Are you planning an educational tour to Pigeon Forge with curious kids or exploring to expand your knowledge? Along with its picturesque natural beauty, this destination is renowned for being a treasure trove of educational opportunities, hands-on learning, and historical insights. Its museums showcase a diverse blend of education and entertainment, making them perfect for curious kids and knowledge-seeking adults alike.
These museums exhibit the incredible power of creativity, interactivity, and imagination, providing an educational and captivating experience for young minds.
From unraveling forensic mysteries to exploring marine wonders, these museums offer hands-on exhibits that spark imagination and foster learning. But with so many options, choosing which ones to visit can be overwhelming.
Read on for a comprehensive guide on some of the best museums in Pigeon Forge that should be a part of your next educational tour to the Smoky Mountains!
The Top 7 Museums in Pigeon Forge for an Educational Tour
Pigeon Forge is a destination where nature, history, and culture collide, forming a kaleidoscope of experiences. Embark on a journey where enjoyment meets learning at these thoughtfully designed museums.
- Alcatraz East Crime Museum
If you’re studying forensic science or criminal justice, or simply find law enforcement intriguing, head to the Alcatraz East Crime Museum. Visit the CSI laboratory to learn about digital fingerprinting, safe cracking, and DNA testing. This museum lets you get up close and personal with artifacts associated with Bonnie, Clyde, and Al Capone and learn about famous political scandals like Watergate.
One of the most thrilling things to do here is get a mugshot photo dressed in a prison jumpsuit! Young detectives can try out the heist challenge or meet McGruff, an endearing crime dog! This enigmatic museum is themed like the notorious 19th-century prison called Alcatraz, located off the coast of San Francisco.
- WonderWorks
WonderWorks has created a perfect story for its inception as a top-secret laboratory in the Bermuda Triangle that landed upside down after an experiment went wrong. The building itself is an inverted structure, capturing the attention of passersby.
An inversion tunnel leads you into the museum, where the adventure begins. Imagine experiencing a 6.0-magnitude earthquake or feeling the weightlessness that astronauts feel in space! WonderWorks is renowned for its ‘edutainment’ exhibits that spark kids’ imaginations and ensure they have a great time.
One of the most inviting museums in Pigeon Forge, WonderWorks features over 100 science exhibits. It features six wonder zones: the Light & Sound Zone, the Imagination Lab, the Far Out Art Gallery, Natural Disasters, Space Discovery, and the Physical Challenge Zone.
- Titanic Museum
If you are looking for one of the most unique museums in Pigeon Forge, your search ends at the Titanic Museum. How exciting is having a boarding pass to the world’s most esteemed luxury liner, the Titanic? Experience what it was like to walk the hallways, cabins, dining halls, and especially the iconic Grand Staircase in 1912. Explore 22,000 square feet of captivating history through more than 400 spectacular exhibits.
The museum features a self-guided tour where you can enter the captain’s cabin, touch an iceberg, operate the wireless system to send messages and take a leisurely walk along the sprawling decks. Additionally, there is a Tot-Tanic interactive zone specifically designed for kids. If you are curious about the real-life passengers (their names are featured on the boarding pass you receive), you may visit the Memorial Room.
- Bible Tennessee Museum
Make learning about Christian history more engaging by visiting one of the most thoughtfully designed museums in Pigeon Forge. Exciting displays include copies of the largest printed Bible, rare Torah scrolls, and an early Latin Bible from 1840.
A major highlight is a Bible that saved a soldier’s life by stopping a bullet. Renowned for offering an immersive experience, the museum also houses first-edition Bibles in Greek, French, Hebrew, German, and Latin. It is also home to numerous interactive exhibits, which bring fascinating Biblical tales to life.
The museum’s hands-on activities provide learning opportunities and fun, regardless of visitors’ age or religious beliefs. For example, children can play David and Goliath by flinging stones with a slingshot or participate in an Exodus adventure obstacle course. Do not miss the on-site bookstore and themed gift shop.
If you’re looking for some exclusive opportunities for fun and technical learning, the following museums are a short drive from Pigeon Forge:
- Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies
Step inside the fascinating world of sea creatures at the award-winning Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. One of the best ways to discover aquatic life and new varieties of wildlife is with a field trip to this exceptional venue.
Embark on a breathtaking boat ride — the Glass Bottom Boat Adventure. Imagine only three inches of glass separating you from 12-foot sharks! Also, there are sawfish, snakes, and hundreds of other exotic saltwater and freshwater exhibits. Get acquainted with the friendly tour guides, who provide a wealth of information about the animals.
Furthermore, the Touch-A-Ray Bay allows you to touch jellyfish and stingrays. Also, watch out for the green sea turtle, Sally. The penguin parades, feeding shows, Coral Reef, Tropical Rainforest, and Discovery Treehouse make the center a seamless mix of education and entertainment.
- Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Odditorium
Don’t we all go through a phase as children where we are obsessed with bizarre mysteries? If your students are interested in unique things, consider visiting Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Odditorium. Here, they can explore the largest collection of unique artifacts spread across three floors and 16 galleries, which include Oddities of the Human Body, Oddities of History, and the World of Oddities.
Stand inside a giant tire, try moving a 5-tonne granite ball, and be amazed at the various exhibits, including a car covered in crystals, a two-headed cow, and an eight-legged buffalo! Visitors may also view the educational exhibits on medieval living and other bizarre historical events. You should check out the Mirror Maze and the 5D Moving Theatre if it doesn’t catch your attention.
- Bush’s Baked Beans Visitors Center
Are you interested in learning about the remarkable history of America’s favorite canned beans, Bush’s Beans? The fascinating memorabilia showcased in their on-site museum relays the company’s 110-year-old journey and is worth a visit. Step into the old factory to view vintage equipment like roasters, conveyors, antique bean sorters, and more.
The center also has interactive exhibits that tell you more about this iconic brand’s remarkable innovations. Kids can indulge in crafts activities and bean sorting games to make your educational tour more enjoyable. Afterward, enjoy a delightful lunch at the Family Cafe to round off your trip.
Conclusion
The incredible collection of museums in Pigeon Forge makes it an ideal destination for planning an educational tour. Every year, Pigeon Forge witnesses a steady increase in visitors—both old and young. The city welcomes young minds to make memories, explore, and learn new things while having a blast at these incredible museums filled to the brim with ‘edutainment.’