On September 11, 2026
Dolly Parton dreamed of a place where families could leave their worries at the gate and make memories together in the Smoky Mountains. For more than 40 years, that dream has been Dollywood, and now the park is adding new ways to celebrate the woman who built it.
On September 2, Dollywood Parks & Resorts announced a series of new experiences and installations honoring Dolly’s life, faith, and enduring love for Pigeon Forge and the surrounding Great Smoky Mountains she called home. Coming over the next few months and continuing into 2027, these additions are designed to give guests space to reflect on Dolly Parton’s legacy while still experiencing the joy, imagination, and togetherness she built the park around.
“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,” said Eugene Naughton, Dollywood Parks & Resorts President. “We will carry her dreams forward by continuing to grow, welcoming even more guests, and sharing the warmth and hospitality of which she was so proud.”
For guests who want a moment to remember Dolly during their visit, a memorial already stands in place in Dollywood’s welcome plaza. This special spot offers guests a chance to reflect on Dolly’s life, her contributions, and the joy she brought to millions of people around the world.
Nearby, special kiosks will let guests of all ages leave their own notes about how Dolly inspired them to chase their dreams.
The beloved Robert F. Thomas Chapel, long a favorite quiet spot for guests and a place close to Dolly’s heart, is getting two meaningful additions. A cascading mountainside waterfall will be built just outside the chapel’s front steps, creating a peaceful reflection space surrounded by the same natural beauty that shaped so much of Dolly’s life and music.
Inside, new stained glass windows will depict the changing seasons of the Smokies, inspired by Ecclesiastes 3:1, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven,” a verse that resonated deeply with Dolly throughout her life.
Dolly’s Imagination Library has put more than 330 million free books into the hands of children around the world, making it the largest children’s literacy program of its kind. In 2027, that legacy will come to life in Wildwood Grove through a brand-new character: the Dream Maker.
Through stories and interactive experiences, the Dream Maker will encourage guests to dream big, believe in themselves, and lift others up with courage and kindness. Traveling with her Dream Wagon, she’ll give children a chance to share their own dreams and discover that dreams become even more meaningful when they’re shared with others.
A new entrance portal into The Dolly Parton Experience will welcome guests into an immersive collection of Dolly’s life, stories, and memorabilia. It’s a fitting gateway to the attraction celebrating the life and legacy of Dollywood’s Dreamer-in-Chief.
Dolly’s influence on this corner of Tennessee reaches far beyond Dollywood’s gates, and a new program from the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce is set to celebrate that. “In Dolly’s Footsteps” will place walking-tour markers at spots throughout Sevierville that Dolly and her family frequented in her youth, giving visitors a chance to see the places that shaped the woman she became, long before the world knew her name.
Taken together, these additions reflect what Dolly always wanted Dollywood to be: a place built on kindness, imagination, and family memories. As the park continues to grow in the years ahead, her spirit will remain woven into every corner of it, from the chapel on the hillside to the stories shared in Wildwood Grove to the streets of Sevierville where it all began.
Plan your visit to Pigeon Forge and experience Dolly’s dream for yourself.
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