The Apple Barn Cider Mill and General Store is a popular, iconic destination in Sevierville Tennessee, very close to the Pigeon Forge line.
There you will find shops, delicious treats, a winery and two very popular restaurants – Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant and Farmhouse Grill.
If you love sweet, specialty wines, apple butter, apple pies, apple fritters, apple cider and heck – anything apple-flavored, you should definitely schedule a trip to the Apple Barn this fall.
Not only is the Apple Barn a fun and delicious place to visit, but at its core (apple jokes), it’s quite rich in Smokies history.
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What can you do at the Apple Barn?
The Apple Barn has a selection of restaurants, stores and shops on-site, where you can snack, dine or shop. As a bonus, the area has free parking and has no admission fee to enter.
The shops and restaurants include:
- Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant
- The Apple Barn General Store
- Cider Bar
- The Cider House
- Candy Factory
- The Creamery
- Apple Barn Winery
- Christmas & Candle Shop
- Applewood Farmhouse Grill
So without further ado, here are my top recommendations for things to do when you visit the Apple Barn in Pigeon Forge this fall:
1. Dine at one of the restaurants
If you’re planning a visit to the Apple Barn, be ready to eat.
The entire property offers delicious snacks like apple dumplings, apple pies, apple donuts and more.
But if you’re ready to eat a full meal, Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant and Applewood Farmhouse Grill offer delicious Southern meals.
Pro tip: Be sure to put your name down early as wait times may be long for these popular restaurants.
2. Start your Christmas shopping early
Apple soap? How about apple cider? Or apple pancake mix?
Check, check and check.
Fall is the perfect season to start your Christmas shopping.
It’s easy to find unique gifts, home decor or souvenirs that have mass appeal at the Apple Barn General Store or the Christmas and Candle Shop.
But be warned, you’ll want to buy two of everything when you shop here so you can keep one for yourself.
3. Enjoy perfect fall photo opportunities
Tennessee is beautiful in the fall, and the Apple Barn takes advantage of its naturally gorgeous landscape with decorations throughout the property.
You can use the seasonal decor to take the perfect Instagram-worthy family photos.
And since there’s no fee to enter with plenty of available parking, it’s easy to visit and grab a photo of the whole family.
Read Also: Interactive Tennessee Fall Foliage Map, 7 Fall Tips (2023)
4. Try a few cider tastings
The Apple Barn is a great place to enjoy fresh apple cider and hard cider.
The folks at the Apple Barn begin to pick most varieties from the apple orchard and make fresh cider in September and continue through October.
You can get fresh apple cider at The Cider Bar along with souvenir mugs, fried apple pie or their famous apple stack cake.
5. Enjoy some wine tastings
If cider isn’t your thing, they also have an on-site winery. In fact, the products are made with apples instead of grapes.
The Apple Barn Winery features seasonal flavors, and fall is a great time to catch favorites such as Apple Cranberry or Apple Peach. They also have an apple dessert wine.
Your guide will make recommendations based on your preferences, but they have everything from dry to semi-sweet and sweet wines.
The wine tastings are free but remember to tip your server. They are also part of the Rocky Top Wine Trail.
Read Also: 7 Most Haunted Places in Gatlinburg, TN
6. Get some ice cream
If you enjoy locally made ice cream, this is your spot.
The Creamery is an old-time ice cream parlor with an antique soda fountain. They offer scoops of ice cream, banana splits, sundaes, floats and other baked goods.
Of course, the baked goods are all made from scratch. These selections include cobblers, bread, cookies, muffins and more.
7. Eat a candy apple
I guess it’s no sin to eat a candy apple any time of the year, but for some reason, fall and candy apples go together like tinsel and Christmas trees.
So if you’re going to spruce up an apple this year with some crushed nuts, chocolates or red candy mixtures, you should do so at one of the state’s finest places to get an apple. You can find them at the Candy Shop.
When did the Apple Barn open?
The Apple Barn was a real barn that was built back in 1910.
The first apple trees were planted in 1976. The Apple Barn as it is known today was established in 1981, according to their website.
Who owns the Apple Barn in Pigeon Forge?
The Mullendore family owned the barn in 1910, and the family farmed the land for generations. In the 1970s, Bon Hicks and Bill Kilpatrick bought the farm as an investment and “gentleman’s farm”.
The Kilpatricks planted a few apple trees on a whim and soon began making cider.
In the 1980s, the property expanded to include the Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant, run by restauranteur Jim Huff. The partnership later included Stokely Hospitality.
What is the difference between Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant and Applewood Farmhouse Grill?
Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant is the original on-site Apple Barn restaurant.
The Applewood Farmhouse Grill was later established in 1995 to meet the growing demand for on-site dining.
Overall, the two restaurants are very similar. And they both have delicious food. In fact, fried chicken is a popular choice as is the Applewood smoked ham.
Both offer a complimentary serving of apple cinnamon muffins, apple fritters, apple jam and an apple julep. They also both offer breakfast, lunch and dinner.
They are famous for offering country classics and farmhouse specials. You’ll see many of the same menu items between the two places, although there are small differences here and there.
If you want to compare menus, check out the Restaurant menu here and the Grill menu here.
Remember, if you do wish to eat on-site, be sure to put your name down an hour (or sometimes two) before you will be ready to eat. These restaurants are very popular and are subject to having long wait times.
Does Applewood Farmhouse serve alcohol?
Neither restaurant sells wine at the table.
Pro tip: On my last visit, I was told you can bring your own bottle of wine. So if you want some wine with your dinner, be sure to stop by their winery first.
Will you be visiting The Apple Barn and Cider Mill this season? They are open from 9 am to 5:30 pm daily, but remember that hours are subject to change. The Apple Barn is located at 230 Apple Valley Road in Sevierville, TN.
For more information, visit applebarncidermill.com.
Have you been to the Apple Barn? What are your best tips for visiting? Let us know in the comments below.
The Apple Barn is great! We eat at the Farmhouse Restraunt every time we visit the area. Great food, we especially like there dinners. We aslo enjoy the winery and the creamery has great ice cream. The apple barn has great gift ideas smd souvenirs along with the Christmas shop.