Pigeon Forge’s Hollywood Wax Museum Through the Years
Hollywood Wax Museum Entertainment Center has done a lot of growing since coming to Pigeon Forge, and we’ve seen a lot of things. Check out a timeline of some of our greatest milestones and memories.
June 2007
Hollywood Wax Museum opened in the Smoky Mountains, but its original location was actually in Gatlinburg. Though highly popular, this attraction closed in November 2010 as planning commenced for a larger and highly prominent location in Pigeon Forge.
May 2012
The brand new Hollywood Wax Museum in Pigeon Forge opened its doors and is still a sight that can’t be missed! Its major architectural features are the Hollywood Sign and New York City skyline, a tribute to the movie-making capitals of the U.S. The venue also includes a 32-foot Hollywood-style version of Mt. Rushmore. But, the building’s crown gem is The Great Ape of Pigeon Forge, weighing in at 34,000 pounds and scaling the façade’s NYC skyscrapers.
The Pigeon Forge entertainment center becomes the first, and still the only, Hollywood Wax Museum that allows guests to get face-to-face with the Great Ape. The observation tower that is situated beside the ape offers great views of the Smoky Mountains and some of the nearby landmarks.
June 2012
The formidable castle on the hill opened with two new attractions for guests of all ages. Castle of Chaos offered a 5D adventure merging the technologies of 3D film, an amusement park ride and a video game. Hannah’s Maze of Mirrors featured 288 potential turns among hundreds of mirrored walls and archways.
July 2012
I Do! That was the answer when Alex Wilhelm got down on one knee, three stories up on the Hollywood Wax Museum Entertainment Center’s observation deck overlooking the gorgeous and romantic Smoky Mountains, and proposed to Heather Goss. Of all the wedding proposal locations, we love that Alex chose to ask for his bride’s hand in marriage beside the Great Ape of Pigeon Forge.
June 2015
Outbreak – Dread the Undead opened, offering guests a high-energy, thrill-a-minute, scary-fun, walk-through experience filled with hordes of zombies. Guests rave about the attraction where they are bombarded with sights, sounds, fog, aerosol attacks and smells that blur the lines between fiction and reality.
Hannah’s Maze of Mirrors was taken to new heights with a remodel that expanded the reflective fun to a second floor. A musical staircase provides guests with a melodic way to ascend to the continuing adventure, and the maze culminates in celebratory burst of lights inside a mirrored fireworks room.
December 2016
Hollywood Wax Museum was spared from wildfires that destroyed many homes and buildings in the Gatlinburg/Sevierville/Pigeon Forge region. While the fires were certainly scary, the outpouring of support was remarkable. To do our part, we donated $8,000 to local charities and our staff, as a team, voted on how to divide the funds. Fortunately, the entire region has since recovered.
November 2017
Castle of Chaos is reinvented! The 5D adventure moved from a single-adventure attraction with a paranormal storyline, to two new non-stop, shoot-em-up rides. Armed with a laser blaster, guests are now able to compete for highest score as they try to rid a town of ravenous werewolves, or ride the rails while chasing down a band of robot outlaws.
Today the Pigeon Forge Hollywood Wax Museum Entertainment Center continues to welcome crowds of adventurous guests daily. Doors are open to visitors 365 days a year and free parking is plentiful. Visiting Pigeon Forge in the near future? Consider purchasing your tickets online and skip the box office line.