Ripley's Super Fun Park

Ripley's Super Fun Park sits right on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge and is the kind of place where a 2-hour visit can easily stretch to four if you're not watching the clock. The headliner is the go-kart track — there's a junior version for kids who can reach the pedals and a faster adult track that tweens and teens will beg to lap again and again. Parents who aren't riding can watch from the sidelines with a decent sightline to the track, which is reassuring if you have a first-timer behind the wheel.

The bumper boats are the hidden gem here. On a hot Smoky Mountain summer day, getting drenched is actually the point — kids come off the water laughing and parents are usually collateral damage. Pack a change of clothes and lean into it. Mini golf rounds out the experience for younger siblings or anyone who wants a lower-key activity between rides.

Pricing is attraction-by-attraction, so costs can add up faster than you expect. A family of four doing go-karts, bumper boats, and mini golf will land around $80-$120 before snacks. If you're also planning to visit Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies or the Believe It or Not museum, the combo pass is the smarter play.

Weekday mornings outside of July and August are the sweet spot — lines are short, parking is a breeze, and the Parkway doesn't have its usual bumper-to-bumper crawl. Summer weekends in peak season test your patience, but the kids won't care once they're in a go-kart.