The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a magnificent sight to see and attracts millions of tourists every year.
But these tourists don't just stay within the park boundaries, of course. They know how to have all kinds of fun Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and beyond.
Next year, visitors to the Smokies will have plenty of new attractions to set their eyes on, like a place to have a family Nerf gun battle. Some might even say that the idea of this kind of connection is as beautiful as the mountains themselves.
Here's a look at some of the new things to do and attractions visitors can expect when they visit the Smokies in 2024.
Dolly Parton Experience Dollywood
Dollywood in Pigeon Forge opens its doors to season pass holders for its 39th season on March 8. This will be the park's longest season, lasting 280 days. That's 23 more than the 2023 season.
In May, visitors will be entitled to the new Dolly Parton Experience, an immersive multimedia extension this will “make guests feel like they were alongside Dolly as she traveled from Locust Ridge to stages around the world,” according to the park.
The experience will span multiple buildings and include a Dolly Parton museum.
Those memories of elementary school coloring sessions will come flooding back in this 30,000-square-foot entertainment center from the iconic brand set to open in the fall.
The installation will feature more than 20 hands-on attractions, such as naming your own crayon color, creating wax art and a personalized coloring book, according to the company website. A retail store will feature the largest selection of Crayola products in the world.
The Pigeon Forge attraction, located at 2046 Parkway, will be the first of five Crayola Experience locations popping up across the country over the next five years.
Adults and children can enjoy this moss-filled attraction which is expected to open in the fall.
THE Nerf Action Experiencea 29,000 square foot indoor entertainment center, will open on Pigeon Forge Parkway and will feature blaster battle zones, sports challenges, an obstacle course, a food court and a retail store.
Originally scheduled to open in spring 2023, the construction themed amusement park now arrives in Sevierville on March 1st.
The 27-acre park will have more than 25 attractions that allow families to ride, ride and operate different pieces of construction equipment, including an excavator, electric SUVs and tractors.
If you're feeling destructive, you can operate a wrecking ball to knock over as many things as possible before time runs out.
Sevierville Water Park has some fun features coming in 2024 for those who want to do more than just take a dip in the pool.
The Lookout Lagoon rooftop pool will open in March and will be home to the Peak Rooftop Bar and Eatery. The pool will have a glass surround, three rooftop cabanas and an entertainment stage.
The park will complete the construction of six three-story treehouses, eight five-bedroom entertainment cabins and 14 four-bedroom treehouses to expand its accommodation capabilities. Floor plans will range from 1,300 to 3,900 square feet.
Gatlinburg's mountaintop park is adding two new features to its Astra Lumina nighttime ride experience.
Nebular Waves will be a new installation that “invites visitors to observe what happens when stars dream as they experience ethereal, undulating waves of light washing over them,” a press release from the park says.
The Astral Genisis installation will also get an update, adding a new light show.
The updated attractions are expected to open in March.
Silas Sloan is the growth and development journalist. E-mailsilas.sloan@knoxnews.com. Twitter@silasloan. Instagram@knox.croissance.
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