I Snuck Off to The Christmas Place Solo and Found My New Bucket List Hotel

A firsthand look at The Incredible Christmas Place store and The Inn at Christmas Place in Pigeon Forge, including history, what’s inside, and why it’s now on my must-stay list.

Confession time. On our recent girls trip to Pigeon Forge, there was a stretch of time where my mom and sister wanted to rest at the hotel, and I, the person who loves Christmas a frankly unreasonable amount, did not want to rest. 

So I left them to sleep, walked across the street, and gave myself a solo Christmas excursion at The Incredible Christmas Place and The Inn at Christmas Place.

It might be one of the best decisions I made on the entire trip.

A Quick Backstory on The Christmas Place

What’s now a massive shopping complex actually started small. The Incredible Christmas Place was founded in 1986 by Hurshel and Marian Biggs, and it began as a modest gift shop right beside Pigeon Forge’s historic Old Mill. Through decades of expansion, that little shop grew into a 43,000-square-foot complex, and it’s now run by the third generation of the same family.

The store has earned some serious recognition along the way, including the “NOEL Retailer of the Year” award, and it’s grown into the largest Christmas retailer in the South. It’s also part of the reason Pigeon Forge has been named one of the most Christmassy towns in America. That’s not a small thing for a town to get known for.

It’s now a multi-store complex along the Parkway, and it’s still run by the same family that started it back in 1986. I love a business that stays in the family that built it.

What’s Actually Inside

Walking in feels like stepping into a different season entirely, no matter what month it actually is outside. Every year, the store decorates around 50 Christmas trees in styles ranging from traditional to whimsical, so you can basically shop by vibe. See a tree you love? You can buy coordinating ornaments, garlands, and decor to recreate that exact look at home.

The store is broken into themed sections with names like Gingerbread Lane, Candy Cane Christmas, and Christmas Cabin, plus a Great Smoky Mountains National Park-themed area that blends cabin-style decor with local touches like bears and rustic ornaments. It felt like a nice nod to the region instead of just generic holiday merchandise dropped into a random building.

If you’ve got kids with you (or if you’re just me, an adult who still loves this stuff), there’s a Santa’s Pen station where you can have ornaments personalized with genuinely beautiful handwriting. Be ready for a line, especially during busier seasons, but it’s the kind of wait that turns into a keepsake.

Santa himself also visits the store, though that’s mainly a seasonal thing rather than a year-round one, so check ahead if meeting him is the whole point of your trip.

Mrs. Claus’ Sweet Shop

After wandering the main store, I made a stop at Mrs. Claus’ candy shop, where they make fresh fudge and candy on-site. I picked up a few treats to bring back to the hotel, and they ended up being most of my dinner that night since my mom and sister were still too full from lunch to eat.

No complaints from me.

Vacation dinner standards are different from regular dinner standards, and candy counts as a meal when you’re on a budget and trying to avoid eating out twice in one day. And, the crew at Mrs. Claus’ Sweet Shop said vacation calories don’t count!

The Inn at Christmas Place: Now Officially on My Bucket List

After the store and the candy shop, I wandered across the Parkway to The Inn at Christmas Place. I didn’t stay here this trip. We were booked at The Inn on the River instead.

But, after walking the lobby and grounds, I’m already planning to come back specifically to stay at this one.

The hotel has Bavarian-inspired architecture, and it fully commits to the Christmas theme.

The lower lobby features a two-story glockenspiel with bronze bells that performs hourly, and there are two separate lobbies, both with their own fireplace, which feels almost excessive in the best way.

From what I’m told, every guest room stays in theme too, decorated with Christmas trees, wreaths, and red velvet-style bedding.

Santa sings and tells holiday stories at the Inn from summer through December, too. So, if a Santa sighting is on your must-do list, plan your visit with that window in mind rather than assuming he’s there in, say, March.

The property went through a major pool renovation a couple of years back. The new outdoor space, called the Winter Wonder Lagoon, was designed and built by Lucas Congdon of the show Insane Pools: Off the Deep End, and it’s apparently the only commercial Lucas Lagoon pool in the country. It’s a seasonal outdoor pool, so it’s not open year-round, but the indoor pool and hot tub run 24/7, 365 days a year if you visit outside of pool season.

Breakfast is included and gets consistently good reviews, with made-to-order omelets alongside classic comfort food. Rooms come stocked with a microwave, fridge, and coffee maker, and I’ll admit I was a little surprised to learn the property also has an on-site fitness center, since gym access was something I specifically struggled with at our actual hotel on this trip. Worth confirming directly with the Inn if a workout space matters to your stay, since amenity details can shift.

One thing worth knowing before you book: the hotel sits directly on the busy Pigeon Forge Parkway, so if you’re looking for a fully quiet retreat, you might hear more road noise than you’d expect, and the pricing runs on the higher end compared to some other options nearby.

For a family trip or a couples getaway where the holiday theme is the whole point, that tradeoff feels worth it. For a totally quiet escape, maybe less so.

Why This Detour Was Worth It

I didn’t plan for the Christmas Place or the Inn to be highlights of this trip. They were a “let me kill an hour or two while everyone else naps” decision. But they ended up being one of the parts of the trip I think about most, and the Inn is now firmly on my list of places I want to actually stay, not just visit for an hour.

If you’re planning a Pigeon Forge trip and you love Christmas even a fraction as much as I do, don’t treat this as a quick stop. Give yourself real time here. And if you can swing it, book a night at the Inn instead of just wandering the lobby like I did. I’ll report back once I actually stay there myself.