A Visit To Anakeesta & Astra Lumina
We’d seen Anakeesta advertised for years and were thrilled to finally get to experience it for ourselves! We chose to take the “chondola” up the mountain which was an open air chairlift and might not be for everyone. (They also have enclosed “cabin” lifts or a hayride-style truck you can choose). The theme park at the top is extremely well done to a Disney-esque standard with everything picturesque, clean, and unlike anything I’ve ever encountered at a “theme park.”
Our daughter loved the birdhouse themed playground (which is 3 stories tall and includes low-ropes course elements, 3 playhouses, a rope trampoline and lots of slides. We all enjoyed the scenic views, observation tower and rope bridges that stretched through the treetops. The restaurants were delicious and surprisingly reasonably priced. They have attractions you can add on including two mountain coasters and a zip line adventure. We didn’t opt for those, but did purchase tickets to their “Astra Lumina” night light show immersive walk experience. It was absolutely stunning and a highlight of our trip. We definitely recommend adding that to your adventure! This is a must-see that is worth the drive to Gatlinburg! Check out our recap videos of both Anakeesta and Astra Lumina below!
Note that the parking lot nearest the ticketing booth fills up quickly. We parked at the parking garage behind the Ripley's Aquarium (which is right across the street) and paid a flat $10 for the whole day which is super reasonable for the area, and it was really convenient.
💰: $34.99 Adult, $22.99 Kids, $27.99 Seniors, (3 and under are Free)
🍔: several excellent options for food at the top, our favorite is the Smokehouse where the kids meal was huge, delicious and reasonably priced enough that even the adults ordered it and were full.
🎟️: there are add-on options including Astra Lumina ($15.99 per person, highly recommend), a zip line and mountain coasters.
☎️ 865-325-2400
📍576 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
💻 https://anakeesta.com/