Dollywood Parks & Resorts is planning several new experiences and installations to honor the life and legacy of Dolly Parton, with additions focused on her faith, her connection to the Great Smoky Mountains and her commitment to children and literacy. More Entertainment News
The plans were announced during a press conference held Wednesday at Dollywood, where park officials outlined how Parton’s vision will continue to shape the resort in the months and years ahead.
The new elements will be introduced over the coming months and into 2027 as Dollywood continues to carry forward Parton’s vision for the park.
“Many of us had extensive conversations with Dolly through the years about how she would want us to carry her vision forward,” said Eugene Naughton, president of Dollywood Parks & Resorts in a release. “Dollywood will always be a place where families find fun, kindness and joy—a place where they can make memories that last a lifetime, just like she would have wanted.”
One of the most significant additions will be at the Robert F. Thomas Chapel, where a new cascading mountainside waterfall will be installed outside the front steps. The chapel will also receive new stained-glass windows inspired by Ecclesiastes 3:1, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”
The windows will depict the changing seasons of the Smoky Mountains, reflecting both Parton’s faith and her lifelong connection to the region.
Dollywood also plans to celebrate Parton’s work with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which has distributed more than 330 million books to children worldwide.
In 2027, a new character called the Dream Maker will debut in Wildwood Grove. Through storytelling and interactive experiences, the Dream Maker and her Dream Wagon will encourage children to dream big, believe in themselves and show kindness to others.
Guests will also be able to leave notes at kiosks throughout Wildwood Grove sharing how Parton inspired their own dreams. The Dolly Parton Experience will also receive a new entrance designed to serve as a more prominent gateway into the attraction’s collection of stories, memorabilia and moments from Parton’s life and career.
A memorial is currently located in Dollywood’s welcome plaza for visitors who want to reflect on Parton’s life and legacy.
Beyond Dollywood, the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce is also preparing to launch a new program called “In Dolly’s Footsteps.” The walking-tour experience will feature markers at locations Parton and her family frequented while she was growing up in Sevierville, giving visitors a closer look at the places that helped shape her early life.
Dollywood officials said the new additions are intended to ensure Parton’s influence remains part of the park for generations to come, while continuing to emphasize the values of kindness, imagination and family that she championed throughout her life
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