Gatlinburg supplies
numerous accommodations including log
cabins, chalets, campgrounds, hotels
and motels, bed and breakfast inns, cottages, vacation homes and condominiums,
all offering an unforgettable vacationing
experience while vacationing in the Smoky Mountains.
Whether you're on business and you need a
Gatlinburg
hotel or motel or if you're planning the family vacation and need the
coziest of mountainside cabins, cottages or chalets, Gatlinburg furnishes every conceivable choice of lodging available.
If you can't locate it here, you won't locate it anywhere!
Surrounded
on three sides by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg has no
shortage of entertainment,
attractions and events! Experience
Appalachian mountain life, Southern Hospitality and diversity at its finest.
Gatlinburg's
attractions include, but are not limited to, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, fishing, Ripley's
Aquarium of the Smokies, (one of the world's largest aquariums), Ober
Gatlinburg Ski Resort featuring indoor ice skating and skiing,
Gatlinburg's Arts and Crafts Community, featuring more than 90 shops,
galleries, demonstrations and exhibits, and the incomparable, downtown gallery/artist's
retreat known world-wide as Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. For
the past 50 years, the Arrowmont shop has featured the best and most
varied products of craftsmen from all over the world.
On top of attractions, an abundance of dining
establishments and nightlife including entertainment and dinner theater
shows are available. From authentic southern cooking to gourmet restaurants, your taste buds will rejoice!
Annual events such as the world-famous Gatlinburg
Craftsmen's Fair, the Great Smoky Mountain Harvest Festival, Spring Fest,
Winterfest, the "Fantasy of Lights"
Christmas Parade and the new Smoky Mountain Tunes and Tales are just a few of the
Gatlinburg events and activities to enjoy.
After the Revolutionary War ended in 1783, veterans were given 50 acre land grants in Tennessee by North Carolina,
and the small mountain village began to grow as a community. The Oglesby family from
South Carolina, were the first to settle here in the early 1800's. Martha Jane Huskey Ogle (Oglesby had been changed to Ogle) came with her
7 children to start a new life in what her late-husband described as a “Land of Paradise” in Tennessee. The
family built a cabin, which is still seen today at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts.
Originally known as White Oak Flats, the name changed
after Radford Gatlin generously offered space to the postmaster, who in
return named his office Gatlinburg. Throughout the town's history,
settlers came to call this breathtaking community Gatlinburg.
In 1835 the
White Oaks Baptist Church was constructed, the post office was opened in
1855 and the first school (although private) was
completed in 1867. In 1912, Pi Beta Phi Fraternity created the first
public school providing academic education and the rebirth of Appalachian
arts and crafts and it's way of life.
Timbering
replaced
farming in the early 1900's as the primary economy base and the first hotel was built to accommodate
lumber buyers. In the 1930's, the formation of the national park boosted the area’s economy.
Many original settlers moved to town after being displaced by the park and took
jobs at hotels and other service facilities or developed new
enterprises.
Progress slowed considerably during World War II, but by the wars end,
tourists eagerly returned and Gatlinburg expanded to meet the demands.
Incorporated in 1945, Gatlinburg has since developed into a four-season resort and convention mecca with over
10 million visitors per year coming to experience it's history and beauty.
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