located within walking distance of downtown Gatlinburg.
