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Dollywood Announces New Experiences Honoring Dolly Parton, from Dream Maker Character to Chapel Waterfall

The Pigeon Forge park outlined plans for faith-based installations at the Robert F. Thomas Chapel, a new character in Wildwood Grove celebrating the Imagination Library, and an expanded entrance to The Dolly Parton Experience during a press conference Wednesday.

By Jeanpierre Florent · FirstDrop News TeamSep 6, 20266 min read
Photo: Travel Weekly
Photo Credit: Travel Weekly

Dollywood Parks & Resorts announced plans Wednesday for several new experiences and installations honoring Dolly Parton, with additions focused on her faith, her connection to the Great Smoky Mountains, and her commitment to children and literacy. The new elements will roll out over the coming months and into 2027 as the Pigeon Forge park continues to carry forward Parton's vision following her death at age 80 on August 25.

Eugene Naughton, president of Dollywood Parks & Resorts, outlined the plans during a press conference held Wednesday at Dollywood. The 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.

Naughton said many park officials had extensive conversations with Parton through the years about how she would want her vision carried forward. 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.

Chapel Receives Waterfall and Stained Glass Windows

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, a Bible verse reading 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. A sculpted guitar will also be added to the chapel area.

Dream Maker Character Debuts in Wildwood Grove in 2027

Dollywood 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. The character will engage and interact with parkgoers, spreading Parton's message by encouraging guests to believe in themselves.

Guests will also be able to leave notes at kiosks throughout Wildwood Grove sharing how Parton inspired their own dreams. The special kiosks will allow guests to leave behind kind words and memories celebrating Parton.

Dolly Parton Experience Gets New Entrance

The Dolly Parton Experience will 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. The multibuilding section includes exhibits about her life and career, and the new entrance will make the interactive museum more accessible to visitors.

A memorial is currently located in Dollywood's welcome plaza for visitors who want to reflect on Parton's life and legacy. The memorial display features flowers, handwritten messages, and butterfly decorations, and was opened to guests the day after Parton's death.

Sevierville Launching Walking Tour of Parton's Childhood

Beyond Dollywood, the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce is 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.

The self-guided walking tour will follow locations important to Parton's formative childhood in Tennessee, including Pine's Theater and Red's Diner. Sevierville, in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, will be placing markers throughout the city for the tour honoring the singer, actor, and philanthropist who grew up in rural Sevier County.

Parton's Tourism Legacy in East Tennessee

Parton transformed a rural area in East Tennessee into a major tourism draw, a legacy that will live on well after her death. During an ABC News interview with Barbara Walters in December 1982, Parton pitched her dream of building a Dollywood USA in the mountains of East Tennessee, where she was born and raised.

Parton described her vision of a fantasy city that's sort of like Disneyland, a mountain Disneyland, like a Smoky Mountain fairyland. She partnered with Herschend, owner of the Silver Dollar City amusement park in Pigeon Forge, and the park was rebranded as Dollywood in 1986, with Parton owning half and Herschend owning half.

That 50-50 business arrangement continues today, with Herschend operating the park. Pete Owens, Dollywood's marketing and public relations vice president, said Parton wanted to build a place to create jobs and to provide a place for families to go within the Great Smoky Mountains, because she was proud of where she came from and wanted to share the beauty of the Smokies.

Along with welcoming families to the park for a day of fun and Dolly magic, she wanted to create a stable employment engine for the people of East Tennessee, many of whom live in poverty like Parton once did. A replica of the two-room cabin where Parton was raised is in Dollywood, giving visitors a glimpse into her Appalachian upbringing.

Owens, who worked with Parton for nearly three decades, added that she wanted to provide an opportunity for people who were from the area to have a place to work in which they could be proud. That is what the park has tried to do.

Today, Dollywood welcomes about 4 million visitors each year and employs more than 4,000, making it the largest employer in Sevier County. The county is also home to parts of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the country.

Employee Benefits and Park Culture

Dollywood's employees, referred to as hosts by Dollywood to emphasize hospitality, receive generous benefits including paid-for college tuition, free Dollywood admission for dependents and discounted admission for other family members, and access to the Dollywood Family Health Center. The health center charges employees a copay for basic office visits, x-rays, and lab work, even if they aren't insured.

Owens said the park tries to take care of its folks, and they take care of the folks who come visit. The employment model reflects Parton's commitment to creating opportunities for the people of East Tennessee.

Plans Through 2036

The park will continue to evolve based on Parton's vision for the next decade. Plans through 2036 were laid before her death, including new resorts to be developed on the property.

The park was continuously expanding throughout her life. A new ride, the NightFlight Expedition, was added just weeks before her death following a brief battle with cancer.

Parton received the E.W. Bud Wendell Award in 2025, which honors an individual outside the hospitality industry for contributions to Nashville tourism. Her theme park, waterpark, and hotels in Pigeon Forge inject millions of dollars into local and state economies.

Written by Jeanpierre Florent, part of the FirstDrop News Team

Jeanpierre is the Southern California based creator behind JPLAND21, a theme park community of more than one million subscribers across YouTube and Instagram. Our reporting is grounded in regular firsthand park visits. More about us

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