Attractions are Gatlinburg’s special variety of fun, so much so that the Attractions Association of Gatlinburg (www.attractions-gatlinburg.com) was formed to help keep them all straight. New attractions open each year, offering a new variation on the theme of mindless, family-friendly, fun activities.

in Addition to Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, Arrowmont, and Great Smoky Mountains Arts and Crafts Community, some attractions that stand out from the rest are the world’s largest Amazing Mirror Maze (919 Parkway, 865/436-4415, 9 a.m.–midnight, adults and children 10 and up $9, children 3–9 $7) and Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum (traffic lights Nos. 7 and 8 on the Parkway, 865/436-5096, Sun.–Thurs. 10 a.m.–9 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 9 a.m.–10 p.m., adults and children 12 and up $15, children 3–11 $8), where you can see some of the strangest and most extreme sights in the world, such as two-headed cows and shrunken heads.

Mysterious Mansion (River Rd., 865/436-7007, daily 11 a.m.–11 p.m., $9) is a classic haunted house, and Motion Ride Movie Theater (Reagan Terrace Mall, 865/430-8985, Sun.–Thurs. 10 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 10 a.m.–midnight, $10) shows eight different movies where the seats move in tandem with the on-screen action, making you feel like you’re really in the cab of an 18-wheeler as it descends, without brakes, down the side of a mountain.

Other attractions in Gatlinburg fall in the category of higher-is-better. The Space Needle (115 Historic Nature Trail, 865/436-4629, daily 9 a.m.–10 p.m., adults $7.25, children 5–12 $3) is more than 400 feet tall and offers 360-degree views of Gatlinburg and the surrounding mountains. As if the view were not enough, there is a high-tech arcade, virtual-reality roller coaster, and mini-golf inside at the base of the needle.

The Gatlinburg Sky Lift (Traffic Light No. 7, 865/436-4307, www.gatlinburgskylift.com, Apr.–Oct. daily 9 a.m.–10 p.m., Nov.–Mar. daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m. weather permitting, adults $12, children 3–11 $9) is an old-fashioned attraction, dating back to the 1950s. Take a seat in a chairlift and climb gently up 518 feet, enjoying views of Gatlinburg and the mountains along the way. This attraction is as near to a timeless pleasure as you’ll find in Gatlinburg.