Anakeesta
Anakeesta is a mountaintop adventure park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, spanning 70-90 acres and accessed by gondola. It serves Smoky Mountain tourists and families with aerial attractions, dining, retail, and the Astra Lumina nighttime experience via general admission and add-on pricing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersGatlinburg, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Anakeesta does
Anakeesta is a privately held mountaintop adventure park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, situated on a 70-90 acre site at approximately 2,000 feet elevation in the Great Smoky Mountains. The park was founded on September 1, 2017, and is accessed from downtown Gatlinburg via the Crystal Express Gondola. Its core product is a bundled day-and-night experience built around roughly 20 attractions, including the AnaVista Tower, Treetop Skywalk, Vista Gardens, TreeVenture, Treehouse Adventure, BirdVenture, and Firefly Village, complemented by paid add-ons such as mountain coasters, a zipline, and the Astra Lumina multimedia nighttime experience produced in partnership with Moment Factory. The park also operates a Level II accredited arboretum and integrates 13 dining options and 6 retail stores into the same footprint.
The business model is a platform-plus-modules pricing structure: a general admission ticket (adult $39.99) bundles gondola access and core attractions, while higher-margin paid add-ons (coasters, ziplines, Astra Lumina) and on-site F&B and retail capture incremental per-guest revenue. The company recently introduced a VIP Annual Pass, introducing a recurring subscription layer to a previously transactional ticket base. Group business, including corporate events, weddings, and private bookings, adds another revenue stream. Distribution relies on tourist foot traffic in the Smoky Mountains corridor, direct online ticketing, Tripadvisor placement, and hotel combo packages.
In November 2025 Anakeesta announced a $100M multi-year "Making More Magic" capital expansion, with Phase 1 launching in Spring 2026 (new Crystal Express Gondola, reimagined Firefly Village, enhanced Treetop Skywalk, Firefly Experience) and Phase 2 beginning in 2027 (new thrill rides, dining, lodging). The company operates as a single-site LLC with 178 employees and reciprocal agreements with 20+ local Gatlinburg attractions to support staff benefits and cross-promotion. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.
Anakeesta firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Anakeesta
- Legal name
- Anakeesta, LLC
- Website
- https://anakeesta.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Anakeesta is a mountaintop adventure park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, spanning 70-90 acres and accessed by gondola. It serves Smoky Mountain tourists and families with aerial attractions, dining, retail, and the Astra Lumina nighttime experience via general admission and add-on pricing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Anakeesta industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Adventure Theme Park / Destination Tourism
- NAICS
- Amusement and Theme Parks (713110), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Destination Theme Parks (Large-Scale, Multi-Attraction Parks) (THAJAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Aerial Adventure Parks (Multi-Element Courses) (THAAACAC), Amusement Parks (Regional/Local Ride Parks & Funfairs) (THAJAEAD)
Keywords
Where Anakeesta is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gatlinburg
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Anakeesta business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- General Admission Tickets: All-day access tickets providing unlimited gondola/ridge rambler rides, access to AnaVista Tower, Treetop Skywalk, Vista Gardens, TreeVenture, Treehouse Adventure, BirdVenture, and general park areas. Revenue from walk-up and advance online sales.
- VIP Annual Passes: Unlimited visits for 12 months with 20% discount on retail and F&B, 20% off attraction add-ons, 20% off photo packages, and 1 free Buddy Pass. Annual recurring revenue from pass holders.
- Adventure Add-Ons: Additional paid experiences including Astra Lumina nighttime walk ($18.99), Coaster Pass for Hellbender and Rail Runner ($16.99), and Dueling Zipline Adventure ($59.99). Per-attraction revenue on top of base admission.
- Food and Beverage: Seven dining options including Clifftop Restaurant (elevated dining), Smokehouse BBQ, Kephart Cafe, Mimi's Creamery, Cloud 9 Cafe & Bakery, Tap House, and various quick-service locations. Revenue from food and beverage sales throughout the park.
- Retail Merchandise: Six retail stores including Adventure Outpost, The Mercantile, Catching Fireflies, Fur Trader, Willow's Workshop, and Great Outdoors Trading Company. Sale of branded merchandise, apparel, gifts, and souvenirs.
- United Tastes of America Tasting Pass: Seasonal food and drink sampling program offering 5-star ($35.99) or 7-star ($49.99) punch cards for tasting various food and beverage items across the park during summer festival.
- Chairlift Sales: Sale of retired chairlift seats as collector's items. Chairs sold for $1,200 with optional stand add-on for $500.
- Group Events and Private Bookings: Corporate events, wedding receptions, company picnics, and group visits. Venue rental at Cliff Top (up to 195 capacity), Vista Plaza (up to 200), Smokehouse (up to 240), and Lumina Pavilion (up to 80).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission - All-day park access |
| Subscription | Annual | VIP Annual Pass - Unlimited annual access with perks |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Astra Lumina Add-On - Nighttime enchanted forest walk |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Coaster Pass - Two mountain coaster rides |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Dueling Zipline Adventure - 3-zip guided tour with rappels |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | United Tastes of America 7-Sample Tasting Pass |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | United Tastes of America 5-Sample Tasting Pass |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Chairlift Seat Sale - Collector's item |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Group Discounts - Groups of 20+ |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels11 records
Anakeesta product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Anakeesta is a 70-acre mountaintop adventure park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, accessed via the Crystal Express Gondola. The park offers all-day access to attractions including the Treetop Skywalk (longest tree-based skywalk in North America), AnaVista Tower (downtown Gatlinburg's highest observation point), mountain coasters, Dueling Zipline Adventure, BirdVenture, Vista Gardens arboretum, plus on-site dining venues and retail shops. Separate ticketed experiences include the Astra Lumina nighttime enchanted forest walk and the year-round Firefly Experience.
Product overview
Anakeesta is a 70-acre mountaintop adventure park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee featuring a unified core experience centered on scenic gondola access to the summit, observation tower, treetop skywalk, botanical gardens, and adventure attractions. The company operates on a platform-plus-modules model where General Admission and VIP Annual Pass provide base access to all core attractions (Crystal Express Gondola, AnaVista Tower, Treetop Skywalk, Vista Gardens, TreeVenture, Treehouse Adventure, BirdVenture, and Firefly Village), while add-on modules including mountain coasters (Hellbender, Rail Runner), Dueling Zipline, Astra Lumina nighttime experience, Gem Mining, and seasonal festivals require separate purchase. The company also operates multiple dining venues (Clifftop, Smokehouse, Kephart Cafe, Tap House, Mimi's Creamery, Cloud 9, Rocky Top Tacos) and retail shops (Adventure Outpost, Fur Trader, The Mercantile, Great Outdoors Trading Company, Catching Fireflies, Willow's Workshop) on the mountain. A $100 million 'Making More Magic' expansion is underway through 2030.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Astra Lumina: A nighttime enchanted forest walk experience featuring light, projection, and sound installations. The 15th experience in the Lumina Enchanted Night Walk series and the first in the United States, created in partnership with Moment Factory.
Products and services
- General Admission All-day park access providing unlimited Crystal Express Gondola and Ridge Rambler rides, plus access to AnaVista Tower, Treetop Skywalk, Vista Gardens, TreeVenture, Treehouse Adventure, BirdVenture, and Firefly Village. Available to individual visitors and families visiting the Smoky Mountains.
- VIP Annual Pass Subscription pass providing unlimited visits for 12 months with 20% discount on retail, food and beverage, attraction add-ons, and photo packages, plus one complimentary Buddy Pass. Targeted at local residents and frequent Smoky Mountains visitors.
- Astra Lumina Nighttime Experience Enchanted nighttime forest walk featuring immersive light displays, projections, and sound along a celestial pathway following 9 chapters of a star's journey. The first Lumina experience in the United States, created in partnership with Moment Factory. Priced as an add-on to general admission.
- Coaster Pass Access to two rides on either the Hellbender (double-rail) or Rail Runner (single-rail) mountain coasters. Add-on product priced at $16.99.
- Dueling Zipline Adventure Three-zip guided tour with multiple rappels spanning 2,600 feet through the tree canopy, allowing participants to zip side-by-side. Priced at $59.99 per person plus general admission.
- United Tastes of America Tasting Festival Seasonal food and drink festival held May 22 - August 9 featuring regional American cuisine with live entertainment, sold as 5-Sample ($35.99) or 7-Sample ($49.99) punch card tasting passes including a commemorative souvenir lanyard.
- Firefly Experience Year-round immersive nighttime light attraction woven throughout the Treetop Skywalk, using choreographed lighting and storytelling to recreate the phenomenon of synchronous fireflies. Launched in Spring 2026 as part of the 'Making More Magic' Phase 1 expansion.
- Private Event Venue Rentals Corporate event, wedding reception, and private celebration venue rental across Cliff Top (up to 195), Vista Plaza (up to 200), Smokehouse (up to 240), and Lumina Pavilion (up to 80) capacities. Includes team-building activities and catered options.
Quantifiable outcome
- Millions of guests served since 2017 opening
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Anakeesta
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Anakeesta technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
Anakeesta partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- The Appy LodgeminorPartnership providing combo ticket packages combining hotel accommodations at The Appy Lodge with Anakeesta admission tickets. Guests can book both room and park tickets through a single booking process with savings on both.
- Moment FactorycoreMoment Factory created and developed Astra Lumina, an immersive nighttime forest walk experience. Anakeesta hosts the 15th Lumina experience and the first in the United States. Moment Factory provides the proprietary light, projection, and sound technology and experience design.
- Gatlinburg Chamber of CommerceminorProud member of the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce, supporting local tourism ecosystem and business community.
- Greater Pigeon Forge Chamber of CommerceminorProud member of the Greater Pigeon Forge Chamber of Commerce, supporting regional tourism promotion.
- Gatlinburg City TrolleyminorFree trolley service connects visitors from City parking at traffic light #3 to downtown Gatlinburg near the park entrance, facilitating guest access.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Anakeesta competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- WonderWorks Pigeon Forge: Upside-down interactive science/theme attraction in Pigeon Forge with educational entertainment rides and exhibits. Comparable as a regional family attraction offering ticketed experiential entertainment in the same tourist geography.
- Titanic Museum Attraction: Ticketed themed museum/attraction in Pigeon Forge offering an immersive walkthrough experience. Comparable as a destination tourism attraction with paid admission targeting the same family tourist cohort in the Smoky Mountains corridor.
Direct peers
- Ober Gatlinburg: Gatlinburg's home mountain amusement park and ski area featuring a tram, chairlift, ice skating, mountain coaster, and tubing. Closest in-location competitor sharing the Gatlinburg mountaintop tourism corridor and overlapping aerial/adventure attraction set.
- Dollywood: Operated by Herschend Family Entertainment, Dollywood is the largest destination theme park in the Smoky Mountains region (Pigeon Forge, TN), offering rides, shows, dining, and seasonal events. Most directly comparable competitor given overlapping geography, target market, and product breadth.
- SkyLand Ranch: Newer mountaintop attraction in Sevierville/Pigeon Forge area featuring scenic chairlift, observation tower, animal encounters, and family rides. Closely comparable as a competing mountaintop multi-attraction destination targeting the same Smoky Mountains tourist.
- The Island in Pigeon Forge: Family entertainment complex in Pigeon Forge featuring the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel, dining, retail, and rides. Comparable as a family tourism destination competing for the same Smoky Mountains visitor dollars and group bookings.
Regional players
- Wilderness at the Smokies: Waterpark resort and family attraction complex in Sevierville, TN, combining lodging with indoor/outdoor waterpark and dry attractions. Comparable as an integrated tourism lodging-plus-attractions operator targeting Smoky Mountains families.
- Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies: Major ticketed Gatlinburg attraction on the Parkway operating under the Ripley Entertainment brand. Comparable as a regional single-location tourist attraction drawing from the same family/tourist demographic with reciprocal employee-benefit partnerships noted by Anakeesta.
Others
- Moment Factory: Montreal-based multimedia entertainment studio that designs immersive nighttime experiences including the Lumina series (Astra Lumina at Anakeesta). Comparable as a strategic technology/creative partner and supplier of differentiated IP that Anakeesta monetizes as an add-on.
Broad incumbents
- Herschend Family Entertainment: Largest family-owned themed attractions company in the U.S., operating Dollywood, Silver Dollar City, and Wild Adventures. Comparable as a larger, established operator in the destination theme park space with significantly greater capital and portfolio diversification.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Anakeesta social profiles
Digital presenceAnakeesta financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Anakeesta leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Anakeesta funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Anakeesta M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Anakeesta
What does Anakeesta do?
Anakeesta is a 70-acre mountaintop adventure park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, accessed via the Crystal Express Gondola. The park offers all-day access to attractions including the Treetop Skywalk (longest tree-based skywalk in North America), AnaVista Tower (downtown Gatlinburg's highest observation point), mountain coasters, Dueling Zipline Adventure, BirdVenture, Vista Gardens arboretum, plus on-site dining venues and retail shops. Separate ticketed experiences include the Astra Lumina nighttime enchanted forest walk and the year-round Firefly Experience.
Is Anakeesta a public or private company?
Anakeesta is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Anakeesta founded?
Anakeesta was founded in 2017. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Anakeesta based?
Anakeesta is headquartered in Gatlinburg, United States, in the North America region.
How does Anakeesta make money?
Eight revenue lines are on record. General Admission Tickets are the primary driver. The others are VIP Annual Passes, adventure Add-Ons, food and Beverage, retail Merchandise, united Tastes of America Tasting Pass, chairlift Sales and group Events and Private Bookings.
Who are Anakeesta's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are WonderWorks Pigeon Forge and Titanic Museum Attraction. Direct peers are Ober Gatlinburg, Dollywood, SkyLand Ranch and The Island in Pigeon Forge. Regional players are Wilderness at the Smokies and Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies. Moment Factory is listed as an others. Herschend Family Entertainment is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Anakeesta have an API?
No public API is recorded for Anakeesta.
What industry is Anakeesta in?
Anakeesta's product category is Adventure Theme Park / Destination Tourism. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJAEAA, Destination Theme Parks (Large-Scale, Multi-Attraction Parks), with a secondary code of THAAACAC, Aerial Adventure Parks (Multi-Element Courses). Its NAICS code is 713110 and its SIC code is 7900.