PIGEON FORGE, Tennessee (July 14, 2026) –Pigeon Forge city officials recently unveiled plans to expand the multi-purpose LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge. The project includes an additional 58,000 square feet, with 33,000 square feet specifically earmarked for exhibit space.
The city-owned event center will remain open and host events during the two-year construction project.
Since the LeConte Center opened in 2013, the facility has generated direct economic impact on the city’s only industry—tourism. The $45 million facility’s cumulative attendance is four million guests. Event attendees account for more than 1.6 million room nights in Pigeon Forge over that past 13 years. Attendees also dine at local restaurants, visit area attractions and shop in retail establishments.
“Under the guidance of Director Phil Campbell and his team, the LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge has demonstrated itself to be a significant and measurable visitation driver for Pigeon Forge,” said Pigeon Forge City Manager David Wear. “On behalf of our city’s leadership, we’re pleased to provide these facility upgrades to ensure the future success of the LeConte Event Center and Pigeon Forge.”
The project also includes several customer experience improvements:
- an enhanced main entrance with increased capacity to more efficiently facilitate the movement of crowds while entering and exiting, including an exterior plaza area;
- a wider, more direct pedestrian walkway from the parking lot to the entrance;
- a dedicated tram pickup facility and a separate covered vehicle drop-off/pick-up station;
- an additional set of restrooms; and
- a grab ‘n’ go market concept for takeaway concessions.
“Our visitors fuel our city’s tourism-based economy, and the opportunity to expand the LeConte Center’s event capacity positions us to welcome more events and, subsequently, more visitors, including first-time guests, to Pigeon Forge,” Wear said.
For the past 10 years, the city’s gross revenue has exceeded one billion dollars annually. Pigeon Forge is home to approximately 6,000 residents but welcomes nearly 10 million visitors annually.
The LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge operates under a guiding mission to serve as a catalyst for development, stimulate investment, create jobs, and create economic vitality and impact through scheduled functions that attract large numbers of out-of-town visitors to Pigeon Forge. Per an ordinance set forth by the city of Pigeon Forge, the LeConte Center does not compete with privately owned meeting facilities in the city.
The versatility of the LeConte Center’s existing 232,599 square feet enables it to host many types of activities, including athletic competitions (cheerleading, gymnastics, volleyball and basketball), faith-based assemblies (youth, women, senior adults and marriage), trade shows (gift/souvenir, hardware and food), automotive expositions, and musical concerts.
The expansion project is the first since the city invested $25 million in 2020 to build the 600-foot pedestrian bridge at the intersection of Jake Thomas Road and Teaster Lane. The bridge connects the LeConte Center to a municipal parking lot with 2,148 spaces. The venue is strategically located adjacent to the city’s greenway, the Pigeon Forge Riverwalk, and another city-owned parking facility with 1,600 spaces (totaling almost 4,000 free parking spaces between the two city-owned lots), motorcoach access and Pigeon Forge Mass Transit service. The LeConte Center also is within walking distance of many restaurants, shops and lodging properties.
The LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge currently features:
- a clear-span (no columns) exhibit hall of 100,500 square feet;
- a multi-purpose hall of 12,000 square feet that can be divided into three separate spaces or linked to the exhibit hall, expanding the exhibit hall to 112,500 square feet;
- eight multi-purpose rooms that can be configured into 15 spaces ranging from 500 to 2,000 square feet;
- six loading bays.
Additional information about the LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge is available here. To learn more about Pigeon Forge, visit MyPigeonForge.com.
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About Pigeon Forge
Pigeon Forge is located in East Tennessee, approximately 35 miles from Knoxville and McGhee-Tyson Airport. Two-thirds of the nation’s population east of the Mississippi River lives within a day’s drive, making it an easily accessible family vacation destination. The city’s neighbor is Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most-visited national park in the U.S. It also is home to Dolly Parton’s Dollywood theme park, Tennessee’s most visited ticketed attraction. More information about all aspects of Pigeon Forge is available at MyPigeonForge.com or toll-free at 1-800-251-9100.