Goats on the Roof of the Smoky Mountains

Goats on the Roof is exactly what it sounds like, and that absurdity is the entire point. There are actual live goats wandering around on the roof of a building on the main drag near Gatlinburg, and children find this completely and utterly wonderful. If you have kids between 2 and 9, this is one of those low-cost stops that somehow becomes a vacation highlight.

The mechanism is the real hook: feed cups are purchased for a couple dollars each, and kids load them into a pulley chute system that carries the food up to the roof. The goats have figured out the system and come running. Kids control the delivery, watch the goats scramble for position, and generally can't believe this is allowed to exist. You'll need multiple feed cups — one is never enough.

The property also has a gem mining sluice next door, a fudge shop, and a general store. The gem mining adds about 30 minutes and is worth doing for kids who like rocks and digging. The fudge shop is dangerous because it smells incredible and the samples are free. Budget accordingly.

This is a 30-60 minute stop, not a destination activity. It works perfectly as a midday break during a busy day of bigger attractions, or as an early-trip warm-up while you're figuring out the Gatlinburg traffic patterns. Tweens and teens will find it mildly amusing for about five minutes — this is solidly a young-kid experience.

Parents enjoy it too, though, because watching a 4-year-old operate a goat-food pulley system and then absolutely lose their mind when the goat eats it is the kind of parenting moment you actually remember.