Few Tennessee roadside attractions have generated as much puzzled driver-while-craning-neck as live goats dangling their heads over a gift-shop rooftop in Pigeon Forge. The same scene, with a sod roof and a Norwegian-born market owner, played out decades earlier on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

4 related posts

Main US Location: Pigeon Forge, Tennessee · Main Canada Location: Coombs, British Columbia · Goat Season: May to October · Key Feature: Live goats on rooftop · Activities: Feed goats, Goat Coaster

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Exact start date of goat-on-roof trend beyond decade-level attribution
  • Precise ownership structure for Pigeon Forge franchise beyond “Georgia-based original” label
  • Current goat population numbers at Coombs during off-season
3Timeline signal
  • 1973: Al Johnson adds goats to Wisconsin sod-roof restaurant (Goats on the Roof Blog)
  • 1950s: Kris Graaten builds sod-roof market in Coombs, British Columbia (Goats on the Roof Blog)
  • 2013: Pigeon Forge franchise opens (SmokyMountains.com)
4What’s next
  • Both locations continue operating with seasonal goat rotations
  • Pigeon Forge expanding visitor experience with coaster and gem-mining additions
  • Coombs Market remains a top Vancouver Island tourist draw
Detail Value
Pigeon Forge Site goatsontheroofofthesmokies.com
Coombs Site oldcountrymarket.com
TripAdvisor Rating Hint Fun legendary place
Goat Season May to October
Opening Year (Pigeon Forge) 2013
Goat Coaster Length 4,875 feet
Goat Coaster Speed 30 mph
Goat Coaster Duration 7 minutes
Goat Coaster Adult Price $15 USD (13+)
Goat Coaster Child Price $12 USD (3-12 years)
TSM Score (Attraction) 9.4/10
TSM Score (Coaster) 9.2/10

Comparing these two attractions reveals stark contrasts in scale, amenities, and heritage depth.

Aspect Pigeon Forge, USA Coombs, Canada
Primary Type Commercial adventure park Traditional market
Opening Year 2013 1950s
Key Activities Goat feeding, Goat Coaster, gem mining, mini golf Goat viewing, local shopping, food vendors
Goat Presence Year-round May to October only
Unique Feature Rider-controlled alpine coaster Norwegian sod roof architecture
Visitor Rating 9.4/10 (TSM Score) Top Vancouver Island attraction

What is the deal with Goats on the Roof?

Goats on the Roof is a roadside tourist attraction concept centered on live goats that roam freely on a building’s rooftop. The Pigeon Forge, Tennessee location calls itself “the only Smoky Mountains attraction with live goats roaming around on the rooftop” of its gift shop building (Goats on the Roof Official Site). The concept has spawned multiple locations across North America, each putting their own regional spin on the goat-roof formula.

Pigeon Forge location

The Pigeon Forge attraction opened in 2013 as a franchise of the Georgia-based original, according to SmokyMountains.com. It sits on Wears Valley Road, 2.3 miles from the Parkway toward Gatlinburg. Beyond the rooftop goats, the site features the Goat Coaster alpine ride, gem mining for rubies, sapphires, and emeralds, mini golf, a gift shop, ice cream, fudge, and Amish food offerings (VisitMySmokies.com). Visitors can watch goats from the second level of the gift shop free of charge, or pay to access the goat-cycle feeding station.

Coombs location

The Old Country Market in Coombs, British Columbia, represents the Canadian iteration of the goat-roof phenomenon. The market was built by Kris Graaten, who emigrated from Norway in the 1950s and constructed a traditional sod roof to honor his homeland’s building practices (Wandering Through Time and Place Blog). Goats were originally brought in to mow long grass growing on the roof before a local fair, a practical solution that eventually became the market’s defining tourist draw.

Bottom line: Pigeon Forge delivers an action-packed theme park experience with rides and creature comforts, while Coombs offers authentic heritage atmosphere rooted in Norwegian immigration and rural practicality.

What is a goat on the roof?

A “goat on the roof” refers to live goats kept on a building’s rooftop, either grazing naturally growing vegetation or being fed by visitors below. The arrangement serves dual purposes: entertainment for tourists and natural lawn maintenance for the building owner.

Goat-cycle and feeding

At the Pigeon Forge location, visitors interact with the rooftop goats through a specially designed “goat-cycle” mechanism. Patrons pedal a bicycle-like device that hauls cans of goat chow up to the roof via a rope-and-pulley system (Goats on the Roof Official Site). This creates an interactive experience where visitors literally power the goat-feeding process, combining exercise with animal interaction.

The catch

The goat-cycle requires physical effort to operate—slim visitors or those with limited leg strength may find the pedaling portion challenging during hot Tennessee summers. Children under a certain weight may need adult assistance to generate enough lift for the feed cans.

Rooftop roaming

The goats at both locations enjoy free roam of their respective rooftops during appropriate seasons. At Coombs, the sod roof provides natural grazing material during spring and summer months. At Pigeon Forge, goats are present year-round and feed on both the roof’s vegetation and the goat chow hauled up by visitors. The Pigeon Forge site notes that goats may be less visible during periods of inclement weather, similar to how the Coombs blog reported “missing goats” during snowy conditions in March 2012.

What is Coombs famous for?

Coombs, British Columbia, a small community on central Vancouver Island, gained international recognition primarily because of the Old Country Market and its sod-roof goat residents. The market has become one of the top tourist attractions in British Columbia, drawing visitors specifically to see the unique combination of Norwegian-style sod roof architecture and the resident goats that maintain it (Wandering Through Time and Place Blog).

Old Country Market history

The market’s origin story involves Kris Graaten emigrating from Norway and building the structure with a traditional Scandinavian sod roof in the 1950s. The goats arrived later, reportedly borrowed after what one account describes as a “wine-fueled decision” to solve a grass-mowing problem before a local fair. Whether apocryphal or accurate, the whimsical origin story has become part of the attraction’s marketing appeal.

Goats on roof feature

Coombs Market operates seasonally, with goats typically present from May through October. During these months, visitors can observe the goats grazing on the rooftop from ground-level viewing areas. The market itself offers local goods, artisan products, and food vendors within a heritage-style building that stands out visually from surrounding Vancouver Island commercial structures.

Why this matters

The Coombs location predates the Pigeon Forge franchise by roughly six decades and served as inspiration for similar attractions. Understanding this lineage helps visitors appreciate that the “goats on roof” concept wasn’t invented for tourist appeal—it evolved from practical rural solutions that happened to capture public imagination.

Who owns Goats on the Roof?

The ownership structure of the Goats on the Roof brand involves multiple entities across different locations. The concept’s roots trace back to Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant in Door County, Wisconsin, where goats first grazed on a sod roof around 1973 (Goats on the Roof Blog). Al’s children later added webcams for the goats, expanding the concept’s reach beyond walk-in visitors.

Pigeon Forge owners

The Pigeon Forge location operates as a franchise tied to a Georgia-based original, though precise corporate details remain somewhat opaque in public sources. According to SmokyMountains.com, the franchise opened in 2013 and has since expanded with a second retail operation on the Parkway. The attraction maintains its official website and social media presence, with Goats on the Roof Official Site serving as the primary booking and information portal for coaster tickets and attraction details.

Coombs market owners

The Old Country Market remains a family-operated enterprise tied to the Graaten family legacy. Public sources provide limited detail on current ownership structure, though the market has clearly maintained continuous operation since the 1950s. Unlike the formal franchise model of the Pigeon Forge location, Coombs operates more as a destination market with independent vendors rather than a centrally branded attraction.

Is Coombs worth visiting?

For travelers planning a Vancouver Island itinerary, Coombs Market offers a uniquely North American experience: a Norwegian sod roof, resident goats, and local artisan products in a small community setting. Whether it justifies a dedicated trip depends on routing and interests.

Upsides

  • One-of-a-kind sod-roof architecture with genuine heritage roots
  • Free goat viewing from ground level during operating season
  • Central Vancouver Island location convenient for island travelers
  • Authentic local market experience versus tourist-trap atmosphere
  • Nearby Vancouver Island attractions provide day-trip potential

Downsides

  • Goats absent from November through April
  • Small-town amenities require longer drives for accommodations
  • Limited attraction variety compared to Pigeon Forge’s activity lineup
  • Trip from major Vancouver points involves ferry or significant driving

Visitor experiences

TripAdvisor reviews characterize Coombs as a “fun legendary place” with straightforward appeal—one visitor noted they could “feed the goats” as the primary activity (TripAdvisor). The attraction’s charm lies in its simplicity and novelty rather than breadth of offerings.

The trade-off

Coombs delivers authenticity and heritage atmosphere; Pigeon Forge delivers activities and creature comforts. Visitors seeking passive cultural exploration will appreciate Coombs. Families expecting entertainment variety and multiple activities should head to Pigeon Forge instead.

The Coaster at Goats on the Roof offers thrills for all ages… as tame or as hair-raising as you’re comfortable with.

Having goats on your roof is great for business. Today, the Coombs’ Market with its sod roof and goats is one of the top tourist attractions in British Columbia.

For travelers weighing a Smoky Mountains vacation stop against a Vancouver Island road trip detour, the comparison isn’t really about which location is “better”—it’s about which experience fits the itinerary. The Pigeon Forge location scores 9.4 on TheSmokyMountains.com’s composite visitor rating system, outpacing competitors like Ripley’s Super Fun Park (8.4) across 1,699 reviews (TheSmokyMountains.com). The Goat Coaster itself holds a 9.2 rating with 6,420 reviews, marginally outranking Ripley’s Mountain Coaster in Gatlinburg (TheSmokyMountains.com).

Related reading: Goats on the Roof Pigeon Forge · Goat Coaster at Goats on the Roof

Additional sources

goatsontheroofofthesmokies.com, youtube.com, goatsontheroofofthesmokies.com, goatsontheroofofthesmokies.com

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Frequently asked questions

Where did the goat on the roof trend start?

The sod-roof goat concept has roots in Scandinavian building traditions where herbivores grazed on grass-covered roofs for natural maintenance. The North American iterations trace to Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant in Wisconsin, where goats began grazing the restaurant’s sod roof around 1973. The Pigeon Forge franchise followed in 2013, and the Canadian Coombs market predates both with its 1950s construction.

Why are there goats on the roof?

At Coombs, goats were originally borrowed to mow overgrown grass on the market’s sod roof before a local fair—a practical solution that proved so popular it became permanent. At Pigeon Forge, the arrangement combines natural grazing with visitor-fed goat chow delivered via the goat-cycle mechanism. Both locations highlight the environmental efficiency of using goats as living lawnmowers.

What are Goats on the Roof prices?

Goat Coaster pricing at Pigeon Forge runs $15 per person for ages 13 and up, and $12 for children ages 3-12, plus tax (Goats on the Roof Official Site). Gem mining, gift shop purchases, and food at the Amish offerings involve separate fees. Goat viewing from the second-level deck is free. Coombs Market admission is free; individual vendor purchases apply.

What is the Goat Coaster at Goats on the Roof?

The Goat Coaster is a rider-controlled alpine mountain coaster spanning 4,875 feet with a 7-minute ride duration. Sleds carry 1-2 passengers with individual brake controls, reaching speeds up to 30 mph. The coaster operates daily from 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM, rain or shine, unless thunder conditions arise (Goats on the Roof Official Site). Tickets can be purchased through the official website or at the gate.

Where is Goats on the Roof in Canada?

The Canadian Goats on the Roof iteration is the Old Country Market, located in Coombs on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The address is approximately 1 hours’ driving north of Victoria via Highway 1. The market sits along the main thoroughfare through Coombs’ small commercial district.

How do you feed goats at Goats on the Roof?

At the Pigeon Forge location, visitors use the goat-cycle—a bicycle-style pedaling station—to lift cans of goat chow to the rooftop. The pedaling motion winds a rope that raises the feed container up to the goats waiting above. Children and adults of varying fitness levels can participate, though heavier loads may require stronger pedaling effort.

What is Goats on the Roof menu with prices?

The Pigeon Forge location features an Amish food counter offering comfort foods like pies, baked goods, and simple lunches. Ice cream and fudge are available from the gift shop area. Specific menu pricing varies and is available at the on-site counter. Coombs Market houses multiple independent food vendors; pricing and offerings change seasonally.