In 2025, Dollywood celebrates four decades of down-home hospitality. The theme park was only the beginning of Dolly Parton’s influence on Pigeon Forge–an influence as enduring as the Smoky Mountains themselves.
Here’s how Dolly Parton shaped today’s Pigeon Forge.
Dollywood Put Pigeon Forge on the Map
Before Dollywood broke ground in 1985, historic Pigeon Forge was trying to build a tourist trade. Then Dollywood converted an existing theme park, Gold Rush City, into a gold mine for the local economy.
Dollywood swiftly became one of the country’s top destinations, now hosting 3 million visitors a year and employing 4,000 people. The park’s success drew more attractions here and spurred businesses to cater to tourists. Some estimates say that tourism driven by the park creates more than 20,000 local jobs.
An Entertainment Empire Expands
Dolly could have invested anywhere, but chose to keep investing here. First came Dolly Parton’s Stampede, a show featuring expert riders on highly trained horses. Splash Country–one of America’s largest water parks–opened next to Dollywood. Then Dolly brought swashbuckling seafarers to town, in the Pirates Voyage show.
Dolly Promotes Smokies Culture
Dollywood is about much more than roller coasters. The park spotlights bluegrass, Appalachian and country music. Local artisans create traditional Appalachian crafts. Annual festivals celebrate the fall harvest and Christmas traditions with a rustic Smokies emphasis. A museum about Dolly shows what life was like in the mountains when she was growing up here.
She Gives Back to East Tennessee
Visitors know Dolly’s businesses, but locals know another side of this hometown girl. The Dollywood Foundation gives scholarships to high schoolers. Her My People Fund distributed cash to those who lost homes in 2016’s devastating wildfires. From programs to encourage staying in school, to donations furthering medical research, Dolly puts her money where her heart is, in Tennessee.
Imagination Library is Dolly’s best-known initiative. In the past 30 years, Imagination Library has sent nearly 300 million free books to young children around the world.
Children “dream of becoming a doctor or an inventor or a minister. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer,” she says. “The seeds of those dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.”
Reserve a Pigeon Forge cabin rental now and plan your trip to see Dolly’s legacy.
