Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies on cloudy day
October 7, 2024

If you’ve spent weeks planning the perfect Smoky Mountain vacation, it can be disappointing to wake up and realize it’s raining and you need to change your plans. However, a rainy day doesn’t have to ruin your vacation! There are so many great ways to have fun in the Smokies no matter the weather, including these excellent Gatlinburg rainy day activities:

1. Visit Ripley’s Attractions

Ripley's Haunted Adventure ticket window

One of the best Gatlinburg rainy day activities is visiting one or more of the Ripley’s attractions in town. Head to Ripley’s Believe It or Not! to discover the world’s most unusual artifacts and stories of amazing people. At Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, you can spend hours watching and learning about colorful sea creatures from around the world. If you’re looking for a thrill, visit Ripley’s Haunted Adventure for a terrifyingly fun time as you discover what lurks around dark corners. Other indoor Ripley’s attractions include Ripley’s Mirror Maze, Ripley’s Moving Theater, and Ripley’s Super Fun Zone.

2. Play Indoor Mini Golf

There are a number of great places to play mini golf in Gatlinburg, rain or shine! If it’s raining outside, you can choose to play a round at one of the indoor mini golf courses, such as Circus Golf, Treasure Quest, or Gatlin’s Black Light Golf. Each of these mini golf attractions offers its own unique theme and obstacles to overcome. This is an excellent activity for any family or group of friends who loves a little friendly competition!

3. Sample Wine and Moonshine

Tennessee Homemade Wines sign

If you’re over 21 years old and enjoy adult beverages, then one of the Gatlinburg rainy day activities you should do is wine or moonshine tasting! You can find several wineries and distilleries in town that allow you to sample a variety of flavors. If you love wine, you can explore the Gatlinburg Winery Trail. This wine tour includes visits to five of the best local wineries in the Smokies where you can sample an assortment of wines for one low price.

4. Explore Museums

One of the best Gatlinburg rainy day activities is exploring museums! Gatlinburg is home to a few different museums that each offer one-of-a-kind experiences. The Hollywood Star Cars Museum is a must for anyone who loves cars and classic movies. You can see famous vehicles from American pop culture, such as the Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters, the DeLorean from Back to the Future, two Batmobiles, and more. The Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum features displays of more than 20,000 sets of salt and pepper shakers from around the world. See salt and pepper shakers from throughout history in a variety of shapes and sizes.

5. Stay In

pool table and arcade games at Hawks Crest cabin

You don’t have to go out to have fun in Gatlinburg on a rainy day! When you stay in one of our Gatlinburg cabin rentals, you can enjoy plenty of rainy day activities in your cabin without ever stepping foot outside. Our cabins feature amazing amenities that will keep you entertained for hours, such as arcade games, pool tables, board games, theater rooms, hot tubs, Jacuzzi tubs, and much more! Each cabin also features a fully equipped kitchen, so you can spend time cooking or baking together. Or, simply cozy up in front of the fireplace and enjoy the peace and quiet.

These are some of the best Gatlinburg rainy day activities that will help you have a fantastic vacation no matter the weather! To make the most of your trip, you’ll want to stay close to all the action in a cabin with plenty of entertainment options. Take a look at our selection of Gatlinburg cabin rentals and start planning your next vacation today!

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