WonderWorks Attraction Scheduled To Open In May

PIGEON FORGE - Work nears completion on the distinctive upside-down facade planned for the new WonderWorks attraction scheduled to open at the end of May.

"They are putting the steel up now," General Manager Sande Weiss said. "As soon as that is done, you're going to see a lot of changes. It's rolling along."

The former Music Mansion on the Parkway is undergoing a complete transformation. Crews from Denark Construction are overhauling the facility as part of a $9 million renovation.

When completed, the building will sport an upside-down facade that looks like an 82-foot-tall laboratory building crashed landed on the site. WonderWorks is planned to be an interactive entertainment center featuring a variety of educational hands-on activities.

"So far, we're still on track," Weiss said. "A lot of exhibits are coming in. We're getting there."The Pigeon Forge WonderWorks will be approximately 55,000 square feet larger than the attraction's flagship Orlando location. The local version will also feature a 300-seat dinner theater ."

We're ready to choose the script for our show," Weiss said. "When we do that, it will be very exciting."

Owner Robin Turner purchased the former Music Mansion building for $7.25 million. Bullock Smith & Partners is the architect on the project. Denark Construction is the contractor.

The attraction is expected to hire 90 to 100 full- and part-time employees.