This massive general store in Tennessee allows guests to see live bears
How the times have changed. Back in 1979 – when the store that would become the Three Bears General Store opened – the treatment of animals in zoos and circuses and the like was very different than today. How different? Somewhere in my grandmother’s picture collection is a 5-year-old me at Disney, seated on the back of a giant tortoise. Nowadays, they rightfully frown on tourists sitting their kids on 100-year-old endangered creatures. Back then? They encouraged it.
This brings us back to today. Every store needs a gimmick. For a long time, the General Store’s gimmick was right in the name “See and Feed Live Bears.” It delivered what it promised. Inside the store, you could see and feed live bears. As the years went by, however, the keeping of bears to entertain tourists became more controversial. In this article, I will examine the controversy and the current situation.
The Three Bears General Store in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is a throwback to the past when shopkeepers used live animals to attract visitors. Of course, while the practice is less used today, shopping strips in the Great Smoky Mountains have a few other stores advertising live animals, like See Live Sharks and See Live Gators.
IN THIS ARTICLE
The Three Bears General Store
In a way, the Three Bears General Store is a microcosm of Pigeon Forge commerce all rolled into one massive chintzy paradise. What do they sell in the store? Pretty much anything they figure people will buy. There’s all manner of classic cheesy Pigeon Forge-themed apparel, beach towels and hats. There is also an array of what I’d call Southern-couture-style clothing perfect for a Tennessee tailgate. There are toys and records and knives. For example, we bought my daughter’s boyfriend a monogrammed pocket knife at a reasonable price there. We also had a nice discussion with the cashier as we swapped accidental self-stabbing stories. We also got a bunch of those little foam airplanes you can throw, a variety of old-timey candies and fresh honey. There was considerable discussion centered around a Dolly Parton bobblehead and Dolly-themed lip balm, but we ultimately passed.
In other words, the General Store sells a glorious collection of junk, impulse buys and stuff you can’t imagine anyone, anywhere would pay decent money for. There’s also an ice cream shop, an arcade, a Pandora Jewelry counter and quite a collection of NFL and college football-themed merchandise. Oh yeah, and the bears.
About the bears
You’ve got to go upstairs – yes, there are two floors filled with this stuff – and to the back to see the live bears. They live in a compound behind the store now. For three bucks per person, you can pay to see the bears. Or as was the case when we were there, kind of see one bear sleeping in the corner. In fairness, the girl at the counter tried to talk me out of paying since it would be hard to see the bears. When I said I’d go ahead, she said I could come back later, show them my ticket and see the bears when they were more active.
One of the problems over the years has been the bears’ living area. A while back, the General Store greatly enhanced the enclosure with a lot of things that bears would like. This includes climbing toys, running waterfalls and more over the 5,000-square-foot habitat. Also, it should be noted that the bears were rescued from a “kill farm,” a facility where wild animals are kept and hunted for sport. The General Store management stresses that the bears have been in the store’s possession for 25 years and the facility is kept in compliance with federal and state regulations. It is also inspected regularly.
My opinion on the bears
Anecdotally, bear sightings are way up in recent years versus my youth. When I was a kid 30 years ago, bear sightings were pretty rare. Now, I can’t go into the mountains without seeing a bear. We’ve seen nearly two dozen this year alone. Back when I first started running around the mountains, I could go five years and not see that many.
What does that mean? Well, the novelty of a bear sighting in an enclosed setting is somewhat lessened. But I like zoos and aquariums. I went to SeaWorld not too long ago. I want the animals in captivity to be treated well. I certainly want them to be given as much room to move as possible. However, I still see the value in keeping animals for the public to see and understand. While I found myself wishing the bears could at least see the stream located about 50 yards behind their enclosure, I had to admit it’s a decent-sized space. It might be bigger, I think, than the black bear enclosure at the Knoxville Zoo.
I also wish it had a little more greenery for the bears, or a couple of bushes or trees. But considering their past, the impossibility of releasing them to the wild and the fact that they seem to be well cared for, I think the three bears are doing okay, under the circumstances. But naturally, keeping bears in an enclosure can be a controversial topic.
Will there ever be new bears in the enclosure?
So, this brings up the question – what will happen as these bears reach the end of their lifespans? Will the owners be able to acquire bears from similar circumstances or will the attraction finally move past the live bears as a gimmick routine? It’s hard to say. But there is one thing for sure, the times are continuing to change.
So, the Three Bears General Store is one-stop tourist shopping in the heart of Pigeon Forge, straddling a past where no one batted an eye about caging up bears for tourists and a future where such things are frowned upon. While the future remains unclear, the store has kept in compliance with federal and state regulations.
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