Tennessee Museum of Aviation

The Tennessee Museum of Aviation is a museum of vintage aircraft, with a collection of historic warbirds and other planes displayed in a hangar-style building at the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge airport in Sevierville. It is a quieter, more educational stop than the Parkway's entertainment attractions, and suits aviation enthusiasts, families with plane-mad children and travelers who want something indoors and unhurried. It is a short drive from Pigeon Forge.

Most visitors to the Smokies corridor come for the rides and the mountains, so a museum devoted to aircraft is a refreshing change of pace. The Tennessee Museum of Aviation collects, restores and displays historic aircraft, with a focus on warbirds from the Second World War and other eras, and it sits beside the local airport, which gives the experience an authentic, working-airfield backdrop.

Planes are displayed in a hangar with interpretive information on their history, their pilots and the missions they flew. Because the museum is run by enthusiasts, there is often a depth of knowledge at the desk and in the hangar that a purely commercial attraction might lack.

For families, the museum offers a different kind of fun. Children who love planes can get close to aircraft that they would otherwise only see in books or films, and the open layout lets them look from many angles. It is indoors, comfortable and not as busy as the Parkway. The visit is not a high-adrenaline outing, so it works well as a calm morning or afternoon between more active days.

Check the museum's website for current hours, admission details and any special events, such as open cockpit days, as these change over the year. Special exhibits may be added, so it is worth looking at the schedule before you go.

The museum is in Sevierville, a short drive north of Pigeon Forge, so plan about twenty minutes from the Parkway depending on traffic. Parking is on site. Allow one to two hours for the visit, longer if you are a dedicated enthusiast who likes to read every placard. Combine it with shopping or dinner in Sevierville, or with a visit to Dolly Parton's statue at the courthouse downtown.

The museum is a good rainy-day choice, and it appeals to grandparents with a military or aviation background as much as to children. If planes are not your passion, you may prefer an attraction on the Parkway, but if they are, this is one of the most rewarding quiet stops in the area and a pleasant surprise for visitors who come expecting only theme parks.

If you have a keen enthusiast in the family, ask at the desk about the history of particular aircraft and whether any are currently being restored. Small museums often have volunteers with detailed knowledge and a passion for sharing it, and a short conversation can add a lot to the visit. Bring a camera, since the aircraft make dramatic subjects in the hangar light, and check whether flash photography is allowed in any area.