Gatlinburg Convention Center – Things To Do With Your Team
Nestled in the heart of Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Gatlinburg is a city with unparalleled natural beauty. These picturesque surroundings serve as the perfect backdrop for the Gatlinburg Convention Center, the city’s premier meeting and exhibit space.
Inside the 148,000-square-foot Gatlinburg Convention Center is the 67,000-square-foot Great Hall, the 17,000-square-foot Tennessee Ballroom, the 8,800-square foot Mills Auditorium, and over 15 meeting rooms. Outside, sprawling wooded landscapes harboring world-class attractions and restaurants.
Every day that you and your team spend in Gatlinburg will feel like an adventure. Be sure to venture out beyond the walls of the Gatlinburg Convention Center and explore this unique city as soon as you get the chance. You definitely won’t want to let this amazing opportunity pass you and your team by.
Things to Do
7D Dark Ride Adventure
Start your team’s visit to the Gatlinburg Convention Center right with a visit to one of the city’s most popular attraction, 7D Dark Ride Adventure.
7D Dark Ride Adventure puts you and your team right in the middle of the action. This state-of-the-art shooting game features seven immersive dimensions that will make it feel as if you and your team are really fighting through hordes of zombies or one of the other action-packed scenarios you can choose from. Don’t be surprised if you end up having to remind yourself that it’s just a game! 903 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Hollywood Star Cars Museum
Fulfill your team’s need for speed with a visit to the Hollywood Star Cars Museum. A walk through this unique attraction near the Gatlinburg Convention Center takes visitors on a trip through 50 years of famous movies and TV shows.
The museum features 40 incredible and authentic vehicles, many of which are the creations of George Barris, a designer and builder of many iconic Hollywood vehicles.
On display at the museum are some of George’s finest creations, one of the most notable being the Batmobile featured in the 1966 film Batman. Other vehicles at the Hollywood Star Cars Museum include the Ecto-1 from the Ghostbusters series, the General Lee from The Dukes of Hazzard, and a Midnight Blue Nissan GT-R R35 used in the filming of Furious 7. 914 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Ripley’s Marvelous Mirror Maze
You never have as much fun being lost as you will when you walk through Ripley’s Marvelous Mirror Maze. This mystifying maze features a disorienting array of mirrors and LED lights, along with an infinity room, dozens of dead ends, and plenty of other surprises along the way. All of the mirrors and lights can make it quite difficult to determine how to find the way out and might end up separating you from your group.
If you do end up getting separated from your group there’s no need to panic; search parties are sent into the maze every half hour. Granted you don’t get lost, the maze generally takes from 10 to 15 minutes to complete. This makes Ripley’s Marvelous Mirror Maze a great attraction to visit if your team is limited on free time during your time at the Gatlinburg Convention Center. 623 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Gatlinburg Space Needle
The Gatlinburg Space Needle is an observation tower that boasts unparalleled views of Gatlinburg and the surrounding Smoky Mountains. At 407 feet tall, it’s the fifth tallest tower in the state of Tennessee. Your group’s experience at the Gatlinburg Space Needle will begin with a ride in one of the tower’s two glass elevators. As you approach the Gatlinburg Space Needle’s observation deck you’ll reach heights of over 400 feet in the air.
When you exit the elevator and step out onto the observation deck you’ll be treated to scenic mountain vistas that could only be found in a city as beautiful as Gatlinburg. The observation deck features viewfinders that are free to use as well as the Higher Learning exhibits, rich in facts and history about both the city and the Smoky Mountains. 115 Historic Nature Trl, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Hillbilly Golf
Miniature golf on a mountaintop? Only in Gatlinburg! Hillbilly Golf is one of the world’s most unique miniature golf experiences, offering your group the opportunity to play the hillbilly way. Since Hillbilly Golf located on an actual mountain, you and your team will have to ride a rail car that scales 300 feet up the mountainside just to reach this rural miniature golf oasis.
Once there, you’ll find two challenging 18-hole courses to choose from. Both courses are riddled with appropriately-themed hazards including outhouses, stills, an old tractor, and an old-fashioned covered wagon. These unique features paired with fantastical scenery make Hillbilly Golf a surefire addition to your group’s must-do list. 340 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Rowdy Bear Coaster
Located minutes from the Gatlinburg Convention Center, the Rowdy Bear Coaster combines the thrill of the amusement park with the scenic tranquility of the Smoky Mountains. Riders on this gravity-propelled alpine mountain coaster zip and zoom through forest landscapes at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. Each coaster cart features a handbrake and an Intelligent Distance Control System. This allows riders to experience the Rowdy Bear Coaster at their own pace.
Since the Rowdy Bear Coaster is open 365 days a year and operates in rain and snow, it’s a Gatlinburg attraction that’s easy to fit into even the busiest of team travel schedules. Best of all, you can ride it again for only half price! 386 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
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Places to Eat
Mellow Mushroom
For out of this world pizza just minutes away from the Gatlinburg Convention Center, set a course for Mellow Mushroom. Each and every pizza at Mellow Mushroom has been hand tossed and stone-baked since they opened their first location in Atlanta, Georgia over 40 years ago.
Their specialty pies feature a variety of creative toppings. These include pizzas like the Pacific Rim, topped with red sauce, mozzarella, ham, bacon, caramelized onions, pineapple, and jalapenos; and the Funky Q. Chicken, with BBQ chicken, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, caramelized onions, Applewood smoked bacon, and a BBQ sauce swirl. You can also build your own pizza by choosing from a variety of sauces, cheeses, and toppings.
Other delicious offerings on the menu include salads, calzones, hoagies, burgers, plenty of fun appetizers, and sweet treats for dessert. 903 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Blaine’s Grill & Bar
Centrally located in the very middle of downtown Gatlinburg right by the Gatlinburg Convention Center, Blaine’s Grill & Bar is a restaurant that’s as welcoming as it is lively. You and your team can enjoy a fantastic view of the city from one of the three-story restaurant’s outdoor patios.
As you savor the view, you and your team can dig into delicious dishes like slow cooked St. Louis-style ribs, sizzling fajita platters, and country fried steak. The menu at Blaine’s Grill & Bar is practically endless, featuring everything from burgers and sandwiches to fish and pasta dishes. You can also start your meal off with one of their many appetizers, like fried pickle chips, wings, and chili cheese fries. 812 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Big Daddy’s Pizzeria
Big Daddy’s Pizzeria specializes in serving up pizzas with big flavor. At the heart of this popular Gatlinburg restaurant is a 550-degree, wood-fired brick oven.
All of their pizzas start with handcrafted, homemade dough that is then topped with one of their homemade sauces and fresh ingredients. In fact, they’re so committed to that freshness that there isn’t a freezer on the premises. The end product pays homage to the pizza’s classic Neapolitan roots with a deliciously crispy crust.
Some of their specialty pies include The Bee Sting, topped with marinara sauce, a mozzarella and provolone blend, Genoa salami, red pepper flakes, and a drizzle of honey; and the Big Kahuna, with marinara sauce, fresh pineapple, Canadian bacon, goat cheese, mozzarella, and provolone. Big Daddy’s Pizzeria also features more conventional pizzas as well as the option to build your own. For anyone your team not interested in having pizza, Big Daddy’s Pizzeria offers a variety of salads and sandwiches as well. 714 River Rd, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Bennett’s Pit Bar-B-Que
A favorite among locals and visitors alike, Bennett’s Pit Bar-B-Que has been serving some of the best slow-smoked ribs, beef, chicken, and pork in Gatlinburg for over 20 years. These barbeque joint staples are basted in Bennett’s own special sauce and placed over smoldering hickory wood for up to 14 hours. In addition to these meats, Bennett’s Pit Bar-B-Que also serves more unconventional offerings like beef ribs, hogs legs, and burnt ends as well.
Perhaps the most unconventional aspect of Bennett’s Pit Bar-B-Que however is the fact that they even serve breakfast. So, whether you’re in the mood for a hearty breakfast of pancakes with a side of eggs and bacon or sausage, or a rack of ribs, Bennett’s Pit Bar-B-Que has got you covered. 714 River Rd, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Offering great entertainment in the great outdoors, Gatlinburg is a city unlike any other that you and your team have traveled to before.
Despite its remote location on the cusp of the Great Smoky Mountains, there’s absolutely no shortage of fun, kid-friendly things to do during your team’s visit to the Gatlinburg Convention Center. In fact, you might just have to come back again soon to see everything that you might’ve missed!