Dollywood

Dollywood is a themed amusement park located in Pigeon Forge in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. It is owned by musical performer Dolly Parton and Herschend Family Entertainment. Built on the site of previous amusement parks dating back to 1961, the park became Dollywood in 1986.

In addition to the usual theme park attractions such as roller coasters and water rides, Dollywood includes a replica of Parton’s childhood home, a church open for worship on Sundays, a working grist mill, and a historic coal-powered train that was used in Alaska during World War II. The park also honors Parton’s musical heritage with numerous shows and performances in a variety of musical genres. It is a popular tourist attraction and appears in more Instagram posts each year than any other location in Tennessee. In 2021, a half-billion-dollar expansion plan was announced that would add a new resort hotel and laser and fireworks show.

Background

The park that became Dollywood had its beginnings in 1961 as Rebel Railroad, which was opened by North Carolina-born brothers Grover and Harry Robbins. The brothers already owned Tweetsie Railroad, an attraction in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. The new park in Tennessee featured Engine 192, also known as Klondike Katie, a coal-fired steam powered train engine that was used in Alaska by the US Army during World War II. Riders on the train became part of a reenactment of a train robbery. The park was designed to resemble a Western town in the 1800s and included other attractions such as a blacksmith’s shop, general store, and saloon.

The park’s name was changed to Goldrush Junction in 1964. In 1970, it was purchased by Art Modell, who also owned the Cleveland Browns football team. Goldrush Junction continued to feature a train ride with Klondike Katie but added new attractions, such as a flume ride, campground and church, and an outdoor theater. Eventually, the “Junction” in the name was dropped and the park became known as Goldrush.

Brothers Jack and Pete Herschend bought the park in 1977. They once again changed its name, this time to Silver Dollar City, a name it shared with a park the Herschend family already owned in Branson, Missouri. Over the next several years, the brothers added several new features, including an indoor roller coaster called Blazing Fury that was hand-built in 1978. A few years later, the Herschends added a grist mill like those the early American settlers used to grind grain into flour. They also added Fun Country with family rides and Craftsman’s Valley, which featured master craftsmen demonstrating and selling their handmade wares.

One of the most famous people born near the park is Dolly Parton. Born January 19, 1946, in the town of Locust Ridge, Tennessee, Parton grew up in a two-room wood shack as one of twelve children. Her childhood was full of hardship but also included parents who valued music. Both parents shared their musical skills with Parton and her siblings. An uncle bought her a guitar and by the time she was ten, Parton was performing on television as part of a Knoxville variety show. At the age of thirteen, she appeared at the Grand Ole Opry and began recording songs.

After her high school graduation, Parton moved to Nashville where she became a country singer and songwriter. Television appearances increased her popularity, and she became a legitimate solo star in the 1970s, appearing on television and in several movies and winning numerous awards.

In 1982, Parton was doing a televised interview when she mentioned that she wanted to open a theme park in her hometown in Tennessee. The Herschends proposed a partnership that would bring Parton into their existing park ownership. She agreed, and the park, renamed Dollywood, opened on May 3, 1986. During the first year, the attendance more than doubled over the previous year. The park quickly expanded in size and added attractions.

Overview

Dollywood is a 150-acre theme park. Billed as “America’s Friendliest Park,” it ranks among the top fifty parks in the country and is Tennessee’s most popular tourist destination. The park is known for its Southern charm and has attractions that promote the music, crafts, and lifestyle of Appalachia.

The theme park has more than forty rides, including several notable roller coasters. Blazing Fury, the indoor coaster built when the Herschends first took over, is still there; Wild Eagle is the first wing coaster in America; FireChaser Express is the first dual-launch family coaster in the country; Lightning Rod was ranked in 2022 as America’s fastest wooden coaster. The park also includes Splash Country, a water park.

The park still includes Craftsman’s Valley as well as several hotels and multiple stages for live performances in country, gospel, and other musical genres. Klondike Katie and her sister engine, Cinderella—also a working coal-powered locomotive that served during World War II—pull a train for guests to ride. The park is home to several features that pay homage to Parton’s past, including a replica of the two-room shack where she and her siblings were raised, and a museum dedicated to her life and career.

In 2022, Dollywood added Wildwood Grove, an area with themed indoor and outdoor attractions. The highlight of the new area is the Wildwood Tree, an artificial tree that has musical instruments subtly included in its bark design and butterflies in its branches. In 2023, the park kicked off the first phase of a ten-year plan announced in 2021, by completing the HeartSong Lodge and Resort, a 302-room hotel with a four-story atrium and other features. The plan also called for the existing fireworks shows to be enhanced with the addition of dozens of synchronized drones.

Bibliography

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“Dollywood Theme Park.” Dolly Parton.com, dollyparton.com/dollywood-theme-park. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.

McRary, Amy. “Dolly Parton’s Dream thrives as Dollywood Prepares for Its 25th Season.” Knox News, 10 Mar. 2010, archive.knoxnews.com/entertainment/life/dolly-partons-dream-thrives-as-dollywood-prepares-for-its-25th-season-ep-408823709-358845921.html. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.

Rhodes, Elizabeth. “Dolly Parton on Dollywood's Growth and What's Next — Including a Half-billion-dollar Expansion.” Travel & Leisure, 3 June 2021, www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/amusement-parks/dolly-parton-on-dollywoods-growth-expansion. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.

Smith, Linda. “Dollywood: 10 Things You Didn't Know About the Tennessee Theme Park.” Wide Open Country, 23 May 2021, www.wideopencountry.com/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-dollywood/. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.

Turner, Devarrick. "Dolly Parton Welcomes Guests to Her New HeartSong Lodge in the Smokies." Knox News, 3 Nov. 2023, www.knoxnews.com/story/entertainment/2023/11/03/dollywood-heartsong-lodge-resort-opens-in-pigeon-forge/71219875007/. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.