What to Know Before Visiting Dollywood in Tennessee | Entertainment/Life

Country musician, actress and philanthropist Dolly Parton may be 78 years old, but she hasn't slowed down since she left her one-room cabin in the Smokies as an aspiring singer and songwriter and headed for the big Nashville spotlight.

Parton has won numerous awards, acted in several films and received 10 Grammys from 54 nominations for her music. So far.

Last year she released “Rockstar,” a collaboration with rock musicians. This November she will release the album “Dolly Parton & Family: Smoky Mountain DNA – Family, Faith & Fables.” There are even plans for a Broadway show and a cookbook.

Visitors can explore the career and life of this prolific artist in a new interactive, tech-savvy exhibit in a corner of her Tennessee amusement park. The Dolly Parton Experience at Dollywood, which opened this summer, includes three buildings showcasing her 50-plus year career in show business.

“It's a story from Dolly's life and highlights some of her milestones along the way and in her career,” said Eugene Naughton, president of Dollywood Parks, at the exhibition opening. “It took three long years to create and it's three times the size of anything we've done before creatively. Overall, it's a real collection of memories and stories, not just physical things.”

Many of the experiences are digital. This of course allows us to update Dolly's story as it continues to grow.”

What you will see

The Dolly Parton Experience consists of three buildings with numerous exhibits. The Songteller exhibit, with a giant pink butterfly at the entrance, offers an interactive experience that shows Parton's rise to stardom. There are clips from films such as “The Most Beautiful Whorehouse in Texas” and “Steel Magnolias” – and even a desk from “9 to 5” behind which visitors can sit and take selfies.

One huge room is filled with paintings and music, another with her legendary concert songs. There is even a counter that counts the books she has donated through her Imagination Library. On the day we visited, there were over 200 million.

“The new Songteller experience is largely digital,” said Naughton. “It's a story from Dolly's life and highlights some of her milestones along the way and in her career.”

Opposite, “Behind the Seams” shows some of Parton’s costumes, wigs and makeup from the past few years.

“Behind the Seams is about the people who really shaped my look,” said Parton at the opening of the exhibition. “Because no one ever does anything alone. I've had help all the way through, from my early family.”

The “Precious Memories” exhibit features Parton's family and friends in photos and song at the DreamSong Theater. Visitors can enjoy Parton's origins and those who continue to support her while waiting in line for the next show.

“We're excited that this is happening, and hopefully you'll be touched by it, by my roots and our Smoky Mountain DNA and our whole musical history,” she said on opening day. “I'm very proud of my family.”

There is even one of Parton's decommissioned coaches that she used on tour and is open to visitors.

Seasons at Dollywood

Dollywood's 165-acre theme park in the Smoky Mountains offers not only rides, but also theater performances, restaurants, and artisans at work. But yes, there are both family-friendly rides and high-speed roller coasters.

Each season has a festival at Dollywood, and the Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration has added Sweet Summer Nights drones and fireworks to its lineup. The park's four-season celebrations continue with the Harvest Festival from September 9 to October 28, showcasing the harvest side of fall (nothing spooky).

The nightly Great Pumpkin LumiNights light up the evening sky with the glow of more than 12,000 pumpkins, and kids will love Hoot Owl Hollow – the hideout of a giant glowing owl and her friends who nest in the trees, on buildings and across the hill. The year ends with Smoky Mountain Christmas with its six million lights and special holiday theater performances from November 1 to January 5, 2025.

Get wet while you're there

You may be in the higher elevations of the Smokies, but it's still hot this time of year. Cool off at Dollywood's Splash Country Water Park – 35 acres of water fun featuring a 25,000-square-foot wave pool, a relaxing lazy river, and adrenaline-fueled rides like TailSpin Racer and Bear Mountain Fire Tower, an interactive, multi-level water adventure.

There's always more fun to be had, but what makes Splash County special are the trees that provide shade, making for a refreshing experience without sunburn and blisters on your feet (though you'll want to use sunscreen). The combination of shade and adventure is why The Travel Channel named Splash Country one of the best water parks in the United States.

Splash Country is open until September 15th.

When you go

There are two resorts to choose from on-site, with regular trolley transportation to and from Dollywood and Splash Country.

The DreamMore Resort & Spa features a 302-room lodge, while the newest addition, the 300-room HeartSong Lodge & Resort, features a four-story, 4,000-square-foot atrium lobby with a massive fire pit that can accommodate about three dozen guests. Both properties reflect Parton's love of the Smoky Mountains with massive hearths and fireplaces, expansive pool facilities, multiple restaurants to choose from, and on-site activities.

For information about Dollywood, the resorts and the new Dolly Parton Experience, visit www.dollywood.com.