The Island in Pigeon Forge
The Island in Pigeon Forge
The Island in Pigeon Forge
4.5
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
About
The Island in Pigeon Forge is a 23-acre entertainment destination offering families affordable fun, both night and day. As one of the newest, most unique shopping, dining and entertainment complexes in Pigeon Forge, The Island offers fun for all ages and occasions, whether you're on a family vacation, a day trip with friends or your honeymoon. The Island is home to Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville restaurant, the Margaritaville Island Hotel, Paula Deen's Family Kitchen, and many more must-see attractions in Pigeon Forge. Showcased by The Great Smoky Mountain Wheel, a 200-foot-high observation wheel, and a multi-million dollar show fountain programed to perform to light and sound, The Island in Pigeon Forge is a must-stop on your next trip to East Tennessee!
Duration: More than 3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience The Island in Pigeon Forge and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
269 within 3 miles
Attractions
120 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- jamsmaChannahon, Illinois27 contributionsGood time for all!First time visiting The Island. Parking was easy, and it was nice that they provide a tram from the parking lot to the ‘Island’. Many great things for kids and families to do. Loved the selection of stores and eateries. The corn dog I had at Not Just Nachos was the worst corn dog I have ever had in my life! It was stale and soggy. Needless to say, my husband and I enjoyed the water fountains and Ole Smoky Distillery shop as well as Byrd’s cookie store. Fantastic cookies! Will definitely go back to visit Margaritaville!Visited October 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten October 6, 2023
- JordanSavannah, Georgia5 contributionsWorth a visitWe enjoyed our trip to the Island. Definitely don’t go here if you don’t want to spend any money shopping. There are so many unique shops that you don’t find too often, so it makes it hard to get away without spending money. That being said, we would definitely go back during our next trip to Pigeon Forge.Visited October 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten October 16, 2023
- Pikasmom57 contributionsGreat water show!The water show at sunset is really beautiful, perfectly in sync with music. They have a lot of chairs around which was really nice. The shops are pretty good to browse but we ate at Paula Deens Kitchen, and it wasn’t worth the hype. It was mediocre at best.Visited October 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten October 30, 2023
- Ben BEvansville, Indiana233 contributionsGreat Evening Around The FountainStayed at the Inn which is slight walking distance to the Island. Great evening walking around the area and visiting shops and eating/drinking establishments. Very pleasant atmosphere and very relaxing. Ended up at Dick's for a cocktail but be warned it is a different adult location, at least in the bar area.Visited November 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten November 13, 2023
- ANR_78Marion, Illinois704 contributionsMoney Pit (but in a good way?)We were in town for a multi-family, long weekend since Gatlinburg/PF is in the middle for most of the families. All of our kids range from 2 to 17 so this little money pit was a great way to spend an afternoon. We got the kids the bracelets as soon as we got there and let them ride the rides as much as they wanted. There is enough stuff to keep everyone busy for a half-day or so but the adults were ready to leave well before the kids. Since we had the bracelets we ended up leaving and then coming back for the night-time experience. All in all, it was a successful visit.Visited June 2023Traveled with familyWritten January 18, 2024
- BrittNorth Carolina2 contributionsRopes course on the island pigeon forgeWent to the island with my kids for the first time, they had a blast. They’ve never been on a ropes course before so we had to try it out. Dylan and Matt were very friendly and helpful. They were funny and made my daughter feel so safe about going up there. Definitely would recommend 10/10!Visited January 2024Traveled with familyWritten January 29, 2024
- Holly SmithDayton, Tennessee34 contributionsGood, but needs moreVery fun, but needs more stores targeted towards youth (babies-teens). While there are some, there are very few with not a huge selection. It’s also pretty pricey, while I understand that is the deal for tourist places, it’s still crazy expensive for some things. I do recommend going if you like carnival rides, shopping, and good eats.Visited February 2024Traveled with familyWritten February 18, 2024
- Randy SGoodlettsville, Tennessee590 contributionsNice atmosphere, Good mealMy wife and I love Longhorn restaurants; they are consistent in quality wherever we go to one. We love the atmosphere and we love the booths. I love the salmon and brussel sprouts and she loves the Renegade steak or the Parmesan crusted chicken. Really good meals. And, the service is always good, as it was at this restaurant. I would always recommend Longhorn restaurant.Visited February 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten February 24, 2024
- Scott TYadkinville, North Carolina56 contributionsBecause I think of islands when I’m in the mountainsIt’s a money trap tourist shopping thing. Ya walk around and ya can buy stuff. My favorite part is you can sit in a chair and watch the fountains and big trashy women whack their kids with flip flops. The people watching will boost your self confidence.Visited March 2024Traveled with familyWritten March 9, 2024
- Robert WNew Castle, Indiana4 contributionsGood TimePlenty of things to do. Good combination of rides, shops, and places to eat. We went with a four year old and he loved all of the kids rides. Would highly recommend getting some pizza/wings at the mellow mushroom.Visited March 2024Traveled with familyWritten March 28, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
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
12,317 reviews
Excellent
8,229
Very good
2,897
Average
904
Poor
177
Terrible
110
edorsey46
Harrisonburg, VA16 contributions
May 2020 • Family
This is my son. His name is Vale and he is 9-years-old. He suffers from Autism and Epilepsy and he has a service dog named Marley that helps him stay safe. My family waited in line to ride the wheel and once we reached the front of the line, we were directed to loading dock 6. The ride operator then noticed the service dog and ushered us off the dock and told us we would not be able to ride. He stated they have a “special car” for “families like us” and we needed to wait until car 22 came around. We stood and waited for 10 minutes while they continued to load everyone else from the line in front of my poor boy. He was confused as to why he couldn’t go and we were humiliated as other patrons protested and offered us their cars. But the manager would not budge and could not offer an estimated time for loading. He estimated another 30 minutes we would be standing there watching everyone else ride in front of our son because he had his dog. This is against the ADA is every sense of the law and a disgrace to this establishment. I strongly encourage anyone with disabilities to avoid this place and support another business more sensitive to those with special needs. These people should be ashamed of themselves for suggesting they are here for families. And apparently this isn’t their first offense related to discrimination of disabled people.
Written May 27, 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.
Daisy Faye Harper
Corinth, MS4 contributions
Mar 2020 • Family
We stay away from anything that takes 30+ minutes to park and try to find your destination. Its very crowded and hard to maneuver. Id suggest planning your own trips out - in Pigeon Forge you will find something just as expensive and time consuming but with less of a crowd.
Written March 14, 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.
LovesToTravel31
Rocky River, OH139 contributions
Apr 2021 • Family
If you’ve been to Downtown Disney or City Walk at Universal, The Island will feel very familiar. Very crowded and overpriced with the same types of stores and chain restaurants you would find at other similar tourist locations. On the plus side, as an outdoor shopping and dining complex, it’s set up well for walking and parking is free. If you’re looking for a bit of sensory overload and a way to spend the money you saved after a day of hiking in the Smokies, this place will do the trick.
Written April 6, 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.
meeksmen
Dayton, OH11 contributions
Jul 2020
We went on a Friday night, so it was kinda busy but we only went to get on the Ferris wheel. That line moves very slowly, took us 90mins to get through the line and I am glad we went at night when it was not as hot outside because that will wear you down.
Otherwise, free parking and free admission into the park, you can walk around and explore for free or just pay to ride and/or eat.
Not a lot of people wearing masks though and some idiots even brought newborn babies with them with no masks for them or the child.
Otherwise, free parking and free admission into the park, you can walk around and explore for free or just pay to ride and/or eat.
Not a lot of people wearing masks though and some idiots even brought newborn babies with them with no masks for them or the child.
Written July 14, 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.
TB-27529
Garner, NC138 contributions
Jun 2020 • Family
This "Island" was definitely worth visiting for a day. You can easily spend half a day eating at a restaurant and looking through the shops.
The rides can be either paid for per ride or a day pass. Our 18 year old and 10 year old only wanted to do the zip line course, which was $15 per kid but not timed, and they spent about an hour playing on it. They also wanted to do the big wheel.
The other rides were too expensive IMHO.
They did have a light and water show, but it seemed to be to only 2 songs, which was a disappointment.
There were some other entertainment places, like mirror maze and 7D theater, but we didn't try them.
Last, the shops, they were varied, but a lot seemed to have the same nicnaks, which was also unfortunate.
I'd give this area a 3.5 out of 5. Worth seeing at least once, but probably wouldn't come back unless there was another reason, outside of the island.
The rides can be either paid for per ride or a day pass. Our 18 year old and 10 year old only wanted to do the zip line course, which was $15 per kid but not timed, and they spent about an hour playing on it. They also wanted to do the big wheel.
The other rides were too expensive IMHO.
They did have a light and water show, but it seemed to be to only 2 songs, which was a disappointment.
There were some other entertainment places, like mirror maze and 7D theater, but we didn't try them.
Last, the shops, they were varied, but a lot seemed to have the same nicnaks, which was also unfortunate.
I'd give this area a 3.5 out of 5. Worth seeing at least once, but probably wouldn't come back unless there was another reason, outside of the island.
Written June 14, 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.
TAM1956
Georgia Coast, GA16 contributions
Dec 2019
We visited during the Christmas season and again on New Year's Eve. There were lots of people but we still felt safe, even walking around with a toddler. There is a wide variety of shops and rides for the children. The rides can get expensive, especially with people with several children. Everything was clean and beautifully decorated.
Written January 2, 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.
anita059
Russell Springs, KY498 contributions
Oct 2020
The Island is free to visit and there is a lot of little gift shops and there is rides for the children (they cost), but I enjoy going and walking around and sitting there watching the watch dance. Every 30 mins it dances to music. One of the best things to do I feel in pigeon forge that is free.
Written October 10, 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.
tuffcustoms
Floyd, VA60 contributions
Jan 2021 • Couples
Lots of little shops and stores. Some expensive, some not. We went on a Sunday afternoon and it was chilly so the crowd was smaller. Employees in store were wearing masks for the most part. Other shoppers don’t always follow social distancing, however the stores can’t control that. The fountain was neat, however was too cold to stay and watch for long. Unless you’re looking to shop or eat, you could likely find something better to meet your needs. You have to park in a lot and walk, so there is walking required.
Written January 4, 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.
Nicholle
6 contributions
Jul 2020
I love the fountains and the island over all. I think they could take a page out of Dollywood’s book and require masks outside as well. Social distancing is not possible here. People are packed in shoulder to shoulder and very few people are wearing a mask except where it’s required inside.
Written July 22, 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.
ramblindan2017
LaSalle, Canada122 contributions
Aug 2022
We visited the Island twice during our stay. Once during the day and again at night to watch the fountain which is the focal point of the Island. It was nice to have free parking as almost everywhere in Gatlinburg your paying twenty dollars to park. lots of shops selling many different items. We liked the bluegrass band that would play in front of The old Smoky Moonshine store and would draw a crowd every time they would play. The one issue we found was the tram system that would pick you up and drop you off in the parking lot at tram stops. They would over load them and at one point the driver drove right passed our stop and we ended up back where we got on and had to walk back to our vehicle anyway. Other than that it is a must visit area and has something for everyone.
Written August 26, 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.
Thank you so much for coming to visit us at The Island and for your feedback. We appreciate you and look forward to seeing you again soon!
Written August 29, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
My husband uses a walker.
Is the Tram handicapped accessible?
Are there benches or seating areas in the shopping area?
Written December 11, 2024
My mother has to use mobility scooter due to heart issues. She can walk but not for more than 30 feet without her heart having arrythmias. Are the restaurants able to accommodate her with her scooter? Is there a place in restaurants to safely put her scooter while she sits down to eat at a table?
Written July 29, 2024
The Island at Pigeon Forge is the Margaritaville Resort section that is open to the public.
Written April 8, 2024
we are three daughters bringing our mom up for her 78th birthday, we'll be staying at the Island Hotel. Will she be able to use a mobility scooter around the island and in the hotel?
Written March 6, 2024
The Islands are mobility scooter friendly. ADA accessible including roll in showers, grab bars, roll under counters. Call for availability.
Written March 8, 2024
I saw reviews talking about a free tram from the parking lot to The Island. Is the parking itself free, though? Thanks!
Written January 18, 2023
madisonisland
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
At the Island in Pigeon Forge, we always offer free parking and admission. There is a complimentary tram owned and operated by The City of Pigeon Forge that runs during business hours.
Written February 17, 2023
Jenny T
Raleigh, North Carolina
I was told that animals cannot ride the tram from parking and it’s a mile walk. My husband has a transport chair and can ride the tram . Is there anyway around that we can also ride(me and small dog) with my husband and his transport chair? Thanks
Written August 20, 2022
madisonisland
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Hi, Jenny!
We do have a complimentary shuttle service from the parking lot to the entrance of The Island that's run by the City of Pigeon Forge. We have a handicapped lot close to the entrance as well that is a short walk into The Island. Leashed dogs are welcome on property!
Written August 23, 2022
Where is the best place to park for the island during the day/night and for news year Eve. New year's Eve we would be coming from wears valley on the 321....
Written April 1, 2022
Parking in the lot between the island and Leconte Center is usually your best option it may be a long walk if you have to park far out but usually worth it not to have to drive around
Written April 2, 2022
View their website at The Island Pigeon Forge as it has a lot of info
The prices for each ride vary and can be seen by clicking on the individual rides here. Individual tickets range from $4 to $14. However, the best way to enjoy all we have to offer is to invest in a 48-hour unlimited rides pass. With this, you are even able to split your time up between two days – all for one convenient package and price. The pass is $30, or $40 if you’d like to add a one-time admission to The Island Ropes Course.
Written July 30, 2021
…
Showing results 1-10 of 84
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing