(0)Excitedly let your gaze gain more and more distance through the windows of the glass elevator as you rise from ground level, above buildings, and to the observation deck 400 feet above the streets of downtown Gatlinburg. Take your time as you peer for miles and miles of surrounding Smoky Mountain skyline for 360-degrees of viewing in every direction. Spot well-known Gatlinburg attractions such as the Gatlinburg Sky Lift, The Mysterious Mansion, and Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies.
This iconic steel structure in the heart of downtown Gatlinburg has been one of the most enduring attractions of the Gateway City to the Smokies since its opening in 1970. The Higher Learning exhibits offer an extra educational aspect to your viewing experience, with historical and geographical facts set to each viewpoint. From each trajectory, gaze over the physical present with more context and depth creating a more meaningful and memorable sightseeing experience atop the Gatlinburg Space Needle. Alongside the Higher Learning exhibits, you’ll have a free viewfinder to pinpoint and inform you of exactly what you are looking at!
Year round, take in the many beautiful, unique sights of the Smoky Mountains with a budget-friendly admission ticket that permits visitors 2 trips in the glass elevator to the observation deck in one 24-hour cycle! During the day, look over long distances of rolling mountains and foothills while the majestic shadows of the mountains loom against starry skies behind mesmerizing city lights.
In the Springtime, catch the first glimpses of bright green forestry and blooming wildflowers reawakening from hibernation. Let the kaleidoscope of autumn shades take your breath away as you stare in wonder over reds, yellows, and orange crawling up and down mountainsides. Cuddle close to your loved ones while you look over the serene white blanket of snow reflecting the sunlight against empty blue skies after winter storms. The Gatlinburg Space Needle offers incredible seasonal views, making this attraction a must re-visit each time you find yourself in the Smoky Mountains!
Downtown Gatlinburg Events
New Year’s Ball Drop
Join the biggest party in Gatlinburg for a light-show spectacle and ball drop to usher in the New Year! With music and a pyrotechnic show illuminating the Space Needle against the evening sky, snag your New Year’s kiss as the ball grounds at the stroke of midnight!
The celebration of America’s birthday begins at the stroke of midnight with a Fourth of July midnight patriotic parade saluting freedom, our veterans, and all that makes America beautiful! Join 100,000 fellow citizens along the downtown Parkway and East Parkway after a classic Fourth of July meal with Fannie Farkle’s famous Ogle Dogs and set up your lawn chairs and blankets! The Independence Day festivities continue throughout the Smoky Mountain area in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, ending with a climatic “bang!” as fireworks shoot from the Gatlinburg Space Needle after dark!
Weddings
Romantic, breathtaking views can play host as the backdrop to your dreamy Smoky Mountain wedding! High above the city, the Gatlinburg Space Needle can seat more than 250 guests to witness this incredible moment in your relationship in front of miles of heart-stirring mountain views. To ensure your wedding dates are available at the Gatlinburg Space Needle, contact their offices by calling 865.436.4629 to make a reservation and more venue information.
Cabins for YOU can assist you in every other step from large group lodges for coordinating a convenient, charming cabin stay for family and friends to the perfectly romantic honeymoon getaway. We even offer a range of special vacation packages featuring photo albums, sparkling cider, champagne flutes, chocolate kisses, gourmet chocolates, flowers, bath salts, body lotion, bath gel, bar soap, massage oil, edible love dust, ostrich feathers, candles, and more!
More Than Beautiful Views
Arcadia
Aisles upon aisles of bright lights and tinkering sounds of jackpots fill the dimly lit amusement center like an arcade dreamland. No need to pinch yourselves! Arcadia, located at the base of the Space Needle, is Gatlinburg’s largest arcade center with over 100 of the best games, new and classic, in a 25,000-square foot carnival-esque wonderland. Use your eTickets accumulated on your easy-to-manage ticketless play card to redeem at the top-notch prize center! After learning about the city and taking in incredible views, enjoy some youthful diversion with the kids or goof-off with your fellow travelers before heading back to the cabin.
Iris Theater
Make your excursion to the Gatlinburg Space Needle an all-encompassing, one-stop visit after riding the glass elevator and playing games in Arcadia and end your eventful time with a show that is sure to leave you in awe (once you have caught your breathe from the incredible views). The Iris Theater knows you have seen plenty of black bear and hillbilly related attractions while in the Smokies, so it is time to be dumbfounded by the mind-blowing performances of Chris Collins and Erik Dobell! During “Impossibilities: Magic, Mindreading, and Mayhem,” be left in pure amazement at the talent and flair of this illusionist duo.
The Captured
What would you do under the pressure of being trapped as a possible menu item or addition to a toy collection? As odd as these situations may strike you, once you have entered the room by which you will be imprisoned, you are forced to use the elements and tools provided to solve puzzles, discover clues, and bolt! In “The Captured: A Live Escape Experience,” you and fellow unlucky prisoners have only an hour to bust out of one of two different horrifying scenarios, defeating the bitter souls using whit, intellectual skill, and mental wherewithal!
Slice Pizza Bakery
After action-packed, fun-filled adventures at the Gatlinburg Space Needle, you are sure to work up quite an appetite. No need to go far for some delicious food with big tastes to match the views. Slice prides their pizza on quality and style, because even in the Smoky Mountains, you can get Big Apple-style pie! With handed-down authentic recipes and years of quality to back up their claims, you and the family may fall in love with some New York in the middle of the Smokies.
Tickets and Pricing
Adults: $8.50
Children (years 5 – 12): $4
Seniors: $5
Children Under 4: FREE (with the purchase of an adult ticket)
(Group Rates are also available!)
*Rates as of 2017
The Gatlinburg Space Needle is in operation 365 days a year for viewing the Gateway City in all her beauty and splendor that changes with each season. Want some of the best views of seasonal events? Get birds-eye views of the parades and sounds from the observation deck.
Tickets are good for 2 rides within 24 hours of purchase! Take some incredible pictures during the day, with mountains visible for miles, and fall in love with Gatlinburg as all the lights of the city illuminate the night and shadowy mountains majestically rest in the distance.
Such an incredible day visiting the Gatlinburg Space Needle should be complemented with a homey, relaxation-inducing Smoky Mountain cabin! Give one of our reservation specialists a call at 1 (800) 684-7865, or simply use our easy to use online form, Options for YOU, to narrow down the top picks for your dream Smoky Mountain getaway!