And by spine-tingling, we mean happily frightening…or is it horrifically terrifying? Either way, Halloween in the Great Smoky Mountains is memorable to say the least — with scary events, mounds of candy, haunted mansions, tours starring ghosts, and the beautiful color-changing landscape in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Get ready to attend hair-raising parties, stuff your face with sweets galore, scream at the top of your lungs, make phantasmal friends, and enjoy nature as it fades into fall when you book your October stay for Halloween 2019 in the Smokies!
1 — Spook-tacular Events!
Top of the list are all the spook-tacular events in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg for this horrifying season! Whether you’re looking for a safe environment for the kiddos to go trick or treating, a creepy adventure filled with night frights, or even a place to check out familiars…uh cats, the Smokies has it all.
Ripley’s Fright Nights | Oct 4-27 (Fri-Sun)
Make your evening extra scary with Fright Nights at Ripley’s Haunted Adventure every weekend in October in Gatlinburg, where ghouls, goblins, zombies, and creatures of the night await in every shadow, around every corner…and right behind you.
Spooktacular Halloween Event | Oct 24
Head to the Pigeon Forge Community Center for a family-friendly good time as your little ones trick or treat for tasty sweets in a safe environment. And the best part is this event is totally free!
Halloween Cat Show | Oct 25-27
Witches and wizards, put on your best robes and bring your familiars to the Halloween Cat Show by the Volunteer Cat Club at the Smoky Mountain Convention Center in Pigeon Forge. Enter to win or simply take a gander at all the beautiful cats with Halloween themed enclosures and costumed humans.
A Spooky Celebration | Oct 27-31
Dressed in full costume, the team at Anakeesta will be kicking off Halloween with trick or treating at 9 different stations decked in All Hallows’ Eve décor. Plus, there will be ziplining and rappelling…in the dark…with a headlamp.
Trick or Treat & Kickoff Carnival | Oct 31
Take the kiddos trick or treating all over the Smokies — first at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg between noon and 5:00 p.m., then at The Island in Pigeon Forge from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Candy and games galore await in a safe environment!
2 — Candy Creations
Looking to curb that insatiable sweet tooth once and for all…at least until Thanksgiving? Well, you’ve come to the right place! The Smokies boasts homemade creations (like fudge and taffy) and cult classics (think candy corn, chocolate bars…and nerds) in the candy department. There’s surely something to tickle your fancy here — where sweet shops abound!
• Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen
• Fudge Shoppe of the Smokies
• Old Mill Candy Kitchen
• Farmhouse Sweets Candy Kitchen
• Smoky Mountain Candy Makers
• Country Candy Kitchen
• Chocolate Monkey
• Big Rock Candy Kitchen
• The Fudgery
• Crave Golf Club (candy themed mini golf courses + sweet treats = the perfect combo!)
3 — Haunted Houses
Itching to walk through a haunted house this Halloween? Take it up a notch with ghouls, goblins, and ghosts at spooky attractions in the Smokies!
• Creep through the halls of the Mysterious Mansion…where petrifying sights, chilling sounds, and hair-raising sensations combine.
• Scream at the top of your lungs as you take on the unsettling tour of horrors at Ripley’s Haunted Adventure!
• Escape the zombie apocalypse at Outbreak: Dread the Undead, where the fear of never reaching the other side of the compound looms…
4 — Ghost Tours
Never fear! Oh, wait…be super afraid as you walk among the dead-on ghost tours in the Smokies! Unless, you like phantoms…in which case, you may call these tours phan-tastic (we couldn’t resist).
• Turn your skeptic friends into believers with spooky tales along the Ghost Walk of Gatlinburg.
• Lead by lantern light, follow ghouls into history along the Gatlinburg Ghost Walk by Appalachian Ghost Walks.
• Envision the city’s past as it comes back to haunt everyone during the Ghost and Haunt Tours of Gatlinburg.
5 — Colorful Landscape
Best enjoyed and experienced from your cabin rental, see colorful hues throughout the trees cascading across the Great Smoky Mountain landscape during your Halloween stay! This truly breathtaking sight will be well worth the trip as words can’t paint a more beautiful picture…and even photos never do it justice. Gaze upon the natural beauty of autumn up close and personal along hikes in the national park, take stunning selfies atop Anakeesta, and soak in the remarkable fall scenery along the Gatlinburg Skybridge!
Dare to venture to the Great Smoky Mountains for a spook-tacular and phan-tastic Halloween — with fun events, candy treats, haunted houses, ghost tours, and a gorgeous autumn landscape!