Anakeesta

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.

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

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

• Theme park attractions
• Outdoor adventure tourism
• Scenic gondola transportation
• Family entertainment destination
• Mountain coaster rides

Headquarters

HQ city

Gatlinburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Chairlift Sales: Sale of retired chairlift seats as collector's items. Chairs sold for $1,200 with optional stand add-on for $500.
8. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core 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

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Appy LodgeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership 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 FactorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoment 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 CommerceminorOthersProud member of the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce, supporting local tourism ecosystem and business community.
• Greater Pigeon Forge Chamber of CommerceminorOthersProud member of the Greater Pigeon Forge Chamber of Commerce, supporting regional tourism promotion.
• Gatlinburg City TrolleyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFree 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

Emerging 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

• Xx.com/AnakeestaTN
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6mYuC_ADbajCdXYfvzuomw
• Facebookfacebook.com/AnakeestaTN
• Instagraminstagram.com/anakeesta
• Pinterestpinterest.com/anakeesta0122/pins
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/anakeesta-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Anakeesta