Dollywood & Splash Country
Dollywood is a theme park owned by country music singer Dolly Parton and Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation. It is located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, just off US 441 between Gatlinburg and Sevierville.
The park first opened in 1961 as a small tourist attraction named "Rebel Railroad", featuring a steam train, general store, blacksmith shop, and saloon. In 1966, Rebel Railroad was renamed "Goldrush Junction" and in 1970, the Cleveland Browns football team purchased the attraction. In 1976, Jack and Pete Herschend bought Goldrush Junction, and in 1977, renamed it "Silver Dollar City Tennessee" as a sister park to their original Silver Dollar City near Branson, Missouri. In 1986, Dolly Parton became a co-owner, and the park was renamed "Dollywood".
In addition to standard amusement park thrill rides, Dollywood features traditional crafts and music of the Smoky Mountains area. Dollywood is affiliated with the adjacent water park, Dollywood's Splash Country, and the chain of Dixie Stampede dinner theaters. In addition, the park hosts a number of concerts and musical events each year, including concert appearances by Parton, as well as other national and local musical acts.
Dollywood hosts nearly 2.5 million visitors annually, many of them also visiting the nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The theme park's operating season runs from early spring until around Christmas.
Dollywood is also the site of the Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Southern Gospel Music Association, an independent non-profit corporation.
Dollywood is organized into nine themed areas. The Showstreet, Rivertown Junction, Craftsmen's Valley, Village, Country Fair, Timber Canyon, and Jukebox Junction areas reflect the historical eras and culture of east Tennessee, while the Dreamland Forest and Adventures in Imagination areas explore Dolly Parton's life and imagination. Many attractions at Dollywood preserve the history and culture of the Southern Appalachian region.
Showstreet - Attractions include The Showstreet Palace Theatre, Friendship Gardens, The Celebrity Theatre, and The Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame.
Rivertown Junction - Attractions include The Tennessee Mountain Home, The Back Porch Theatre, and the Smoky Mountain River Rampage whitewater rafting ride.
Craftsmen's Valley - Attractions include The Dollywood Grist Mill, The Valley Theatre, Eagle Mountain Sactuary, Wings of America Theatre, Robert F. Thomas Chapel, Calico Falls Schoolhouse, the Tennessee Tornado coaster, Blazing Fury coaster, Daredevil Falls flume ride, and craft exhibits.
The Village - Attractions include The Dollywood Express steam train, Heartsong, a Carousel, and the Magic Laughmaker.
The Country Fair - Rides include The Dizzy Disk, the Amazing Flying Elephants, Lemon Twist, Shooting Star, Sky Rider, Veggietales Sideshow Spin Kid's Rollercoaster, Waltzing Swinger, Piggy Parade, Busy Bees, Lucky Ducky, Dolly's Demolition Derby, The Scrambler, and the Wonder Wheel.
Timber Canyon - Attractions include the Mystery Mine coaster (New for 2007), Timber Tower, the Thunderhead coaster, and Lumberjack Lifts.
Jukebox Junction - Attractions include the Rockin' Roadway car ride and The Pines Theatre.
Dreamland Forest - Attractions include the Dreamland Forest interactive play area and the Mountain Slidewinder water-tobbogan ride.
Adventures in Imagination - Attractions include Smoky Mountain Wilderness Adventure simulator ride and the "Chasing Rainbows" Dolly Parton museum.
Dollywood's Splash Country is a Smoky Mountain-themed water park located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee adjacent to the Dollywood theme park.
Opened in 2001 as "Dolly's Splash Country", the name was slightly modified to Dollywood's Splash Country in 2004. New rides and attractions are added every year to keep the park fresh and fun, and the park currently boasts over 20 slides.
Dollywood's Splash Country was named the "Best New Waterpark" by the World Waterpark Association during the park's inaugural season.
The park's operating season runs from mid-May through mid-September.
Both Dollywood and Dollywood's Splash Country are owned by country music superstar Dolly Parton and the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation.
