Anakeesta continues its aggressive growth plan in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, with new rides and attractions
article and photos by Martin Palicki
Perched high in the mountain above tourist-focused Gatlinburg, Anakeesta is only accessible to guests by taking either a chair lift or bus, both of which operate continuously from the ticket booths and entrance down at street level.
Once at the peak, the delightful world of Anakeesta reveals itself. Unlike many traditional theme parks that are set up in a circular shape, Anakeesta’s lands and pathways meander, following the landscape of the mountain, with attractions, shops and restaurants tucked in wherever space allows.
Technically, owners Karen and Bob Bentz actually don’t think of Anakeesta as a theme park, nor as an adventure park (with which perhaps their offerings more closely align). Instead, it’s more of a hybrid concept, combining highly themed and detailed environments with various play, entertainment and activity offerings.
For thrillseekers, the park has a zipline course and America’s first single rail mountain coaster, Rail Runner, which opened in 2018. For less adventurous guests, there’s a tree canopy walk, play structures, climbing nets and more. And for those who just want to take in the views, there are plenty to be had. The park’s Anavista tower places the impressive Smoky Mountains on display, along with views of up to three states on clear days. Beautiful gardens are scattered around the park, along with live entertainment, restaurants and shops.
If the park’s identity is a blend of play, adventure and relaxation, then its IP is the mountains themselves. Capitalizing on the views and embracing the surroundings comes naturally to Anakeesta, and is a key element of what sets the park apart from larger regional competitors.
Growing to meet demand
In 2022 the Bentz family announced a multi-year $34-million expansion of Anakeesta. The first phase opened near the end of 2022 with the debut of Astra Lumina, Moment Factory’s first Lumina Night Walk installation in the United States. The evening attraction generates additional revenue and was designed to help extend the guest’s day and entice people to the park at night.
More recently, the park opened two major attractions within a new land, Stone Village. The first is Hellbender, the park’s second mountain coaster, built by Wiegand Rides. It’s named after an endangered breed of salamander native to the region. The idea is that riders are playing the role of a hellbender salamander racing down the hill. Each car has its own cute name (such as Sally Mander) and is equipped with the latest safety technology. Sensors identify when one car gets too close to another and initiates automatic braking to slow the car down. Onboard battery packs power the safety system as well as nighttime running lights.
According to Bryce Bentz, Anakeesta’s President, the park plans to add additional lighting features for evening riding as well as onboard cameras to capture the experience for guests.
The ride is smooth and fast, with a max speed of 25mph over the 2,700 feet of track. An additional 700 feet of lift track returns the cars to the station. Fun elements include several 360-degree helix sections and slalom-style maneuvers. Each car can hold up to two passengers, offering up to four times the capacity of the park’s Rail Runner. Along with the new ride the park debuted a new Coaster Pass for $16.99, allowing two coaster rides. Guests can use it to ride both coasters or one coaster twice.
The second major attraction to open is BirdVenture, a highly themed play structure built around the homes of three fictional Anakeesta avian residents. Kids (and limber adults) can venture into the treehouses, have a photo of them taken in Harmony Blue’s birdhouse, climb to the attic of Owlbert Einstein’s home, and explore the art collections of Chisel the Woodpecker. The birdhouses, beautifully decorated, perch high on the edge of the hill. Below, a series of seven slides offer opportunities to zip down to the bottom of the hill. A staircase and a unique boulder climb offer routes to return to the top.
At night, BirdVenture takes on a delightful personality with colorful lighting illuminating the houses and LED lighting inside and outside the slides. The slides include motion- activated sensors that either put on a little light show as someone enters the slide or change color within the slide as guests whiz by. Additional theatrical lighting and a special soundtrack make BirdVenture really stand out [see sidebar].
Anakeesta’s expansion is far from complete. The park recently announced exciting changes coming soon to the Astra Lumina experience. One scene will be upgraded with new technology and another entirely new scene will be added to the show. Further expansions to Stone Village, including new shopping options and entertainment, will open soon. For more information, visit anakeesta.com •
ETC’s Mosaic helps light up the night at BirdVenture
After dusk is when Anakeesta’s new Birdventure attraction really comes to life. Each of the three birdhouses are illuminated inside and out with colorful LED lights that accentuate and define the beautiful structures. Controlling them all is ETC’s Mosaic system. As a leading supplier and innovator in the lighting and control world, ETC has many themed entertainment credits including high-profile projects at Vienna’s Prater amusement park and Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi.
According to Anakeesta Technical Operations Manager Brian Myers, the park has used ETC products to control the park’s lighting since its opening and chose to continue with Mosaic for this addition due to its reliability and flexibility.
“ETC’s Mosaic allows us precise control over every LED bulb so we can change color exactly when we want it to,” explains Myers. “Additionally, the lighting is integrated with sound and music to create a fun, completely themed environment.”
Each birdhouse has special features that Mosaic manages. Harmony Blue‘s home includes a special selfie photo mirror. A framed “portrait” of Owlbert Einstein above his fireplace periodically comes to life, with Owlbert speaking directly to guests on a video loop. Chisel the Woodpecker’s home uses small LED lights to illuminate his collection of art, periodically cycling through a light show.
The Mosaic system also controls the LED lights in and outside the slides, which are motion-controlled, creating small lighting shows as guests slide down.
Gear for the project includes ETC’s Mosaic Show Controller, providing 1,024 outputs that deliver DMX control of color-changing and color-mixing lights. ETC’s Echo Relay Panel with relay and 0-10V control supplies power and 0-10V dimming throughout the area.
“BirdVenture is wonderfully done and we’re so happy Mosaic is a part of bringing this attraction to life,” says Scott O’Donnell, Themed Environment Specialist at ETC. “Mosaic lets designers go wild with plenty of outputs, the ability to accept triggers from show control, and easy creation tools, so it’s a perfect fit to also let guests imagine life as a bird in the Smokies.”
For more information visit etcconnect.com
