Pigeon Forge, Tennessee: Porpoise Island (Gone)

Porpoise Island was located off of Sugar Hollow Rd. I would give anything if Pigeon Forge would have something like that again. The Hawaiian theme was so much fun. Dolphin, sea lion, bird and hula shows -- I remember birds roller skating. And feeding the dolphin and sea lions fish that you could purchase for $1. We would go 4-5 time a month!

Reading some of the comments about Porpoise Island brought back a flood of great memories. I was one of the male performers with the Hawaiian group there between 1975 and 1977. While there, we met some great people and found "Southern" hospitality much like the "Aloha Spirit" here in the islands. Even as we have all grown since those high school days (we were all students), busy in our various professions, we maintain very close ties with one another. Thank you for allowing us to experience such a special time in a beautiful place. Aloha from Hawaii!

I am 33 now and remember vaguely going to Porpoise Island. I remember getting leis and the girls dancing in the grass hula skirts doing an hawaiian dance. I remember birds and maybe some kind of games you could play. I would have visited sometime in the late 70's so I was young. We lived about 20 minutes from Pigeon Forge and back then it wasn't as crowded and Dollywood was Silver Dollar City.

I am almost 35 now and I visited Porpoise Island two or three times 29 years ago in 1978 with my parents and my grandmother. I have some souvenirs: three leis (two of them orange and one of them pink) and 34 post cards. Porpoise Island featured a dolphin show, seal show, bird vaudeville show, Hawaiian show and a deer ranch nursery! (Don't ask me why there was a deer ranch nursery in the middle of all this Polynesian regalia! I recall the barn entrance and some funky looking Tiki totems in the park. Porpoise Island had a band that performed to the crowd (They might have been part of the Hawaiian show.). The whole place reminded me of Mr. Miyagi's backyard in "The Karate Kid."

I remember visiting Porpoise Island -- which included hula dancers, porpoise tricks and a parrot show -- in the '70s during our family vacation to the Smoky Mountains. We lived 60 miles away, frequently visited Pigeon Forge, and watched the evolving scene of business at this parcel of land. Years later, the Tommy Bartlett show took over this area exhibiting a combination, comedy show, water skiing trick show and laser light water show. Then a replica town of Bethlehem resided there, if I'm not mistaken, for a short time. Currently at this location are rental cabins for vacationers to enjoy the "unspoiled" mountain scenery.