Three Bears General Store
Three Bears General Store
Three Bears General Store
4.5
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
About
Welcome to Three Bears General Store, the LARGEST in the Smokies and your ONE STOP shop for family fun! Explore our vast selection, enjoy our arcade, savor delicious food and beverages, shop for souvenirs, and even feed LIVE bears! Your ultimate family destination in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Come and make memories with us today!
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Restaurants
262 within 3 miles
Attractions
121 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- Chelsea1 contributionPeppermint Santa ExperienceWent in for the peppermint Santa experience and was not disappointed! They are very nice and inviting they worked with my almost 2 year old to capture amazing photos that we’ll cherish forever. The best part is they make sure that the true meaning of CHRISTmas is showing through the Santa suit! Will definitely be adding this to our annual Christmas tradition list!!Thank you for your review! We're thrilled to hear you had a fantastic time with Peppermint Santa! Merry Christmas!Written December 11, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited December 2023Traveled with familyWritten December 10, 2023
- Faith C1 contributionAnnual trip to three bears!Took our annual trip to Pigeon Forge and had to stop at three bears. Went to the ice cream section and the gentleman at the counter, his name was buddy. He was so friendly and just had an overall amazing personality! He made sure our experience was as amazing as it could be. We really all appreciated buddy! Make sure to go see him and ask for some jokes if you go!!Thank you for making us a part of your annual trip to Pigeon Forge! We're delighted to hear that Buddy made your visit special with his friendly and amazing personality. We'll pass along your appreciation to him. We look forward to your next visit and more fun moments with Buddy! 🍦😁✨Written May 22, 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited May 2024Traveled with familyWritten May 18, 2024
- Charles P1 contributionTonya saved the day!Tonya in the candy department went above and beyond customer service! My wife's sugar actually bottomed out while we were there. She suggested a Honey Stick and man did it work!! Thank you Tonya for the help, and the awesome conversation afterwards!! It meant so much to my wife and I. The store is pretty cool too, go see the bearsThank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to have someone like Tonya on our team. It's wonderful to hear she could assist your wife and make your visit memorable with her exceptional service and conversation. We're glad you enjoyed the store and meeting our bears. We look forward to seeing you again soon!Written May 24, 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited May 2024Traveled with familyWritten May 22, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,388 reviews
Excellent
857
Very good
318
Average
110
Poor
34
Terrible
69
Jello
2 contributions
Jun 2020 • Friends
I would like to complain about a specific employee that ruined my entire experience with this store. This employee was working at the front register at approximately 9:50 pm on Sunday, June 28 of 2020. First, she over-charged the people in front of me in line for items they did not buy. This mistake I can overlook- however, it did hold up the line. While waiting, my friends and I saw a shirt hanging on a rack near the cash register and joked about purchasing it since it was a youth medium which would be extremely too small. We left it there and then purchased our items. As we were about to leave, this employee commented in a rude, disgusted tone, “Y’all can hand me that shirt y’all were playin’ with so I can put it on back.” This was absolutely unnecessary since she was clearly trying to disrespect and embarrass us. As I said, we left it on the rack it was on and did not handle it roughly or in a way that was deserving of this woman’s harassment. I left the store feeling enraged but also hurt. I hope this employee is made aware of here hurtful and toxic attitude towards costumers.
Written June 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
caddyjak
Vandalia, OH582 contributions
Jun 2021
The business model for this place was popular in the 50's and 60's. Now, if they respected the deep discounting variety product concept, well- it'd be intriguing. Truth told, they are hoping to fool tourists into believing it's off price basic merchandise, surrounded by souvenirs and hillbilly novelties. Over this past decade, we always have dipped in for a walk thru Three Bears. Those walks have gotten shorter and shorter as we discovered what it's all about. Pretty sure we've wasted our last hour wandering thru this over-priced menagerie
Written June 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Jack!
Our goal is to provide a variety of products and services in a one-stop-shop fashion for all ages and families to enjoy. We are very competitively priced with area shops and do our best to remain this way. We apologize that you are not as enthusiastic about us as you were in the past, but we do encourage you to keep stopping in, as we are always changing up things and enhancing the shopping experience for all.
Have a wonderful day!
Written July 8, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jane Doe
1 contribution
Jun 2020 • Family
Do not give this establishment your business. A certain female employee humiliated our entire party. She also over charged the people in front of us. After showing no remorse to them, she proceeded to scold us for something we had not done. We left feeling upset and disrespected. We did not deserve it and she did it out of spite (we were previously laughing about a shirt because it was way too small for any of us). This employee did not handle the situation appropriately and should be held accountable for her actions.
Written June 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
B G
8 contributions
Oct 2021 • Family
Terrible experience. The food products we got were so stale I don’t think they were made this year. I got a dill pickle popcorn and I’m pretty sure MRE meals stockpiled from Vietnam would have been fresher. We did the “see and feed bears” upstairs and the lady taking money was a c@&t. Very rude and would only let us get two foods. If I want to buy 15 trays of grapes for 3.50 apiece that is none of your damn business. If your looking for fresher food than this place I can suggest the dumpster at McDonald’s. If you actually want to feed bears and have a good time go to Cherokee past Gatlinburg and feed the bears at the bear zoo.
Written October 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there! We apologize that you had a negative experience. We pride ourselves here at Three Bears as a customer first business. We will take this feedback you provided and alert the department leaders to monitor these issues. Thanks so much for visiting, we hope you will return again with assurance you will have a better time.
Written October 11, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jon L
Decatur, AL80 contributions
Oct 2020 • Family
We decided to stop in and see this place....not going back. The gem sifting can be done at The Island for half the price. The “sterling silver” jewelry they sold us was fake. The arcade was lame. I hate to write these types of reviews but this place is definitely not one I recommend going to unless you just wanna see their bears laying around.
Written October 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there!
We apologize that your experience was less than favorable. We do appreciate the feedback and hope that you will visit us again to see that we are always trying to improve guest experience.
Thanks again!
Written October 28, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
TheTravelingBoyMama
144 contributions
Jun 2021 • Family
Giant store with something for everyone. It was pretty crowded, so it was sometimes frustrating to look at things. The build your own stuffed animal upstairs was very reasonably priced. We paid the extra money to see the live bears. We didn’t mind supporting the bears, but you can see them at a zoo for less. Overall, a neat store.
Written June 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for visiting us! We're glad you stopped in and hope to see you again soon, as a tip, the earlier you visit, the less crowded we are, that way you can experience more :)
Written July 8, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Melissa S
Boonsboro, MD281 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
This was a fun two story gift shop, arcade, cafe, fudge shop, ice cream and a special bonus of feeding the bears. For $3.50 a person you can go out the back of the building and see the bears, there is an extra charge for a tiny cup of apples and grapes to drop in tubes that go right to the three bears that live here. They rescued the bears from being killed and have taken care of the bears for over 25 years. The bears were very active and seemed quite happy. There is an endless amount of souvenirs of all kinds for you here. For another activity there is a gem mining place right next door.
Written July 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for the positive review, Melissa! We appreciate it.
Written November 28, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Denny R
115 contributions
Oct 2020 • Solo
First going to this place, I didn't know that the store was so big inside, there was so much to choose from and even went upstairs and had Christmas merchandise there I didn't get the woman's name but she was very helpful and patient with us on our items we were looking for an got. Adam was the cashier he was very nice to us and welcomed us there. Over all the experience was good and we will come back on our next trip here to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge
Written October 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Denny! Thanks for coming to visit us during your family vacation. Glad to have you and hope to see you again soon. We are blessed with great employees!
Written October 23, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Bobbi H
Indianapolis, IN29 contributions
Mar 2022 • Family
The store has so many items to choose from. Fudge, ice cream, drinks, snacks, caramel apples, souvenirs, toys, cups, stuffed animals, clothes, live bears and an arcade. Honestly you could spend hours here looking at everything. The employees we encountered were super nice and made you feel right at home. We did the live bears which is $3.50/person no matter the age. Which isn't horrible but there were 2 bears who were sleeping the whole time so honestly it wasn't worth it to us. They do offer food to feed them but only certain times a day and they had already done it for the day. The kids enjoyed the arcade, it was small but clean and had enough games for us. Overall, I would visit again just skip the bears.
Written March 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for visiting us! Our bears are usually more active in the mornings, and mid day. We hope you come back and see us again soon!
Written March 30, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Snowflake1211
Neenah, WI181 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
It was pretty interesting but I didn't know you had to pay to see the bears, $3.50 each plus more to feed them. I read a lot if reviews but I guess I missed that. That was a bummer. However the store is full of some pretty interesting things. Some seem pretty unique to the area, some seemed like things you could buy anywhere. I enjoyed the Christmas section of the store! So many Christmas things! They also sell little food items (dips, salsas, pickled peaches, etc), tons of t-shirts, magnets, there's an arcade and so much more! It was pretty crowded as another reviewer said, you have to shuffle along in some places and most people aren't wearing masks, though they did have a sign in the door saying face coverings are highly recommended.
Written August 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for visiting! We apologize that the information about our bears wasn't visible. We will fix that!
Written September 1, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
They have a very nice website with contact information. I found it on the basic search engine. There is a spot where you can send them messages and get replies. I hope this helps.
Written September 29, 2022
Are you pet friendly? Our baby is 2 lbs and is apart of our family and we love to shop here and we are in Gatlinburg 3-4 times a year it’s our hone away from hone. She has her own stroller .
Written August 17, 2020
Yes! As long as they are contained in the stroller, they will be fine!
Written October 23, 2020
How much does it cost to make a stuffed animal? I know there are different prices based on sizes but can’t remember the prices.
Written July 7, 2019
We were just there and I didn't look...but the staff is super friendly so if you call they will help I'm sure!
Written July 7, 2019
We are traveling with our pet (small dog), is he allowed in store?
Thank you
Written May 4, 2018
Yes! Small pets are allowed as long as they are contained.
Written October 23, 2020
How much does it cost too see the bears for adults and kids price ? Thanks
Written April 19, 2018
I think it’s just $3.25 for anyone, but I would check just to be sure.
Written April 21, 2018
Hi, do you know what time of day you can see/feed the bears? Is it open as long as the store is open? We'd hate to go there and it be closed.
Written July 14, 2016
pastott9
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
You can see the bears from 10:00am untill they go to sleep at night. The feeding times are 10 to 12, 3 to 4 and 7 to 8.
Written August 21, 2017
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