There are some crazy things along the Parkway in the Great Smoky Mountain area, but today's featured destination might just take the cake: it's an upside-down building complete with palm trees swaying in the breeze... from their roots. This is Wonderworks in Pigeon Forge and it's one of the top attractions in the area. This place could be described as an amusement park or a science museum, but it falls somewhere in the middle. With hundreds of things to do inside, Wonderworks is filled with odd and unique experiences that make it a fun Tennessee day trip for the whole family.
Your eyes aren't deceiving you -- this building is, quite literally, upside down.
Wonderworks certainly knows how to make an interesting first impression! Legend has it that this building operated as a special laboratory within the Bermuda Triangle when an experiment that went horribly wrong sent the building tumbling through the air to land in Pigeon Forge.
As you enter the building, things only get weirder.
Standing in line to get your tickets, you will be greeted with a peculiar sight: everything inside continues the upside-down theme. You can see the cracks in the walls, falling picture frames, askew books, and many other interesting finds when you look up, which is really like you are looking down…
Once you get your ticket you can enter the swirling vortex.
This trippy entryway will have you walking on a platform while a spinning array of colors twists around you. It is almost impossible to not feel completely off balance and makes for a fun way to enter this amusement park.
With Wonderworks being a hybrid for learning and fun they have created a whole new word to describe the experience: "edu-tainment."
It is a pretty accurate description as you work your way through the various attractions you will learn plenty of new things all while having a blast. Plunge your hand into water at the same temperature as it was the night the Titanic sank. Then have a shaky experience at the Earthquake Cafe, or feel what hurricane-force winds feel like. Challenge yourself physically with the rock wall, or play some of the various arcade games as you make your way through each section.
Whatever you do, the massive rope course is a must whenever you visit Wonderworks.
This 50-foot-tall glow-in-the-dark course will have you climbings, balancing, and traversing through 50 different obstacles. When you are done you can learn more about space travel, or test your endurance with the gyro spinner.
There are several interactive rides to take advantage of during your visit: you can ride an enclosed simulated roller coaster ride or hop into the 4D XD simulator.
This theater will provide you with an epic immersive experience with a rotation of movies to watch. You might be trying to escape a hungry T-Rex or explore a wild western mining canyon. You never know what to expect, but rest assured, it will be an experience.
This only scratches the surface of what you can find at Wonderworks in Pigeon Forge. Try wrapping your mind around optical illusions, lay on a bed of nails, or battle it out with laser tag, the options are seemingly endless. You should expect a wild good time whenever you enter a completely upside-down building. For more information please visit the Wonderworks website.
This isn't the only quirky building in town; Pigeon Forge is filled with audacious and zany buildings that are all worth exploring.
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