You can see some of tomorrow’s big league stars today—and sometimes even be surprised by stars on the field. “Usually players are here before they make it big, tailoring their skills and getting to where they need to be,” says Connor Pearce, marketing and community relations manager for Tennessee Smokies Baseball. “But sometimes we get big stars. Kris Bryant got hurt and was sent back for a rehab assignment, so he played a couple of games with us. It’s cool for our fans to see players again.” In addition to Kris Bryant, other players including Javier Báez and Kyle Hendricks have played Smokies Stadium.

“We’ve had a great relationship with the Chicago Cubs since 2007,” says Pearce. “They’re a great organization and have fans everywhere—some of the best fans in baseball!” The team has been in the area since the early 1900s, starting in Knoxville and moving to Sevierville in 2000 with the opening of Smokies Stadium.

Inspired by Wrigley Field, Smokies Stadium is a more intimate space that seats 6,000 people rather than 41,000 and has a wide concourse that loops around the field, which means you can roam the ballpark. Every seat is a good one that gets you close to the action.

While enjoying the game, indulge in simple pleasures: Spend time with family and friends. Munch on hot dogs and funnel cakes. Feel part of a community. Relax in the great outdoors—knowing that in this smaller ballpark you can easily keep your children in sight.

The game schedule is available online. Typically the team plays 70 home games each season from early April through early September. Games start at 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and at 2 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. On select dates, games begin at 11:30 a.m. or Noon. Ticket prices range from $10 to $14 per person.

Beyond the Game…

You don’t have to be a baseball enthusiast to have fun at Smokies Stadium.

Mondays are $1 hot dog nights. On Tuesdays tacos are $2. Wednesdays are all you can eat. On “Thirsty Thursday” beer and Pepsi products are $1. On Fridays and Saturdays enjoy post-game fireworks during the Summer Fireworks Series. Family Fun Sunday offers a discounted ticket package.

Smokies Stadium hosts different promotions throughout the year with themes such as Star Wars Night, Jimmy Buffett Night, and University of Tennessee Night, among others.

Every day there’s a Kids Zone full of playground fun, bounce houses, a giant slide, speed pitch, and more. (The playground gym is free; inflatables are $1 per use or a wristband for unlimited access is $5.)

On-field games take place between each half inning. During select home games kids age 12 and younger can run to try to catch the chicken mascot, Clucky. Every Thursday the Chicken Run is for adults age 21 and older.

Some group ticket options include access to specific areas around the ballpark including Calhoun’s at the Yard, the Smoky Mountain Brewery Bullpen, and more.

A new performance center is available for rent to groups, including little league baseball teams. It gives youths access to the same facilities that players use during the season, including batting cages.

Beyond the Stadium…

Opportunities to have some good, clean all-American fun in Sevierville extend way beyond nine innings.

The courthouse lawn in historic downtown Sevierville is home to a bronze statue of Dolly Parton , a tribute to the superstar by her hometown community.

The Apple Barn Cider Mill & General Store is a working apple farm with a general store, cider room and cider bar, apple pie kitchen, ice cream parlor, candy factory and two restaurants.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the U.S., offers a range of experiences including climbing Clingmans Dome (the tallest point in Tennessee), driving through Cades Cove (an 11-mile loop through mountains and past historic structures), driving the 31-mile Newfound Gap Road (US 441, through the park with multiple lookout points), walking to Cataract Falls (a one-mile stroll), hiking Charlies Bunion (an eight-mile trek along the Appalachian Trail), and much more.

Tanger Outlets Sevierville, the largest authentic outlet center in the state of Tennessee, offers brand names in nearly 100 stores at discount prices of up to 70 percent off retail on designer clothing, shoes, accessories and more.

Sevier Air Trampoline & Ninja Warrior Park boasts 60 trampolines, an obstacle course, two competition dodgeball courts, a two-sided rock wall, three basketball goals, two tumble tracks for gymnastics, a rope swing, a jousting area above a foam pit, and more.

Tennessee Museum of Aviation, the state’s official repository and archive of aviation history, exhibits vintage military aircraft, gear and artifacts detailing significant milestones in aviation history, a full-scale replica of the 1902 Wright Glider, and more.

Ripley’s Old MacDonald’s Mini-Golf, located at Tanger Outlets Sevierville, surrounds its three 18-hole courses with animatronic farm animals that comment on your golf swing.

Smoky Mountain Knifeworks, the world’s largest knife showplace, stocks a massive collection of knives and sharp edges. The Relic Room, billed as “the largest diversity of history for sale in North America,” sells a mind-boggling collection of treasures from dinosaur teeth to Civil War newspapers, Cold War medals to Zuni fetishes to 15th Century books and so much more.

Forbidden Caverns is home to the nation’s largest known wall of rare cave onyx. Guided tours pass spectacular formations, towering natural chimneys, grottos and a stream.