Ripley's Haunted Adventure

The format is simple. Your group walks through in order, performers try to rattle you, and you come out the far end deciding who screamed loudest. Live actors are the difference-maker: they react to your group, so a nervous, bunched-up crowd gets a different show than a loud, laughing one. Animatronics, sound and lighting fill the gaps between the people in costume.

Ripley's lists the attraction as one of its Gatlinburg experiences, and the attraction page on ripleys.com is where current tickets, hours, directions and accessibility information live. This site has not confirmed a running time, an age minimum or a fright rating, so read the FAQ before bringing children. If anyone in your group startles easily, ask about the exact content first. Haunted attractions are the one place where "family friendly" varies wildly.

Ripley's has advertised Fright Nights every weekend in October, with the Gatlinburg location's regular daily hours running from late morning into the evening. Exact times change by day and season, so check the day you plan to go. Weekend nights after dark are the busiest, and a Saturday in fall color season on the Parkway is crowded all around the building.

Ripley's sells combo tickets that bundle several of its Gatlinburg attractions, and the company has run fall discounts on them. If you are already planning a day on the strip, the Ripley's Gatlinburg listings show which attractions can be paired. The Mirror Maze at 623 Parkway is the gentler pairing if you want something to calm down with afterward.

• Go on a weeknight or earlier in the day if you want a shorter wait and a more dramatic walk through with fewer people ahead of you.
• Parking on the Parkway is scarce and paid. Leave the car at your lodging or a garage and use the free Gatlinburg trolley, which stops along the main strip.
• Wear shoes you can move in. Dark rooms and uneven floors do not mix with sandals.
• Keep your phone in a pocket. Lit screens ruin the effect for everyone else and the actors will notice.

People who dislike sudden noises, strobing light or being touched or approached in the dark should skip this one or ask the staff what is involved before buying a ticket. Plenty of visitors find a good haunted house to be the funniest ten minutes of the trip, but only if they went in knowing what it was.