Don't Back Down

On our trip to Pigeon Forge, we weren't doing so well. The stop at the Old Mill Restaurant was a bust, and Duff's Smorgasboard, while better, wasn't all that great either. So perhaps the problem was that we simply weren't doing a good job at picking places to eat. I'm not sure that choosing somewhere to waste a few hours is likely to yield a better result, but we decided to give it a go.

The choice for the day was Wonderworks. This is mostly because it's a really interesting building. Built in the shape of a large building that landed upside-down in a parking lot, if nothing else, it was fun to look at, and that will keep the kids busy for a bit. There is also another location in Orlando (we hadn't been to that one, but I imagine that they are about the same). Yes, we could have gone to Dollywood, and we planned to do so, but impending rain made us decide not to do that.

Within the Wonderworks complex, there are exhibits galore. It's something like a science fair gone wild. It isn't exactly like a learning experience, because most everything is fun for the kids to do, so they don't really realize that they are potentially learning. Instead, it's more like a mad scientist's laboratory, where they get to play and perhaps something will get stuck in their head along the way.

That said, it's not like they will really learn much, but it is fun.

Inside the building, the upside-down theme continues, with the entrance being one huge atrium, turned on its head. Throughout the rooms, there are protruding steel beams (that are probably not actual steel, but could be). If you look closely, you can see the real structure of the building behind these, painted black to blend in. So it's in no danger of falling down, despite the creaks and groans of the background music.

Exhibits are broken up into different areas, so you will wander through a Disaster Zone, where you have the chance to sit in a cafe while an "earthquake" happens (which doesn't actually feel like an earthquake at all), then stand in a subway-like car while a hurricane blows through (which doesn't really feel like much at all), There is a Challenge Zone, where you can climb a rock wall, lie on a bed of nails or ride a bike that goes in a 360° loop (this last one is a bit hair-raising, even for older kids.

The Space Zone gives you information about, well, space, and even the opportunity to pilot the space shuttle (in a simulator). A Sound and Light Zone offers interesting tricks of light, including a virtual carnival mirror and facts about sounds. Finish up in the Illusion Gallery, a hallway of various illusions, and the bathroom with windows that turn translucent as you lock the doors.

At the end of the day, you have the opportunity for a game of laser tag or to watch an IMAX movie as well as play in the arcade, so prepare to spend several hours. We found it to be well worth the time spent (we played laser tag, but did not watch the movie). The only complaint was the crowd control. Though we went in April, by all accounts out-of-season, and the crowds were light, it was difficult to maneuver through the place. If they were to get some better line layouts, and make things move better through the building, I think it would work a bit better.