While staying in the Pigeon Forge - Gatlinburg, TN area, would you like to spend some time shopping and then sit down to an old-fashioned country meal? Check out the Old Mill Square, located in Pigeon Forge! The square has eight stores, including a toy store and a candy kitchen. The Old Mill Restaurant serves southern style breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

In the early 1800s, The Old Mill was crucial to everyday life for the early settlers in the Smoky Mountains. It produced flours and meals each day. It was water-powered, and even provided electricity to the Little Pigeon River area until 1935. The Old Mill has a large water wheel that harnesses the flow of the Little Pigeon River. This water wheel is one of the most distinct features of the mill. Inside the mill is a dependable system of shafts, belts and pulleys turns the 4600-pound stones and grain elevators. This system still works today, grinding products such as cornbread, biscuits, pancakes, grits, and muffins. These products are used in the dishes served at the Old Mill Restaurant today. Also, some grains are used in the Old Mill Bakery Café.

The Pigeon Forge area’s heritage is preserved in the shops at Old Mill Square. There are a variety of crafts that are practiced at the shops. For example, pottery-making and recipes of candy-making. The Old Mill Square is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of the most photographed mills in the country. It is also a very popular place to visit in the Smokies, just as it was two centuries ago.

Among the stores in the Old Mill Square is the General Store. This store adjoins the Old Mill, making it a favorite shopping destination for a million visitors each year. The store carries meals and grains made at the mill, such as yellow and white cornmeal and grits, flours, and pancake mixes. Also available are homemade jams and jellies. Fudge is made in the Candy Kitchen, and also sold at the General Store. You will also find unique gifts, such as Smoky Mountain memorabilia and craft items.

Other shops include Pigeon River Pottery, The Creamery, The Candy Kitchen, The Toy Bin, along with others. The Old Mill square is a destination where everyone in the family will find something that interests them. Book your cabin today, either online or by phone, to be able to visit The Old Mill Square.