History. Thrill rides. Southern cooking. Live shows. Tucked into every square inch of Dollywood is something different, exciting, and new.
The award-winning theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, stretches over 150 acres with more than 40 rides and attractions, including the world’s fastest wood coaster, Lightning Rod, and the country’s first wing coaster, Wild Eagle. Dollywood’s Splash Country Water Park is also swimming with record-breaking rides, like Tennessee’s tallest twin speed slides as well as its first and only water coaster.
This spring the park opened Wildwood Grove, a $37 million project—its largest-ever expansion. Inspired by Dolly Parton’s childhood daydreams of butterflies, dragonflies, and the wild animals of the woods, the attraction features 11 family-friendly experiences, from the Treetop Tower and splash areas to its new restaurant, Till & Harvest, and unique shopping at Mountain Grove Merchants.
Woven into Dollywood’s signature rides are its historical attractions, each telling the stories of those who inhabited the area in the 19th century. In Craftsman’s Valley, groups can see blacksmiths, candle makers, woodcarvers, glassblowers, and leather smiths hard at work, and they can browse the products in the old-time shops. They can also see the Robert F. Thomas Chapel, a one-room country-style church that holds worship services each Sunday.
Other options include seeing a fully operating, historically accurate grist mill—built by the park’s employees—that grinds corn and wheat into flour daily. And the Dollywood Express comprises two coal-fired steam trains built in the early 1900s; it holds up to 550 passengers for its picturesque five-mile journey through the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.
Dollywood is also home to a resort and spa, mountainside cabins, live entertainment, and many festivals throughout the year. For more information, contact Brandi Salyers or go to dollywood.com.
Top photo: Dollywood’s Wild Eagle
Photo by Dollywood
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Cheekwood Estate & Gardens
Graceland & Guest House at Graceland
