This is a great little stop. Fun for all ages. You walk through what seems like a mile of trails…read morewith a different dinosaur every few steps. There is information on each species and hands-on activities like dusting for dinosaur prints. Everything is on the honor system so your donation goes in at the beginning but they also have a gift shop which is really great considering that no one is there watching. It restores my faith and humanity to know that people are so honest. It does say this is a dog friendly activity, but a tied up barking dog on the other side of the fence made part of the journey a little bit difficult for my small dog. She was almost as frightened by the neighbor's dog as I was of some of the exhibits I went through that had sound and scared the heck out of me. They don't call it backyard terriers for nothing :) but it's all in fun. Don't be afraid of the parking even though it can get a little tight. We had fun and this is definitely an affordable way to kill some time and keep the kids busy while they learn.

Bring your kids or just pretend you're one for the day!…read more We had no clue what we were getting into with our arrival. We were just looking for something to do. It was free with a suggested 5 dollar donation. We donated before we knew what we were getting into but darn it, we were SO IMPRESSED!!! There must have been 50 dinos over acres and acres of land. I got in a good mile of walking there. What a fun way to spend an hour or two!

We've come for Thomas the Tank Engine Day for past 3 years. Always so much fun! They love getting…read moretheir picture taken with Sir Topham Hat and playing the activities under the Thomas Day tent. The kids love riding the big train, although the loud whistle scared the little one this year. But we had noise-canceling headphones, as a just-in-case, so all was well. The kids are still little and really enjoy the activities up at the top. We had a stroller, so took the free shuttle to the top, rather than the skylift. The mine train, gem mining, and the little-kid rides were a big hit. Feeding the animals (goats, llamas, deer, emus) is always super fun, too. Before you enter the animal area, you can buy ice cream cones filled with animal feed ($1 a cone). Once you've handed out all the feed, then you break the cone apart and feed it. We bought 3 cones; could probably have used a 4th. The animals were all very friendly and gentle. Even one of the llamas came over for some feed; they are usually a bit aloof. Look forward to coming back!

We visited Tweetsie Railroad over Christmas break. The Christmas lights were really pretty and the…read moreholiday décor was fun and festive. There were several rides and activities geared toward kids, which made it a nice family outing. The train itself is very loud for little ones, so that's something to keep in mind, but overall the kids loved it and had a good time. For a family of 5, tickets for the train (which includes admission and all the rides) is pretty costly.

Great location great staff great service my son Daughter and her friend here to have a little…read morebirthday get together and they had a blast. We booked a two hour, but they got worn out within an hour we do again.

Pros: - Very kind and professional workers on the tubing…read moreslopes at every turn. Kept us safe, even distance apart, lines organized, and kind and positive through it all. - felt very safe getting on and off conveyor belt, great for families - 5 lanes, all were open and functioning - all tubes were singles (no double tubes) but they would let you hold onto each other's tubes and make your own group train (we made a family of four mega tube!) - bathrooms were clean and warm - the indoor ski-house area had a fireplace and picnic tables "Opportunities for improvement": - food options were limited to chips / candy. You could purchase fresh hot coffee / hot chocolate. It would be nice if they sold a couple of warm food options like chili or hotdogs. Not a huge issue, but just be aware to plan accordingly. - there were some lines, it was the busy peak holiday season, but honestly we had plenty of time to enjoy tubing, and the lines were organized, and run by kind professionals A wonderful day with family !

We had such a great time and ended up picking up the base ticket that includes: Gravitational…read moreAnomaly, Hall of Mystery, Bubblerama, Native American Artifacts, 2903 Dougherty House & Farmyard, Rodeo Rampage Bull Ride Challenge. It is a really cool place to visit, walking in that gravitational anomaly room is the weirdest sensation I've ever felt, but it is something cool to experience. In the hall of mystery, we literally let our inner child just wander around. And sadly we weren't able to do the bull ride, because of timing. For sure it is a place where you can spend your day in there. They're very hospitable and our tour guide was very funny.

A pretty fun straightforward diversion good for rounding out an afternoon in Blowing Rock. I ended…read moreup coming here on a day trip weekend getaway. I'm originally from Michigan and grew up pretty close to the Mystery Spot in the Upper Peninsula, so I was somewhat familiar with this sort of place. I ended up checking out the "gravitational anomaly" room along with the "Hall of Mysteries" but none of the other stuff. There was also Axe Throwing and some sort of Native American History Museum but didn't see those as I was somewhat pressed for time. There was also somewhat randomly a huge obscure soda collection which was kind of cool. And they also had Vernors which as a former Michigander I appreciated. The "gravitational anomaly " room was pretty cool and is obviously the main focus of this place. There were a few demonstrative tools like a water flow demonstration, a rubber ball on a track that apparently defies gravity and a swingset. The room itself isn't too large and those three things were the only "tools" in there but goofing around in the room on your own is plenty entertaining as you can see from the attached pictures. Beyond that the "Hall of Mysteries" was basically a small section of optical illusions and science demonstrations which was interesting enough but something probably more interesting to and suited to kids. Overall the place is cool but kind of feels like it doesn't know what it's trying to be beyond the "gravity room" and feels like it could use a little update and some more focused development/presentation. If you haven't been before it's probably worth experiencing at least once if you're going to be in the area and have time for it. They also have a Zoltar machine, which is always a plus in my book.

What a blast! Racing around the figure 8 track with family and friends. It was a little cramped,…read moresqueezed into the cars but too much fun. I took my point and shoot with me the first time around. The second time I just wanted to rip! BRAPPP. . The third time I did not race, instead I made photos of the my crew. The arcade was fun, I lost money to the claw... lol... The Pedelin' Pig BBQ was right down the street! Yummy BBQ. We'll be back to Appy Happy State, Pedelin'Pig, Cook Out and Fun'n'Wheels in Boone NC next year when we holiday on top of Bald Mountain. Bring back your youth and ride the Go Carts. . PEACE

So glad to see this business open during our vacation!! Staff is great, kids and adults had so much…read morefun!! Will be back!!

4 1/2 stars! We stayed for one night in June (myself, husband, and 5 y/o daughter) just for fun…read more None of us had ever been to a GWL. Right off the bat, I will state that my biggest annoyance was having to pay for parking. It's absurd; if you're already paying for the room, parking should be included. Otherwise, we had a great time. The room was way bigger than the average hotel room of the same amenities. It was clean and comfortable. Loved the convenience of the wristband for getting into the room and also paying (almost) everywhere on site. Dinner at the Lodge Wood Fired Grill was delicious, and our daughter loved being able to look out into the water park from there. Breakfast buffet at Loose Moose was a bit overpriced, but honestly delicious so it was whatever. Prices at restaurants honestly seem "fair", in terms of it being like an amusement park level place. I loved that you could pretty much go wherever you wanted with whatever food/drink you wanted. Some places can be nit-picky about those things, so this was refreshing. Overall, we will definitely return!

Check in was smooth. Room was better than I expected. Love the layout, perfect for family…read more Came on an unexpected invite. Friend from out of town extended the invitation. He has previously experienced the Grand Mound, Wa location. Party also included a 13 and a five year old and a grandma. Loved all the activities available. It's its own little world. Room set up was perfect. A bit pricey but better bargain for your buck than the ear place. Nice, convenient, family friendly! Will be back

Amazing customer service ! Great spot to come when it's too cold outside or you want a change of…read morescenery, or your kid loves Dino's or rocks or exploring new activities! It's hands on, the people working are exceptional! Highly recommend!

Great choice for gem mining! Friendly staff, reasonable prices, and very nice stones included in…read moreyour mining mix. Such a fun activity for all ages!!

Great fun place to go for everyone, having fun in Gatlinburg tired of writing so go have funread more

A diamond in the rough. We we're looking to kill some time with our daughters and came across this…read moregem. In business for 42 years. It's no commercial, no extra stuff for your kids to beg for. Just good old fashion go karts. 5 bucks for 15 laps or 20..lol. It's off the beaten track but we'll worth your time if your looking for an hour or two to kill. The karts are fast and 2 seaters are available for the little ones to ride with you. We were there an hour and a half and were the only ones there. A great way to spend time with your family or race your friends. It's Americana at it's finest.