7 Fun Facts About Dollywood
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If you have never been to Dollywood, you’ll want to add this onto your travel list. Dollywood is a theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. It’s not a traditional amusement park though, this is an off the charts theme park that the whole family can enjoy. Check out these 7 fun facts about Dollywood!
Dolly Parton actually grew up in Tennessee
She grew up in a town called Sevierville and she’s deeply devoted to the local community. You can actually go visit the real cabin where Dolly grew up and get a glance at what her life looked like.
Dollywood was once called Rebel Railroad
In 1961, Dollywood was originally opened as a little park called Rebel Railroad. Dollywood has evolved tremendously since then and has 27 rides. Ironically enough, Dolly wouldn’t be caught riding any of the coasters because she has motion sickness. (Source)
Take Your Puppies to Doggywood
There’s actually a place called Doggywood where you can bring all of your beloved furry friends. It’s only $25 a day and your pets are super happy! No pets are allowed in Dollywood, sorry!
There’s a lot to do at Dollywood
It’s not just a theme park with roller coasters and other rides, there’s a variety of festivals happening throughout the year, and a live music schedule. Again, you can visit Dolly’s old home or even one-room schoolhouses. There are cabins, resorts, and water parks available! (Source)
Close to the Smokies
You may not know just how close Dollywood is to the Smokies. You can literally see the mountains from Dollywood, which makes it all even more exciting.
Millions of Visitors
When it comes to the amount of people who visit Pigeon Forge, it is up in the millions, like ten million! Can you imagine how many of those visitors head to Dollywood? Quite a few! Some say around 2.5 million people visit Dollywood every year.
Grist Mill Is an Imposter (sorta)
Although the Grist Mill inside of Dollywood is really cool, the original mill is in Pigeon Forge and its name is “Old Mill”. This old mill has been dated all the way back to the 1800’s. (Source) Grist Mill only dates back to the early 1980’s.
Full Disclosure: Our family received two complimentary tickets to Dollywood to assist in our review. We visit Dollywood when we go to TN to visit family regularly and always enjoy it. All opinions are 100% my own.
Dollywood is a must do event while in Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, TN. There’s enough to do in the park to last an entire day and it is very family friendly. What’s your favorite part of Dollywood?
Don’t forget the shows! For people who do not ride rides or care for roller coasters (lots of the very best in one park!), there are great music shows to watch. My girlfriend and I enjoyed them all while our families rode coaster after coaster. Top notch, engaging talent includung Dolly’s brother and a couple nieces. Oh, and did I mention this is the cleanest park with the most benches to sit a spell as you relax a bit or wait for family? A theme park dream!
My parents are planning a trip to Tennesee in November and are trying to figure out what to do while there. They are Dolly Parton fans, so it is fun to read that she grew up in Sevierville there and that there are rollercoasters and festivals at Dollywood. I’ll have to tell them about this and see if they want to go to the Dolly Parton family theme park while they’re there.